Vienna, 25 November 2024 - UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller and Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Kubanychbek Omuraliev, signed a Joint Declaration for cooperation reflecting their shared vision for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

This partnership underscores the shared commitment of UNIDO and OTS to achieving inclusive and sustainable industrial development within the OTS region and beyond. The Joint Declaration is set to facilitate new avenues of collaboration, focusing on jointly identified priority areas to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.

As noted by Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO: “Utilizing UNIDO’s services for capacity-building and technical assistance, we can capitalize on the OTS dynamic innovation ecosystem and the unique natural, cultural and human resource potential of its Member States to support developing countries across the region in their sustainable industrial development path.”

The Joint Declaration outlines several key areas of cooperation, including the development of agro-industrial value chains, rural development, energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable environmental management, digital transformation and innovation, support for SMEs, investment promotion, and industrial policy advice.

The OTS Secretary General, Kubanychbek Omuraliev, stated: “This milestone is the outcome of our productive meeting with Mr. Muller last year and intensive dialogue between our teams since then. Building on the success of that meeting, we look forward to deepening our cooperation with UNIDO by implementing concrete projects under this Joint Declaration in the future. This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mutual commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable industrial development across the Turkic region and beyond.”

UNIDO successful record of cooperation with the OTS Member States and its observer countries is showcased through 19 ongoing technical cooperation projects with a total budget exceeding USD 24 million focused on promoting circular economy, decarbonization, clean technology innovations, entrepreneurship development, quality and standards for increased market access.

The signing of the Joint Declaration reflects a commitment to scaling up regional cooperation through new joint initiatives, leveraging on the existing mechanisms such as regional programmes and South-South cooperation initiatives, which have proven efficient in addressing the common challenges and leveraging the opportunities for developing countries.

To ensure effective implementation of the agreed priorities, the UNIDO Centre for Regional Cooperation in Ankara has been designated to coordinate the activities for operationalizing the Joint Declaration.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Süleyman YILMAZ

UNIDO Country Representative, Director of the Centre for Regional Cooperation

E-Mail: s.yilmaz@unido.org