Summit of the Future

The global challenges of our time require common global answers and strengthened multilateral cooperation. UN Secretary-General Guterres has presented a comprehensive concept for the further development of the UN and answers to pressing global political issues for the Summit of the Future in New York. These include proposals for reforming the international financial architecture, collective security structures for a new agenda for peace, and reform proposals for a UN 2.0.  UNIDO stands ready to support the implementation of the Pact for the Future, including its Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations.

In these difficult times, the UN must be strengthened, not weakened. The liquidity crisis at the UN, recently outlined by Secretary-General Guterres, endangers the critical work done globally. The reduction of the distribution of food and medicines to millions of victims of wars and natural disasters around the world is absolutely inacceptable.

UNIDO's contribution in New York

With the IDDA3 conference, we are putting Africa's future issues in particular on the agenda. Namely, sustainable industrialization, climate protection, investment in renewable energies, education, digitalization. Also, our new Solutions Platform will be launched and our collaboration with Google will be attracting particular attention.

UNIDO ambitious and successful

In 2023 and 2024, we have been able to increase the mobilization of financial resources for technical corporation enormously. We also successfully increased our Technical Cooperation implementation last year by 25%, and we are on track to achieve a further 25% increase in 2024 in support of our partner countries. I am very grateful to our Member States and partners who have increased their voluntary contributions, which enables UNIDO's expanding work.

Flagship events 2024

The focus of our work is clear: Sustainable industrialization, clean energy for all and climate action, sustainable supply chains and ending hunger. We have a number of flagship events coming up which show UNIDO‘s leading role in sustainable economic and industrial development:

• The next edition of the "Bridge for Cities" event (9-11 October), showcasing innovative solutions for the cities of tomorrow with the support and cooperation of China.
• The "Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum 2024" (23-24 October) in Riyadh in cooperation with Saudi Arabia will highlight the future of sustainable industrialization with a focus on policymaking in three critical areas: artificial intelligence, digitalization and automation in manufacturing; energy transition; and sustainable and resilient supply chains.
• Our "World Without Hunger Conference" (5-7 November) in Addis Ababa will gather African Heads of State and Government, private business partners, and investors from Africa and around the world to devise and deliver strategies to end hunger and position Africa as the premier investment destination of the future. The Conference is co-organized by UNIDO, the African Union Commission and the Government of Ethiopia, with technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the support of our Member States and partners who recognize our hard work, UNIDO is on a successful path forward in an otherwise difficult international environment.

Director General
Gerd Müller