UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION (UNIDO) IS A SPECIALIZED AGENCY WITHIN THE UN SYSTEM, WHOSE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO PROMOTE AND ACCELERATE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE UNIDO CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION (HEREINAF TER THE UNIDO CENTRE IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION) IS A BRANCH OF UNIDO AIMED AT DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, INDUSTRIAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION OF RUSSIAN ORGANIZATIONS WITH PARTNERS FROM DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, BASING ITS WORK ON INSTRUMENTS AND METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED AND ACCUMULATED BY UNIDO IN THE SPAN OF 50 YEARS OF ITS ACTIVITY IN VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE WORLD.
THE UNIDO CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION (HEREINAF TER THE UNIDO CENTRE IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION) IS A BRANCH OF UNIDO AIMED AT DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, INDUSTRIAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION OF RUSSIAN ORGANIZATIONS WITH PARTNERS FROM DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, BASING ITS WORK ON INSTRUMENTS AND METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED AND ACCUMULATED BY UNIDO IN THE SPAN OF 50 YEARS OF ITS ACTIVITY IN VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE WORLD.
Over the course of its 30-year history the UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation has always strived to respond to the most demanded issues and attract the most relevant foreign experience, knowledge and technology. At the dawn of its activity in the early 1990s, the focus was on facilitating of establishment of market mechanisms in the Russian economy. A training program on the methods and practices of formation and evaluation of industrial investment projects was conducted. The methodology and software for investment project analysis developed by UNIDO has been a huge success among Russian companies and later served as the basis for popular computer-based financial analysis programs, taking into account the specifics of Russian legislation.
As the Russian market evolved so did the forms of cooperation with UNIDO. In the early 2000s the prime focus was on integrated programs of technical assistance in such fields as technological forecasting, international technological exchange, assistance to agribusiness, increase of competitiveness and quality management in small and medium-sized enterprises. A considerable amount of work was done in the regions of Russia, which were donors of the projects with UNIDO.
Later on Russia moved into the donor country category, and the following activities came to the fore: implementation of international standards in the areas of innovation in industry, education, energy efficiency and ecology; investment attraction; environmental conservation and protection; development of effective mechanisms of hazardous waste recycling, implementation of Russia’s commitments under international agreements such as the Stockholm Convention, the Paris Agreement, the Montreal Protocol and the Basel Convention. Four National Cleaner Production Centres – two in Moscow, one in Kazan and one in St. Petersburg – have been established with the support of the UNIDO Centre.
Since 2010 UNIDO has worked with EurAsEC to promote the creation of a common economic space and international industrial cooperation. Various activities were carried out on environmentally sound management and destruction of persistent organic pollutants, decommissioning of ozone-depleting substances, improving energy and resource offi ciency, safe disposal of waste and promoting cooperation within the BRICS framework. The Centre supported activities aimed at increasing environmental awareness among young people.
A new trend of particular relevance today is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), which involves implementation of the smart automated manufacturing, new tools for data processing and analysis that can lead to significant changes in the economy. UNIDO strives to help adapt to the possible changes in line with the strategy of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development and act as an honest mediator, providing knowledge sharing and policy advice as well as developing technical cooperation projects tailored to the specific needs of the new paradigm of Industry 4.0.
The UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation in partnership with the National Research Centre «Kurchatov Institute» takes part in the development of «nature-like technologies», which was supported by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Nature-like technologies can offer new approaches to the progress, transition to different principles of energy production and become a solution to many industrial problems of our time.
An important aspect of the agenda for the near future is the support of the implementation of the Russian national project «Ecology» that began in 2018. UNIDO will try to apply its rich international experience and proven methodologies to contribute to its successful promotion.
The UNIDO Center in the Russian Federation has experts in energy e fficiency, industrial ecology, various types of waste management, and implementation of international agreements. UNIDO's international experts are also involved in the project activities with the aim of introducing state-of-the-art and proven practices (e.g. in energy management or waste management) and consulting partners on all relevant issues.
Much attention is paid to the issue of fulfilling Russia's commitments under the Stockholm Convention aimed at reduction of use, cessation of production and subsequent complete elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which pose an increased danger to public health and the environment. Thus, the UNIDO Center in the Russian Federation has implemented a project to establish a system for the management and elimination of PCBs, previously widely used in industry and still used in electrical equipment.
Another important field is the reduction of emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases that lead to the thinning of the ozone layer and global climate change.
Much is being done in the area of electronic and rubber waste recycling. Various initiatives launched with the support of UNIDO have developed into a permanent practice and have become widespread in Russia. An important aspect is improving the ecological culture among industrial enterprises.
The UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation also supports the initiatives of the development of socially responsible business culture. Thus, from April 1, 2019 Moscow Exchange together with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs started calculating and publishing daily sustainability index, which includes a requirement for companies to disclose the most comprehensive information on their sustainability and corporate social responsibility activities.
It is vital to develop systematically social responsibility of industry and business. Today Russia is creating a national plan for responsible business conduct, which will be aimed at developing responsible practices by Russian companies, introducing international standards and harmonizing methodologies.
Recycling is another important area from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals. A clear government policy and the support of regional and federal authorities are particularly indispensable to tackle this issue. At present, this work tends to take the form of isolated campaigns, which are certainly important in shaping public opinion, but do not provide a complete recycling system.
A balanced approach is needed to successfully meet the challenge of sorting waste, to encourage businesses to become more active in separate waste collection and to make sorting waste profitable and convenient for consumers.
As the Russian market evolved so did the forms of cooperation with UNIDO. In the early 2000s the prime focus was on integrated programs of technical assistance in such fields as technological forecasting, international technological exchange, assistance to agribusiness, increase of competitiveness and quality management in small and medium-sized enterprises. A considerable amount of work was done in the regions of Russia, which were donors of the projects with UNIDO.
Later on Russia moved into the donor country category, and the following activities came to the fore: implementation of international standards in the areas of innovation in industry, education, energy efficiency and ecology; investment attraction; environmental conservation and protection; development of effective mechanisms of hazardous waste recycling, implementation of Russia’s commitments under international agreements such as the Stockholm Convention, the Paris Agreement, the Montreal Protocol and the Basel Convention. Four National Cleaner Production Centres – two in Moscow, one in Kazan and one in St. Petersburg – have been established with the support of the UNIDO Centre.
Since 2010 UNIDO has worked with EurAsEC to promote the creation of a common economic space and international industrial cooperation. Various activities were carried out on environmentally sound management and destruction of persistent organic pollutants, decommissioning of ozone-depleting substances, improving energy and resource offi ciency, safe disposal of waste and promoting cooperation within the BRICS framework. The Centre supported activities aimed at increasing environmental awareness among young people.
A new trend of particular relevance today is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), which involves implementation of the smart automated manufacturing, new tools for data processing and analysis that can lead to significant changes in the economy. UNIDO strives to help adapt to the possible changes in line with the strategy of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development and act as an honest mediator, providing knowledge sharing and policy advice as well as developing technical cooperation projects tailored to the specific needs of the new paradigm of Industry 4.0.
The UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation in partnership with the National Research Centre «Kurchatov Institute» takes part in the development of «nature-like technologies», which was supported by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Nature-like technologies can offer new approaches to the progress, transition to different principles of energy production and become a solution to many industrial problems of our time.
An important aspect of the agenda for the near future is the support of the implementation of the Russian national project «Ecology» that began in 2018. UNIDO will try to apply its rich international experience and proven methodologies to contribute to its successful promotion.
The UNIDO Center in the Russian Federation has experts in energy e fficiency, industrial ecology, various types of waste management, and implementation of international agreements. UNIDO's international experts are also involved in the project activities with the aim of introducing state-of-the-art and proven practices (e.g. in energy management or waste management) and consulting partners on all relevant issues.
Much attention is paid to the issue of fulfilling Russia's commitments under the Stockholm Convention aimed at reduction of use, cessation of production and subsequent complete elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which pose an increased danger to public health and the environment. Thus, the UNIDO Center in the Russian Federation has implemented a project to establish a system for the management and elimination of PCBs, previously widely used in industry and still used in electrical equipment.
Another important field is the reduction of emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases that lead to the thinning of the ozone layer and global climate change.
Much is being done in the area of electronic and rubber waste recycling. Various initiatives launched with the support of UNIDO have developed into a permanent practice and have become widespread in Russia. An important aspect is improving the ecological culture among industrial enterprises.
The UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation also supports the initiatives of the development of socially responsible business culture. Thus, from April 1, 2019 Moscow Exchange together with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs started calculating and publishing daily sustainability index, which includes a requirement for companies to disclose the most comprehensive information on their sustainability and corporate social responsibility activities.
It is vital to develop systematically social responsibility of industry and business. Today Russia is creating a national plan for responsible business conduct, which will be aimed at developing responsible practices by Russian companies, introducing international standards and harmonizing methodologies.
Recycling is another important area from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals. A clear government policy and the support of regional and federal authorities are particularly indispensable to tackle this issue. At present, this work tends to take the form of isolated campaigns, which are certainly important in shaping public opinion, but do not provide a complete recycling system.
A balanced approach is needed to successfully meet the challenge of sorting waste, to encourage businesses to become more active in separate waste collection and to make sorting waste profitable and convenient for consumers.
