Hunger and poverty, climate change and environmental degradation are the key challenges we face today.

Global unemployment stands at around 208 million, and a further two billion people work in the informal economy in jobs characterized by a lack of basic protection.

Women and young people are faring significantly worse. The poorest are hit the hardest.

UNIDO is the multilateral player that leads the debate on solving these challenges through sustainable industrial development.

UNIDO drives the industrial policies, technical cooperation and investment promotion activities that lead to industrial development and economic transformation, and to new, decent jobs. 

UNIDO supports the development and deployment of new technologies, and the application of new ways of thinking. It is a platform for innovation, knowledge and technology transfer, business sector cooperation and investment promotion.

Director General Gerd Müller has set three major priorities for action:

1. Supporting sustainable supply chains so that developing country producers get a fair deal and scarce resources are preserved.
2. Limiting climate breakdown by using renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Ending hunger by cutting post-harvest losses and developing agribusiness value chains.

All three involve activities that contribute to job creation.

Cutting across these priorities are the following themes: technology and knowledge transfer, digitalization, investment promotion, training and skills, the circular economy, and women’s economic empowerment.