Calling for full UNIDO presence here!

Sri Lanka calls for direct UN engagement with its industries for the first time

• ‘Calling for full UNIDO presence here’-Rishad
• ‘Six new UNIDO projects for Sri Lanka-DG LI Yong
• “Lima Declaration important’-Rishad
• Also 89 UNIDO projects in last 4 decades
• Industries at 31.4% of GDP

Sri Lanka has called on the UN for direct, wider engagement in its industry sector for the first time-meanwhile, UN’s apex industrial body responded its ‘best support and commitment’ to HE the President’s new government is on its way-announcing six new industrial projects for the country on 05 February in Colombo. “UNIDO is ready to move ahead with Lankan people and the new government. Six new, strong, UNIDO projects are in the pipeline for Sri Lanka” announced an enthusiastic Vienna based LI Yong (visiting UNIDO Director General) in Colombo on 05 February.

UNIDO DG Yong was addressing the bilateral session held at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce on the morning of 05 February. Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) led the Sri Lankan official team that met UNIDO DG Yong. Joining Minister Bathiudeen were Asitha Seneviratne (Additional Secretary), RDS Kumararatne (DG-Department of Commerce) and other top officials. UNIDO DG Yong was joined by Nawaz Rajabdeen (Head, UNIDO Focal Point, Colombo). This is the first time that a Vienna based UNIDO Director General is officially touring Sri Lanka.

“Let me stress that it is time that Sri Lanka receives a fully-fledged country office of UNIDO. With the 100 day-programme of the newly elected President being implemented with a strong emphasis on support for industry and business establishing a fully- fledged country office will send a strong positive signal to the industry and export sectors” said Minister Bathiudeen and added:  “I wish to thank UNIDO on behalf of people of Sri Lanka for the continued and valuable assistance extended to our country. HE the President Maithripala Sirisena and Hon Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe attach great importance to the work of UNIDO in Sri Lanka and everywhere.  Our industry sector contributes to almost one third of our GDP and therefore it’s an important driver for us. In fact we lead in South Asia when it comes to industrial contribution rate to the overall GDP. Given that we are aiming at becoming an upper middle income economy the importance of this only tends to increase. I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that almost 85% of Sri Lanka’s industrial economy is concentrated on manufacturing.  Approximately 680,000 people are engaged in the industry and 12% on the second aspect of our industrial economy -that is mining sector. The third aspect of our industrial economy which is the ‘electricity gas and water sector’ takes only 0.19% of it but still plays a key role. Within the manufacturing sector the largest number of establishments are under the “food and beverages sub sector” with 4250 establishments and 127000 persons engaged in them.  We continue to stress the importance of sustainable industrial development which should be an inclusive and unitary concept. The experiences of the developing countries have shown that development aid alone is not adequate and that manufacturing also played a crucial role in development.  The Lima Declaration adopted by the General conference of UNIDO in December 2013 is important to the future of UNIDO. We are pleased to note that the new development agenda post 2015 will have ISID included in it as a part of Sustainable Development Goal. Once it is adopted by the UN General Assembly we have no doubt that it would further reinforce UNIDO’s role and make it relevant to all members. We are pleased that Sri Lanka was able to contribute effectively to the successful negotiation of the Lima Declaration and to the process of consultation on the evolving new development agenda. Sustainable development contributes to the value creation with social responsibility. Nevertheless for the developing countries the cost of adaptation is a critical factor and also the threat of global warming. A collective response to global warming lies in part in effectively upholding the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility. Sri Lanka advances this position as an important aspect of its national development policy.”

In the second quarter of 2014, industry sector contributed to 31.4% (totalling $2Bn) of Sri Lanka’s GDP.

UNIDO DG Yong addressing the bilateral session said: “I am very pleased to let you know that UNIDO will continue and commit our best to support HE the President Maithripala Sirisena’s new government to implement more industrial development programs. We enjoy such a good relationship with Sri Lanka for a long time and under the new government, it is time to expand this relationship. Sri Lanka is a very important member of UNIDO. There are many forms of natural, agro and human resources in Sri Lanka. It’s very commendable that long history of national and international engagement by Sri Lanka. Notable progress has been made by Sri Lanka in increasing its per capita income and poverty eradication. The World Economic Forum, in its global competitiveness report has described Sri Lanka’s economy transitioning from Factor Driven stage to Efficiency Driven stage. This is very encouraging to see. Also UNIDO is ready to move ahead with Lankan people and the new government. No single country in this world has reached highest stage of economic development without developing its vast industrial sector. I also appreciate your government’s support to the 15^th Conference in Lima in which we passed the Lima Declaration where Inclusive and Sustainable development has begun to be operationalized. We have implemented 89 projects and programs in Sri Lanka so far during our 40 years in Sri Lanka. And six new, strong, UNIDO projects are in the pipeline for Sri Lanka that include industrial parks, climate change, chemical and waste management, and in leather processing.”

Yong, who was also a member of the high profile international advisory body ‘China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED)’, was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the China Central Bank for a decade and played a key role in China’s cooperation with the World Bank and ADB. He was elected to lead UNIDO in 2013.

Yong is also scheduled to meet with other high officials of the Government of Sri Lanka during his visit.