UNIDO, Brazil review cooperation to realize sustainable industrial development

21 / 06 / 2019

• Sustainable Development

Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Li Yong had talks with Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication Marcos Pontes on the importance of a strategic partnership to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Brazil.

The meeting started with the renewed designation of Marcos Pontes as an international UNIDO Goodwill Ambassador; Pontes, the first Latin American astronaut to go into space, has been advocating for sustainable industrialization since 2011.

The Director General acknowledged UNIDO’s commitment to achieve an inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Brazil and highlighted the importance of strategic partnership, particularly on integrated approaches towards industrialization and sustainable cities.

Acknowledging Brazil’s interest in sustainable cities, the country was invited to the 4th Bridge for Cities event, which will take place in Vienna from 3 to 4 September 2019 under the theme “Connecting cities through the new industrial revolution”. The event will aim at providing a wide and multidisciplinary perspective on how cities can tap into advanced technologies and new industrial solutions to enhance the quality of life for their citizens – by reducing cities’ carbon footprint, improving public services as well as creating new jobs and attracting skilled labor.

Furthermore, Li Yong invited Marcos Pontes to participate in the forthcoming 18th session of the UNIDO General Conference, which will take place from 3 to 7 November 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to determine the strategic orientation of the Organization for the next two years.