This entry examines the evolution and impact of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since its creation in 1964. It highlights the geo-political backdrop that led to its establishment in response to systemic biases and asymmetries in the post–World War II global economy and the failure of the international governance institutions (in Washington, New York and Geneva) to tackle the resulting obstacles to structural transformation, sustained growth, and technological catch-up. The entry traces the organization’s early successes in advocating for the needs of developing countries in areas of international trade and finance and related development policy challenges, and its subsequent challenges from the 1980s posed by changing geo-political dynamics, ideological shifts (notably the rise of neo-liberalism), and the growing influence of international financial markets and unregulated private capital flows. It discusses UNCTAD’s ongoing relevance amid global financial crises, the emergence of new economic powers, and the complexities of contemporary development challenges, including debt management, the climate crisis, and digitalization.