As absurd as it sounds, there was longer than a decade break in the UN IDDAs (Industrial Development Decades for Africa).

We do live in time of shortcuts. In a virtual world they are called hashtags. Advocacy and PR gurus have brought the hashtags in real world as well. Social media and websites are flooded with images of people joyfully presenting various hashtag words made from various materials: #SDG9, #SDG5, #WomenEmpowerment .... .

Hashtags objects / "sculptures" appear everywhere: on buildings, in parks, all over the places.

For me, the most amazing of all "people-with-hashtags" images is that one with shiny, happy people holding #Environment carved in Styrofoam!

In July 2016, the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III) was approved by the UN General Assembly (#UNGA) and UNIDO was tasked with leading the implementation of the Decade, in collaboration with a range of partners. Shortly after the UNGA resolution the hashtag #IDDA3 was born.

The history of IDDA program started with The Lagos Plan of Action adopted in 1980. The programme’s implementation timeline reported in hashtags is as follows: #IDDA1 (1980-1990 adopted 1981), #IDDA2 (1991-2000 adjusted to 1993-2002), #ABreakInIDDA (2003–2015), #IDDA3 (2016–2025). As absurd as it sounds, there was longer than a decade break in implementation of the UN industrial development decades'  programme. Students attending the industrial development history courses might be confused; there was not any global conflict or calamity that had lasted 12 years.

Actually, there was no break in assistance provided by various UN Agencies, including UNIDO. In those “break” years, amongst others, UNIDO implemented a number of very successful investment promotion projects in African countries as well as for Africa’s regions; powerfully amplified through the Organization’s #ITPONetwork (Investment and Technology Promotion Offices).

Since beginning of the third Decade UNIDO has made a lot of efforts both to implement the program and to promote it at #GlobalForum. High-level events were successfully organized during the UNGA sessions. Agreements and MOUs were signed with Development Finance Institutions (#DFI), while UNIDO’s innovative model #PCP (Programme for Country Partnership) for accelerating inclusive and sustainable industrial development (#ISID) has been introduced in Ethiopia, Senegal, Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, Zambia ….

Those were the days for the hashtag IDDA3! How is #IDDA3 hanging now?

The search on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook yields very surprising results. Except for one occasion in January 2020, when #UNIDO_Geneva tweeted on #SUMMET, the zones event, none of official UNIDO's social media accounts has used #IDDA3 in tweets, re-tweets, posts in #2020. The 75th UN General Assembly took place online, but there wasn’t any High-Level event organized by UNIDO dedicated to #IDDA3. Even a single tweet wasn't sent with #IDDA3 from UNIDO Twitter account during #UNGA75. The last time #Unido_Newsroom published a photo with #IDDA3 on its Instagram account was 54 weeks ago during #UNGA74.

These are not the days for the hashtag IDDA3. Let's hope #IDDA3 will bounce back soon.

In 1989, within framework of #IDDA2, the UN General Assembly proclaimed November 20th as the Africa Industrialization Day (AID). Every year since then #AID has been celebrated globally. On #AID days the Vienna International Centre (#VIC) has vibrated with colors of national costumes from all over Africa. #UNIDO has organized dedicated events, conferences and panels bringing sound recommendations and plans of action for the industrial development of Africa. And after that there has been a party (well… a reception, if you will to comply with the UN protocol) in the VIC catering area. #AuthenticAfricanCuisine food has been generously offered by Staff of the African countries' Embassies in Vienna to the tunes of live #AfricanMusic. In times of #COVID19 most of #AID2020 celebrations will take place online. Webinars, meetings and online conferences will be streamlined from all over the world.

Every time I am on assignment in Africa, I am so delighted to hear how respectfully people address each other. They say: My Sister. They say: My Brother. Does not matter which African country they come from and what they can afford for a lunch. Such a touching reminder that we all belong to #TheOneAndOnly #HumanFamily.

I kindly suggest registering in advance for upcoming #AID2020 online events. When tweeting and sharing #AID2020 photos on social media let’s add #IDDA3 as a gesture of support.

We do need #IDDA3 to become a celebrity. In the hashtag’s world.

Selected online sources:

1. https://www.unido.org/IDDA3
2. https://issuu.com/unido/docs/makingit23_web
3. https://www.un.org/en/events/africaday/index.shtml
4. https://www.unido.org/unido-unga-2020
5. https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/2007-11/43904_FINAL_EVAL_REPORT_TH_19970421_IDDA97_0.pdf