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| Multilateral innovation cooperation empowers the sustainable development of Ethiopia's textile |
| Time：2022-09-26 20:53:20 Source：Website |
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From September 15 to September 16, 2022, the International Conference "Investment and Operation of Sustainable Textile Industry in Ethiopia" was held at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan, Ethiopian Minister of Industry Melaku Alebel and Charge d 'Affaires of the German Embassy in Ethiopia Heiko Nitzschke attended and addressed the meeting.
This meeting is an important output of the trilateral cooperation project "Sustainable Textile Industry Investment and Operation in Ethiopia" between China, Germany, and Ethiopia, which aims to improve the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of Ethiopia's textile industry, address global challenges, and enhance the sustainable development capacity of the African textile industry. The project is a collaboration between the China National Textile And Apparel Council (CNTAC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the German Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Ethiopian Textile Industry Development Institute (ETIDI). The Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile And Apparel Council participated in the meeting as one of the project implementers.
Ambassador Zhao Zhiyuan pointed out in his speech that the textile industry is an important industry in developing countries and one of the important symbols of industrialization. Ethiopia has significant population advantages, and its textile industry has great development potential and broad prospects. China has always attached great importance to cooperation with Ethiopia in the textile field and helped the development of the textile industry in Ethiopia through investment, trade, and training. China is one of the largest sources of foreign investment in Ethiopia's textile industry, with a cumulative investment of about 450 million US dollars, which has played a positive role in expanding employment, increasing tax revenue, and improving people's living level in Ethiopia. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Ethiopia, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and other parties, encourage more Chinese textile enterprises to invest in Ethiopia, and make greater contributions to the well-being of the Chinese and Egyptians and the friendship between China and Egypt.
Ethiopian Minister of Industry Melaku Alebel pointed out that on the path of industrialization in Ethiopia, the government is committed to enhancing the global competitiveness of the textile industry and implementing necessary structural reforms to improve the partnership between the Ethiopian textile industry, Chinese enterprises, and international brands. He also stated that the tripartite cooperation has helped Ethiopia attract more Chinese investors and promoted the development of its textile industry. In the previous fiscal year in Ethiopia, which ended July 7, 2022, industrial parks have created over 80000 new job positions, with Chinese companies recruiting the most job seekers, especially women.
Mr. Wei Changjun, Chairman of China (Ethiopia) Textile Light Industry Enterprise Sustainable Development Alliance (ACES), spoke on behalf of Chinese enterprises. He said: "No one cares more about the environment, society, and corporate governance than we do on the corporate side. We travel to a foreign country to invest our hard-earned money in the real industry. We care deeply about long-term and sustainable development. We entrepreneurs believe that employees and team spirit are the company’s most valuable assets, and we are determined to integrate with the community and become a responsible party."
At the meeting, the China Textile Information Center (CTIC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian Manufacturing Industry Development Research Institute (EMIDI). Ms. Qiao Yanjin, Director of the China Textile Information Center, stated that both parties recognize the importance of ESG in enhancing responsible investment and operation in the Ethiopian textile industry. They will work together to gain support from other stakeholders and promote cooperation and healthy competition in the region’s responsible textile and clothing supply chain.
Liang Xiaohui, Chief Researcher of the Social Responsibility Office of China National Textile and Apparel Council, shared the research results of the project with all participants, introduced the main findings of the baseline research phase of the project, and provided a series of ESG capability improvement training to Chinese textile enterprises in Ethiopia. One of the project outputs was also released at the meeting: the "African Sustainable Textile Industry ESG Knowledge Management Platform."
Representatives of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Ethiopian Textile and Garment Manufacturers' Association (ETGAMA), the Ethiopian Industrial Park Development Company (IPDC), the Ethiopian Investment Committee (EIC), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Office in Ethiopia also participated in the meeting.
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