Rabat — The Group of 77 (G77) and China pledged on Saturday to drive sustainable development in the world’s least developed countries, with Morocco’s Ambassador Azzeddine Farhane declaring the coalition will make the next decade a turning point for the poorest nations.
Speaking at the 11th Ministerial Conference on LDCs (lesser developed countries) in Riyadh, Ambassador Farhane — who represents Morocco at international organizations in Vienna — said the 134-nation bloc stands ready to deepen its cooperation with UNIDO and all development partners. The conference focused on “Promoting Inclusive Industrialization: Investment, Innovation, and Partnerships in LDCs.”
UNIDO Director-General Gerd Müller, OPEC Fund for International Development President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, and ministers and ambassadors from G77 countries, which include Morocco, attended the gathering, which assessed progress under the Doha Programme of Action.
Ambassador Farhane also recognized UNIDO’s operational strategy for 2022-2031 that targets LDCs. He said the Group awaits the adoption of a comprehensive implementation plan that will turn shared goals into concrete actions.
He spoke highly of UNIDO’s work across the Doha Programme’s six priority areas, specifically noting 45 active projects that develop skills, empower youth, and create jobs. Farhane also called for expanding these initiatives, especially in digital literacy and training for green and digital economies.
The diplomat pointed to 60 projects that advance science, technology, and innovation while supporting clean technologies and climate adaptation tools. He recommended that UNIDO strengthen LDC access to Industry 4.0 technologies, improve technology transfer, and build South-South and triangular cooperation.
On structural transformation, Farhane stressed that UNIDO runs 64 projects that enable economic diversification, particularly in agro-industrial value chains, urging for more investment in agro-industrialization and called for building stronger, more competitive regional value chains.
For international trade and regional integration, he recalled the 59 projects that help LDC businesses meet international standards and enter global markets, recommending boosting productive capacity support and better using opportunities from the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The ambassador further recalled that UNIDO operates 120 climate-related projects, making climate change its largest intervention area. He stressed that LDCs need better access to adaptation technologies and climate financing, noting that these countries need help dealing with environmental trade measures, especially carbon border adjustment mechanisms.
On partnerships, Farhane noted that 62 UNIDO projects encourage investment and strengthen alliances, notably through the Programme for Country Partnership. He called for intensifying cooperation with international financial institutions, supporting domestic resource mobilization, and promoting foreign direct investment in LDCs, including countries facing conflict or recovering from conflict.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources partnered with UNIDO to organize the conference, which serves as a major global forum for industrial development in the least developed countries.
The event reaffirms international commitment to 44 nations across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean, with goals of improving their access to financing, enhancing knowledge exchange, boosting trade, and integrating them into regional and global value chains.
The conference took place just before the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, where member states will present their industrial transformation initiatives and display how UNIDO improves living conditions in developing nations.