EARTH SUMMIT+5 Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise the Implementation of Agenda 21 New York, 23-27 June 1997 PROGRAMME FACT SHEETS

	Industrial Information, Investment and Technology Promotion
	Responsible Organization(s)	United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
	Description	The above programme consists of the following components which will be closely integrated and, where feasible, rendered as a package to recipient countries: (a) Technological and investment information (b) Investment promotion (c) Technology promotion
	Issues addressed	Many developing countries lack the awareness and information on technology and investment opportunities and alternatives, particularly with respect to accessing new technologies as well as the required infrastructure, information, human resources and skills to handle the technology transfer process effectively. (a) In today's competitive environment, the information necessary for continuous upgrading and adapting of production and for promoting goods and services, can be crucial to survival. Companies and enterprises of all sizes require access to up-to-date information, both raw data and assessed technical and economic information. Access to networks and to other new information technology products potentially improves the position of developing countries. (b) Shortage of private risk capital in most developing countries and economies limits the availability of domestic investment. Besides building up their capital markets and stimulating private domestic investment, the developing countries thus need to seek international foreign direct investment (FDI) primarily through joint venture partnerships. However, foreign investment in many developing countries has remained severely constrained by the absence of conducive investment climates, domestic supporting industries, managerial skills, local financial resources, and other factors. (c) Technology users from developing countries are now operating in an environment where they have to compete with foreign companies in the domestic market. A further intensification of global competition which will be increasingly technology-driven poses serious barriers and constraints both in terms of sourcing as well as conditions of access to technologies by developing countries.
	Objectives	To assist developing countries in establishing or developing the capability to access and use the various information sources that are available for the use of industry and government and in building up self-sufficient, sustainable national information networks; to use all the tools available for active and passive dissemination of information on the Internet and other networks to reach as many UNIDO clients as possible; to expand the database on investment opportunities and investment project sponsors in developing countries and make it available on-line. To assist in establishing an attractive investment climate through overall conducive agencies (IPAs) in order to improve the national capability to promote foreign investment; to offer a network of UNIDO Investment Promotion Service Offices (IPSOs) in industrialized and developing countries; to organize investment fora on pre-identified investment projects; and to prepare and appraise investment studies. Among these objectives, UNIDO also promotes specific industrial investment projects for which local sponsors can be identified. To promote technology transfer through well-established operational activities comprising business fora and systematic training and capacity-building based on technical documentation/guidelines.
	Results achieved	(a) UNIDO's Industrial and Technological Information Bank (INTIB) has built up a network of over 80 national and regional focal points over the last 5 years to serve as a first contact point for industry. A programme has been developed to expand the national focal points into self-sufficient and self-sustainable national industrial technology and market information networks. National information programmes have been formulated and will be linked to establish a global information services to SMEs as a basis for inter-country partnerships. The International Referral System developed by INTIB serves as a rapid and efficient means of identifying and matching different sources of information. (b) Numerous investment fora have been and will be organized by UNIDO, successful examples being the forum in Vietnam in 1991, opening the country up for foreign investment, or the forum in Nepal in 1992 that led to successful ECDC/TCDC cooperation acitivties with entrepreneurs from India and Singapore. The IPSO network itself is a successful quality service to client countries which is reflected by the extension of existing and the opening of new IPSOs funded directly by the host countries. Further focus will be on the strengthening of information and communication systems like UNIDO's global Investment Network Service (WINS), investment-related human resource development, and strengthening of links with major international financing institutions. (c) UNIDO has developed guidelines comprising the Manual on Technology Transfer Negotiations serving technology evaluators, users and policy-makers and the Guidelines on the Development, Contracting and Negotiation of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects. In the next biennium, UNIDO will concentrate on capacity-building in technology transfer negotiations and the promotion of technology flows through the so-called Techmart business fora.
	Financing	UNIDO regular budget and external (donor) funds, including funds from IPSO-hosting countries.
	Contact	(a) Mr. V. Podshibyakin; (b) Mr. R. Norris; (c) Mr. J. De Caldas Lima. UNIDO, Vienna International Centre, PoB 500 - 1400 Vienna Austria Tel. (+43 1) 21131.