Latest news with #Unido
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Call for joint action to advance global green economy
PETALING JAYA: UN-Habitat Assembly president Nga Kor Ming has called for bold, collaborative action to advance the global green economy, including joint international guidelines for green industrial buildings. His proposal during a bilateral meeting in Vienna recently with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) director-general Gerd Muller seeks to establish shared sustainability standards ahead of the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025. Nga, who is also Housing and Local Government minister, said guidelines would be developed under a partnership between UN-Habitat and Unido, with each organisation playing a distinct role. 'Under this framework, UN-Habitat will advocate the adoption of green building standards among local councils globally, while Unido will act as the accrediting body for qualifying industrial buildings.' The goal is to cut emissions from industrial developments and promote low-carbon industrial parks worldwide. Nga emphasised the need for sustainable development that delivers real-world benefits like job creation and inclusive economic growth, especially in rural areas. 'Unido has a vital role in this transformation, particularly in the circular economy, green manufacturing and agro-industries. The time to act is now. We must create jobs, empower local councils and ensure that our progress is built on innovation and measurable results.' A joint agreement to reactivate the MoU signed between Unido and UN-Habitat in 2017, with renewed focus on climate-resilient development and rural council empowerment was taken at the meeting. Nga, accompanied by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Malaysia's Ambassador to Austria and Slovakia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim, also paid a courtesy call on the Lord Mayor of Vienna Dr Michael Ludwig. Nga congratulated Ludwig on his re-election and commended Vienna's achievement of being named the world's most liveable city for three consecutive years, a feat he attributed to strong leadership and smart urban planning. 'Vienna's urban success story proves that with vision and good governance, heritage and innovation can thrive side by side. 'As UN-Habitat Assembly president, I look forward to bringing these insights home and inspiring transformative change,' said Nga. During the 14th Mayors Forum at the WCS 2025 in Vienna, Austria on Thursday, Nga called for stronger international collaboration anchored in local action, emphasising that city-to-city cooperation must move beyond dialogue and translate into concrete, results-driven partnerships with clear timelines. 'We must institutionalise knowledge-sharing and back our intentions with innovation funding, technical hubs and measurable outcomes.' Nga proposed three key mechanisms for this, including joint innovation funds for shared urban challenges, regional hubs to address common issues and standardised metrics to track citywide progress globally. He said these strategies are drawn from Malaysia's own experience and supported by platforms such as the Malaysia SDG Cities Roadmap, Asean Smart Cities Network and the Asia-Pacific New Urban Agenda Platform to encourage knowledge sharing and scalable solutions. Highlighting global best practices, Nga cited transformative urban innovations such as Barcelona's Superblocks, Yokohama's Zero Waste policy and Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit system. Following his visit to Seestadt Aspern, Vienna's flagship smart district, Nga praised the city's long-term planning, heritage preservation and people-centric design.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
UN-Habitat president Nga calls for innovative approaches to green economy, low-carbon industrial parks
PETALING JAYA: In his capacity as the UN-Habitat Assembly president, Nga Kor Ming has called for innovative approaches to green economy and low-carbon industrial parks in a planned collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido). The Housing and Local Government Ministry said, in a statement Thursday (July 3), that Nga who is on a working visit to Vienna in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025 had put forth the plan during a meeting with Unido director-general Gerd Müller at the Vienna International Centre on Wednesday (July 2). During the meeting, Nga proposed the development of integrated international guidelines between UN-Habitat and Unido for green industrial buildings. Under the proposed framework, UN-Habitat would advocate for the adoption and implementation of these standards among local authorities worldwide while Unido would act as the accrediting body for buildings that comply with the criteria. The ministry said that the proposal which aims to reduce carbon emissions from industrial buildings and promote the development of low-carbon industrial parks was positively received by Müller. It said that Nga noted that sustainable development must be rooted in job creation and inclusive economic development regardless of urban or rural areas. 'Unido has a critical role to play in this transformation, particularly through its focus areas such as the circular economy, green manufacturing and agro-industry. The time to act is now. We must create jobs and empower local councils as part of our pathway toward green inclusive cities and we need to ensure that progress is anchored in innovation and measurable outcomes,' he said. The ministry said that other key outcomes of the meeting was the mutual agreement to reactivate the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Unido and UN-Habitat in 2017 where both parties agreed to intensify collaboration on climate-resilient initiatives and the empowerment of local councils especially in rural areas. The ministry said Nga who was accompanied by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and the Ambassador of Malaysia to Austria and Slovakia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim also visited the Lord Mayor of Vienna, Dr Michael Ludwig. The Malaysian delegation also toured Vienna City Hall and is scheduled to visit Seestadt Aspern, Vienna's flagship smart district on Thursday together with Singapore's Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat. The ministry said the tour is to explore how urbanisation can successfully integrate smart city technologies, modern architecture, green spaces, and recreational facilities while preserving Vienna's historical character and rich cultural heritage. 'Vienna's urban success story proves that with vision and strong governance, historical preservation and modern innovation can coexist. As president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I look forward to sharing these insights with our 193 member states as well as bringing them home,' Nga said.
