Riyadh, 24 November 2025 - The twenty-first session of the UNIDO General Conference marked the successful launch of the FairShare Programme, UNIDO’s global initiative designed to strengthen sustainable supply chains across all industries and sectors. The panel session during the launch event placed particular emphasis on the fashion industry, building on the success of the Rabeha Programme, a UNIDO–UN Women joint project in Egypt.
Moderator Caterina Occhio, a Global Board Member of the World Fair Trade Organization, opened the panel discussion by underscoring the importance of valuing the people, skills, creativity, and work behind the products we use every day. A short film followed, highlighting both the global appeal of the USD 1.7 trillion fashion industry and its social and environmental consequences.
The panel brought together Luca Sburlati, President of Confindustria Moda, Sarah Meinert, Global Head of the GoTrade Programme at DHL and Caterina Lo Mascolo Minthe, Founder of Mazara Edition to explore how Fair Share principles can embed fairness, transparency and resilience across global value chains.From left to right: Sarah Meinert, Global Head ofGoTrade Programme at DHL; Luca Sburlati, President of Confindustria
Luca Sburlati underlined how knowledge, entrepreneurship and opportunity can help build a fair supply chain. He discussed the European Union’s new policies aimed at harmonizing auditing systems to ensure consistency, transparency, and on-the-ground verification. He stressed the importance of having laws that protect workers in supplier countries and noted that many companies that operate overseas do not know the conditions under which workers are employed.
Logistics was presented as another engine of inclusive and sustainable growth. Sarah Meinert explained, “It’s not only about moving goods, but also enabling people and communities.” Through the GoTrade Programme, DHL supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by helping them understand logistics, grow domestically, and eventually compete globally. Training equips SMEs, particularly women entrepreneurs, with essential skills, from navigating customs to handling technical logistics. She emphasized that trade must serve as an engine for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Discussions also included how the media can help shape social engagement. Caterina Lo Mascolo Minthe emphasized the significance of providing a platform for young people's voices, “If anyone wants to create an industry, you absolutely have to support the youth, because otherwise you simply will not have an industry.”
Debora Lepre, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and former President of the UNIDO General Conference, also expressed her thoughts during the plenary. She spoke about the potential of youth entrepreneurs and how to link these young talents to beneficiaries, donors, and industrial sectors through strategic communication using the platforms readily available to them. She emphasized that awareness and consumer behavior can support efforts to harness opportunities in fashion and other industries for more sustainable production; therefore, youth commitment and engagement are essential.
The session was closed by the remarks of UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller, who invited governments, brands, and consumers to help shape a global economy that is both competitive and fair, where every product tells a story of dignity, sustainability, and shared value.
Considering the growing supply chain gap amid the increasing emphasis on sustainable practices, he stressed the need to move forward with sustainability. He concluded that “UNIDO’s FairShare programme is a tool and a model for achieving a fair globalization and is about recognizing those who make value chains work and ensuring they receive a fair share of the value they create.”