HIBAPRESS
The Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to International Organizations in Vienna, Azzdine Farhane, confirmed today, Saturday, in Riyadh, that the Group of 77 and China confirms its readiness to ensure a decisive transformation towards sustainable development and to advance the path of the least developed countries.
Farhan said, in a speech on behalf of this bloc, which includes the African, Latin American, and Asian groups (134 countries in the United Nations) during the Eleventh Ministerial Conference of the Least Developed Countries, organized under the slogan “Driving Inclusive Industrialization: Investment, Innovation and Partnerships in the Least Developed Countries,” that “the Group expresses its readiness to deepen its cooperation with the organization (UNIDO) and all partners to ensure that the next decade witnesses a decisive transformation towards sustainable development and advancing the path of all least developed countries in an irreversible manner.”
The Ambassador highlighted, during this meeting, which was attended by the Director-General of the organization (UNIDO) Gerd Müller, and the President of the OPEC Fund for International Development, Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa, in addition to the ministers and ambassadors of the Group of 77 countries accredited to the organization, that this meeting represents a decisive stop to evaluate the progress within the framework of the Doha Program of Action, and to renew the collective commitment to ensure that the next decade witnesses a decisive transformation towards the sustainable development of the least developed countries.
He expressed the Group's appreciation for the unwavering commitment of the (UNIDO) organization, as demonstrated in its operational strategy for the least developed countries for the period 2022-2031, noting that the comprehensive implementation plan has been taken into consideration, and expressing the Group's aspiration to approve this plan to accelerate the translation of common ambitions into concrete measures on the ground.
He also expressed the Group's appreciation for the concrete contributions of (UNIDO) in all six main areas of focus of the Doha Program of Action. Regarding “Investing in Human Resources”, the organization's efforts were praised within its 45 active projects in the least developed countries, which are of great importance for skills development, empowering youth, and creating job opportunities.
Farhan said, in this regard, that the Group recommends expanding the scope of these efforts, with a special focus on digital literacy and aligning training programs with the requirements of emerging green and digital economies.
Regarding “Benefiting from the power of science, technology, and innovation”, he welcomed the leadership of (UNIDO), through 60 projects in this field, where programs that promote clean technology innovations and climate adaptation technologies are vital.
In this context, the Group recommends enhancing the support provided to the least developed countries to access and adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, strengthening national innovation ecosystems, technology transfer, and enhancing South-South and triangular cooperation.
Regarding “Supporting Structural Transformation”, the ambassador affirmed the importance of the pivotal role of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), through 64 projects that promote economic diversification, highlighting that projects that enhance the value chains of agricultural activities contribute to direct transformations in economies.
In this context, he called for increasing investment in agricultural manufacturing, supporting the development of regional value chains, and providing targeted assistance to promote the transition towards more flexible, diversified, and competitive economic structures.
As for “Promoting international trade and regional integration”, he valued (UNIDO)'s 59 projects that help companies meet international standards and integrate into global markets, considering that working on high-quality infrastructure and facilitating trade is indispensable.
In this regard, he recommended continuing and expanding support for building productive capacities, complying with international trade laws, and better utilizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) to achieve regional integration.
Regarding “Efforts to address climate change and build resilience”, he noted that this area is the largest area of (UNIDO)'s work, as it includes 120 projects, stressing the need for a greater increase in support for climate change adaptation technologies, access to climate finance, and addressing restrictive trade measures related to the environment and climate change, including carbon tax mechanisms at borders, building low-emission industries, and resilience to climate change to protect development gains.
In a related context, Farhan stopped at the issue of “Mobilizing international solidarity and partnerships”, stressing the importance of UNIDO’s 62 projects that mobilize investments and enhance partnerships, and considering that the national partnership program model and working on strategic financing are key tools in this regard.
In this context, he called on (UNIDO) to strengthen its partnership with international financial institutions, and its support for mobilizing local resources, and assisting in launching innovative financing and foreign direct investment specifically directed to the least developed countries, as well as searching for additional ways to enhance the organization’s efforts in the field of technical cooperation in the least developed countries.
This meeting, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, is a prominent global event that discusses industrial development in the least developed countries, and affirms the global commitment to support 44 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean; it aims to facilitate access to financing, promote the exchange of knowledge and technologies, stimulate trade, and expand the integration of the least developed countries into regional and global value chains.
The conference comes one day before the launch of the United Nations World Industrial Summit, which is an opportunity for member states to present their distinguished projects and initiatives in the field of industrial transformation, as well as to highlight the role of (UNIDO) and its efforts in improving people’s lives.
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