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Indonesia eager to cooperate in fisheries
Listen to article An Indonesian delegation, which is on a visit to Pakistan, has called for cooperation among stakeholders in fisheries, livestock and veterinary sectors and also underscored importance of bridging gaps between academia, public institutions and industries. A high-level delegation of fisheries and aquaculture experts from Indonesia, accompanied by representatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) under its "Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development Across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR)" programme, visited Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam to explore avenues of scientific and technical collaboration in fisheries, aquaculture and rural development. They focused on promoting sustainable development and improving rural livelihoods through the exchange of knowledge, research experience and technology in critical sectors. The Indonesian delegation included Eko Cahyadi, Koko Kukarcan and Skenda Darja, who visited the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences. The delegation reviewed academic and research facilities related to fisheries and aquaculture and interacted with faculty members, researchers and students. They discussed key topics such as fish disease management, hatchery operations, breeding techniques, aquaculture value chains and processing technologies. Eko Cahyadi expressed appreciation for the university's facilities and research, saying that work being carried out at SAU in areas of fish breeding, disease control and processing met international standards. "We are pleased to see such progress and are interested in transforming this academic interaction into a formal partnership in the near future," he remarked.
Zawya
05-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Africa's industrial moment is here to deliver jobs
Africa's industrial moment can't wait. With the promise of a 1.5-billion-person market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a rising generation of innovators, and deep untapped industrial potential, Africa is laying the groundwork for a new era of production. But momentum alone isn't enough. The question now is whether this shift can be matched by the right kind of policy and delivery and that's where The United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (Unido) latest Africa Industrial Development Report comes in. I had the opportunity to speak at the report launch in Johannesburg last month. The report focuses on a new era of industrial policy in Africa through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals. It zeroes in on three critical goals: SDG 7 on clean and affordable energy, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure. The message was clear that Africa is at a critical inflection point with progress within reach if we act boldly to close the gaps in energy access, job creation and industrial capacity. On SDG 7, there's good news and tough news in the report. Energy access across the continent now sits at 58 percent, improving faster than any other indicator at 1.12 percentage points per year. But the continent is still 67 percentage points behind on clean energy. North Africa is pulling ahead on both access and affordability, with Southern and Northern Africa leading on clean energy adoption. Our renewables, sun, wind, hydro, and geothermal, give us a real chance to leapfrog into a clean energy future. However, we won't get there without investment in generation, grids and local capacity to manufacture clean technology. On SDG 8, the challenge is how Africa translates economic growth into jobs. The data shows that growth was slowing before COVID-19, exposing deep structural weaknesses. Youth unemployment and gender inequality continue to rise. When you zoom in, the picture is mixed: North Africa has had strong GDP growth but has struggled to convert this into job creation. Southern Africa faces a dual challenge of sluggish growth and high unemployment. Eastern Africa is faring better on both fronts, with relatively stronger growth and job creation. Central Africa, meanwhile, lags across the board a clear signal for urgent and targeted reform. SDG9 is where the continent appears to be furthest off track. The continent's performance in industry, innovation and infrastructure is lagging significantly. Infrastructure investment was gaining traction before the pandemic but has since lost steam. So, how do we shift gears? Private sector leadership and government coordination are two non-negotiables. Let's start with the private sector. Across Africa, private enterprise drives 90 percent of production, 80 percent of employment, and 70 percent of GDP. You simply can't design credible or effective industrial strategy and policy without this demographic in the room. Private sector-led growth isn't a nice-to-have — it's the engine of jobs, exports and resilience. Yet, too often, industrial strategies are designed in isolation, without meaningful input from the very firms expected to utilise them. That needs to change. Going forward, governments should institutionalise structured public–private dialogue not just at launch but throughout the entire policy cycle. This means engaging businesses early, co-developing sector roadmaps, and creating feedback loops to adjust policies in real time. Government coordination is the next lever for government to move beyond good intentions. Many countries have well-articulated industrial plans, but their impact is often diluted by overlapping