BEAUTY AND THE BRIDGE
Stanis?aw PIGO? ????????
Keep smiling attitude. Experienced consultant & trainer.
“… the birds disappear – their flight remains … птиците исчезнуваат – летот им останува …“
Ante Popovski is a renowned Macedonian poet. In his poem "The Master and the Bridge" the poet tells about the master who rejoices a view of the just completed bridge: "It is beautiful like a bird". The master quickly corrects himself: “… it is beautiful - like a bird’s flight: the birds disappear – their flight remains …”?
In July, the Member States of UNIDO have prioritized the German vision (unanimously supported by all EU countries) as the best for the Organization future. The German and European candidate is now DG-elect. UNIDO has entered a period of leadership transition as the incumbent DG concludes his second term in the office.?
Multilateralism is in the background of the winning German proposal. On international political stage many countries support multilateralism principles, including China, India, Japan, Russia .... The question remains if they all mean the same thing when they express their support.?
It is for the second time in UNIDO’s history that leadership transition happens in extremely challenging times. In 1997 UNIDO faced the risk of closure. Then, the main task of the new DG was to implement a survival strategy. The crisis is described in UNIDO’s annual reports as?transition and revitalization?that included a major staff reduction, implied by real budget reduction of 20%. Challenges that UNIDO DG-elect must face now are exogenic and their reasons can be summarized in a single word: pandemic.?
When Covid 19 pandemic grips the world, UNIDO’s Medium -Term Programme Framework 2022-2025 presents a clear vision to support Member States to accelerate their transformation towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID). More than ever, UNIDO’s value addition, interconnected areas of expertise and mainstreamed approaches are highly valued as the world strives to achieve the 2030 Agenda. A timely response to the pandemic crisis has proven effectiveness of the Organization’s results-based management systems.?
"I want to build bridges between developing, middle-income and industrialized countries" – declared DG-elect while presenting his vision of UNIDO future. “I would be honored to establish UNIDO as the key multilateral player in fostering green, resilient, inclusive and sustainable industrial development.”?
Many beautiful bridges await to be built, indeed. Good maintenance of the ones already constructed could be equally important.?
For the past five years, in autumn mayors and urban stakeholders have flocked to Vienna attracted by the event dedicated to inclusive and sustainable urban-industrial development. UNIDO has established Bridge for Cities as a state-of-the-art forum for exchange of knowledge to create opportunities for city-to-city partnerships. Launched in 2016 as “One-Belt-One-Road Inclusive and Sustainable City Service Network” the forum has initially raised a few eyebrows over possible unilateral benefits of the main sponsoring country. The list of sponsors and partners of 2020 event leaves no doubt about its multilateral benefits.?
In 2019, the Mayor of Tehran flew to Vienna to attend Bridge for Cities 4.0; meetings with counterparts from Berlin and Vienna were reported as trailblazing. Bridge for Cities 2021 is announced under the theme “Driving Innovation for Urban Resilience and Recovery from Covid-19”.?
Present change at the helm of?UNIDO?comes as the Organization celebrates its 55th Anniversary (by UNGA resolution 2152 XXI UNIDO emerged as an autonomous body on Nov. 17, 1966).
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The first year of the DG-elect’s term will coincide with the first year of UN officials' retirements under revised rules introduced 3 years ago.?UNIDO’s enthusiasts know very well what follows the farewell party for a senior official. Programmatic, conceptual, and organizational cornerstones are allowed to be discussed more openly. Things considered eternal slowly dissipate. Questions are bravely asked. For instance, about Programmes for Country Partnership (PCPs), the latest re-incarnation of the Integrated Programmes (IPs) from some two decades ago.?
The Organization celebrated its 50th?Anniversary with a series of grandiose events. The?UNIDO@50?wrap up brochure has the (sub)title: “Looking back, moving forward”. What will be the official motto of the 55th?Anniversary?
“We pursue common objectives” – said now-incumbent UNIDO DG in November 2019 during high-level strategic talks in Berlin. Together with his host – the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development who is now UNIDO DG-elect - they reiterated that “progress to achieve the SDGs should be accelerated by working more closely together.”
Germany is one of founders of the Alliance for Multilateralism, the UN - rooted initiative. “In the field of foreign policy, multilateralism means that states cooperate with each other in order to promote common objectives and balance and regulate competing interests. They do this because they know that, ultimately, all states reap the greatest gains if they work together and agree on rules. Such cooperation relies on certain principles and values being shared by all parties.”
What will the multilateralism wind of change bring to the Vienna - based UN Organizations after UNIDO DG-elect takes the office on December 4th?
Selected online resources:
5.?????https://www.facebook.com/170751199673872/posts/186514074764251/??Ма?сторот?и мостот?/ The Master and the Bridge