6 October 2014: The EU and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) discussed cooperation on inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID), poverty reduction and the green economy, at the Third EU-UNIDO High-Level Review Meeting. The meeting took place on 6 October 2014, in Vienna, Austria, under the theme, ‘EU-UNIDO cooperation in the post-2015 development agenda: the role of the private sector for inclusive and sustainable industrial development.’
Li Yong, UNIDO Director General, told participants that the partnership between the EU and UNIDO has contributed to poverty reduction, environmental preservation and climate mitigation through job creation, green industry interventions, regional integration and private sector development. He described UNIDO’s ‘Lima Declaration,’ which gives the Organization a mandate on ISID that aims to preserve the environment and the climate and benefit all parts of society, particularly women and youth.
Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development, European Commission (EC), highlighted the EU’s cooperation with UNIDO on poverty reduction through productive activities as well as its work on sustainable energy, the green economy, and low-carbon, resilient growth and sustainable production patterns. He said the EC has adopted a policy paper on the private sector’s role “in development and in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth for poverty reduction” with a focus on sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy, physical and digital infrastructure and green sectors.
On the post-2015 development agenda, Li recalled the global consultation, led by UNIDO in collaboration with the UN Global Compact, on ‘Engaging the private sector in the post-2015 development agenda.’ He said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented a preliminary report on the role of private sector and industry in the post-2015 development framework to Member States. Li called for support for proposed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 on resilient infrastructure, inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation.
Piebalgs also voiced support for a number of the proposed SDGs, including on economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, resilient infrastructure inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation, sustainable consumption and production (SCP), cities, climate change and natural resource protection.
The EU and UNIDO also discussed their cooperation in new geographic and thematic areas, such as joint work in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Southern Mediterranean, while continuing cooperation on sustainable industrialization and green industry promotion in Africa. The two organizations also have begun collaborating on chemicals management, creative industries, the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and youth employment, among other areas. [UNIDO Press Release] [UNIDO Director General Statement] [EC Commissioner for Development Statement]