Partnerships for Poverty Reduction through Productive Activities

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP and UNIDO further strengthened their cooperation through an inter-agency agreement that combines the core competencies and specialized expertise of UNIDO with the broad country-level representation and delivery capacity of UNDP. The operational focus of the agreement lies on two components: expanding UNIDO field coverage in a cost-effective manner through the establishment of UNIDO Desks in UNDP Country Offices, and developing joint activities in private sector development. As a result, UNIDO Desks have been set up in 16 countries, and UNDP and UNIDO have developed a number of joint programmes aimed at strengthening private sector enterprises and institutions in support of national development goals.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The partnership between FAO and UNIDO focuses on the need to meet mounting global challenges related to agri-business and agro-industry development, bio-energy, economic recovery in post-crisis countries and the organization of global forums. The joint FAO-UNIDO activities have had a distinct qualitative impact: a number of technical manuals, including toolkits, have been prepared on agro-industrial development, and comprehensive technical assessments have been undertaken to gauge the challenges faced by countries in need of assistance.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
IFAD and UNIDO cooperate in the areas of value chain development and market linkages. agro-industry and agro-processing, and food production and bio-energy in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Under a recent initiative, IFAD and UNIDO have agreed to intensify their strategic partnership and increase the developmental impact of their complementary assistance.  Government support and funding has been secured for three major programmes carried out under this partnership in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and India.

International Labour Organization (ILO)
The collaboration between ILO and UNIDO focuses on issues concerning youth and women, two particularly vulnerable groups in developing countries. As such, ILO and UNIDO are key players in the multi-stakeholder programme for productive and decent work for youth in the Mano River Union countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone), which are telling examples of the dangerous link between high youth unemployment and insecurity. Likewise, in Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, ILO and UNIDO have jointly formulated entrepreneurship development training programmes designed to strengthen capacities in private sector agencies and NGOs, and to support businesswomen and young entrepreneurs in the establishment of competitive micro- and small-scale agri-businesses.