The 53rd session of the UNIDO Industrial Development Board (IDB) has successfully closed its works, with the adoption by consensus of all agenda items. The main operational issues, particularly the financial ones, had already been finalized at the meeting of the Planning and Budget Committee (PBC), held in May, thanks in part to decisive Italian inputs.
The unanimous support of the membership for the reappointment for a second four-year term of Director General Gerd Müller, has been one of the major achievements of the session.
Ample space was then devoted to the upcoming General Conference in Riyadh: the Saudi delegation, led by Deputy Minister Khalil Ibn Salamah, presented the first organizational details and began the discussion on the “Riyadh Declaration,” a programmatic document that will represent the main political outcome of the assembly. The General Conference – renamed the “Global Industry Summit” – is intended to be above all a networking opportunity for investments and synergies, in which G2B and B2B meetings will have great space, with wide involvement of the private sector, finance and international research.
As always, Italy ensured a profiled participation, strongly supporting the renewal of the DG and reaffirming its support to the Organization and commitment to the reform of the UN development system. Special emphasis was given to Italian action in Africa, with new projects in six countries, developed together with ITPO Rome. The link between industrial cooperation and food security was also reiterated, with reference to the UNFSS+4 in Addis Ababa.
The participation of Palestinian Minister of Industry Arafat Asfour in the Board meeting also provided an opportunity to sign – together with DG Gerd Müller – the document of the project “Developing an energy-sustainable shoe village in Hebron for the decarbonization and sustainable development of the footwear value chain in the State of Palestine” in Hebron, supported and financed by Italy.
