UNIDO promotes partnerships with NGOs!
Tidiane Boye (UNIDO) explained the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the role of partnerships, March 1, 2016, to the audience of the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development. UNIDO wants to achieve with its program ISID (Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development) the development goal SDG 9 (built resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation) and SDG 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development). Under global and local partnership UNIDO understands the cooperation and collaboration with the private sector such as SMEs, multinational corporations, NGOs and other stakeholders to fulfill the two SDGs more efficiently. Tidiane Boye indicated that UNIDO was pleased about the growing interest in the private sector and NGOs to join forces for sustainable development and particular for SDG 17. To maximize the development impact, UNIDO wants to improve both the internal and external coordination on partnerships with DFIs, NGOs, and the private sector. About Austria, Boye told that UNIDO offered the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Austrian Industry Association, Austrian Development Agency, and other institutions their cooperation with the intention to create synergies between UNIDO and their partners. Partnerships are not new to UNIDO, it always developed and maintained partnerships with Governments, other UN agencies, and donors. However, the new partnership approach is putting more emphasis on also including partnerships with the private sector and development financial institutions (DFIs), as well as NGOs; Through the Program for Country Partnership Framework, UNIDO is proactively identifying new partners and supporting the coordination of multi-stakeholder partnerships that can contribute to ISID. UNIDO involves NGOs in a comprehensive engagement program participating household community, local government, and another stakeholder: in this process, non-governmental organizations play a significant role. Tidiane Boye revealed that UNIDO sees in establishing of Industrial Parks (Enterprise zones) a promising tool for achieving ISID. The members of the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development expected to hear which role their NGO could play in current and future projects of the UNIDO and what knowledge and experience are required. Because of the lack of time, Tidiane Boye could not reply to this question, and so the answer is still open. The members of the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development should represent from their own perspective how their own NGO could contribute to the programs and projects of UNIDO.
Roland Leithenmayr VFV
NGO Committee on Sustainable Development Vienna 