For more information, please see:

http://dsds.teriin.org/2009/index.htm

In the course of the event "Acting on Climate Change: The UN Delivering as One" on 11 December, 2008, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, called for bold and decisive action by all countries and UN agencies on the issue of climate change. Within this context, Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), stressed that the UN plays a catalytic role in establishing market mechanisms, building capacity to access these markets, and facilitating technology transfer.

The conference was organised by the UNFCCC Secretariat and was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Poland, Ministry of the Environment, being the coordinating agency for preparation to the Conference (www.cop14.gov.pl).

For more information, please click here

This project aims at assisting the total food chain in the CEE to reach international quality and safety standards, and in turn, to enhance European competitiveness as a whole by developing an industry, which is synonymous with safety, diversity, sophistication and products of high quality. In this context the exercise will identify specific needs and to develop a number of common actions to strengthen the food industry of the countries involved in the project.

The conference will present the main results of the project such as the Socio-economic Scenarios, Key Technologies, The Future Visions, the Road Map and the Policy Recommendations.

The objective of the conference is, on the basis of the project findings and recommendations, to stimulate dialogue among the stakeholders in the food industry to launch measures towards guaranteeing healthy and safe food for the future in the CEE.

For more information on the project, please visit the website: www.FutureFood6.com

This initiative is part of the commitment of the Mexican Government towards promoting energy efficiency and the development of renewable and clean sources of energy. During the last years, Mexico has launched new programmes to encourage energy-saving consumer practices and has implemented policies to diversify the country’s energy matrix. The country is currently also announcing new frameworks for the development of solar power and wind power, as well as micro-hydro and biofuels energies.

Mexico’s cooperation initiatives with other Latin American countries reflect the dedication of the country to promote sustainable development. Within this context, Mexico and UNIDO are jointly implementing a number of programmes to increase cleaner production practices and mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases.

The organization of the Global Forum 2009 demonstrates the continuation of UNIDO's energy activities in the LAC region initiated in 2006 with the Iberoamerican Ministerial Meeting on "Energy Security in the Latin America Region: Renewable Energy as a Viable Alternative". UNIDO's efforts in the region further led to the organization of the Global Forum on Renewable Energy held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, in 2008, which brought together more than 1500 participants from a wide range of backgrounds, including 55 speakers from more than 40 countries.

The 2009 Mexican Global Forum may rely on the participation of ECLAC and OLADE and is expected to turn into a great opportunity for promoting business and investment projects, as well as technical cooperation activities around the world. The Forum is also expected to increase commercial networking and bring  successful experiences on renewable energies and energy efficiency to the international arena, specifically highlighting those energy resources and techniques particularly promoted by Mexico.

• provide testing and calibration laboratories with expert support on technical, regulatory and quality management issues.
• promote cooperative efforts to solve common problems faced by these laboratories.
• provide a multi-sectoral forum to express the viewpoint of laboratories in developing countries on technical issues that directly affect their activities.
• provide an interface with laboratories and laboratory networks worldwide.
• facilitate the sharing of experiences in the fields of research and technology management, and in laboratory design, management, development, maintenance and capabilities.
• provide a forum for issues related to proficiency testing, certified reference materials, traceability, and for trade-related issues.
• serve as a common platform for sharing information through publications, technical reports, newsletters, seminars, working groups and other forums.

A critical issue for testing labs is gaining accreditation of their competence to conduct tests. Labnet provides information, through its web portal, on the basic, sequential steps to be taken in preparing a laboratory for accreditation.

The Labnet portal has been engineered by Vimta Labs Specialties, Hyderabad, and the launch will take place at their headquarters. Speakers will include Dr. S P Vasireddi, Chairman & MD, Vimta Labs Ltd,  Dr. L. Goonatilake, Director, TCB, UNIDO, Dr. Dieter Fuchs, President, WAITRO, Mr. C. K. Maheshwari, DDG, Bureau of Indian Standard and ISO Representative, Mr. A. Jauhoi, Advisor, QCI, India, Mr. O. Padickakudi, Programme Manager, TCB, UNIDO, Dr. N.M. Pieris, Second Vice President, WAITRO, and Dr. Rohani Hashim, Secretary, WAITRO.

 

To view the Labnet website, please visit www.labnetwork.org

Increasing the access to stable, modern and environmentally sustainable energy services will undoubtedly contribute to the establishment and consolidation of a variety of income generating productive activities which, without proper energy supply, would not have been able to become a part of the productive spectrum of these communities.

"Strong partnerships enable UNIDO to leverage resources and share its unique expertise. They also guarantee greater efficiency and sustainability. UNIDO will continue to improve its networks and alliances through strategic partnerships and cooperation in the field of renewable energy," said the Director-General of UNIDO.

ITAIPU Binacional, is the bi-national undertaking set up by Brazil and Paraguay to manage the hydroelectric power plant on the Paraná River, on the border between the two countries. It generates electricity using responsible social and environmental practices, supporting economic and technological development in both countries. Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A., a public company of ITAIPU, conducts studies, implements projects and constructs and operates power plants, transmission lines and electricity distribution networks.

