European Development Days 2015 – some outcomes and conclusions

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3-4 June, Brussels. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization - UNIDO contributed actively to the European Development Days 2015 (EDD15), the flagship event of the European Year for Development (EYD). UNIDO co-organized three Project Laboratories (PLAB), together with different development partners.

 On the basis of this year’s theme, “Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future” in line with the EYD, several relevant topics have been discussed within the PLABs. These have also been an opportunity to actively engage with the audience and different stakeholders and have their view on several development issues related to UNIDO's strategic vision of “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development” (ISID) and its contribution to shape the Post-2015 development framework.

 Below, you can find all the events in which UNIDO has been involved.

Pills, pricing and profitability

Speakers : Moredreck Chibi (Technical Officer, World Health Organization - WHO); Corinna Heineke (Head of Global Project “Access to Medicine”, GIZ); Anja Kopyra (Desk Officer, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany - BMZ)); Emmanuel Mujuru (Chairperson, Plus Five Pharmaceuticals); Juergen Reinhardt (Senior Industrial Development Offi cer, UNIDO); Christioph Spennemann (Legal Expert within the Intellectual Property Unit, Division on Investment and Enterprise, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD).

Moderator : Inge Baumgarten, GIZ

Organizers : UNIDO; GIZ

Podcast: Pills, pricing and profitability

Key points emerged:

• “Once we succeed in establishing a proper business environment that allows business to flourish, we will see the entrepreneurial spirit make advances”. - Juergen Reinhardt -
• Millions of people across the developing world still lack access to vital medicine.
• African entrepreneurs want to contribute to healthcare solutions, but the continent produces few of its own drugs. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 30 % of medicines are produced locally.
• Promoting local pharmaceutical production is a solution to the problem of access to medicine.
• Local pharmaceutical industries in Zimbabwe were the first in Africa to respond to the HIV crisis by producing antiretrovirals through a partnership with funds from the government.
• Bringing together stakeholders from a range of government agencies helps in efforts to establish local pharmaceutical industries and improve access to affordable medicine.

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Value Chains for Value Gains – Engaging the private sector for inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth in the ACP countries

Speakers : Agnes Kalibata (President of Agra and former Minister of Agriculture of Rwanda); Viwanou Gnassounou (1^st Assistant to the SG – ACP); Jean-Pierre Halkin (Head of Unit for Rural Development, Food Security, Nutrition, DEVCO C1 – European Commission); Apollo Owuor (Director for Agriculture and Corporate Affairs, KHE and member of the COLEACP Board of Directors (the Europe‐Africa‐ Caribbean‐Pacific Liaison Committee)).

Moderator: Isolina Boto, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation - CTA

Organizers: UNIDO, COLEACP; GIZ; SNV; CTA.

Podcast: Value Chains for Value Gains

Key Points emerged:

• “It is very important to keep linkingagriculture and entrepreneurship, in a new framework that can bedefined as "agropreneurship." – Apollo Owuor
• “We must boost agropreneurship and build capacities of farmers to increase agri-growth.” - Apollo Owuor
• “The ACP group is considering a TA facility to support banks in the assessment of business plans.” - Viwanou Gnassounou
• "We have to invest in farmers making the right decisions to boost agri growth.” - Agnes Kalibata of AGRA
• “It is important to tackle down the climate change issue as environmental degradation is negatively affecting agriculture.” – Jean-Pierre Halkin
• “The EU wants to promote inclusive and sustainable value chains. This means offering the best guarantees to farmers to develop appropriately.” – Jean-Pierre Halkin
• “It is necessary to bring long term financing to small farmers.” – Viwanou Gnassounou

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Culture in the spotlight :  Innovative approaches to sustainable development

Speakers: Lotte Knudsen (Director, Human Development and Migration, DEVCO B - European Commission); Elsebeht Krogh (CEO/Director, Centre for Culture and Development - Denmark); Ingrid Leary (Director for New Zealand, British Council); Gerardo Patacconi (Unit Chief - Clusters and Business Linkages, UNIDO); Alma Salem (Regional Arts Programme Manager, MENA, British Council ).

Moderator: Damien Helly, ECDPM

Organizers:  British Council

Podcast: Culture in the spotlight : innovative approaches to sustainable development

Key points emerged:

• “Cultural and creative industrial development can boost economic development” - Elsebeth Krog
• “Culture and creativity are the raw material for job creation, economic development and to generate income” - Gerardo Patacconi
• “Artists are community leaders, transforming their voices into policy making” – Alma Salem
• “Culture needs to be endorsed at higher political level” – Elsebeht Krog
• “Culture & gender should be mainstreamed in all sectors, as economic enablers” - Lotte Knudsen

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