Latest news with #Unido
The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Cambodian women rising to tap global fishery products market
Using modern techniques in the post-harvesting, drying fish in a solar dryer dome. - Photo Unido Cambodia PHNOM PENH: (Bernama) Cambodian women are stepping up in the fishery products sector, transforming their roles from traditional producers to key players in the global market. Enterprising women entrepreneurs, dominating at least 60 per cent of the micro and small informal enterprises, are now upgrading their post-harvest processing skills in the fishery sector to penetrate high-end markets. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's (Unido) Capfish-Capture - a post-harvest fisheries development project - is helping Cambodian women to upskill, shifting from their archaic fish processing techniques to world-recognised standards. "We supported over 51 fishery enterprises and their value chain actors in upgrading their businesses. Thirty-five of these enterprises are led by women and three persons with disabilities. "We are now linking them with global buyers from the EU (European Union). Some of the enterprises have already started exporting to China, South Korea and Australia,' Unido's Capfish-Capture Chief Technical Advisor Dr Shetty Seetharama Thombathu told Bernama. Capfish-Capture is a five-year project, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Unido in coordination with the Cambodia Fisheries Administration. Women dominate the post-harvest process of fishery activities inCambodia. - Photo UnidoCambodia Fishing is a vital economic lifeline for Cambodia. About six million people are employed both directly and indirectly in the domestic fisheries sector. The post-harvest fishery activities alone employ an estimated 33,000 workers, the majority of them are women. Fish remains a staple diet for Cambodians and their per capita consumption of fish is 54 kilogrammes, considered higher among its Asean peers. Cambodian Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry revealed that total fisheries and aquaculture production reached 926,936 metric tonnes last year. Locally-made fishery products - fish sauce, fermented fish, fish balls, and smoked fish - are widely produced but seldom exported due to a lack of value addition and food safety compliance. According to Unido, Cambodia's low competitiveness in terms of value addition makes it tough to compete in the domestic market flooded with imported fishery products and, at the same time, unable to enter regional or global markets. The Capfish-Capture project has stepped in to revitalise this untapped lucrative sector to compete with high-quality international exporters by equipping local producers with modern techniques. "The ultimate goal is to boost the competitiveness of the fishery products to promote trade, both domestic and export, and to protect public health by ensuring safe and high-quality fishery products for consumers. "We work on various issues and elements of the value chain such as governance, food safety, capacity building and skills development, marketing and branding, access to finance, research and development, gender empowerment, environment and climate resilience,' said Shetty. Cambodia's new success story is going beyond its borders. Neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, where the fishing industry plays a critical role in their economy, are recognising the Capfish-Capture project. Meanwhile, Egypt, Chile and Kyrgyzstan have expressed their willingness to replicate Unido's training model. "Listing Cambodia as an eligible country to export to the EU is our main goal. We have already established all the requirements to meet EU food safety requirements and are ready for an audit by DG SANTE (European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety),' said Shetty. Cambodian women are now shining in the often-neglected and shunned occupation by many due to its laborious work and paltry income. But the fortunes could now favour them. - Bernama
Observer
12-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
Unido highlights Oman's key role in energy transition
MUSCAT, FEB 11 The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) has underlined Oman's significant role in the global energy transition. Speaking at the Omani Industry Day celebrations earlier this week, Gerd Müller, Director General of Unido, shed light on some of the key challenges affecting the world. 'The world is facing emerging challenges that are fundamentally reshaping the future, and we must address them together. One of the major trends shaping our world by 2050 is population growth. Every year, the global population increases by 80 million people, primarily in developing countries. In Africa alone, the population will double from 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion by 2050. This rapid growth, combined with rising living standards and the global fight against hunger, will drive food demand up by 50 per cent over the next three decades,' he shared. The Director General further added: 'Another major trend is climate action and the future of energy, which is particularly relevant to Oman. As a key player in the energy sector, Oman has a vital role to play. By 2050, global energy demand is expected to increase by 70 per cent, and while oil and gas remain important, hydrogen production will become increasingly significant. At the same time, the world is experiencing resource scarcity, and the digital and energy economies of the future will require a vast supply of critical minerals.' According to the Director General, the Sultanate possesses critical minerals crucial for the transition, which also present a huge market opportunity for the country's mining industry, 'Oman possesses many essential critical minerals that are crucial for the green transition, clean energy, electric vehicles, and hydrogen production. These minerals present a tremendous market opportunity for Oman's industry, particularly the mining sector. The extraction of critical minerals in Oman is expected to increase globally by 500 per cent over the next decade. The challenges of climate change and resource scarcity make it clear that the future of industry is rooted in innovation,' he stated. Earlier this week, the UN body announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) with the Omani Government to establish a strategic partnership to support Oman's Industrial Strategy 2040. 'The country's economic progress and development are highly impressive, and at Unido, we take pride in supporting the development of Oman's Industrial Strategy 2040. Industrialization is the foundation for development, creating decent jobs and incomes, particularly for the younger generation,' Müller added. Concluding his address, the General Director invited the Sultanate to join Unido's green mining initiative which aims to address stabilising supply chains in the sector. 'Unido launched the Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Mining. Through partnerships, we aim to establish a fair global framework for mining and mineral processing.'
Observer
08-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
Unido to support Oman's green mining, decarbonisation goals
MUSCAT: The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido), a UN agency specialising in assisting countries in economic and industrial development, has pledged to expand cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman in a number of strategic growth sectors, notably green hydrogen and sustainable mining. The announcement comes as UnidoDirector General Gerd Müller arrives in Muscat on a 4-day visit coinciding with the celebration of Oman Industry Day, commemorating the historic visit of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said to Rusayl Industrial City on Feb 9, 1991. Confirming the visit in a post, the UN agency said: 'Unido Director General Gerd Müller is visiting Oman to further strengthen cooperation and support the country in boosting and diversifying its manufacturing sector.' The visit is set to build on longstanding cooperative ties between Oman and the Vienna-headquartered body spanning, among other areas, institutional strengthening, the mapping of Oman's long-term industrial development, phasing out of ozone-depleting chemicals, and climate change mitigation. Besides delivering the keynote address at official celebrations marking Oman Industry Day, Gerd Müller will also discuss with Omani authorities the implementation of the country's National Manufacturing Strategy 2040, developed with Unido's support to help boost and diversify Oman's industrial base. Significantly, deliberations will also focus on a number of emerging industries of strategic relevance to Oman's long-term growth. They encompass Oman's ambitions to venture into green hydrogen production, decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries, and sustainable mining activities. Additionally, Unido has committed to supporting Oman in the development of a multi-hazard early warning system to strengthen the country's resilience against climate change impacts. The initiative is proposed to be advanced in collaboration with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Considered the world's largest fund of its kind, GCF's objective is to assist developing countries with climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. Both UNIDO and GCF have had important roles in strengthening the long-term capacity of Oman to plan for climate change impacts. In March 2023, the two agencies joined hands with the Environment Authority of Oman and Sultan Qaboos University in the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Policy, among other objectives.
