XIAMEN, China, 8 September 2014 - Industrial parks and economic zones should play a key role in promoting inclusive and sustainable development, according to the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), who is attending the 18th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) taking place in the city of Xiamen.

“I believe that industrial parks and economic zones will continue to play an important role in the coming years in promoting inclusive and sustainable development in different countries, and in the less developed countries in particular. UNIDO is willing to work together with all stakeholders in this endeavour,” said Director General LI Yong.

“Under the umbrella of economic zones, industrial parks have successfully been used as a testing ground for new reforms, policies, and approaches to improve the business environment, as demonstrated in many East Asian countries. When these countries had limited resources, industrial parks helped solve business infrastructure problems in particular geographical areas and were used to overcome barriers to firm entry, attract foreign direct investment, foster skilled manpower, and facilitate the growth of local SME clusters,” added Li.

In 1980, when China decided to establish a number of special economic zones in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, UNIDO organized the first study tour for senior Government officials which allowed them to learn from the experiences of other countries, including Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka. This helped prepare legislation and establish China’s first special economic zones, including in Xiamen.

Since then, China has witnessed rapid development in economic zones.

Director General Li noted that UNIDO has implemented projects related to industrial parks in Asia, Africa and Latin America. An industrial park project was recently completed in Iraq. UNIDO also organized regional workshops on industrial parks in Central Asia, China and Eastern Europe.

In addition, UNIDO is supporting the development of industrial parks along the land-based Silk Road in North-Western China and Central Asia. Last year it produced pilot guidelines to direct the development of new, green industrial zones along the Silk Road Economic Belt. In cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, UNIDO is planning to provide policy advisory and technical assistance to countries in Central Asia to help them establish and upgrade their industrial parks.

“In the future, UNIDO will continue its efforts to promote the eco-industrial park approach, designed on the principles of cleaner production, a circular economy and industrial ecology,” added LI Yong.

The eco-industrial park approach connects different factories or enterprises through material or energy flows, to form industrial combinations sharing resources and exchanging by-products, so that the wastes or by-products generated from one factory can become the raw material or energy for another factory. Simulating the natural system, a circular process involving producers–consumers–decomposers is established in the industrial system, in order to promote the circulation of material in a closed loop, a multi-stage use of energy, and a minimization of waste.

During the Fair, the UNIDO Director General introduced the results of UNIDO Green Industry Programme in Fujian province and issued an ISO 14000 certificate, which addresses various aspects of environmental management, to ten pilot enterprises from Fujian. 

Read Director General’s full speech at the opening of the International Investment Forum here

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