United Nations Industrial Development Organization - UNIDO

United Nations Industrial Development Organization, also known as UNIDO is a specialized agency United Nations under United Nations Economic and Social Council. UNIDO works for promotion and acceleration of industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. It has its head office located in Vienna Austria with offices in 60 countries. UNDIO has representation and membership given to 170 member states that meet together after frequent intervals to decide organization-s policies, programs and principles through the Biannual General Conference.

In 1966, United Nations General Assembly met and decided for created of UNIDO to help developing countries develop an industrial base after struggling with decolonization. It was in 1979 that UNIDO was give the status of specialized agency of United Nations and in 1985 that it got its own Constitution. UNIDO is a member of United Nations Development Program which is a coalition of United Nations specialized agencies for attainment and fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals.

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

1. Creating shared prosperity

2. Advancing economic competitiveness

3. Safeguarding the environment

4. Strengthening knowledge and institutions

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains many 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.

Every nation that is a member of United Nations or any of the specialized agencies of United Nations or International Atomic Energy Agency is eligible for membership of UNIDO whereas the only other requirement for a new member is to become a party to United Nations Industrial Development Organization Constitution. The Constitution has provided for The General Conference, Industrial Development Board and Program and Budget Committee to govern UNIDO and be the policy making organs of it.

1. General Conference - It is the supreme policy making organ of UNIDO which consists of members and representation for all 170 member states that meet in every two years to approve programs, budgets, establish the scale assessment for regular budget expenditure for the next two years. General Conference also elects a Director General for UNIDO in every four years.

2. Industrial Development Board - It consists of 53 member states and meets once in every two years when General Conference meets and twice in each of the rest of the years. It works as a body to review the implementation of the approved program of work and of the corresponding regular and operational budgets for the upcoming two years after the General Conference. It is the Industrial Development Board that approves a candidate for the post of Director-General.

3. Program and Budget Committee - It consists of 27 member states that are elected for a two year tenure and meets once in every year to work on and assess the proposals of the Director General for the program of work and corresponding estimates for the regular and operational budgets.

In order to provide additional support to UNIDO's technical activities, different types of technical offices have been established. These include:

- Investment and Technology Promotion Offices (ITPOs), which encourage investment and technology flows to developing countries and countries with economies in transition, being financed by their host countries.

- International Technology Centres, which act as catalysts for technology upgrading and assist in managing technology change.

- In collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNIDO set up a global network of National Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs), aiming at building national capacities in clean production technologies, fostering dialogue between industry and government and enhancing investments for transfer and development of environmentally sound technologies.

- UNIDO's Industrial Subcontracting and Partnership Exchanges (SPX) facilitate production linkages between small, medium and large manufacturing firms and link up with global markets and supply chain networks.

- UNIDO Centres for South-South Cooperation as part of a major UNIDO South-South cooperation initiative in several of the more advanced developing countries.