UN boosts support for industrial development in southern Africa

The United Nations will increase its support for industrial development in southern Africa through the opening today of a regional office in Pretoria for the UN agency dedicated to sustainable industry for the reduction of poverty.

The South African office of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will cover Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Government representatives from these countries attended the official launching today, along with UNIDO's Director-General of, Kandeh K. Yumkella.

The South Africa office brings to 22 the number of offices in Africa for the Organization, which is now represented in some 40 countries worldwide, either by a designated country or regional office or by a UNIDO desk located within a UN country office.

Additionally, UNIDO operates a network of 19 investment and technology promotion units, 35 national centres to promote cleaner production, 10 technology centres and 44 subcontracting and partnership units in various countries.

A UN specialized agency, UNIDO helps developing countries produce goods they can trade on the global market, providing training, technology and investment to make them competitive, while encouraging production processes that neither harm the environment nor place too heavy a burden on a country's limited energy resources.

The agency, headquartered in Vienna, has 171 Member States.