Rebeca Grynspan, at Esade: “It would be disappointing if Europe does not sign the Mercosur agreement”
Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), stated that it would be “disappointing” if the European Union (EU) failed to sign the trade agreement negotiated over 20 years with Mercosur. She made these remarks during the celebration of the 15th anniversary of EsadeGeo – Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, held on Thursday at Esade’s Madrid campus.
“This is about having alliances. If Mercosur goes through, all Latin American countries will have an agreement with Europe, with the exception of Bolivia and Venezuela,” Grynspan noted just hours before the EU decided to postpone until January the signing of the trade agreement with Mercosur, which had initially been scheduled for this weekend in Brazil.
The UNCTAD Secretary-General also urged the EU to engage in more productive trade talks with China, considering that it “could be a very important services market for Europe” and that between the two trading powers “there may be rivalry, but also understanding.”
Regarding the global trade situation, in a year marked by Donald Trump’s tariff policy, the former Vice President of Costa Rica noted that “it has been a very difficult year for trade.” Nevertheless, she clarified that although “we are in a different trade regime, we are not yet in an open trade war.”
Grynspan, who has just launched her candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, stressed that we are living in “challenging times” in which the UN must continue to serve as a forum for dialogue among adversaries. In a context where a lack of respect for international law has weakened the order built after 1945, Grynspan believes it is necessary to “have allies, have good proposals, and be at the table”.
Technology and Production Relocation: Key to the Global Economy
During the event organized by EsadeGeo, the UNCTAD Secretary-General, took part in a dialogue with Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, moderated by EsadeGeo Director Ángel Saz.
Wolf reviewed the main structural factors shaping the future of the global economy, including population aging and demographic decline in major economies, the transformative yet uncertain role of technology, the sustained shift of the center of production toward East Asia, the irreversibility of climate change, and a period of exceptional growth in recent decades. Regarding the EU, he noted that the bloc “is a trade superpower and must take advantage of it,” and pointed to India as a potential trade partner for Europe.
The President of EsadeGeo, Javier Solana, also referred to the relevance of the EU and argued that, in certain areas such as security, countries that wish to move forward and go further should be able to do so, as happened in the past with the euro.
Solana also reflected on his 15 years at the helm of EsadeGeo, during which the centre has consolidated itself as a benchmark in research on economic globalization and its interactions with geopolitics and global governance. Since its creation, EsadeGeo has contributed to public debate and research with more than 110 working papers, 40 position papers, and the organization of nearly 40 annual events.
The event also featured the participation of Esade’s Director General, Daniel Traça; Professor of General Management and Strategy, Carlos Losada; and EsadeGeo researcher and research coordinator, Marie Vandendriessche.e.
