About the Europe and NIS Programme

The Europe & Newly Independent States (NIS) Programme is a part of the UNIDO Programme Coordination and Field Operations Division,...

...and along with four other Regional Programmes, plays a key role in the development and coordination of UNIDO technical cooperation (TC) programmes and projects and promotion of global forum activities in Europe and NIS region.

The core functions of the programme are:

• Identify, develop and programme TC projects in response to the country's needs
• Initiate and implement UNIDO global forum activities
  
• Formulate country programmes for TC and global forum activities
  
• Mobilize funds for TC activities from the donors in the region
  
• Provide initial screening of the TC project concepts
  
• Provide policy guidance and support to UNIDO Field Offices
• Provide "clearing house" services to the Permanent Missions to UNIDO
  
• Increase visibility of UNIDO

Countries of coverage

The Europe & NIS Programme covers 29 countries. The region is highly diverse in terms of geographical size, location, population, and social development. The Programme covers the following countries in the two major sub-regions:
 

 

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

• Central and Eastern Europe - EU member states: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia
• South Eastern Europe - non-EU member states: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey

Newly Independent States (NIS)

• Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
• Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
• Russian Federation: 88 oblasts and republics
• Western NIS: Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine

Funds Mobilization

Technical cooperation in the Europe & NIS region is mainly funded from the voluntary contributions of UNIDO Member States, Montreal Protocol Fund, Global Environment Facility, as well as under self-financed trust funds. Since the 1990s, a group of new donors in Central Europe has emerged, which contribute to promoting “East-East” and “East-South” Cooperation. UNIDO activities under this initiative include the transfer of industrial development experiences, know-how, and human and financial resources of successful transitional economies.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey are funding specific activities according to the defined priority areas. It is anticipated that a positive trend in the region will continue and the voluntary contributions from the emerging donors will further increase.

Turkey provides a large voluntary contribution to finance the International Centre for Hydrogen Technology in Istanbul and interregional projects in agro-industries. Slovakia provides a large cost-sharing contribution for the UNIDO global project on non-combustion technologies. The Programme also promotes East-South Cooperation initiatives with a view to sharing knowledge, best practices and lessons learned in the CEE/NIS region with Africa, Arab, Asian and Latin American regions.