UNIDO
has participated in three major G-8 Meetings so far this
year, a welcome development recognizing UNIDO’s role as a
major player in the energy-environment-industry complex of
issues and options. This participation comes in part as a
result of the visit to Italy of UNIDO Director General, Mr.
Kandeh K. Yumkella, in October 2008. In fact, during that
visit, organized by UNIDO ITPO Italy Head, Ms. Diana
Battaggia, the Director General met with major Italian state
institutions, such as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of
Environment, with other UN agencies based in Rome, and
culminated with an encounter with Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
In the course of these meetings, it became clear that work
on energy and the environment was of primary importance and
that Italy (and other major countries of the G8 and Group of
20) and UNIDO had an interest in joining hands and efforts
to achieve better results. Further, with the UNIDO Director
General recently appointed Chairman of UN-Energy, the
coordinating body of 20 major UN Specialized Agencies and
Programmes working in Energy, by the UN Secretary General,
it seemed a good idea to involve UNIDO in major discussions
on these vital subjects.
In pursuit of this idea,
UNIDO was invited to and participated in several meetings
held so far in preparation of the main meeting of Heads of
State or Government, of July 8, 2009, where energy and
environmental issues will be foremost, to be held in the
earthquake-damaged city of L’Aquila. UNIDO conducts major
programmes in Energy and Environment that also act as
cross-cutting subjects in all its industrial
development/promotion work and its advisory role in
developing countries’ industrial development policies.
UNIDO will continue to
work on its own programs more intensively, helping to
transfer more environmentally-friendly technologies to
developing and transition countries, as well as preparing
the ground for the work that must lead to a renewal of the
Kyoto protocol or the creation of an even better successor.
UNIDO ITPO Italy, in the conduct of its own programs on
environment and energy, in broad agreement with UN-Energy
and the measures being taken through the G-8 ,will continue
to work on these subjects in harmony with the policies of
our Headquarters and the needs of our developing country
clients, both firms and institutions.
UNIDO
Director General, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella and Italian Premier
H.E. Mr. Silvio Berlusconi
