Bijilo, Sir Dawda Kawraba Jawara International Conference Center, 12 November 2021 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of The Gambia have signed a Country Programme (CP) providing a practical guide for UNIDO’s interventions in The Gambia over the next 5-year period.
The Programme is built on established national industrial development priorities and a consolidated international policy framework, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the new UN Sustainable Development Country Framework (UNSDCF) cycle based on the Common Country Assessment (CCA).
The CP is designed “to improve The Gambia’s production and trade capacity by fostering partnerships and supporting inclusive and sustainable industrial development”, said Manuel Mattiat, UNIDO Programme Officer, during the signing ceremony. He then highlighted that the CP adopts a strategic cross-cutting approach that focuses on interactions and synergies instead of analyzing sectors in isolation.
The Programme has five components, namely i) supporting the development of value chains and agroindustry, ii) strengthening national quality infrastructure and upgrading enterprises, iii) supporting micro, small and medium enterprises, iv) promoting green industrialization, and v) supporting the development of industrial parks.
The Programme will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE), the private sector, civil society and UN sister agencies. In order to provide tailor-made, innovative solutions for enhancing the country’s productive and trade capacities, The Government of The Gambia will establish the Country Programme Steering Committee (CP SC), chaired by MOTIE, tasked with effectively translating the government’s leadership and policy decisions into action on the ground.
Hon. Seedy Keita, the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment said: “The CP ultimately provides The Gambia with a rare opportunity to redefine the industrial landscape through comprehensive diagnostic and transformative intervention approaches on the national value chains in the identified sectors”.
