The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Purposes



UNIDO's mandate from the General Assembly is to act as the central coordinating body for industrial activities within the United Nations system and to promote industrial development and cooperation at global, regional, national, and sectoral levels.

In the wake of the reorganization of the activities of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in the early 1990s, UNIDO identified five development objectives that provide a new conceptual framework for the organization's future programs:

  • industrial and technological growth and competitiveness;
  • human resource development;
  • equitable development through industrialization;
  • environmentally sustainable industrial development; and
  • international cooperation in industrial investment and technology.

By applying its expertise at three levels—policy, institution, and enterprise—UNIDO acts as:

  • the central coordinating agency for matters related to industrial development;
  • a focal point for industrial technology;
  • an honest broker for industrial cooperation;
  • a center of excellence on industrial development issues; and
  • a global source of industrial information.

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