Agreement for environmentally-friendly production in Tunisia and South Africa
Bern, 20.10.2009 - On 20 October 2009 the State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Jean-Daniel Gerber, met the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO, Kandeh Yumkella in Berne for a working visit. During this visit they signed two agreements to provide funding in the total sum of 5.5 million Swiss francs to promote environmentally-friendly methods of production in Tunisia and to increase energy efficiency in South Africa.
With the help of a project totalling 2.3 million Swiss francs the aim in Tunisia is to introduce economically and ecologically more efficient methods of industrial production and to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The purpose of the agreement with South Africa, involving funding in the sum of 3.2 million Swiss francs, is to improve energy efficiency in South African companies. South Africa is one of the priority countries for the economic development cooperation of SECO. Switzerland signed a free-trade agreement with Tunisia in 2004. SECO is financing both programmes within the framework of its cooperation in the area of economic development whilst the UNIDO is responsible for its technical implementation.
SECO and UNIDO are long-standing cooperation partners in the promotion of environmentally-friendly methods of production the transfer of environmental technologies to developing countries. The central point in this context is the creation of so-called Cleaner Production Centres that will also operate in collaboration with Swiss and international reference centres and experts.
The UNIDO Director General will be opening the international conference on resource efficiency and cleaner production sponsored by UNIDO and the UN Environmental Programme UNEP on 21 October 2009 in Lucerne. At the event over 100 representatives from 40 developing countries and Switzerland will be discussing the latest knowledge on energy and resource efficiency in industry as well as the subject of technology transfer and approving a joint implementation plan.
Address for enquiries
Hans-Peter Egler, SECO,
Economic Cooperation and Development, Head of Trade Promotion,
Tel. +41 (0)31 324 08 13,
hans-peter.egler@seco.admin.ch
Publisher
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
http://www.seco.admin.ch
