Rome, 20 July 2016 - UNIDO ITPO Italy hosted the presentation of the technical assistance project in favor of fishery industries of four West African countries: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Mauritania. The project, funded by STDF (Standard and Trade Development Facility), branch of the WTO based in Geneva, provides for a first phase of training for local competent authorities in the field of sanitary and phyto-sanitary certifications, followed by a second phase of training for actors directly involved in the fishery industry (fishermen, cooperatives, sellers etc ...). The third phase of the project will be managed by UNIDO ITPO Italy, which will encourage the creation of partnerships with Italian companies and cooperatives. The main goal of the project is to increase the income of the four countries’ fishing communities, improving the quality of the final product and allowing and facilitating access to international markets.

The presentation was attended by several Italian institutions in the sector which demonstrated their keen interest in considering the establishment of partnerships with the existing realities in West Africa. All opportunities will be posted on the official site of UNIDO ITPO Italy (unido.it) and the ITPO staff will remain available for the necessary support in the negotiations.