Established by the General Assembly in 1966, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) became a UN specialised organization in 1985 whose mandate is to promote industrial development and cooperation.

UNIDO offers tailor-made solutions for the sustainable industrial development of developing countries. It cooperates with governments, business associations and the private industrial sector to build industrial capabilities for meeting the challenges and spreading the benefits of globalisation of industry.

To support its services, UNIDO has engineers, economists and technology and environment specialists in Vienna, as well as professional staff in its network of investment promotion service offices and field offices, which are headed by UNIDO Regional and Country Representatives.