UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION
Did you know that...• Sub-Saharan Africa's share of the world's manufacturing value-added has fallen from 0.8 per cent in 1975 to 0.3 per cent in 1995.
• Industry accounts for one third of the world's greenhouse emissions and a large percentage of hazardous waste generated.
• For every ton of food produced, developed countries spend $180 on processing it, while developing nations spend $40.
• 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the female population is employed in the agricultural sector, while the majority of women employed in industry work as unskilled labour.
• One quarter of gold sold on the world market comes from artisanal miners who use mercury for extracting gold ore. This method pollutes hundreds of kilometres of rivers.Mercury poisoning
Lea Lorca and Christine Cinene, twelve year old students form Apokon, Davao del Norte (Phillippines) were hospitalized due to poisoning. "We are most likely seeing signs of Minamita desease," declared Dr. Cyrus Trocio, specialist in mercury pollution after the examination. Minamita is a desease caused by methyl mercury poisoning and took its name after the Chisso factory's dumping of mercury into Japan's Minamita area. Hundreds of thousands of small scale gold miners use mercury to extract gold ore in the Phillippines. This practice pollutes waters and causes serious health diseases. More that two million small scale miners work in Africa, Asia and Latin America and seven million people depend on related activities.
UNIDO assists the Phillippines in substituting the use of mercury used by small scale miners. A similar programme was successfull completed in Venezuela where gold miners agreed to change their work methods. This way they improved their living and working conditions: the source of pollution was eliminated and their activities were legalized. More than ten countries have solicited the implementation of this UNIDO programme.
Cleaning up
The Romanian town of Copsa Mica, considered to be the most polluted place in Europe, made the front page story of National Geographic in 1991. People, animals, grass, facades and virtually everything was black from the soot emitted by the Cabosin chemical plant while the Sometra smelter factory discharged lead.
"Now we can hang our laundry outside, keep our windows open in summer, and children can play outdoors" explains Anes-Marie Mordasa, the 35 years resident of Copsa Mica.
It took seven years to clean Copsa Mica. UNIDO advised the closure of Cabosin, while Sometra improved its production methods and managed to transform the town. UNIDO's concern for environmental protection is translated into numerous programmes. Cleaner production centres --10 of them exist worldwide -- provide training in the efficient use of raw materials and energy, elimination of toxic raw materials, reduction of emissions and wastes.
UNIDO is one of the four implementing agencies of the Montreal Protocol (ratified in 1987) which calls for eliminating the production of ozone-depleting substances.
cakes and wine, and pickles as well as many other things. As a result, I can sell many more products and I could build a place like this which is bringing profit".
Businesswomen Lucy Kwaimay learnt how to run her own small business and make profits through a UNIDO project in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.
"At the time, I only made cakes but now, I can make
Many women in Africa support their families by selling agricultural products and garments, but, it is the value added to their work which increases profits. UNIDO's programme in Tanzania focused on the use of improved technology and development of entrepreneurial skills. Numerous projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America train small and medium entrepreneurs in how to add value to their work, improve production, expand business operations and generate profits.
UNIDO in brief
Set up in 1986 as an independent and specialized UN agency, UNIDO:
• Promotes sustainable industrial development in countries with developing and transition economies;
• Harnesses the joint forces of government and the private sector to foster competitive industrial production, develops international industrial partnerships and promotes socially equitable and environmentally friendly industrial development.
• Has the ultimate goal is to create a better life for people by laying the industrial foundation for long-term prosperity and economic strength.United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Vienna International Centre
P.O.Box 300
A-1400 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: (43-1) 211 31 5022
Website: http://www.unido.org
E-mail: inf@unido.org
