Excellencies,  
Ladies and Gentlemen,  

We live in dramatic times: the COVID-19 poly-pandemic, soaring energy and food prices that affect the whole world and of course climate change. The latest IPCC report warns of an imminent climate catastrophe, within our lifetime. The poorest of the poor are hit the hardest by all this. We must be willing to totally rethink what we do, how we act. 

What we need is a new start, with new energy. A world without hunger is possible. Stopping climate change is possible. But we must act now. The money is there. It exists in the world. We must decide to use it for the benefit of all of us. 

I agree with Dr. Ngozi, trade is the essential part of the solution to the crises of our time. The recent WTO package of agreements shows multilateral solutions can and must be found. Solidarity exists, but we must make the world trade system itself sustainable. And we must all work towards an even fairer global trade and economic system.  

This is why Aid for Trade and this Global Review are so important. We need to use ODA effectively, focus on what matters, and use it to mobilize additional financing. When I was Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany’s development budget doubled to more than 12 billion euros. The 0.7% goal, worldwide, is the minimum of support from the industrialized countries for developing countries.  

This support today still remains far below that which is necessary. We must ensure that vaccines and medicines are distributed fairly between all countries. Vaccines and life-saving medicines are a global good, and thus must be both produced and distributed worldwide.  Right now we can save millions of people from TB, malaria, and diabetes. Neglected tropical diseases – NTDs – dengue fever, sleeping sickness and others – these are not being researched enough. Again, it must be clear to us all that medicines are a global human good. We need a global ethic here. 

I thank Dr. Ngozi of the WTO for your great dedication and efforts. Patent protection should not get in the way of the necessary global production. We must create the situation where developing countries are equal partners in the international medicine market. The WHO is doing great work and it must be strengthened.  

This was not the first pandemic, nor will it be the last. We must invest in building a global infrastructure of epidemic prevention COVAX, GAVI, and GFATM are all important partners. UNIDO stands with you.  We support you with technology and knowledge transfer. 

This pandemic has been a poly-pandemic. The ILO estimated that the pandemic wiped out over 250 million jobs in 2020-2021. Industrialized countries have held up their economies through this crises with TRILLIONS of dollars. Developing countries cannot do this The rich get richer. The poor, poorer. I look especially at the situation and problem in Africa. The continent has been hugely hit not just by COVID, but by consequences of climate change. 

As the new DG of UNIDO I am committed to making UNIDO key player in fighting hunger, fighting climate change, and in creating jobs. Aid for Trade will be very important for this. Fair trade is a key basis for developing countries to improve their quality of life Aid for Trade: world trade must not be based purely on liberalization. Africa has barely a chance on world markets. Industrialized countries support their agriculture sector with billions in subsidies, and close off markets with non-tariff barriers. The planned CO2 Border Adjustment Mechanism will become a further major hurdle for products from developing countries. Those countries need us to share the burden, international solidarity. 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The challenges are not small. But the problems can be solved. One of the main ways to achieve this is through sustainable industrialization, through technology and knowledge transfer and through investment partnerships in agribusiness, energy and sustainable industrialization. 

Moreover, we also need more local value addition. Countries sell their raw coffee beans or cocoa to the world market for a few cents. Instead, the processing should happen IN the producer countries.  We need a transition to fair trade. From free trade to fair trade. This means stopping the exploitation of nature, people, and especially children This is absolutely necessary. It is a moral must. 

Last year in Germany we made a supply chain law along these lines. It was a first very important step. Now the EU is working on a Europe-wide approach. Indeed, we do need a world-wide fair market system. At UNIDO I will work towards the same objectives to create binding international standards for global supply chains. 

We need to support workers, small businesses and governments to meaningfully integrate into the global economy. They should be able to participate in supply chains where social and environmental standards are the basis and are respected. The WTO has a key global role in this process Developing countries must not be losers of globalization. Let’s push forward on this through Aid for Trade. “Progress by Innovation”, that is the new UNIDO motto.That is what we need for real change on the ground. 

Thank you so much!