KENYA Statement - Agenda Item 3 - Annual Report of Director General for 2022 - UNIDO IDB - July 2023 - Final

Kenya acknowledges the growth in funding for UNIDO technical cooperation services in 2022 - due in large part to enhanced support by the European Union, other Member States, and vital funding partners, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF).
The growth in resources provides additional confidence in UNIDO's ability to deliver its mandated services now and in the coming years – and we join other delegations in commending the Director General and the UNIDO Secretariat for their determined efforts which resulted in this progress.
Kenya applauds the Director General for spearheading the implementation of UNIDO’s first-ever results-based budget in the year 2022. We also reiterate our support for the Director General's ongoing reforms at UNIDO - especially those aimed at improving the Organization's overall effectiveness and results.
In this context, we wish to reiterate our call for additional strengthening ofthe UNIDO Regional Field Offices – and specifically advocate for reinforcement of the UNIDO Field Office in Kenya. We believe that boosting the capacity of UNIDO Field Offices will further foster needed improvements in project coordination with national governments and policymakers, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for UNIDO.
In view of the challenging global economic and geopolitical environment, we commend UNIDO’s endeavours in the year 2022 that were aimed at revamping manufacturing activity in Africa. Most notably, we commend the priority deployment to Africa of US$ 73.1 million in technical cooperation contributions during the year 2022.
Kenya is among the 13 Member States with active PCPs - and is unique in being the only Member State implementing a UNIDO Self-Starter PCP. Since its launch in September 2021, we have witnessed steady progress in the implementation of the Nyamira Integrated Agro-Industrial Park project - the anchor project under the Kenya Self-Starter PCP. However, despite the steady progress, we recognize the necessity for further efforts and additional strategic collaborations – in order to fully achieve the intended objectives of this ambitious project.
In addition to the Self Starter PCP, we are glad to inform the IDB of the recent launch of the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks Projects in Kenya. These projects form a vital component of our government's Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda. The projects are to be rolled out across all 47 counties in Kenya and each county will focus on a maximum of five agro-products priority value chains - thereby fostering inclusive and sustainable industrial development across the entire Country. The projects also provide a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement, with the Kenya Government taking the lead role and providing private sector and development partners with the opportunity to take part in Kenya’s industrialization agenda. We wish to renew our invitation to UNIDO, development partners, and other stakeholders to explore partnership opportunities with Kenya as we seek to establish the 47 County Aggregation and Industrial Parks.
Kenya acknowledges the unique and vital role that UNIDO continues to play in global climate action. We note that, in the year 2022, the thematic focus of UNIDO’s funding partners was on the impact of environmentally sustainable industry - which attracted the main share of overall funding with US$ 108.6 million. Kenya believes that the focus on climate action is important and in alignment with the most pressing concern of our time. We, therefore, continue to encourage UNIDO to increase its advocacy for the role of industry in global climate action.
In the lead-up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, Kenya and the African Union Commission will convene the ‘Africa Climate Summit’ from 4th to 6th September 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya. In recognition of UNIDO’s unique positioning in the global climate action discourse, we have formally extended an invitation to the Director General to join us at this Summit and collaborate with us in forging Africa’s common positions ahead of COP28. We look forward to UNIDO’s presence and valuable contributions at this important African Summit.