mandates, weak inter-ministerial coordination, and a disconnect between strategy and delivery. What's needed is a 'full stack' approach to industrial policy that moves from ambition to action. This starts with strategy. Industrial policy must be anchored in a national vision and championed at the highest level. All ministries from finance and trade to energy and education need to be aligned behind a single direction of travel. But a strategy is only useful if it's translated into investable, executable plans. Next comes policy, the rulebook of incentives, regulations, and trade frameworks. These need to be grounded in market realities and responsive to firm-level needs. But the real bottleneck is often delivery. Execution requires a system: cross-government coordination, clear KPIs, timelines, and a mechanism to track results and course correct in real time. And finally, technology which is now the most essential and transformative tool in government's hands, whether it's tracking industrial performance, targeting subsidies, or managing regulatory compliance. We need to treat digital tools as part of the core infrastructure of modern industrial policy. The Africa Industrial Development Report is a call to action. We know what's not working. We also know what's possible. Now it's time to deliver. Africa doesn't need more strategies gathering dust. It needs more jobs. And it needs them now. The writer is an Industrial Policy, Governance and Private Sector Development Expert and currently Senior Advisor (Global Lead), Industry & Commerce at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
The Star
31-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Cambodian women rising to tap global fishery products market
Using modern techniques in the post-harvesting, drying fish in a solar dryer dome. - Photo Unido Cambodia PHNOM PENH: (Bernama) Cambodian women are stepping up in the fishery products sector, transforming their roles from traditional producers to key players in the global market. Enterprising women entrepreneurs, dominating at least 60 per cent of the micro and small informal enterprises, are now upgrading their post-harvest processing skills in the fishery sector to penetrate high-end markets. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's (Unido) Capfish-Capture - a post-harvest fisheries development project - is helping Cambodian women to upskill, shifting from their archaic fish processing techniques to world-recognised standards. "We supported over 51 fishery enterprises and their value chain actors in upgrading their businesses. Thirty-five of these enterprises are led by women and three persons with disabilities. "We are now linking them with global buyers from the EU (European Union). Some of the enterprises have already started exporting to China, South Korea and Australia,' Unido's Capfish-Capture Chief Technical Advisor Dr Shetty Seetharama Thombathu told Bernama. Capfish-Capture is a five-year project, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Unido in coordination with the Cambodia Fisheries Administration. Women dominate the post-harvest process of fishery activities inCambodia. - Photo UnidoCambodia Fishing is a vital economic lifeline for Cambodia. About six million people are employed both directly and indirectly in the domestic fisheries sector. The post-harvest fishery activities alone employ an estimated 33,000 workers, the majority of them are women. Fish remains a staple diet for Cambodians and their per capita consumption of fish is 54 kilogrammes, considered higher among its Asean peers. Cambodian Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry revealed that total fisheries and aquaculture production reached 926,936 metric tonnes last year. Locally-made fishery products - fish sauce, fermented fish, fish balls, and smoked fish - are widely produced but seldom exported due to a lack of value addition and food safety compliance. According to Unido, Cambodia's low competitiveness in terms of value addition makes it tough to compete in the domestic market flooded with imported fishery products and, at the same time, unable to enter regional or global markets. The Capfish-Capture project has stepped in to revitalise this untapped lucrative sector to compete with high-quality international exporters by equipping local producers with modern techniques. "The ultimate goal is to boost the competitiveness of the fishery products to promote trade, both domestic and export, and to protect public health by ensuring safe and high-quality fishery products for consumers. "We work on various issues and elements of the value chain such as governance, food safety, capacity building and skills development, marketing and branding, access to finance, research and development, gender empowerment, environment and climate resilience,' said Shetty. Cambodia's new success story is going beyond its borders. Neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, where the fishing industry plays a critical role in their economy, are recognising the Capfish-Capture project. Meanwhile, Egypt, Chile and Kyrgyzstan have expressed their willingness to replicate Unido's training model. "Listing Cambodia as an eligible country to export to the EU is our main goal. We have already established all the requirements to meet EU food safety requirements and are ready for an audit by DG SANTE (European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety),' said Shetty. Cambodian women are now shining in the often-neglected and shunned occupation by many due to its laborious work and paltry income. But the fortunes could now favour them. - Bernama
