Statement by Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the General Assembly at 16th session of the General Conference of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) : “Sustainable Industrialization for the Shared Prosperity”
1 December 2015
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure for me to join you at this sixteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference and to meet with many of the UN staff working here in Vienna.
With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, leaders from all UN member and observer states committed to eradicating poverty, and to creating a world of peace, prosperity, sustainability.
With the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, they agreed a framework through which to mobilize the necessary resources, knowledge, technology and partnerships to support implementation.
And with the Climate conference over the next two weeks, they have an opportunity to set the parameters for realizing the 2030 Agenda while keeping global average temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.
From January 1st however, the international community must move from discussing the problems of the world to taking concerted action to address them.
The first year of implementation is absolutely crucial.
Given the universality, breath and complexity of the SDGs, it is particularly important that those stakeholders who advocated for this comprehensive Agenda now step forward and support its implementation.
Organizations like UNIDO, who were part of the journey these past three years, must now put the shoulder to the wheel.
UNIDO’s expertise will be particularly relevant in relation to Goal 9 as we seek to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
But that expertise will also be required in relation to many other aspects of the Goals such as poverty eradication, creating full and productive employment, protecting the environment and achieving gender equality.
Indeed, the theme of this year’s conference, “Sustainable industrialization for shared prosperity”, itself captures the integrated nature of the Agenda.
Clearly industrialization alone is not the objective – what we need is industrialization that is compatible with a flourishing environment, that delivers decent jobs and that reduces inequality.
To advance this kind of industrialization, there is a need for structural as well as technological transformation. There is a need, for example, for economic diversification into sectors characterized by higher productivity, increased technological intensity and greater value added.
This transformation demands a strong focus on finding solutions – from governments, from industry, from international policy makers and from international partners.
It requires the identification of appropriate public policies and the creation of an enabling environment, more broadly, to support technological innovation and industrial development particularly in developing countries.
It demands actions to support cleaner industry and improved resource efficiency as well as a shift to low carbon and climate resilient development pathways.
It also requires a major change among key private sector partners from short-term profit maximization to long-term value creation and the alignment of investment portfolios with long-term public priorities.
And, if we are to advance effective implementation in an integrated manner then it also requires an evolution in approach from the United Nations. The UN’s specialized agencies, funds and programmes, for example, must work better together and support developing country governments in a coherent manner.
Ultimately the achievement of sustainable industrialization requires that all of these actors collaborate together.
I am therefore very glad to see that you will today and tomorrow hold a forum on the potential of multi-stakeholder partnerships for creating linkages and synergies between infrastructure investment, industrial development and investment in innovation.
In April I will hold a high level thematic debate in New York which seeks to showcase strategic partnerships already underway, and to catalyse action in key areas like financing, technology, climate change and gender equality. I encourage active participation from all member states and other stakeholders.
Excellencies, it is time for all of us to “walk the talk” and begin to bring about the transformation promised by the 2030 Agenda.
Let us therefore work together to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, foster innovation, and make the best possible start to implementation.
Thank you.