Industrial Development Board, 22nd session

Preview: Vienna, Austria, 30 -31 May 2000

The Industrial Development Board (53 Member States) met for a two-day meeting to consider the Annual Report UNIDO 1999. The year under review marked a turning point in the history of UNIDO. Not only did it witness the successful completion of the Organization's transformation, but saw UNIDO embark on a new, more direct path towards the industrialization of developing countries and economies in transition. It also saw some fundamental changes in the way UNIDO works. The first chapter offers, in broad brushstrokes, a picture of UNIDO's activities in 1999, focusing on the integrated programmes and other innovations. Chapter II provides a more traditional description of the various services offered by UNIDO, while chapter III contains an analysis of the Organization's performance and a statistical breakdown of delivery.

Other agenda items included: financing of the integrated technical cooperation programmes in developing countries, their impact and the status of their implementation.

As a parallel event, a presentation on UNIDO Exchange was held for the participants of the IDB on 30 May 2000. UNIDO Exchange is the interactive electronic network aimed at bridging the digital divide between industrial statekeholders in the fast lane of the information superhighway and the vast majority of those in the developing world who urgently require access to electronic business and technological opportunities. As a knowledge-based and technology-oriented tool, the network reinforces UNIDO's global forum role by provoiding an electronic window to the latest information and perspectives on industrial development. A personal demonstration of UNIDO Exchange's broad range of features and services was available during the two-day IDB session.