Angelica Kalubiaka, a master’s student at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Ottawa, represented Canada at the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) and its 5th Youth Forum, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 20 to 23, 2025.
Selected from among thousands of applicants worldwide, Ms. Kalubiaka was one of 200 young delegates from more than 100 countries invited to take part in this major global event. Held every four years, UNCTAD’s ministerial conference is its highest decision-making body, bringing together heads of state, ministers, diplomats, and international experts to discuss global priorities in trade, investment, and sustainable development.
Under the theme “Deciding Our Future: Forging a Fair, Inclusive and Sustainable Transformation,” the conference focused on the need to build a more resilient and equitable global economy.
Throughout the week, Ms. Kalubiaka participated in high-level discussions and panels on artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and social innovation. As a panelist at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), she presented the Canadian perspective on promoting youth entrepreneurship through intellectual property. She also contributed to the UNCTAD16 Youth Declaration, an official document emphasizing the importance of incorporating Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) perspectives into global trade and development policy.
Ms. Kalubiaka’s participation was made possible through a Field Research Grant from the Faculty of Social Sciences and additional support from the Graduate Students’ Association of the University of Ottawa (GSAÉD). The GSPIA congratulates her on this outstanding achievement and thanks Dr. Patrick Leblond, her thesis supervisor, for his mentorship and guidance.