The 61st session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) board convened for a meeting in Geneva on Monday.

Early session highlights of the meeting, which will continue through Sept. 26, included Mikhail Khvostov, permanent representative of Belarus, being elected vice-president of the board. Ana Maria Menendez Perez, permanent representative of Spain to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva, was elected president of the board.

From a development perspective, the board will also review the issues of inequality, sustained recovery of the global economy, trends in the international trading system, investment cooperation and issues related to least developed countries.

The Belarus delegation made a statement at the plenary session of the board on behalf of Eastern European members on the importance of tackling inequality to ensure sustainable economic growth. Belarus also recognized the UNCTAD’s role in intergovernmental consensus-building on development issues.