“Last month, I did have the pleasure to visit one of the UNIDO projects, which is UNIDO Sri Lanka’s Bamboo Processing Project. I was really, really very impressed with the interactions with the officers and other stakeholders of this project” announced United Nations Resident Coordinator Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer on 24 January in Colombo. UN Resident Coordinator Singer was addressing the launch event of the pioneering UNIDO Sri Lanka Country Programme 2020-2024 (UNIDOSLCP) themed “Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation in Sri Lanka” unveiled at Kingsbury, Colombo onsame day.
“So this work deserves to be scaled up and replicated. So that they capture local opportunities in bamboo, the other handicrafts and related sectors as well. Whatever I saw there was what the country really needs in terms of development” continued Ms Singer and added: “I understand that today’s UNIDOSLCP session here will cover the areas of industry policy and competitiveness, food value chains and safety and solutions for climate resources and environment. And these focus areas fit fantastically well within the context of what the U.N. wants to focus on in Sri Lanka.”
At an outlay of US $ 24 Mn, Sri Lanka’s first ever National Bamboo Processing initiative was kicked off on 19th September 2011 at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, after two years’ of continued preparations. The seven year project, a Government of Sri Lanka –UNIDO-GEF initiative, aims to develop a bamboo supply chain and an efficient bamboo processing industry in the country.
Joining UN Resident Coordinator Singer at the 24 January event were Sri Lanka UNIDO Focal Point National Director Nawaz Rajabdeen, UNIDO Representative of the high level UNIDO team from Vienna that included Chief of Regional Division of Asia Pacific UNIDO International Centre, Ralf Bredel and Senior Research and Industrial Policy Officer-UNIDO Vienna International Centre Dr Anders Isaksson, as well as UNIDO Representative Regional Office-India Rene Van Berkel. The Secretary to Ministry of Industry and Supply Chain Management J R Ranjith and 30 representatives from Sri Lankan business sector, UN and EU agencies, government institutions, chambers and industry representatives too were joining the occasion.
Apart from the Bamboo Processing project, many major UNIDO projects of UNIDO Sri Lanka’s overall portfolio have already strengthened local industry development -among other projects are Strengthening the Trade Competitiveness of SMEs, Cinnamon Value Chain Mapping Project and Environment Management on PCB Waste Project. Detailing the UNIDOSLCP, UNIDO National Director Rajabdeen said: “The new UNIDOSLCP ’20-’24 work shall closely assess the needs of local industries and will launch focused projects in support of them. We expect to finalise all local industry consultations by May 2020 and roll-out the finalised program thereafter.”
The new UNIDOSLCP ’20-’24 work will be closely linking with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)–especially “SDG Goal 9.” The 17 SDGs established by the United Nations (with a deadline of 2030 to achieve them) are designed to bring about a better world for all people. Goal 9 (infrastructure, industrialization and innovation) is a driver of productivity, inclusive economic growth and job creation and is the sole SDG that directly involves industries around the world.
