The summit, which began on Sunday and runs until Thursday, is hosting debates on how the industry can help tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change and food insecurity to the need for fairer global supply chains.
In a message delivered on his behalf by Mohamed El-Zarkani, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres said industrial development must be central to global efforts to strengthen economies and “create jobs and prosperity”.
Delegates arrived in Riyadh at a time when many developing economies are under severe strain, with several wealthy nations cutting development aid. The conclusion of the COP30 Climate Conference on Saturday underscored the scale of the climate emergency, which poses an existential threat to vulnerable nations, including Small Island Developing States.
Guterres urged governments and businesses to accelerate sustainable industrialisation by adopting cleaner, resource-efficient technologies, modernising infrastructure and ensuring that growth does not come at a social or environmental cost. These steps reflect key recommendations of the Pact for the Future, the UN’s framework for strengthening international cooperation.
The summit doubles as the 21st General Conference of the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the agency tasked with advancing inclusive and sustainable industrial development that reduces poverty, boosts competitiveness and supports environmental sustainability in developing countries.
This year’s discussions focus on three major themes: reducing emissions and expanding renewable energy; strengthening food security through agro-industrial innovation; and transforming global supply chains so that trade benefits workers, communities and the environment.
UNIDO Director-General Gerd Müller, re-elected for a second four-year term, called for wealthier nations to honour long-standing aid commitments. He criticised the failure of industrialised countries to meet the target of spending 0.7% of their national budgets on official development assistance, calling instead for a “New Global Fair Deal” that gives developing nations better access to global finance and zero-tariff access to markets.
Müller also issued a direct appeal to G20 leaders, gathered this week in South Africa, to reverse funding cuts of up to 40% to UN aid agencies such as the World Food Programme and World Health Organisation.
“These cuts are nothing less than a death sentence for millions of children, refugees and people in crisis zones who depend on humanitarian assistance,” he warned.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
