Background
Many of the countries along the OBOR are still in the process of development but exhibit great potential for near-future growth. Against the backdrop of the current global economic slowdown, developing nations are now being faced with a unique window of opportunity in their journey along the road to industrialization and modernization. By seizing the opportunity to participate in this initiative, they are likely to realize higher economic growth and increased trade flows through enhanced infrastructure and improved connectivity. It is anticipated that the OBOR will serve as an effective platform for cooperation among all countries involved, offering plenty of opportunities for inclusive and sustainable industrial development by respecting the paths and modes of development chosen by different countries. This will also reinvigorate South-South Industrial Cooperation among developing nations and South-North-South Triangular Cooperation in the long run.
In many respects, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the OBOR initiative share a similar vison. The OBOR intiatives has identified five priority areas for cooperation – policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonding – all of which contribute directly or indirectly to the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although launched independently of the 2030 Agenda, the OBOR initiative will therefore act as a strong instrument for the promotion of integrated sustainable development and will facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As more and more countries are exhibiting enthusiasm for the development of a Maritime and Continental Silk Road (MCSR), UNIDO initiated two Silk-Road-related projects in 2015. One project involves promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) through partnership building to stimulate trade and investment flows along the MCSR. The project aims to raise awareness of ISID, promoting green industrial growth patterns and the establishment of eco-industrial parks, strengthening institutional capacities and the networking of MCSR cities and centres of excellence, and achieving the industrial and economic integration of all countries concerned. This project also serves as UNIDO’s contribution to achieving the objectives of the common project entitled “Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities’ Alliance: unlocking trade, investment and cooperation at the local level,” initiated in 2015 by five UN agencies: UNDP, UNOSSC, UNIDO, UNESCO and UNWTO.
Within this context, UNIDO is organizing a large-scale event from 17 to 21 October 2016. The event will promote an inclusive and sustainable city dialogue for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Countries along the OBOR will be able to showcase the development achievements of their cities and organizations and to highlight efforts made along the way to inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Collectively, these activities will promote the creation of cooperative dialogue and knowledge exchange, as well as an exploration of trade promotion, investment and technological upgrading via South-South and Triangular Industrial Cooperation (SSTIC) for the achievement of the SDGs.
The city-level setting has been selected as the primary focus of this event for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, cities represent the central hub and heart of every nation’s industrial development and likewise have the greatest and most lasting impact on the lives of their nations’ residents. In particular, industrial development is a key engine of job creation and income generation and therefore plays an extremely vital role in sustainable city development. As cities are not normally offered access to international development platforms, UNIDO will provide municipal-level representatives, as well as industry leaders and enterprises, with an opportunity to forge partnerships for the achievement of sustainable and innovative urban development. In this way, the objective is to bridge existing divides between city-level and nationwide industrial development. The event therefore intends to recognize cities as an integral platform for the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
Vienna, Austria is located at the very heart of Europe, a perfectly placed outpost midway between the One-Belt and One-Road. The city of Vienna boasts a storied history as the birthplace of classical music and has long hosted the headquarters of UNIDO, among many other prominent international organizations, making it the perfect location in which to launch this event. UNIDO hopes that the “One-Belt-One-Road Inclusive and Sustainable City Exhibition and Dialogue” might inspire a comparable China-ASEAN Expo as a supplement to ongoing inter-regional, city-level and intra-urban dialogue and cooperation along the OBOR for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Moreover, the event aims to mobilize the participation of as many cities and organizations located along the OBOR as possible, as well as additional UN partner agencies. The platform provided by participating cities and organizations is intended to enhance international understanding of their individual development successes and challenges and to attract outside investment, thereby speeding up the process of inclusive and sustainable industrialization. City representatives will also be offered the opportunity to explore advanced technological techniques and to identify solutions to their own development needs and those of their partners by engaging in inter-regional, inter-city dialogue for inclusive and sustainable development.
