James X. Zhan

Senior director of investment and enterprise, United Nations Organization on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Mr. Zhan is senior director of investment and enterprise at the United Nations Organization on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He is editor-in-chief of the UN World Investment Report and the Transnational Corporations journal.

He chairs the Governing Board of the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, with all major stock exchanges worldwide as partners. He also co-chairs the Executive Board of UN Family Business for Sustainable Development Initiative (in partnership with FBNi); as well as co-chairs the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (covers 7000 zones in over 140 countries).

He has provided high-level policy advice to numerous developing and developed countries governments (including heads of states and cabinets) and parliaments, and to global summits (e.g. G20, G7, BRICS, ACP, APEC, UNGA).

He led the formulation of global guidelines for a new generation of investment policies used in over 140 countries and major regional groupings.

He created the World Investment Forum in 2008 and has led it to become the most prominent global platform for investment-development stakeholders worldwide.

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 Cambridge University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Geneva University and Oxford University. He is guest professor and PhD supervisor at Nankai University; and was research fellow at Oxford University.

He has published over 150 books, journal articles and book chapters on investment, trade and technology related economic and legal issues. In addition, he has led the preparation of over 300 publications and substantive reports of the United Nations.