Ban to attend UN conference on industrial development in Peru

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon will leave New York on Sunday for Lima, Peru to attend a conference on industrial development, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here Tuesday

 The UN chief will attend the opening session of the 15th General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on Dec. 2, Nesirky said at a daily news briefing, adding that this marks the first time in 20 years that the UNIDO General Conference will take place outside of its headquarters, Vienna, and in a developing country.


 Nesirky said that Ban will meet with the president of Peru, Ollanta Humala Tasso, and is also scheduled to hold other bilateral meetings on the margins of the conference.


 On Dec. 3, Ban will visit a project aimed at bolstering resilience to climate change by planting native tree species and restoring environmentally degraded areas to a productive state, he said. "Peru will host the UN climate change conference in 2014."


 Established by the UN General Assembly in 1966, Vienna-based UNIDO is mandated to promote industrial development and cooperation. It became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985 when the first Lima Declaration was adopted.


 "The secretary-general will also take part in the adoption of the second Lima Declaration, in which member states will deepen their commitment towards achieving inclusive and sustainable industrial development," the spokesman said. "Its outcome will serve as the Organization's contribution to the post-2015 development process."