UNIDO ITPO Italy to the “Italian Cooperation with Iraq – the role of International Organizations” Conference

Rome, December 14^th, 2011. Italian Cooperation contribution to International Organizations involved in Iraq’s assistance is 50 million €. This emerged during the Conference “Italian development cooperation with Iraq – The role of International Organizations”, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises.

The event counted the participation of institutional representatives of the Republic of Iraq and of International Organizations as UNIDO, FAO and UNHCR, committed to the country reconstruction process. Min. Plen. Ms. Elisabetta Belloni, Director General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened the work, underlining the important role of Italian contribution, that has been fruitful also thanks to a better collaboration with Iraqi authorities.

The ongoing modernization process determined a growing demand of commodities and services, technologies and know-how. Through Italian contribution, in fact, UNIDO, in synergy with the Iraqi Ministry of Industry, paved the way to a wide programme of training and development of local entrepreneurship. Agriculture and industry attracted 80% of funding and, thanks to these contributions, UNIDO is implementing reconstruction and micro-enterprises development projects as well as industrial zone construction and disused industries rehabilitation projects.

In fact, the Conference took place in the framework of the UN Iraq Development Project and, more specifically, of UNIDO Private Sector Development Programme. Conceived and developed in collaboration with Iraqi and international stakeholders, the programme intends to create a complete and effective context for private sector development in Iraq. The purpose of the project is to reach higher employment and poverty reduction, to promote a legal and normative environment which allows an increase in direct investment as well as a diversification of the basis of the future economic growth of the country through inclusive and eco-friendly policies.

Within the guidelines of Italian Development Cooperation, which considers a priority the interventions addressed to Iraq, UNIDO confirms itself as Honest International Broker, capable of stimulating investments and supporting enterprises development in Developing Countries.