UNIS/OUS/011
18 February 2010
Iraq’s Private Sector to get Boost from UNIDO
VIENNA, 18 February (UN Information Service) – Encouraging investment in Iraq, developing
small and medium businesses and creating new jobs are the aims of a new project funded by Italy
that will be implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
An agreement on financing the two-year 2 million euros project was signed today in Vienna by
UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, and the Permanent Representative of Italy to the
United Nations Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Gianni Ghisi.
“This is already the third project UNIDO will implement in Iraq with support from the Italian
Government,” said Director-General Yumkella. “The Iraqi private sector is mainly composed of small
and medium enterprises which in the past did not benefit from foreign or local investment due to
political and economic instability in the country. By reviving the private sector we will help generate
employment.”
UNIDO`s “Investment Promotion for Iraq” project will focus on increasing the competitiveness of
existing small and medium enterprises in the Governorate of Erbil, Baghdad and Thi Qar by
integrating the traditional UNIDO approaches in local and foreign investment promotion with the use
of an innovative e-learning platform.
The project will complement and reinforce an existing enterprise development project for Iraq
which has helped train more than 300 entrepreneurs and supported some 160 small and medium
enterprise projects in the country. It will also increase the competitiveness of local institutions, build
the capacity in investment promotion tools and methodologies, and support industrial small and
medium businesses that are looking for potential foreign partnerships.
Yumkella said that the project will provide business services, training, and counselling, including
for women to help them access markets, information, and technology. “This will promote women’s
economic rights and independence,” he said.
UNIDO will also show Iraqi manufacturing firms environment friendly technology, and assist them
in acquiring such technology. Cleaner production processes will enhance production efficiency and
reduce effluents of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and help promote continued reuse and recycling
of raw materials.
“Italy has consistently contributed to the Iraqi effort to reconstruct, privatize and diversify the
economy. We did this bilaterally and with other multilateral partners. However, our partnership with
UNIDO deserves a special place. We consider the action taken to support the Iraqi small and medium
enterprise sector and the capacity building of the Iraqi institutions one of our best success stories,”
said Ambassador Ghisi.
A representative of the Iraqi Permanent Mission, who attended the signing in Vienna, added that
his Government highly appreciated the efforts of the Italian Government to help rebuild Iraq. He
thanked UNIDO and its entire staff for helping reconstruct the infrastructure of Iraq, and expressed
hope that the international community would continue supporting his country.
Since 2007, the UNIDO-Iraq Country Programme has supported economic reforms in the
country. UNIDO has also recently launched a new project in partnership with an Italian University to
enhance the capacities of Iraqi institutions in providing enterprise development services with the use
of information and communication technology.
18 February 2010
Iraq’s Private Sector to get Boost from UNIDO
VIENNA, 18 February (UN Information Service) – Encouraging investment in Iraq, developing
small and medium businesses and creating new jobs are the aims of a new project funded by Italy
that will be implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
An agreement on financing the two-year 2 million euros project was signed today in Vienna by
UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, and the Permanent Representative of Italy to the
United Nations Organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Gianni Ghisi.
“This is already the third project UNIDO will implement in Iraq with support from the Italian
Government,” said Director-General Yumkella. “The Iraqi private sector is mainly composed of small
and medium enterprises which in the past did not benefit from foreign or local investment due to
political and economic instability in the country. By reviving the private sector we will help generate
employment.”
UNIDO`s “Investment Promotion for Iraq” project will focus on increasing the competitiveness of
existing small and medium enterprises in the Governorate of Erbil, Baghdad and Thi Qar by
integrating the traditional UNIDO approaches in local and foreign investment promotion with the use
of an innovative e-learning platform.
The project will complement and reinforce an existing enterprise development project for Iraq
which has helped train more than 300 entrepreneurs and supported some 160 small and medium
enterprise projects in the country. It will also increase the competitiveness of local institutions, build
the capacity in investment promotion tools and methodologies, and support industrial small and
medium businesses that are looking for potential foreign partnerships.
Yumkella said that the project will provide business services, training, and counselling, including
for women to help them access markets, information, and technology. “This will promote women’s
economic rights and independence,” he said.
UNIDO will also show Iraqi manufacturing firms environment friendly technology, and assist them
in acquiring such technology. Cleaner production processes will enhance production efficiency and
reduce effluents of hazardous and toxic chemicals, and help promote continued reuse and recycling
of raw materials.
“Italy has consistently contributed to the Iraqi effort to reconstruct, privatize and diversify the
economy. We did this bilaterally and with other multilateral partners. However, our partnership with
UNIDO deserves a special place. We consider the action taken to support the Iraqi small and medium
enterprise sector and the capacity building of the Iraqi institutions one of our best success stories,”
said Ambassador Ghisi.
A representative of the Iraqi Permanent Mission, who attended the signing in Vienna, added that
his Government highly appreciated the efforts of the Italian Government to help rebuild Iraq. He
thanked UNIDO and its entire staff for helping reconstruct the infrastructure of Iraq, and expressed
hope that the international community would continue supporting his country.
Since 2007, the UNIDO-Iraq Country Programme has supported economic reforms in the
country. UNIDO has also recently launched a new project in partnership with an Italian University to
enhance the capacities of Iraqi institutions in providing enterprise development services with the use
of information and communication technology.