UNIDO launched its Industrial Development Report 2009 in Colombia

Within the framework of the Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean Programme (LAC), approved by The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) in November 2007, whose ultimate objective is to ensure maximum cohesion between the technical assistance offered by UNIDO and the industrial development priorities of each LAC country, UNIDO launched the Industrial Development Report (IDR) 2009 in Colombia on May 28 2009.

The IDR 2009 focuses on the challenges faced by the bottom billion and middle-income countries and their integration into a world economy characterized by global products closed linkages in trade.

The report’s main argument is that the manufacturing sector is the principal motor of economic growth in developing countries. The UNIDO report highlights the production sector of manufacturing is related to economic growth because it is “the great generator of employment" and informs governments on the importance of making detailed research to determine which sectors should be specialized.

During the launch a presentation of the UNIDO IDR 2009 showcased several factors in the achievement of main levels of industrial competitiveness were analyzed, taking into consideration the cases of three countries in the region with competitive economies like Mexico, Brazil and Costa Rica.

UNIDO experts highlighted that Colombia is one of eight countries in the world that has ascended on the Competitive Industrial Performance (CIP) index, which measures 122 nations, climbing three positions to number 70 on the index. They added that Colombia almost triplicate the manufacturing exports in seven years, of 134 dollars per capita in 2000 to 326 dollars in 2007. It was also emphasized that of the products exported now 42 per cent are discharge technology, whereas seven years ago these articles represented only 37 per cent.

The report was launched during the 'Meeting for the Productive Transformation and Internationalization of the MSMEs', with the support of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, Luis Guillermo Plata.

For more information, please contact Victor Hinojosa Barragan