United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)

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What is UNIDO?

UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.

As of 1 April 2019, 170 States are Members of UNIDO. They regularly discuss and decide UNIDO’s guiding principles and policies in the sessions of the Policymaking Organs.

The mission of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States.

The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development in the next fifteen years. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.

Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured, as detailed in the Organization’s Medium-Term Programme Framework 2018-2021, in four strategic priorities:

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation.

In carrying out the core requirements of its mission, UNIDO has considerably increased its technical services over the past ten years. At the same time, it has also substantially increased its mobilization of financial resources, testifying to the growing international recognition of the Organization as an effective provider of catalytic industrial development services.

What does the Brussels Liaison Office do?

LI Yong, Director-General of UNIDO

The UNIDO Brussels Office (BRO) works to strengthen UNIDO’s position as a partner of choice for inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) among the European Union institutions, including the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Groups of States and the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF).

The office also engages in outreach, representation and policy dialogue with the governments, private sector, Think Tanks, NGOS and other partners in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.

Foreword from the Representative

The international community, including the European Union and the United Nations, is subject to changing global power dynamics. In this evolving environment, the EU has had a remarkably stable presence alongside UNIDO and has increasingly shaped a unique cooperation portfolio to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overall, the European Union is UNIDO’s largest donor of voluntary contribution from governmental sources, with a contribution to TC programmes of more than 20% in 2019.

European Commission President von der Leyen’s strong pledges towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the support for robust multilateral systems are opportunities to deepen partnership with the UN / UNIDO.

On AFRICA, the development of a new comprehensive strategy shall create a partnership of equals and mutual interest through trade and investment partnerships. UNIDO, as UN convener of the UNGA resolution for “Industrial Decade for Development of Africa” (IDDA III), provides its full support to build and deliver this new strategy for Africa.

UNIDO and the European Union strategic dialogues are engaged in priorities, such as the Circular Economy, long-term strategy for an industrial future, energy-efficiency and renewable-energy, strategy on sustainable food and foresight; these and many more are setting the foundation for an enhanced UNIDO and the European Union international partnership. Migration origin and transit, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of women are also top priorities in UNIDO to support European Union cooperation.

I invite you to read our publications and contact us for more information.

Best wishes,

Patrick J. GILABERT

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Reports

UNIDO and the European Union : State of the International Partnership 2020 Report

Ten Years of UNIDO and European Union Cooperation: A Partnership for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development: ENG FR
UNIDO – ACP Cooperation Report: Investing in ACP Sustainable Prosperity: ENG FR
Links to other UNIDO Stories from the field, Publications, and Open Data Platform