Summary of Second Plenary Meeting
(1 Dec. 2003, p.m.)

Agenda item: 7

Italy (General Conference President)

  • Environmentally sustainable development should be part of the development agenda of each UNIDO Member State.
  • Called for sufficient financial resources for post-conflict assistance.
  • Felt that the private sector could play an increasingly greater role in fostering productivity growth and benefit from business partnerships including cluster developments and export consortia.
  • Partnerships between finance institutions and the private sector should be used to develop tailor-made financial solutions and facilitate credit access.

    Agenda item: 9

Prof. J. Sachs (Earth Institute Columbia University/Director)

  • Called for a green revolution in each country.
  • Cited lack of waste-water treatment facilities as an example of the need for tackling basic sanitary and environmental problems, that is, in sub-Saharan countries.

Tanzania (Prime Minister)

  • Need to move away from agr0-culture to agro-industry and bring the benefits and higher income from value-added agro-industrial products to rural populations.
  • Strengthen SMEs to become a stronghold for industrial development and generate jobs and stable incomes.

Angola (On behalf of the African Group)

  • UNIDO should capitalize on the comparative advantage of its mandate and technical expertise to implement such international protocols as GEF.
  • Welcomed UNIDO’s efforts to promote rural energy for productive use.

Paraguay (On behalf of G77 and China)

  • UNIDO should capitalize on its mandate to implement GEF projects in order to mobilize funds and improve technical cooperation delivery.
  • UNIDO should be benefiting from the facilities offered by such multilateral protocols as GEF, Kyoto and Montreal.
  • Appreciated efforts towards sustainable development.
  • Appreciated efforts to promote the Global Biotechnology Forum.
  • Need to strengthen national institutional capacity in support of productivity and trade facilitation.
  • Investment and FDI are key for technology adoption and diffusion.
  • Importance of new and innovative technology for fostering national development.
  • Enhance South-South technology cooperation and partnership.

Italy (On behalf of European Union)

  • Appreciated UNIDO’s efforts to cooperate in the field of renewable energy.
  • Welcomed UNIDO’s initiative on rural energy.
  • Urged UNIDO to focus on transfer of environmentally sound technologies.
  • Invited UNIDO to promote environmental development and cooperation under such international environmental agreements as GEF.
  • Welcomed initiatives undertaken in the field of biotechnology.
  • Supported institutional productive capacity building.
  • Called for easing the financial situation in developing countries by utilizing new mechanisms such as foreign debit swoops for industrial development.

Ecuador (On behalf of GRULAC)

  • Recommended continuing implementation of international protocols.
  • Welcomed the initiatives undertaken by Chile to host the Global Biotechnology Forum.
  • Praised the past and ongoing technology foresight initiatives undertaken by UNIDO, with a call to increase this effort in the near future.
  • Need for UNIDO to support productivity capacity at national and regional level.

India (On behalf of Asian Group)

  • Need for more efforts on technology transfer efforts.
  • Called for support to South-South cooperation.
  • Praised UNIDO’s special investment forum initiatives.
  • Praised the Investment Promotion Agency Network and encouraged it to expand further, also into the Asian region.
  • Technology diffusion a priority for all developing countries.
  • ITC a key technological sector for developing countries.
  • Praised the UNIDO effort in establishing an extensive. national/international network of technology centres to support the technology transfer process.
  • Appreciated UNIDO’s efforts to implement GEF and other international agreements and recommended this be further strengthened.
  • Welcomed efforts regarding rural energy for productive use as well as those for cleaner production.
  • Welcomed the initiative of the Global Biotechnology Forum.
  • Supported the cleaner production programme.
  • Rural energy initiative should be closely monitored and constantly reviewed as it should generate additional funding.

Syria

  • Supported UNIDO’s efforts to implement international environmental agreements.
  • Paid tribute to UNIDO’s role in undertaking a needs assessment and preparing a strategy paper for increasing competitiveness, with a view to promoting SMEs and strengthening economic development. Implementation of the strategy should create an environment to encourage business initiatives, strengthen the SME sector and lead to industrial modernization and reform in Syria.
  • Stressed the importance of foreign direct investment for development and technological capacity building.

Sudan

  • Stressed the importance of attracting investment.

Iran

  • Supported UNIDO’s post-crisis initiative and encouraged UNIDO to play an active role in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process of affected countries, in particular, to alleviate the post-conflict situation in Iraq.
  • Stressed the importance to focus on strengthening the private sector and increase productivity.
  • Welcomed the opportunity of UNIDO being able to cooperate within GEF.
  • Called for more focus on international environmental agreements.
  • Supported transfer of cleaner production technology.


Agenda item: 11 - MTPF (Fund Mobilization)


Angola (On behalf of the African Group)

  • Regional offices, such as that in Addis Abeba, and including those like NY and GVA liaison offices, should be used more effectively in funds mobilization efforts.
  • Projects presently in the ‘pipeline’ should be provided with sufficient funds for implementing the TC activities.
  • Welcomed three new initiatives, but should be limited at this stage to these initiatives, which should be considered as pilot activities.

Paraguay (On behalf of G77 and China)

  • UNIDO should play more effective role in GEF, and look into possibility of funding offered by other international and multilateral sources.
  • UNIDO should evaluate the effectiveness of the new initiatives before launching any new ones.

Italy (On behalf of European Union)

  • Supported the two initiatives (trade/rural energy), took note of third initiative on post-conflict activities and looked forward to the Round Table (tomorrow) on this topic.
  • Suggested to consolidate the present initiatives before undertaking new ones.
  • Welcomed the recent FAFA concluded with the European Commission.

India (On behalf of Asian Group)

  • Cooperation with GEF should be further strengthened and enhanced.
  • The two initiatives (trade/rural energy) hopefully would lead to additional funds for the organization, but also these should be monitored; requested a report to the member states from the Secretariat.
  • Funding remained a big challenge for the organization if it wanted to become a big player in the international arena.

Iran

  • More efforts needed by UNIDO to tap the resources offered by organizations such as GEF.
  • Welcomed rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts by UNIDO (and other agencies) in post conflict countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, and a draft resolution would be supported by Iran in this respect.
  • At Madrid conference, many countries pledged support and contributions for Iraq, and this could become a good way for UNIDO to engage in activities in Iraq.

Agenda item: 12(a)

Angola (On behalf of the African Group)

  • Regarded field operations as critical in ensuring effective responses on the ground;
  • Supported decentralization and further delegation of authority to the field and welcomes the opening of new offices in the region;
  • Exhorted the Organization to optimise the use of resources in the field.


Paraguay (On behalf of G77 and China)

  • Welcomed further promotion of the ITPOs network;
  • Encouraged UNIDO to vitalise the field representation as a means to more effective TC delivery and to use local expertise whenever possible.

India (On behalf of Asian Group)

  • Supported the idea of the underlying structure of field representation. However, given the limited resources, the management of such programme should be led by cost effective principles;
  • Expressed keen interest to know the results of the report of Commission III.

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

  • Supported the strengthening of field representation through, inter alia, rotation of assignments of technical staff between HQs and the field;
  • In view of the strengthening of the country’s economy, foresaw the possibility to host a regional office in the future.