In the global fight to overcome the coronavirus together, UNIDO is working with our Member States and partners to address this crisis. As we respond to the emergency and start to recover from the socio-economic shock, we must ensure that the recovery focuses on building inclusive and sustainable economies that are more resilient in facing pandemics, climate change and many other global challenges.
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United Nations system socio-economic response
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- • Secretary-General report: Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 (31 March 2020)
- • United Nations framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19 (27 April 2020)
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UNIDO resources
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UNIDO on the ground
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• Newsletter of PFC (November-December 2020)
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• Newsletter of PFC (October 2020)
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• Newsletter of PFC (September 2020)
- • Newsletter of PFC (August 2020)
- • Newsletter of PFC (July 2020)
- • Newsletter of PFC (June 2020)
- • Newsletter of PTC/PPF (May 2020)
- • Newsletter of PTC/PPF (April 2020)
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United Nations policy briefs
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- • Policy brief: Universal Health Coverage (October 2020)
- • Policy brief: Education during COVID-19 and beyond (5 August 2020)
- • Policy brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on South-East Asia (30 July 2020)
- • Policy brief: COVID-19 in an Urban World (28 July 2020)
- • Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Arab Region An Opportunity to Build Back Better (24 July 2020)
- • Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Latin America and the Caribbean (10 July 2020)
- • Policy Brief: The World of Work and COVID- 19 (23 June 2020)
- • Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition (9 June 2020)
- • Policy Brief: COVID-19 and People on the Move (3 June 2020)
- • Policy brief: Impact of COVID-19 in Africa (20 May 2020)
- • Policy brief: A disability-inclusive response to COVID-19 (6 May 2020)
- • Policy brief: COVID-19 and Human Rights: We are all in this together (23 April 2020)
- • Debt and COVID-19: A Global Response in Solidarity (17 April 2020)
- • Policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on children (16 April 2020)
- • Policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on women (9 April 2020)
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Links for further information
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- • United Nations website: Coronavirus global health emergency
- • WHO Health Emergency Dashboard
- • WHO website: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
- • Website of the Vienna-based UN Organizations: Situation updates and gradual return to the VIC
- • UN News: Coronavirus coverage from UN News
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Other documents
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- • UN inter-agency network on youth development: COVID-19 and youth
- • UN regional commissions: Towards an inclusive, resilient and green recovery
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Analysis and opinion pieces
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What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a term coined in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is characterized by the convergence and complementarity of emerging technology domains, including...
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Risk, resilience and recalibration in global value chains
Current global value chains are highly efficient, specialized and interconnected, but also highly vulnerable to global risks. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stark demonstration of this point, causing supply-side disruptions in...
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Capturing the ‘digital dividend’ in developing economies
Global value chains (GVCs), which rely on and benefit from international supplier networks, have played a leading role in industrial production since the 1990s. More often than not, developing countries carry out the less productive activities...
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Can Sub-Saharan Africa break into global manufacturing?
The manufacturing sector serves as an entry point for industrialization in many countries. With segments of the industrial value chain being fairly labour-intensive, the cost of labour is a key driver of competitiveness...
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Turning health challenges into industrialization opportunities for developing countries
COVID-19 crisis offers opportunities to foster industrialization by strategically building synergies between policy areas such as healthcare and industry...
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Managing COVID-19: Why poorer countries may drop out of industrialization
Industry will likely veer off the road to recovery in attempts to reach pre-COVID levels, requiring manufacturers to reshape their supply chain structure and, in some cases, to reorient...
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Latin America: Kickstarting manufacturing in the time of COVID-19
The continued spread of COVID-19 through Latin America and the Caribbean shows no signs of abating. At the end of May, the region became the global epicentre of the pandemic...
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COVID-19: A wake up call for research and industrial capacity-building
History has shown that coordination, cooperation and the mobilization of scientific and technological progress combined with strong manufacturing capabilities are critical for...
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Why innovative manufacturing and circularity are key for a resilient manufacturing industry post-COVID-19
The resilience of a country’s industry and its ability to perform and adjust to shocks hinges on its diverse, dynamic, innovative and collaborative...
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COVID-19 and the global contraction in FDI
COVID-19 is uprooting economic globalization. With both supply and demand experiencing simultaneous shocks due to containment measures, global production networks are being disrupted on a scale never witnessed before. The pandemic has exposed...
