Speaker — Neptune Forum 2026
Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis
Candidate for the UN Secretary-General
Secretary-General of UNCTAD, candidate for the post of UN Secretary-General
UN
Rebeca Grynspan is a candidate for the UN Secretary-General, currently on leave of her post as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), for which she was appointed in 2021. An economist and former Vice President of Costa Rica, she is an experienced leader of international institutions with a substantive track record in government, UN diplomacy, economic policy and multilateral cooperation. Prior to joining the UN, she was Vice President of Costa Rica and held cabinet positions as Minister of Housing, Minister Coordinator of Economic and Social Affairs and Deputy Finance Minister. Previously, she served as Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Conference; UN Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. At UNCTAD, she played a decisive role in the Istanbul Agreements, including the successful Black Sea Initiative brokered between the UN, Türkiye, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which enabled the safe export of grains and lowered global food prices by 23%. She also led the UN Global Crisis Response Group on food, energy and finance. Ms. Grynspan holds degrees in economics from the University of Costa Rica and the University of Sussex.
