NEW YORK, United States of America, November 10, 2015/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The sixteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference, taking place from 30 November to 4 December in the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in the Austrian capital, will focus on sustainable industrialization for shared prosperity as a means to implement the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Special attention will be given to the criticality of Goal 9, which focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
The event will be attended by Austrian President, Heinz Fischer, as well as government officials from all UNIDO Member States, and a keynote speech will be delivered by Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winner in economics.
A news conference featuring LI Yong, the Director General of UNIDO, and Joseph Stiglitz will start at 12:30, on Monday, 30 December, after the opening session of the General Conference. Journalists are invited to cover all sessions and events at the General Conference, held in the Plenary Hall of the VIC (M building, first floor).
On 30 November and 1 December, the fourth UNIDO Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development Forum will examine multi-stakeholder partnerships for infrastructure investment, industrial development and investment in innovation, and highlight the achievements of UNIDO’s new Programme for Country Partnership being piloted in Ethiopia and Senegal.
In addition, during an event on 30 November, the framework for partnership between UNIDO and the European Investment Bank will also be presented.
Other events on 1 December will include a donor meeting where participants will showcase the effectiveness of UNIDO’s technical assistance, present success stories, and hear first-hand accounts from beneficiaries of UNIDO’s global work.
The launch of the two-volume Oxford Handbook of Africa and Economics will introduce some of the leading economists and development thinkers of our time, including the former chief economist of the World Bank, Justin Lin.
A separate side event will highlight the key role innovation hubs can play in catalyzing learning and innovation for sustainable industrialization and shared prosperity. Experts in this field will discuss the pitfalls and best practices in setting up and managing business infrastructure, such as industrial and technology parks.
On 2 December, the 2016 Industrial Development Report, a flagship publication of UNIDO, will be launched. The paper focuses on the required conditions for structural transformation driven by technological change that can power sustained growth and inclusiveness, while avoiding environmental degradation.
A separate side event will highlight UNIDO’s approach to entrepreneurship development through the promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises to target youth and women, which is a key to job creation and inclusion, and to addressing the root causes of migration, mainly from the Middle East and Africa.
On 3 December, an event titled “Sustainable industrialization for climate action” will examine UNIDO’s role in mitigating climate change and address such topics as reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions, energy and resource efficiency through cleaner technologies, green industry approaches and increased environmental awareness programmes.
