Resilient supply chains and building trade capacities
The COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate, disruptive impact on supply chains as countries enacted containment measures and border closures, leaving millions of people worldwide unemployed. A publication by the International Trade Centre shows that among the private sector, Micro-, Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those led by women, youth, ethnic minorities and migrants, suffered the most. Research on disruptions in global trade reveals that policies that reduce time and uncertainties along value chains are essential for rapid recovery.
UNIDO, through its work on norm promotion and standard-setting, as well as its analytical and policy advisory services, works actively to support Member States in the implementation of policies and standards that enable sustainable and inclusive supply chain management, ensuring the integration of MSMEs in global and regional value chains.
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In West Africa, the development of a quality infrastructure has been identified as a key measure to strengthen regional and economic integration. Since 2001, the European Union and UNIDO have been supporting the ECOWAS Commission to enhance trade and competitiveness through the promotion of quality culture in the region. Thousands of people in the private and public sector were trained, regional and national quality policies came into being, laboratories accredited and SMEs ISO-certified. Today, joint efforts continue through UNIDO’s participation at the regional level and in most national branches of the EU’s “West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa and to enhance the countries’ integration into the regional and international trading system.
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UNIDO’s support to the Indian automotive industry in collaboration with ACMA (Automotive Components Manufacturers Association of India) and DHI (Department of Heavy Industry) goes back to 1999 and finds its origins in the recognition of the need of the Indian automotive component industry to be globally competitive and to embrace globally accepted best practices. The project aims at improving productivity and innovation of automotive component manufacturers through application of world-class techniques in selected manufacturers and improvement of the industry's business support and innovation ecosystem. It specifically targets small- and medium-sized enterprises with the aim of strengthening their integration in national and international value chains in the automotive sector.
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Since 2014, UNIDO has been supporting Armenia to revitalize its clothing and footwear industry through the project “Industrial Upgrading and Modernization Programme in Armenia”. The two initial phases of the project aimed to maintain and increase the local textile, clothing, leather and footwear enterprises’ domestic market share, and to contribute to Armenia’s integration into regional and global markets. In particular, the project aimed at building local capacity to support the development and modernization of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to position Armenian products as high-end designer goods. Based on the success stories from phase I and II, a third phase has been developed that extends beyond the fashion industry to additional beneficiary sectors. The third phase aims at improving competitiveness of export-oriented industries in Armenia through modernization and market access, with a special emphasis on light industry sub-sectors.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several of the manufacturers supported through the UNIDO technical assistance project also diversified their production to include medical masks.
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