20 November 2010: The African Union (AU), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have released a joint statement on the occasion of Africa Industrialization Day, which was celebrated on 20 November 2010, under the theme “Competitive Industries for Development of Africa.”

In the statement, the three organizations highlight that this year’s theme underlines the need for the creation of competitive industries as way of promoting Africa’s development, and that from a technical perspective, it recognizes that competitiveness can be drawn not only from existing comparative advantages such as Africa’s immense natural resources base, but also from created comparative advantages. While recognizing the importance of a conducive policy environment, the organizations underscore that it is not sufficient for stimulating a strategic and sustainable development process. They highlight other necessary conditions, such as skillful mobilization and efficient deployment of financial and non-financial resources into productive sectors.

Furthermore, in their joint statement, the organizations underline the key role of the Implementation Strategy of the AU Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa, designed by the AU Commission in collaboration with UNIDO and UNECA. They urge key actors in Africa’s industrialization process, such as individual countries, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the AU Commission, to: take a closer look at the Implementation Strategy; draw priority action lists; and move into the actual implementation process. They also call on bilateral and multilateral development partners, as well as the private sector, to cooperate in translating the Implementation Strategy into concrete bankable projects. [Joint Statement]