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Foster recovery from COVID-19 through science, technology and innovation
Numerous studies show that investment in science, technology and innovation (STI) activities, particularly research and development (R&D), is a key driver of economic growth...
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Industries post-COVID-19: A gender-responsive approach to global economic recovery
What most crises have in common is that they hit the most vulnerable and marginalized populations—among which women are disproportionally represented—the hardest...
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COVID-19 effects in sub-Saharan Africa and what local industry and governments can do
Despite global trends in COVID-19 containment, most people in SSA may have no realistic option but to continue working and engaging in business activities for their day-to-day survival...
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COVID-19, poverty and why rescuing industry is a good strategy
Recent successful experiences in poverty reduction in developing countries will not be sustained and we might even witness setbacks in the fight against poverty, as well as increased...
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Rescue industries and firms now: How to minimize the long-term negative impacts on economies and populations
The failure of industries and firms will inflict long-term irreversible damage on economies and populations, particularly vulnerable...
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Between policy and politics in Latin America and the Caribbean
Policy responses to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean require a two-pronged approach: managing short-term effects of the pandemic while setting conditions to address...
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Could the coronavirus spur automation and reverse globalization
Automation and reshoring mitigate the risks firms face in the event of a pandemic or other shocks. Industrial policies that aim to strengthen a country’s healthcare sector and reduce...
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COVID-19 Critical Supplies: The Manufacturing Repurposing Challenge
As the global COVID-19 emergency continues to unfold, one urgent problem is the shortage of critical supplies such as masks, ventilator and test kits for both the healthcare sector...
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How industrial policy can mitigate the impact of the pandemic
What began as a health emergency is now rapidly threatening to turn into a global economic crisis. Policy actions and coordination will be crucial in mitigating the impacts of the emergency...
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How the pandemic disrupts global value chains
COVID-19 has struck at the core of global value chains hub regions, including China, Europe and the US. The pandemic has severe implications for international production networks and may leave its legacy...
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Policy brief: COVID-19 Impacts on Industry: Recommendations for the Arab Region
In comparison with other regions, the total recorded COVID-19 cases and deaths in the Arab region remain relatively low, though their numbers are increasing. Nevertheless, all countries have already enacted...
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Coronavirus: the economic impact
In an environment of high uncertainty and uneven impacts, it remains too early to talk of a real recovery. Comparing production between December 2019 and June 2020 in 62 countries, which together account for around 90 per cent of...
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The impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing investments
The impact of the pandemic on both global trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) has been dramatic. Even now, as some countries begin easing their restrictions to breathe life back into their flailing economies...
Stories
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Will COVID-19 accelerate the transition to a sustainable fashion industry?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic shutdowns have created unprecedented challenges for the fashion industry, including declining consumer spending and disrupted supply...
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India: Building back better through remanufacturing
Sectors with high job creation potential deserve specific support as India seeks to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. Remanufacturing provides a case in point as it makes good...
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What industrialization means for well-being – and why it matters
UNIDO report demonstrates how the process of industrialization connects directly and measurably to better quality of life. As the world’s poorest nations risk being left further behind as...
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After COVID-19 shock: how to boost Ukraine’s economic recovery
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 had a drastic impact on the industrial sector of Ukraine. Measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 hit the country’s small and medium-sized...
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Green industrial policy to power a green recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges and caused an exceptional economic downturn. It is foreseen that the global economy will shrink by 3-6% in 2020, resulting in losses of manufacturing...
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How solar-powered tablets are educating rural communities about COVID-19 in Mozambique
“We use solar-powered tablets to conduct community education campaigns on financial education, contraception and HIV, health, vaccinations, civic education, and now to inform...
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Outlook for Asian firms gloomy amid severe COVID-19 economic impacts
A new report on the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) shows pessimism about business prospects...
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UNIDO’s response to COVID-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Aside from the obvious human and economic impacts, one of the remarkable aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the vacuum filled by digital technologies: ICTs have facilitated...
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Expert opinion: how can small businesses make it through the current coronavirus crisis?
What are the key concerns of CEOs or CFOs in times of uncertainty: What operational changes would prevent losses? How to maintain a work force without layoffs...
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Cleantech innovators take on COVID-19
The global COVID-19 pandemic has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. As the pandemic unfolds, there is no doubt that more lives will be lost and there will continue to be wider socio-economic impacts for some time to come...
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Syria: improving industrial vocational and technical training to accelerate the re-establishment of sustainable livelihoods
The Syrian conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises of our generation. In 2019, an estimated 11.9 million people were still in need...
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Pakistani start-up repurposes to help healthcare system cope with pandemic
“ModulusTech is a company born out of the need for sustainable housing solutions. As the world grappled with this unprecedented crisis of COVID19, we went back to our drawing board to see...
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How brands ensure business resilience to external shocks in an increasingly digitalized world
With the COVID-19 pandemic driving an unprecedented downturn in business activity, many companies are being pushed to question and reinvent...
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In Brazil, UNIDO partners with non-profit to support small companies during pandemic
Mariana Garcia Freire owns a small coffee business in a small town in São Paulo state, in the southeast of Brazil. When the COVID-19 pandemic reached the country and emergency measures...
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Preparing accreditation for the new digital age
Developing countries are constantly striving to enhance their export competitiveness, strengthen their export base and become more integrated with international trade flows. To achieve this, they need to be able to access increasingly complex global...
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Supporting medical waste management in India and beyond during COVID-19 epidemic
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, UNIDO is supporting medical waste management efforts in countries across the world. The organization has significant experience of working...
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Morocco partnership projects adapt to COVID-19 lockdown
Since mid-March 2020, people in Morocco have been operating under strict rules of confinement in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. Schools and non-essential businesses are expected to remain closed...
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A post COVID-19 São Tomé and Príncipe: UNIDO helping to realize a sustainable future through renewable energy and energy efficiency
Endowed with picturesque beaches, rainforests and coral reefs that attract tourists from around the world, São Tomé and Príncipe...
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Forging ahead in spite of COVID-19: UNIDO biogas project in South Africa
Across South Africa, the COVID-19-induced national lockdown measures have had immediate and dramatic impacts throughout South Africa. Coming into effect on 27 March, there has been...
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India's manufacturing reels from the impact of COVID-19
To try and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Indian government imposed a nationwide lockdown on 24 March. To guage the impact on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)...
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Stopping the spread of COVID-19: disinfecting public spaces in China
The COVID-19 outbreak brought Chinese society, especially cities such as Wuhan, to a standstill but not the science and technology. As Wu Yabin, chief representative of the United Nations...
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UNIDO’s ITPO Bahrain: reacting to the crisis, preparing for the aftermath
JIn mid-March, Bahrain had the fourth-highest per capita rate of positive COVID-19 cases worldwide. In response, the Bahraini government introduced strict precautionary measures to limit...
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Why standards play an important role in mitigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
As in many industrial sectors, the elaboration of standards and quality infrastructure is crucial for maintaining the highest quality of medical products and services. Failure to observe...
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Flattening the curve, continuing to work: Uruguay
“We are all working from home using WhatsApp, video conferencing and email. We had a two-hour meeting yesterday where we agreed on a protocol and deliverables for the week ahead,” explains Manuel Albaladejo, the UNIDO Representative...
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Armenian apparel manufacturer starts producing masks to help fight coronavirus
To help counter the fast-spreading COVID-19 virus in Armenia, the TOSP apparel manufacturer is diversifying production to include medical masks. The TOSP Knitting Factory, located in...
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In China, robot delivery vehicles deployed to help with COVID-19 emergency
Unmanned vehicles or carts that can carry food or other items are nothing new, not in China at any rate. The JD.com e-commerce company began road-testing the country’s first domestically...
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Tunisia's entrepreneurs swing into action against COVID-19
As of 31 March, Tunisia had confirmed 362 cases of the coronavirus and nine deaths. The authorities have imposed a general lockdown, keeping people from leaving their homes except to buy necessities...
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COVID-19: UNIDO helps Tajik textile enterprises diversify into PPE productiont
As of 14 April, Tajikistan had not announced the confirmation of any COVID-19 cases. Over recent months, the authorities have taken drastic measures to help keep the coronavirus at bay...
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GQSP Colombia and national entities join forces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Everyone is looking at the medical product supply chain. Shortages of products such as ventilators, masks, gloves, protective clothing, disinfectants and sanitizers are having a significant...
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COVID-19 stimulus packages must carry energy efficiency incentives to help industries and economies rebound
Just like the widespread industrial shutdowns of the Great Depression, the COVID-19 economic crisis has left industrial companies reeling...
