Abu Dhabi Declaration announced at UN conference

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Declaration was officially announced and adopted at the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s (UNIDO) general conference in the capital on Wednesday, with the resolution aimed at creating new joint public and private partnerships to help with development and jobs.

The five-day event has seen the participation of over 40 ministers and 800 delegates from 125 countries, with this year’s conference centred on the themes of sustainable development and economic inclusivity.

“The adoption of the Abu Dhabi declaration will constitute a quantum leap in terms of the joint work between the public and private sectors in addition to financial institutions when it comes to financing industrial development,” said Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry.

“The declaration is only a starting point, its implementation will be done in conjunction with UNIDO and member states by forging partnerships with the private sector to lead to the creation of industries for the fourth industrial revolution,” he added.

“There will be further discussions with all relevant parties and stakeholders through various platforms, and we hope to persuade and convince societies to join the declaration,” he said.

Al Mazrouei said the key motto of the Abu Dhabi Declaration would be to leave no country behind as it looks to help achieve the UN’s 2030 sustainable development agenda.

“The empowerment of women and youth in the industrial sector, the reduction of risks to the environment and the eradication of all forms of poverty through sustainable and inclusive development… That in a nutshell is what the Abu Dhabi Declaration is all about.

“We in the UAE remain committed to working alongside UNIDO and other member states to do our part in developing industries through the financing of projects. Equally, we have a number of ideas to put forward to UNIDO and we are hopeful that the projects [under the Abu Dhabi Declaration] will be implemented on the ground,” he added, highlighting how the UAE will play a role in financing future projects.

UAE industry

Commenting on the UAE’s own industrial growth, Al Mazrouei said that reaching between 18 to 25 per cent of the country’s GDP would be a good benchmark for the future.

“The UAE plans to submit its general policy regarding industrialisation very soon. Currently the industrial sector contributes around 11 per cent of the national income, and off course we hope to raise that rate.

“There are countries that have been able achieve reasonable growth between 18 to 25 per cent in the industrial sector, and so this is a reasonable growth expected in this sector,” he added.

Al Mazrouei said that it would be crucial for the UAE’s industrial sector to also keep up with the latest technologies if it wanted to see growth and improvement.

“The industrial sector will be changed thanks to the contribution of the fourth industrial revolution and its technologies.

“If the industrial sector doesn’t adopt for instance 3D printing or artificial intelligence and other modern technologies, it will not be able to remain competitive,” he added.