ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has, for the first time, been elected as the President of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for its 53rd annual session.
“This is the first time Pakistan has been honoured with this prestigious position. The Director General of UNIDO, while congratulating Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, praised Pakistan’s commitment and contribution to the organisation”, Foreign Office spokesman Shafaqat Ali Khan said in a statement on Monday in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, in his statement, thanked all UNIDO member states for their trust and expressed his commitment towards further enhancing the Organisation’s role in industrial development, particularly in developing countries.
The election manifests the trust reposed in Pakistan by the UNIDO member states.
Like all Vienna-based international organisations, Pakistan maintains an active diplomatic profile at UNIDO and remains committed to the organisation’s core mandate, which is inclusive and sustainable Industrial Development.
Pakistan has one of the largest portfolios with UNIDO, with several ongoing and planned projects worth over Euro 350 million.
UNIDO has, inter alia, supported Pakistan’s textile, leather, fisheries, food safety, climate action, and renewable energy sectors.
Moreover, projects like PAIDAR and PAFAID have helped in poverty alleviation, job creation, and the sustainable growth of rural communities.
This year, Pakistan expects to launch a new cycle of its Country Partnership Program with UNIDO, along with several projects in myriad sectors.
