WIF OPENING SUMMIT
Mr. James X. Zhan
Director, Division on Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD and Lead, UNCTAD World Investment Forum · International Organizations and Civil Society
Sessions
Towards the establishment of the World Investment for Development Alliance
Speaking
High-Level Roundtable: Beyond the Bottom Line
ACADEMIC TRACK Opening plenary
Setting the future research and policy agenda on international investment and development
Speaking
INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT FUND CONFERENCE
Speaking
GLOBAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION CONFERENCE
Speaking
SOVEREIGN WEALTH AND PENSION FUNDS DIALOGUE
THE ROLE OF DERIVATIVE EXCHANGES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
United Nations Investment Promotion Awards 2021
SYMPOSIUM ON FDI STATISTICS AND DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Global Dialogue
Moderating
HIGH-LEVEL INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS CONFERENCE 2021
ISAR HONOURS
Promoting good practices and initiatives in reporting by companies on their contributions to the SDGs
Speaking
UNCTAD SUSTAINABLE FUND AWARDS 2021
Speaking
SECURITIES MARKET REGULATORS AND SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT
Speaking
Launch of the UN Global Sustainable Finance Observatory
Speaking
High-Level Interregional Dialogue on Facilitating Investment in SDG Projects
Speaking
Science Parks and Areas of Innovation Models
MINISTERIAL ROUND TABLE ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY POST-COVID-19
Moderating
Working Together Through a Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ)
G20 AND INVESTMENT
ACADEMIC TRACK CLOSING PANEL
The Evolving Role of Transparency in Privately Owned Family Firms: Sustainability Indicators for Family Business
Launch of the Family Business for Sustainable Development Sustainability (FBSD) Indicators platform
Speaking
Special Economic Zones as Engines for the Sustainable Development Goals
ROUNDTABLE ON REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION
Biography
James X. Zhan is director of investment and enterprise at UNCTAD. He leads the team of the World Investment Report and is editor-in-chief of the Transnational Corporations journal. He chairs the Governing Board of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (with all major stock exchanges worldwide as members). He has provided policy advice to numerous governments (including heads of states and cabinets) and parliaments, and global summits (including G20 and BRICS). He led the formulation of global guidelines for a new generation of investment policies, which are used in over 100 countries. He also led the establishment of the World Investment Forum. He is chief strategist for the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies and was Global Agenda Council member of the World Economic Forum. He has held several advisory positions in academic institutions (including at Cambridge University, Columbia University and Cornell University and Oxford University). He has extensive publications on investment, trade and technology related economic and legal issues.
Areas of expertise
Other speakers at WIF 2026
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H.E. Ms. Mia Amor Mottley
Prime Minister, Barbados and President of UNCTAD 15
H.E. Mr. Armen Sarkissian
President of the Republic of Armenia
H.E. Mr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi
President of the Republic of Botswana
H.E. Mr. Carlos Alvarado Quesada
President of the Republic of Costa Rica
H.E. Mr. Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona
President of the Dominican Republic
H.E. Mr. Joko Widodo
President of the Republic of Indonesia
H.E. Ms. Delcy Rodríguez
Vice President and Minister of People’s Power for Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
H.E. Mr. Mostafa Madbouly
Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt