Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. The following countries align themselves with this statement: the Republic of North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, Norway⁺, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

The EU and its Member States are UNIDO’s largest donors of voluntary contributions from governmental sources. In 2021 alone, the EU and its Member States accounted for more than 30 % of all voluntary contributions and 3 EU MS – Italy, Germany and Sweden – are among  the top six governmental funding partners of UNIDO. More than half of EU funded projects are being implemented in Africa. Furthermore, global projects represent around 20% of the EU-UNIDO portfolio.

By addressing the clear correlation between low levels of industrialisation and poverty, we remain committed to supporting UNIDO activities that create employment for all, particularly women and youth, with the aim of lifting people out of poverty, reducing inequalities and ending hunger, while, at the same time, promoting sustainable industrialisation, consumption and production. In this regard, the majority of EU projects influence the impact dimension “advancing economic competitiveness” and are oriented towards investment and technology promotion, small and medium enterprises development, and better exports capacities through trade capacity building.

As acknowledged in Document PBC.38/7.Rev.1, the limited funding for technical cooperation activities from the regular budget makes the mobilization of extra budgetary resources necessary. We encourage the Secretariat to continue broadening UNIDO’s donor base, including through appropriate requirements of special public-private partnerships and outreach, within the framework of the MTPF. The EU, as Team Europe, has been active in this regard: as a recent example, Director General Gerd Müller signed a new Joint Declaration with the European Investment Bank (EIB), related to investments in circular economy and clean energy, small and medium enterprise development, access to finance support, pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, sustainable transport and digitalization.

Furthermore, the EU has been proactive in promoting its cooperation with UNIDO to both shed light on its work and broaden the base of potential donors. In 2020, the EU and UNIDO held a joint social media campaign on the occasion of the 75^th anniversary of the UN with thousands followers. In November 2021, we collaborated on a joint exhibition at the Dubai Expo, showcasing EU-UNIDO programs on gender equality and empowerment of women.  And two weeks ago, the EU and UNIDO co-organised an associated event at the Stockholm+50 environmental conference providing a platform to three outstanding women from Egypt, Cambodia and Liberia who have been participating in EU-UNIDO environment projects. The event was opened by the EU Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius and UNIDO DG Gerd Müller.

Mr. Chairman,

Unfortunately, the UN Secretary General’s call to address the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to fast-track the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs, has been affected by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU cooperates with the UN and the African Union to help overcome its impact on food supplies and support developing states to meet the basic needs of their people. We encourage UNIDO to contribute in these efforts based on its expertise with public private partnerships in sustainable agriculture.

Thank you for your attention.

* Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania as well as potential Candidate Country Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

+ Norway is a member of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.