ASSEMBLY PLENARY STATEMENT BY Mr. LI Yong DIRECTOR-GENERAL UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION TO THE FIFTH ASSEMBLY OF THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY Duration: 5 minutes Assembly Plenary Room The Moon Palace Cancun, Mexico 14:15-17:30 29 MAY 2014 Thank you Chair. Distinguished Ms. Naoko Ishii, Excellencies, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure for me to have this opportunity to address this Fifth Assembly of the GEF. I am honored to be with you today, as we come together at this historic occasion when the GEF donor countries have confirmed their commitment to set the GEF and its partners on a course of addressing the key drivers of global environmental degradation and achieving multiple environmental and development benefits. I would like to use this occasion to reflect share with you some thoughts on how UNIDO will contribute to the GEF Partnership in the framework of the upcoming GEF-6 Replenishment Cycle. Page 1 of 8
Let me start by highlighting the main vision of UNIDO, the Lima Declaration, which was adopted by all of UNIDO Member States in December 2013. The inclusive and sustainable industrial development in short ISID is defined as the new mandate and mission for UNIDO to harness the full potential of industry s contribution to the sustainable development, lasting prosperity and poverty eradication.i believe that thisnew impetus will shape the global development framework, under which we will create the industrial future for generations to come. What do I mean by that? Firstly, UNIDO sees ISID as a key to a world free of poverty and the creation of shared prosperity. Poverty is a complex phenomenon with many dimensions that go far beyond low income levels. Page 2 of 8
History has taught us, poverty would be reduced once we develop the industry, combined with its integral building blocks of technology and trade. It was through the industrial revolution that developed countries emerged from poverty and it has been this same model that has assisted the newly industrialized economiesto reach higher levels of prosperity.the structural transformations that occur when economies move from a reliance on agriculture and natural resource extraction to activities that foster local valueaddition produce dramatic developmental benefits. It is this shift that unleashes dynamic and competitive economic forces, generating higher employment and income, and facilitating international trade and a more efficient use of resources. Excellencies, colleagues and friends, Page 3 of 8
We cannot, and must not, deny such progress to those who are still struggling, who have so far been left behind. Nobody should be left behind. We need to create more shared prosperity in and among all our countries and societies. And we all need to work on this together in partnerships linking governments, the private sector, national and multilateral financial institutions, civil society and the United Nations. We need to work on the constructive inclusion of women and youth through their economic empowerment; through entrepreneurship development in all countries. Industrial development must become inclusive. The world needs to grow its industries in an inclusive manner. Secondly, Page 4 of 8
However, we need to remember that any progress on poverty eradication will be short-lived if we do not succeed in achieving the necessary economic growth within an environmentally sustainable framework. We cannot deny and history has taught us that our industries left a significant global environmental footprint. Indeed, there is no country in the world that is not struggling with the issues of waste management, water purification and emission reduction it remains a major learning process for all of us. We therefore need to realize that there is no alternative to the rapid reform of our industrial processestowards sustainability. We must increase our energy efficiency. We must reduce our emissions. We must useour scarce resources more efficiently and effectively. And we must advance our cleaner production abilities. Page 5 of 8
Let me reassure you that we do not need to choose between industrial growth and sustainability with the right choice of technologies both can go hand-inhand.investments are required and we have talked about the wide range of possibilities to finance Green Growth with the goal to achieve the combined impact of industrial growth and greater environmental sustainability in the Roundtable on Financing Green Growth yesterday. All UNIDO-GEF initiatives under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Chemicals and International Waters benefit greatly from UNIDO s ability to address the issues of extreme poverty and environmental degradation by establishing a range of partnerships. As highlighted in the UNIDO Side Event on Strategic Partnerships, UNIDO, the GEF and other partners have engaged in such knowledge sharing, regional cooperation, capacity building and the promotion of investment initiatives. These include the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Page 6 of 8
Energy Efficiency, or ECREEE, and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) established in collaboration with UNEP. Finally, UNIDO works closely with private sector companies, including SMEs, their associations, and civil society organizations, in building strategic partnerships that advance ISID while promoting business values and addressing the causes of global environmental degradation. In this respect, the GEF-UNIDO Global Cleantech Programme for SMEs was presented here during the Private Sector Side Event,jointly hosted by the GEF and the Mexican Government, as a platform to support innovation and entrepreneurship with SMEs, who in many countries are the backbone of development. Excellencies, Colleagues and Friends, In conclusion I would like to re-emphasize, that UNIDO as an effective and dedicated implementing agency fully supports the strategic and programming Page 7 of 8
directions for the GEF-6 Replenishment Cycle, confirmed during this Assembly, and stands ready to collaborate in all key areas linked to UNIDO s mandate of inclusive and sustainable industrial development. With the record level replenishment pledges submitted by the donor countries and the GEF-6 programming directions confirmed by all of you, I am sure that the Facility will grow and prosper under your leadership, continuing to expand its programmes for creating global environmental benefits through the establishment of enduring multi-stakeholder collaborations. I thank the GEF for the great cooperation we have had over the past decades and look forward to an ever closer partnership in the years to come to serve the Member States of the GEF and UNIDO alike. I also would like to sincerely thank the Government of Mexico for its warm hospitality and congratulate, once again, the GEF on its successful Fifth Assembly! Page 8 of 8