For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OUS/202
26 August 2013
VIENNA, 26 August 2013 (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) - LI Yong, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations in Vienna, have signed letters of agreement on the funding of UNIDO programmes and projects to help improve market access for food products produced in Tunisia and Morroco, and to strengthen the trade capacity of Indonesia's fisheries export sector.
In projects in Tunisia and Morocco, each running for four years, UNIDO will help strengthen the organization and governance of selected value chains, improve the productivity, quality compliance and product development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and enhance their position in both domestic and export markets. The projects will also help the products to comply with the requirements of the recently introduced labels indicating both quality and geographical origins in order to position them in higher niche markets with a resulting increase in revenues and employment opportunities. Special attention will be given to supporting young entrepreneurs and women involved in the value chains.
The project in Tunisia, funded by a contribution of five million Swiss francs/CHF (USD5.4m) from Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), will help improve market access for harissa, Djebba fig and prickly pear produce from Kasserine governorate in the centre of the country. It will contribute to the implementation of the country's fruit and vegetable export strategy endorsed in 2011, as well as to the overall national agro-food development programme, benefiting one of the most important economic sectors in terms of employment and GDP.
The project in Morocco, funded by a SECO contribution of CHF3.6m (USD3.9m), will support the argan oil and Ait Bâamrane prickly pear value chains in the central Souss Massa Draa region as a contribution to the government's Green Morocco Plan to boost the country's agricultural and agro-industry sectors. The selected value chains in Tunisia and Morocco offer promising prospects in terms of contributing to economic growth, job creation, women's participation in economic development, and poverty reduction.
In Indonesia, UNIDO will support the development of trade capacities of selected value chains within the fisheries sector. The Organization will in particular support the Government of Indonesia on public-private dialogue in the fisheries sector, strengthen the supply side (improving business support services for value addition, branding, enhancing compliance with international market requirements, including traceability and certification for sustainability standards), develop a master's degree course on productivity and innovation, and facilitate trade linkages for Indonesian fisheries' products in global markets. The programme will run for five years and will be funded by a SECO contribution of CHF4m (USD4.4m).
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For more information, please contact:
Mikhail
Evstafyev
Head, Advocacy and External Relations
Telephone: (+43-1) 26026-5021
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-7329
Email: M. Evstafyev[at]unido.org