The high-level Brazilian-Paraguayan delegation, will also undertake visits to two biogas plants located in Lower Austria in order to explore the possibility of replicating such plants in the Paraná region.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Gustavo Aishemberg
Tel.: +43 1 26026 3330
E-mail

Today we no longer question the devastating impact of corruption on development: its cost can be measured in undelivered public services, reduced access to food and health care, education and housing.

But corruption also slows down economic growth that is the best chance for lifting poor people out of poverty.

It destroys effective policy-making, discourages investment and raises the cost of doing business. The global economy loses an estimated US$ 1 trillion a year as a result of corruption – a full 3% of the world’s gross domestic product. In these grave times, with remittances and aid flows dropping, this is money that the developing world can ill afford to lose.

Corruption hurts all types of businesses – large and small, multinational and local. But the pain is greatest among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They are usually the first to suffer from corruption, and the least well equipped to cope. Since SMEs are the engine of growth in developing countries, the effect of corruption on the poor can be particularly onerous.

UNIDO is doing its part to fight corruption by working together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on a joint initiative, Corruption Prevention to Foster SME Development. Strongly supported by the United Nations Global Compact, this initiative is gathering knowledge on the full extent of the problems faced by small firms, as well as developing and promoting tools to help SMEs cope with corruption in their business environments.

This is our contribution. But we can only hope to defeat corruption by working together to tackle this global evil in all its facets. That is why, on this International Day, I urge all businesses, governments and citizens to remember: your “no” counts.

More information is available here.

The Centre focuses its activities on four core scientific programmes:

• Rational drug design and development
• Next generation biofuels and bio-based chemicals
• Geothermal energy
• Nanotechnologies

A collaboration has already started with Dr. Sibbele Hietkamp, CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing, in the field of next generation biofuels and value-added bio-based chemicals, and, in parallel, with Dr. Paolo Meoni and Dr. Parkinson, CSIR Biosciences, in the field of drug design and development, particularly focusing on anti-malaria, anti-tuberculosis and anti-HIV.

There is also an interest to develop the collaboration in the field of nano-technologies, especially in nano-drug delivery systems.

The delegation consisted of Mr. Stefano Bologna, Representative Head of the Regional Office in South Africa, and Mr. Rosso Cicogna, ICS-UNIDO Managing Director, and was hosted by Mr. Berenice Lue Marais, CSIR Group Manager: Contract R&D, and Ms. Liesbeth Botha, Executive Director Materials Science and Manufacturing, and Dr. Gatsha Mazithulela, Executive Director Biosciences.

The agreement, which is effective immediately, was signed by UNIDO’s Director-General, Kandeh Yumkella, BIPM Director Andrew J. Wallard, and CIML President Alan Johnston. The new partners agreed to join forces to assist the focus countries integrate more beneficially into the global economy. During the signature event, concrete technical areas of cooperation were discussed. These areas – such as the establishment of training guides to assist developing countries overcome metrology, and legal metrology issues at the laboratory level – will provide the springboard to launch the cooperation.

With this agreement, UNIDO is partnering with two major global players in the field of metrology and legal metrology who are crucial to successfully build capacity in standards and conformity, as well as compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. The new agreement will not only reinforce UNIDO’s ability to deliver Trade Capacity Building technical assistance, but also help further UNIDO’s position as a key agency for the implementation of projects related to TBT and SPS issues and standards and conformity capacity building. 

The BIPM – a principal player in the area of scientific metrology – is an intergovernmental organization with the mandate of providing the basis for a single, coherent system of measurements throughout the world, traceable to the International System of Units (SI). The Bureau is a principal player in the area of scientific metrology and conducts measurement-related research. The intergovernmental treaty organization, OIML, promotes the global harmonization of legal metrology legislation and conformity assessment procedures. The Organization has developed a worldwide technical structure that provides its members with metrological guidelines for the development of national and regional requirements concerning the assessment and use of measuring instruments in legal metrology applications. 

UNIDO has significant experience and a large portfolio of ongoing projects in the area of standards, metrology, testing, certification and accreditation. As such, UNIDO is a privileged partner of key international standards and conformity organizations such as the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Lalith GOONATILAKE
Director, Trade Capacity Building Branch
Tel.: +43-1-26026-3859
E-mail

The programme aims to develop a platform where industry and manufacturing companies can be better assisted to actively participate in international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Industry is one of the most important sectors to galvanize and mitigate climate change. But it must be supported to adopt low carbon technologies and production methods.

Through this innovative joint programme industrial companies in developing country will be able to meet and exchange experiences and develop joint climate related opportunities. They will also benefit from sectoral support packages which will provide specific greenhouse gas emission mitigation options and methodologies. Ultimately, the programme will promote the creation of climate change mitigation ‘compacts’ or partnership agreements by different industrial companies.

Industry compacts are voluntary corporate initiatives seeking to create more responsible and sustainable business practices. They consist of various stakeholders, such as businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and the public sector. Increasingly, companies are participating in industry compacts and partnerships to address global social and environmental issues.

The UNIDO-UNDP joint programme initially focuses on the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa. These countries have been selected because they are both the manufacturing hubs of their respective continents and represent developing countries with relatively high emissions of greenhouse gases.

