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Friday, 14 November 2014 01:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen said that industrial development required a partnership-based effort, and inclusivity and sustainability go hand-in-hand to this end, while speaking at the world’s leading industrial forum in Vienna on 5 November.
“Sri Lanka is already moving in the direction of ISID (Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development). Substantial progress has been achieved by Sri Lanka in the area of sustainable development under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” Minister Bathiudeen said while addressing the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)’s ‘Partnerships to scale up investment for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development’ forum, at held at the Vienna International Centre.
The event aimed to showcase UNIDO’s inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) programs for country partnerships. Bathiudeen visited Austria from 3 to 6 November at the invitation of UNIDO Director General LI Yong.
The Vienna ISID forum was the second of two global forums convened by UNIDO in 2014. The forum attracted 440 participants from 93 countries and was inaugurated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“Sri Lanka has formulated policies and programs that could enable the achievement of ISID. We have strengthened existing institutions and created new ones tasked with the implementation of those policies and programs in a result-oriented manner. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce continues to play a significant role in the overall promotion of Sustainable Industrial Development,” Bathiudeen said.
The development of the National Action Plan on the Haritha Lanka (Green Lanka) program and the establishment of the National Council for Sustainable Development are among Sri Lanka’s recent ISID initiatives. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has the responsibility of instituting the ‘Mission 09 - Greening the Industries’ initiative.
The forum was also attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Dionne and a large number of high ranking officials, ambassadors and delegates along with representatives from international organisations, the private sector and the media.
