Venezuelan Government ratifies its willingness to work jointly with UNIDO at its 19th General Conference

On November 30, during the 19th General Conference of this specialized UN agency, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ratified its absolute willingness to continue working jointly with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

During the international event celebrated in-person and telematic participation, the Vice Minister of Industrial Development stressed Venezuela’s commitment to multilateralism; both as a meeting point and with UNIDO as a fundamental lever for the development of the industrial sector of its Member States.

“Venezuela reiterates its willingness to continue working hand in hand with UNIDO, with its new management team. To continue with the accompaniment of the Organization in strengthening the industrial structure and achieve the inclusive and sustainable development that we have proposed, under a humanist vision as a fundamental principle of the Bolivarian Government,” he said.

Consequently, the Venezuelan Vice-Minister celebrated the extension of the Country Program Agreement in April this year, which covers the period 2021 – 2024.

“The Country Program constitutes the primary basis for cooperation between UNIDO and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on which, we wish to continue building meetings in favor of the objective of achieving sustainable development,” he explained.

Based on this agreement, UNIDO has been developing technical cooperation activities in the agricultural and agro-industrial areas.

Inclusive and sustainable industrialization

The Deputy Minister of Industrial Development emphasized the importance that the Venezuelan Government attaches to inclusive and sustainable industrial development, a UNIDO mandate, as an excellent opportunity to face challenges such as climate change and the effects of COVID-19.

“We, therefore, endorse the precepts set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2019 Abu Dhabi Declaration. In particular […] the need to strengthen international cooperation to address the growing challenges posed by the eradication of poverty and hunger, as well as global peace and security, climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation, growing inequality, and emerging trends,” he expanded.

Regarding industrialization policies, the Vice Minister also said, Venezuela urges the Organization to continue supporting governments during the industrial policy formulation cycle with advice, capacity building, and facilitation of technical assistance; and at a higher stage, to aid the transfer of technology and knowledge.

“For the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, is a priority issue. It involves a new way of doing business in which the interrelationship between the key factors of production modifies. Energy consumption, labor, manufacturing time, and logistics costs, to make products more competitive in an increasingly globalized world,” he added.

The Venezuelan delegate also welcomed UNIDO’s efforts to promote the circular economy among its member states.

Illegal unilateral coercive measures

Despite the imposition of illegal unilateral coercive measures, Venezuela is working on the design of actions that allow it to continue raising the development capacity of the industrial sector, said the Vice Minister.

However, he denounced that these measures affect the economic and social development of the peoples and, consequently, their human rights, as corroborated by the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, Alena Douhan.

In this regard, she cited the content of paragraph 26 of the 2019 Abu Dhabi Declaration, which urges States to refrain from unilaterally applying economic, financial, or trade measures that are not consistent with international law and the UN Charter.

“Venezuela calls on the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and its member states to condemn the use of unilateral coercive measures, contrary to international law, which seriously affects economic and social development,” he urged.

Vice Minister Biomorgi made his intervention opportune to congratulate Gerd Müller on his election as the new Director-General of UNIDO while expressing Venezuela’s full support for the administration he is about to begin.

The General Conference is the highest policy-making body of UNIDO.  This agency was established in 1966 by the United Nations General Assembly as a responsible body for the promotion and acceleration of industrialization in developing countries.

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