For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OUS/277
9 March 2015
Re-issued as received
VIENNA, 9 March (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)
- The Government of Japan today announced its contribution of USD 3.78 million to further strengthen its humanitarian assistance in Africa, as well as towards Syrian refugees in Turkey, in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The cooperation was initiated in Vienna today with an exchange of notes between Fumito Miyake, Minister-Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, and Taizo Nishikawa, the Deputy to the Director General of UNIDO.
Projects in the Republic of Djibouti, Liberia, Somalia and Turkey will help rebuild communities that have been affected by social instability and natural disasters, as well as provide support to communities hosting refugees.
For Djibouti, Japan will provide USD 330,000 to fund the project "Empowerment of the poor and women in flood-prone communities to build resilience to natural disasters through diversified livelihoods". For Liberia, USD 1.4 million will be provided to fund the project "Entrepreneurship and skills training for Ivorian refugees and host communities to strengthen resilience and improve livelihoods in Grand Gedeh Country". For Somalia, USD 1,050,000 will be provided to fund the project "Countering violence and extremism through skills training and livelihoods support for at-risk youth in Kismayo". And for Turkey, USD 1 million will fund the project "Vocational training for Syrian youth and women refugees in Turkey using mobile apparel skills units".
The UNIDO-led projects will assist in strengthening the socio-economic resilience of vulnerable communities by helping community members to develop diversified livelihoods. An important emphasis will be placed on upgrading vocational and commercial skills, especially of young people and women, thereby raising incomes and employment, and contributing to food and overall security. The transfer of vocational skills to Syrian refugees, in particular the youth and women, will not only be useful to prepare them for a productive life once they return to Syria, but will also contribute to a peaceful cohabitation during their stay in Turkey.
At today's meeting, Minister-Counsellor Miyake stressed the importance of targeting socially vulnerable groups, such as youth, women, and refugees. He expressed appreciation for UNIDO's focus on inclusiveness in its programmatic activities, which is much in line with developmental priorities of the Government of Japan, and also highlighted the prospect of collaboration with the Japanese private sector. Japan, he said, looked forward to further cooperation with UNIDO in these areas.
On behalf of UNIDO, Taizo Nishikawa expressed his great appreciation for the longstanding support of the Government of Japan to projects of the Organization in the area of post-crisis rehabilitation and aiming at strengthening resilience of vulnerable groups. He acknowledged the importance of points raised by Miyake, including the need for implementation in an expeditious manner, given the particular needs addressed by these projects, the necessity of a close coordination between UNIDO and Japan, as well as the need to raise the visibility of both the donor and UNIDO.
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For more information, please contact:
Christoph
Klose
Strategic Donor Relations Unit
Telephone: (+ 43-1) 26026-3354
Email: c.klose[at]unido.org
