‘Leave no one behind’: as wealth gap widens, UN calls for new industrial deal for the world’s poorest

“First we have to end the war. Then we have to restart the factories,” says Basher Abdullah, advisor to Sudan’s Minister of Industry and Trade.

Like many of the world’s poorest countries, Sudan’s attempts to develop its economy are severely hampered by the conflict. Yet even in the midst of a brutal civil war, the UN continues to offer support and pave the way for development.

First, we must end the war. Then, the factories will have to be restarted.

The fighting appears far from the vast King Abdul Aziz Conference Center in the Saudi capital, where government ministers gathered Saturday for a family photo to mark the Eleventh Conference. Least Developed Countries Ministerial Meeting.

Hailing from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, the ministers have one thing in common: they each represent one of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations, officially designated by the UN as a least developed country (LDC).

“Yes to global solidarity”

“We need a decisive change of direction,” said Gerd Müller, CEO of UNIDOin his opening speech to the assembled ministers, reminding them that industrialization is “essential to achieve the set objectives”. Sustainable Development Goals (the 17 global goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development) and strengthen resilience in the face of crises.

“We must say yes to global solidarity, say yes to multilateralism, say yes to prevent the gap between rich and poor from widening even further,” added Mr. Müller.

He pointed out that 500 Nobel Prize winners and economists are calling on the world’s leading economies (the G20, currently meeting in South Africa) to act: these leading experts highlighted the fact that between 2000 and 2024, the richest percent of the world’s population increased their wealth by 41 percent, while the poorest half of the world’s population increased theirs by only 1 percent.

Müller stressed that the world’s least developed countries are particularly vulnerable to all kinds of economic shocks, from the climate crisis to tariffs and significant cuts in foreign aid and development support from richer countries.

“The losses,” he warned, “will be devastating in sectors such as textiles, leather, agribusiness and equipment – ​​all vital to local livelihoods and economies.”

Building resilience through industry

UNIDO’s mission is to help countries overcome these shocks and, by industrializing, become more resilient and improve lives: in Bangladesh, UNIDO training programs have helped garment factories meet international standards, creating millions of jobs for women; and in Nepal, young people are learning coding and digital skills, bridging the digital divide.

Meanwhile, in Sudan, the agency supports agribusiness, targeting smallholders and entrepreneurs, and helping youth and women access finance, preparing the private sector for a period of peace and stability.

On Saturday, two major outcomes were achieved: guidelines to scale up UNIDO’s support – focused on the transfer of technology and know-how – were agreed, and ministers committed to modernizing the industry, finding the funds needed to achieve this and working more closely together, in line with the UN’s global goals.

The commitments made in Riyadh mark a decisive step towards ensuring that millions of people in the world’s most vulnerable countries can thrive in an interconnected global economy.