ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) will continue to promote sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Pakistan, Director General Li Yong told Dawn on Tuesday.

“The guiding principle lies in promoting SDGs, especially in the areas of industry, innovation and infrastructure,” he said, adding that Unido will also promote SDGs in other areas.

The organisation has already achieved some milestones since it started working in Pakistan in the 1970s. Mr Li said Unido will continue to focus on targeted areas without losing sight of the need for strengthening small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), creating jobs and combating poverty.

In the early 1970s when Pakistan’s leather industry was in its infancy, Unido started building capacity to create conditions for the rational progression of that sector, he said.

As a result, the leather industry is now catering to the needs of domestic consumers besides being one of leading export sectors. Pakistan exports leather products worth approximately $600 million per annum.

Mr Li said Unido has been actively working in Pakistan to improve the country’s industrial development, trade capacity, access to renewable energy and environmental protection.

However, he said it is beyond Unido’s mandate to address all economic and social challenges faced by a country like Pakistan. The impact of Unido’s interventions is already visible and will be instrumental in boosting job opportunities, reducing poverty and enhancing the country’s overall economic growth, he said.

According to Mr Li, Unido helped establish a comprehensive food safety system in the country with the passage of Pakistan Food Safety Bill that was developed by the organisation in cooperation with more than eight ministries.

In the process, Unido helped 40 laboratories get accreditation and more than 120 food inspectors and master trainers gain internationally recognised qualifications.

Setting up the first laboratory of its kind in the region for dioxin testing is another example of Unido’s work in Pakistan, he said. It also facilitated the resumption of fish exports to the European Union (EU) after a seven-year ban.

Citing another example, he said mango farmers of Multan have now received sufficient training so they can export their products directly to high-end markets, such as Walmart in the United Kingdom.

Similarly, the certification of CE Marking was a gateway to access the EU market for various industrial products, like surgical instruments, electric fans and cutlery, which will boost exports, he added.

Unido has been supporting the Pakistani youth who have innovative ideas, especially in clean technology. It has been enabling them to compete in global arenas like Silicon Valley, he said.

In the 1980s, Unido started addressing Pakistan’s environmental issues by establishing the first combined effluent treatment plant at Kasur in Punjab. The plant helped minimise pollution generated by tanneries that were dumping production waste in adjoining waterways.

Mr Li also mentioned some of his ideas that were tested successfully: creating a hybrid technology to power bicycles by using the energy generated and stored while pedalling in addition to building a gasifier that runs on agricultural waste and is mounted on the tractor that it drives.

He said these are just a few of Unido’s innovations, which have been developed up to international standards.

These endeavours have recently been acknowledged at the government level, a move that can pave the way for thousands of other innovations to grow into viable and successful businesses, he said.

Unido has also given a lot of emphasis to gender mainstreaming, Mr Li noted. He said Unido’s portfolio is diverse and dynamic in multiple areas. These achievements depict the inclusive and sustainable industrial development spirit and are very much in line with the government’s so-called Vision-2025 for Pakistan, he added.

Published in Dawn November 9th, 2016