The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, was created by the General Assembly in 1966 as an agency in charge of promoting an accelerating industrialization in developing countries. It is well known as UNIDO for its English acronym.

Its nature as a specialized agency was established in 1979 but became fully autonomous on January 1, 1986. The UNIDO fosters cooperation among industrialized and developing countries to accelerate industrial development by promoting investment activities and technology transference.

Industrialized and developing countries jointly assess the means to accelerate industrialization, encouraging the participation of governments and industrial sectors. Based upon polls and studies, the UNIDO creates and perfects development concepts and approaches; it contributes to create projects for public, cooperative and public sectors, as well as the promotion of cooperation among companies interested in those sectors.

The headquarters of this agency part of the United Nations are located in Vienna. For more information please visit http://www.unido.org/