The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) helps developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their fight against marginalization in today's globalized world. It mobilizes knowledge, skills, information and technology to promote productive employment, a competitive economy and a sound environment. Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, the Director-General of UNIDO, describes the Organisation as a specialized United Nations agency that focuses its efforts on relieving poverty by fostering productivity growth.

UNIDO was set up in 1966 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985. As part of the United Nations common system, UNIDO has responsibility for promoting industrialization throughout the developing world, in cooperation with its 171 Member States. Its headquarters are in Vienna, and it is represented in 35 developing countries. This representation and a number of specialised field offices, for investment and technology promotion and other specific aspects of its work, give UNIDO an active presence in the field.

Core Functions and Services

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 organisations and the policy-making community in general to enhance cooperation, establish dialogue and develop partnerships in order to address the challenges ahead.

As a technical cooperation agency, UNIDO designs and implements programmes to support the industrial development efforts of its clients. It also offers tailor-made specialized support for programme development. The two core functions are both complementary and mutually supportive. On the one hand, experience gained in the technical cooperation work of UNIDO can be shared with policy makers; on the other, the organisation's analytical work shows where technical cooperation will have the greatest impact by helping to define priorities.

This information taken from www.unido.org/doc/3352