To better enhance its outreach and impact, the programme will be aligned with the UN Global Compact and its ‘Caring for the Climate’ initiative, thus acquiring a multi-agency dimension and becoming a good example of the UN system ‘Delivering as One’ approach.

In the context of the global food crisis, innovation in agribusiness – one of the main drivers of sustainable development- is imperative. The solutions showcased at the Conference are already being successfully implemented and replicated in other developing countries. Of these, fifteen were short-listed for their innovative character and their potential to help developing countries attract agribusiness-related investments. Numerous interactive sessions gave valuable insight on relevant issues such as supply and value chains, market access and linkages, compliance with standards and conformity assessment, technology and value addition, and innovative forms of financing.

Yoshi Uramoto, Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), said: "The conference will also provide opportunities for matchmaking and networking between those participants who are seeking ways to achieve sustainable agribusiness development and those with innovative solutions, as well as those with financing for development assistance and investment."

In addition to parallel sessions and discussions on main agribusiness topics, a matchmaking event was organized by the UNIDO Investment Promotion Unit (IPU) in Egypt. This brought together more than 110 companies interested in replicating innovative agribusiness solutions. Over 350 bilateral meetings were organized and potential partners found common interest in access to finance, technology transfer and trade capacity building. Marco Potecchi, Head of the IPU, said that "this event is just the starting point. Our job is to make sure that the expressions of interest result in concrete cooperation".

"We are overwhelmed by the positive responses to the Conference", said Gerardo Patacconi, Chief of the Productivity, Quality and Enterprise Upgrading Unit in UNIDO and main organizer." Over 400 participants attended the two-day session, and over 120 solutions from over 65 countries were presented. We started a process that was widely acclaimed; now, UNIDO and its partners will actively ensure that these and more similar innovative solutions are implemented, also through the identification of financing, for companies to realize all their potential".

At the closing ceremony, awards were given to the best innovative solutions, based on peer selections. Winners included ITC Limited from India (to provide updated information on crops for remote Indian villages), the COLEACP-PIP (to enable compliance solutions for the export of fruits and vegetables), Passive Refrigeration from Italy (to maintain the cold chain from farms to markets) and Sri Lanka's Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd (to link small farmers directly to markets). Special awards were given to the SEKEM farm (for ecologically responsible development in Egypt), the Songhai Centre in Benin (for holistic agricultural development) and UNIDO's ETRACE programme (to establish an effective traceability system for Egyptian producers).

For more information, please see the official Conference websites:

http://www.agribusiness-solutions.org/

http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=7095

For further details, please click here.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development was invited to the conference and presented Viet Nam’s experience with VietGAP and the Safe Vegetable Project.

In the context of the global food crisis, innovation in agribusiness – one of the main drivers of sustainable development- is imperative. The solutions showcased at the Conference are already being successfully implemented and replicated in other developing countries. Of these, fifteen were short-listed for their innovative character and their potential to help developing countries attract agribusiness-related investments. Numerous interactive sessions gave valuable insight on relevant issues such as supply and value chains, market access and linkages, compliance with standards and conformity assessment, technology and value addition, and innovative forms of financing.

Yoshi Uramoto, Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), said: "The conference will also provide opportunities for matchmaking and networking between those participants who are seeking ways to achieve sustainable agribusiness development and those with innovative solutions, as well as those with financing for development assistance and investment."

In addition to parallel sessions and discussions on main agribusiness topics, a matchmaking event was organized by the UNIDO Investment Promotion Unit (IPU) in Egypt. This brought together more than 110 companies interested in replicating innovative agribusiness solutions. Over 350 bilateral meetings were organized and potential partners found common interest in access to finance, technology transfer and trade capacity building. Marco Potecchi, Head of the IPU, said that "this event is just the starting point. Our job is to make sure that the expressions of interest result in concrete cooperation".

"We are overwhelmed by the positive responses to the Conference", said Gerardo Patacconi, Chief of the Productivity, Quality and Enterprise Upgrading Unit in UNIDO and main organizer." Over 400 participants attended the two-day session, and over 120 solutions from over 65 countries were presented. We started a process that was widely acclaimed; now, UNIDO and its partners will actively ensure that these and more similar innovative solutions are implemented, also through the identification of financing, for companies to realize all their potential".

At the closing ceremony, awards were given to the best innovative solutions, based on peer selections. Winners included ITC Limited from India (to provide updated information on crops for remote Indian villages), the COLEACP-PIP (to enable compliance solutions for the export of fruits and vegetables), Passive Refrigeration from Italy (to maintain the cold chain from farms to markets) and Sri Lanka's Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd (to link small farmers directly to markets). Special awards were given to the SEKEM farm (for ecologically responsible development in Egypt), the Songhai Centre in Benin (for holistic agricultural development) and UNIDO's ETRACE programme (to establish an effective traceability system for Egyptian producers).

For more information, please see the official Conference websites:

http://www.agribusiness-solutions.org/

http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=7095

For the original press release ("India grapples with poisonous legacy"), please click here (Financial Times, London)