Dispatch from Geneva: Professor Rameau Represents Albany Law School at UNCTAD16
Recently, Associate Professor Rose Rameau joined world leaders, diplomats, and scholars at the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), a pivotal global gathering shaping the future of international trade, investment, and sustainable development.
Hosted in Geneva, Switzerland, UNCTAD16 brought together policymakers from every region to address the theme:
“Shaping the future: Driving economic transformation for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development.”
For Albany Law, Professor Rameau’s participation is a proud reflection of the school’s international impact, and of the critical role law plays in building fairer global economies.
Professor Rameau’s presence at UNCTAD16 demonstrates Albany Law School’s growing influence in international and comparative law. Her research and participation bring real-world policymaking insights back to her students, connecting classroom learning to the global stage.
Day 1: Opening Ceremonies and Global Connections
“Today marked the opening of UNCTAD16 in Geneva, and I was honored to attend as an Associate Professor at Albany Law School, engaging directly with global leaders shaping the future of trade and development,” Professor Rameau shared.
The conference opened with a powerful keynote from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, who symbolically handed the presidency of UNCTAD from Barbados to host nation Switzerland, a moment that embodied multilateral cooperation and continuity in global governance.
Throughout the day, ministerial roundtables and debates focused on reimagining global trade and financing development through platforms like the Sevilla Commitment.
On the sidelines of the formal events, Professor Rameau met with:
• Madsen Chérubin, Ambassador of Haiti
• Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica
Their discussions centered on trade justice, regional cooperation, and the unique challenges facing Caribbean and Global South economies, topics closely aligned with Professor Rameau’s scholarship and teaching.
“What happens in Geneva this week could influence policy frameworks, debt restructuring, and digital trade norms across continents,” she said. “For my students, future lawyers, policymakers, and advocates — these are the dynamics they must understand to help shape a fairer global economy.”
Day 2: Digital Futures and Inclusive Development
The second day of UNCTAD16 turned its focus to Artificial Intelligence, digital inclusion, and sustainable investment.
Professor Rameau attended key sessions including:
1. Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive and Sustainable Development
2. Making the Digital Economy Inclusive and Sustainable through Cooperation
3. Strategic Priorities and Emerging Directions for Investment and Entrepreneurship Policy
4. Regionalism in a Time of Uncertainty
Across these sessions, leaders emphasized equitable access to technology, digital trust, and cross-border collaboration as essential ingredients for sustainable growth.
Professor Rameau also explored the eTrade for Women exhibit, highlighting global initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs in the digital economy, and reviewed UNCTAD’s new report, “Shaping an Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future.”
“As a legal scholar and educator, these conversations reaffirm that AI, digital trade, and investment policy must be democratized,” she said. “Laws and institutions must center equity, ethics, and inclusion.”
Despite rainy weather and jet lag, Professor Rameau described walking the grounds of the UN as “a humbling and energizing experience.”
Day 3: Trade, Human Rights, and Global Responsibility
Day three at UNCTAD16 brought the intersection of trade, human rights, and governance into sharp focus.
During the ministerial panel on supply chains and investment, speakers including Stéphane Graber, Director General of FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations), underscored that resilient logistics aren’t just about efficiency, they’re about human rights and collaboration.
Professor Rameau noted how this discussion directly connects to her forthcoming paper, “Corporate Liability for Human Rights Violations in National Courts and International Tribunals” (18 Northeastern L. Rev., Spring 2026).
Her research explores how legal frameworks can hold corporations accountable for abuses within global supply chains, a theme echoed throughout the day’s discussions.
Later sessions addressed declines in foreign direct investment, regional cooperation across Africa, and the upcoming Global Supply Chain Forum 2026 in Saudi Arabia.
The day concluded with remarks from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged delegates to champion fairness and sustainability in global finance.
“This experience has been deeply inspiring,” Professor Rameau said. “To connect with academics and policymakers from around the world, all committed to a more inclusive, sustainable future, reminds me why this work matters.”
Day 4: The Geneva Consensus and the Future of Global Trade
As UNCTAD16 concluded in Geneva, the adoption of the Geneva Consensus marked a defining moment for global trade and development. The new framework promotes a fairer and more sustainable economic order — themes that resonate deeply with Professor Laurette Rameau’s research on investment governance and corporate accountability, particularly in the context of Africa’s growing influence in globalization.
In her closing remarks, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan described the moment as both hopeful and hard-won:
“This is what multilateralism looks like: not perfect, not easy, but possible. Always possible," Grynspan said.
For Professor Rameau, the week’s deliberations were both intellectually enriching and profoundly relevant to her teaching and scholarship at Albany Law School.
"As I return from Geneva, teaching international business transactions and international arbitration, I continue to reflect on a fruitful week in Geneva," she said. "I have returned to Albany with a renewed conviction that international law, governance, and development research must share a unified vision: an equitable global economy grounded in justice, sustainability, and solidarity."
