Vienna, 26 November – On the occasion of the Sovereign Order of Malta's celebration of thirty years of the Order‘s Permanent Observer status to the United Nations, UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller welcomed the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, to UNIDO headquarters in Vienna to mark the start of a new partnership between the two organizations.

Director General Müller and Grand Chancellor Paternò di Montecupo together signed a Joint Declaration to work together to improve living conditions for people and eradicate hunger and poverty in developing countries. 

The Joint Declaration outlines key areas of cooperation, including improving access to medical services and essential medicines in underserved regions, joining efforts on the impacts of climate change alongside building resilience in vulnerable communities and and improving access to clean water for communities in Africa and Asia. The Organizations will also strengthen local value addition, particulary in the area of agribuisness, with joint projects which include skills training and capacity building.

The Grand Chancellor and the Director General underlined that both Organizations are united by a common mission for the alleviation of poverty and hunger in the world and expressed their determination to develop impactful new projects and initiatives to support the most vulnerable.

The Order of Malta operates in more than 120 countries, focusing on humanitarian and medical assistance. Their work includes medical and social assistance, emergency services and first aid during armed conflicts and natural disaster, also supporting refugees and displaced persons. Malteser International, the international humanitarian aid organization of the Order of Malta, provides aid to people in need in over 140 projects in more than 30 countries.