United Nations
Industrial Development Organization
UNIDO was
established in 1966 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in
1985. As a specialized agency, UNIDO has a governing body (now composed of 173 member
states), a constitution and a budget of its own (2004-2005 some 353 million
Euro), separate from those of the United Nations Organization and other
specialized agencies.
UNIDO) has a special place in the UN system as the
only organization promoting the creation of wealth and poverty alleviation
through manufacturing. The main focus is on promoting growth in the small and
medium enterprise sector, the key generator of wealth in most developing
countries. To improve standards of living through industries that are both
internationally competitive and environmentally sustainable, the Organization
has created the largest portfolio of projects related to trade
capacity-building in the United Nations system, and plays a lead role in, among
others, the implementation of the Montreal Protocol for the elimination of
ozone depleting substances (ODS) and the Stockholm Convention for the
elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
As of
December 2005, the chief executive of UNIDO is Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella. Partnerships,
whether in developing countries between the public and private sectors, whether
between the UNIDO Secretariat and its member states, between member states
(particularly with respect to South-South Cooperation) or between the Director-General
and his staff, is a theme running through the Yumkella
vision. UNIDO’s assistance is based on two
complementary and mutually supportive core functions and three thematic
priorities.
The first core function is that, as a global forum,
UNIDO generates and disseminates knowledge relating to industrial matters and
provides a platform for the various actors in the public and private sectors,
civil society organizations and the policy- making community in general to
enhance cooperation, establish dialogue and develop partnerships.
As a
technical cooperation agency, the second core function, UNIDO designs and
implements programmes to enhance the productivity of industry in developing and
transition economies. UNIDO programmes are focused geographically on least
developed countries, particularly in
The three thematic priorities include Poverty
reduction through productive activities: promoting industry, especially
through small and medium enterprises, in less developed areas, with a focus on
employment creation, income generation and institutional capacity-building;
Trade capacity building, helping countries
build capacities to produce competitive exportable products and to maintain the
internationally recognised infrastructure to prove conformity to international
standards.
Environment and Energy, promoting
industrial energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy, particularly in
rural areas, and supporting other activities for sustainable industrial
development.
UNIDO services that are applied to these priorities
are drawn from one or more of the following eight service modules:
1. Industrial governance and statistics
2. Investment and technology promotion
3. Industrial competitiveness and trade
4. Private sector development
5. Agro-industry
6. Sustainable energy and climate change
7.
8. Environmental management
These services are combined in integrated programmes (IPs) or country service frameworks (CSFs),
or applied in stand-alone projects. "Integration" within an IP is not
just at the level of the Service Modules selected for the programme, it also
has to be achieved at the level of donor mechanisms, national counterparts and
other development activities in the country or region.
In December 2006, UNIDO was represented in 50
developing countries. UNIDO’s operations are budgeted
on a biennial basis, funded by assessed contributions of member states and
voluntary contributions. UNIDO employs some 650 staff. In addition, the
organization draws on the services of some 1.800 international and national
experts annually who work on project assignments throughout the world.
Links
The UNIDO
website.
UNIDO in Wikipedia.
Flag of UNIDO in Flags of the
World.
Stamp catalogue - 10th anniversary
Austria
Stamp catalogue -
projects sponsored by UNIDO
Solomon Islands
last revised: