Business
UNIDO, AFD Tackle Poverty In Developing Nations
Developing countries and economies in transition have been assured of assistance by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the French Development Agency, Agence Fran caise de Development (AFD), to reduce poverty through productive activities.
They are also to develop trade capacity of business and focus on energy and environmental development, the organisation has said.
An agreement was signed on this in Vienna by UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, and AFD Director-General, Jean-Michel Serverino.
The two organisations will continue existing joint programmes and develop new ones to strengthen the capacities of small and medium size business through development, and particularly in relation to credit, focus on industrial modernisation and high quality infrastructure energy in Africa, in co-ordination with other European initiatives.
They will also elaborate common technical publications in the field of energy and climate change, and development activities in support of the Mediterranean exchange initiative.
In 2008, the AFD has committed close to 45 billion Euro to finance initiatives in Southern countries and overseas. The funds are primarily targeted to educate 7 million children, supplying drinkable water to 44 million people and 370,000 jobs in the productive sector. Projects on energy efficiency, help save some 33 million tones of CO2 per year.
AFD is a bi-lateral development finance institution and has worked for over sixty years to alleviate poverty and foster sustainable economic growth in the South and overseas.
The agency implements development policy, defined by the French Government. Present in more than 50 countries, the AFD finances projects, which aim to improve the living conditions of people, sustain economic growth and protect the planet.
UNIDO is a specialised agency of the United Nations, mandated to promote industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition. The organisation works in close partnership with about 173 countries.