Qatar affirmed that stability and peace constitute fundamental pillars of sustainable development, while aggressive wars remain one of the major obstacles to development; stressing the need for countries and international organizations to dedicate their efforts to building, reconstructing, and achieving sustainable development, while simultaneously working to suppress aggression, occupation, and deter violators of international law, humanitarian law, and human rights, and resolve international conflicts peacefully.
This came in a statement delivered by HE Jamal Abdulrahman Al Jaber, head of the State of Qatar's delegation to the 20th session of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), currently is session in Vienna.
In the statement, the State of Qatar highlighted the ongoing aggression by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people, including the comprehensive and systematic destruction of civilian neighborhoods, and medical, educational, cultural, media, and industrial infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The statement referred to the UN reports which indicated that 80% of industrial facilities in Gaza have been destroyed, including those funded by UNIDO; and called for an increase in the budget allocated to Gaza within the framework of UNIDO's Technical Cooperation Program, as requested by the Arab Group.
The statement further acknowledged the global challenges facing the world today, including climate change, energy and food crises, debt, and natural disasters, all of which require united efforts for mitigation. UNIDO plays a leading role in achieving the common goal of building sustainable industrial capacities and adopting innovations to address these challenges and assist member states, particularly developing nations, in facilitating technology transfer and achieving sustainable development goals.
The State of Qatar lauded UNIDO's tireless efforts and remarkable successes in developing and modernizing industrial policies that drive economic transformation and sustainable growth, calling for increased support and assistance to the organization to fulfill its noble mission to the fullest extent.
The statement also touched on the UNIDO's efforts to support and enhance the United Nations Development System, implementing the Accelerated Implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031. This strategy complements the outcomes of United Nations conferences related to the Least Developed Countries, with the latest, the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), being held in Doha in March 2023. The Doha Program of Action focuses on capacity building, eradicating extreme poverty, enhancing labor markets, harnessing the power of science, technology, and innovation, promoting technology-based entrepreneurship, and creating structural transformation to achieve sustainable development.
The statement stressed that economic development is a fundamental element of Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to ensure sustainable industrialization by expanding the application of clean technology, enhancing energy efficiency, developing green industries, emphasizing the usage of recycling material across various industrial sectors, and developing 3D printing as a manufacturing technology to reduce carbon emission. Qatar also seeks to improve competitiveness and productivity through the implementation of Fourth Industrial Revolution applications, transitioning toward comprehensive and sustainable manufacturing.
The statement noted Qatar's particular interest in digital technologies for developmental purposes, especially in terms of skills, experiences, capacity building, and expressed a desire for collaboration with UNIDO in these areas to strengthen the organization's role in accelerating the plans and programs of developing nations toward achieving sustainable industrial development.
Qatar concluded its statement by welcoming the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's offer to host the 21st session of the General Conference of UNIDO in Riyadh in 2025
