Our mandate, our vision, our work
UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with a unique mandate to promote, dynamize and accelerate industrial development.
Our mandate is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”, but UNIDO’s activities contribute to all the SDGs.
UNIDO’s vision is a world without poverty and hunger, where industry drives low-emission economies, improves living standards, and preserves the livable environment for present and future generations, leaving no one behind.
UNIDO provides support to its 173 Member States through four mandated functions: technical cooperation; action-oriented research and policy-advisory services; normative standards-related activities; and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer.
Our work is concentrated on three focus areas: ending hunger by helping businesses from farm to fork; stopping climate breakdown by using renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions; and supporting sustainable supply chains so that developing country producers get a fair deal and scarce resources are preserved.
UNIDO has 173 Member States, which provide assessed contributions to fund a regular budget for the Organization’s administration, research and other regular expenses. Member State representatives approve the budget and work programme, and guide the principles and policies of the Organization. (see Policymaking Organs)
UNIDO implements projects and programmes in around 120 of its Member States. In 2023, UNIDO is implementing a portfolio of 636 projects with a total value of US$1,350m. (see Open Data Platform)
To increase the impact of its technical cooperation, as well as to promote major issues related to industrial development, UNIDO joins forces with diverse development partners.
UNIDO remains committed to strengthening the United Nations development system and continues to support the reform for a more cohesive collaboration among development partners. The Organization contributes as a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and other inter-agency coordination mechanisms. At the country level, UNIDO supports the analytical functions of United Nations country teams and resident coordinator offices.
UNIDO works in partnership with many sister organizations in the UN system, for example, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on agribusiness development, and with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).
UNIDO is strongly engaged with the BRICS group of five major emerging economies, and with the Group of 77 (G77), the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations.
UNIDO maintains a strong engagement with the G20, providing expertise in multiple working groups and ministerial meetings as an officially recognized knowledge partner.
With the support from the European Union (EU), UNIDO has actively assists Member States by providing technical cooperation in various fields. A common vision has translated into tangible benefits in over 100 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the European Neighbourhood.
The latest UNIDO-Global Environment Facility (GEF) portfolio addresses key environmental challenges, including industrial decarbonization, the application of green hydrogen technologies, green chemistry innovation and innovative investment models for climate change adaptation solutions.
The longstanding cooperation with the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol remains strong, with UNIDO’s Montreal Protocol Division currently working on the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in about 70 countries.
UNIDO’s partnerships with the business sector deliver significant developmental impact by collectively achieving more than the sum of their parts. (See Business sector)
Source: UNIDO
