UNIDO hosts One-Belt-One-Road inclusive and sustainable city exhibition and dialogue
UNIDO hosts One-Belt-One-Road inclusive and sustainable city exhibition and dialogue
Source : UNIDO Website
17-Oct-2016
A major international event hosted this week in the Austrian capital by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will help advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through enhanced infrastructure and improved connectivity of the Asian, European and African continents, and their adjacent seas, referred to as One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR).
With an emphasis on cities, the event from 17 to 21 October will bring together over 400 participants, including representatives of different city governments, the private sector and development agencies, as well as of academia. Representatives of 46 cities from nearly 25 countries are participating in the event, including Brussels, Chengdu, Jakarta, London, Moscow, New York, Seoul, Suez, Venice and Vienna.
“Many of the countries along the OBOR are still in the process of development but exhibit great potential for near-future economic growth,” said LI Yong, Director General of UNIDO. “This event can serve as an effective platform for cooperation among all countries involved, offering opportunities for inclusive and sustainable industrial development.”
The “One-Belt-One-Road Inclusive and Sustainable City Exhibition and Dialogue” will support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This will be done through the OBOR initiative, which promotes an open and inclusive global economy by building cohesive regional trade networks and enhancing connectivity for economic growth. It also aims to improve economic cooperation and to upgrade industrial and infrastructural development.
Participating cities and organizations will be able to showcase their development achievements and highlight efforts made towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Representatives of different cities will also be able to identify solutions to their development challenges and those of their partners by engaging in inter-regional, inter-city dialogue for inclusive and sustainable urban-industrial development. By engaging at the municipal levels, UNIDO and other organizations will also be able to help fill the gap in urban development and provide tailor-made technical cooperation solutions to development challenges.
“Cities represent the central hub of every nation’s industrial development, which is a key engine of job creation and income generation,” Director General Li said. “The objective of this event is to help bridge existing divides between city-level and nationwide industrial development and to recognize cities as an integral platform for the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrial development.”
Following the event, the establishment of a “One-Belt-One-Road Inclusive and Sustainable City Service Network” will aim to streamline cities’ approaches to urban-industrial development via the involvement of an extensive network of city-level focal points.