UNIDO and Montenegro sign a Country Programming Framework 2017-2021

Vienna, Austria, 4 December 2017

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Montenegro today signed the first UNIDO Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) in Montenegro, which will cover the period 2017-2021. It comes as a result of extensive consultations with the Government, key national stakeholders and development partners. The document aims to contribute to a transformative change in response to the official request by the Government.

Montenegro faces a future populated with familiar challenges and novel opportunities. The country was hit hard by the recent global financial crisis and its growth strategies now rely on improving the overall competitiveness of the economy, increasing industrial productivity, stimulating entrepreneurship, and encouraging knowledge and innovation.

As the country continues moving toward European Union accession, a robust development programme has been ushered in through reforms and policy initiatives, including those directly related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The CPF will directly contribute to the attainment of Montenegro’s sustainable industry- and growth- related priorities through the implementation of targeted technical assistance in three thematic areas: strengthening industrial competitiveness, boosting rural development and job creation, as well as environmental management and sustainable energy. The CPF is fully aligned with the Industrial Policy of Montenegro until 2020, the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy of Montenegro and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2017-2021.

At the signing ceremony, Slavica Milačić, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the International Organizations in Vienna welcomed the cooperation with UNIDO. “The CPF provides an important opportunity for an invigorated partnership between UNIDO, the Government of Montenegro, and other key stakeholders leading to results that are strategic, specific and measurable,” Milačić said. She further highlighted that implementation of the CPF will contribute to modern industrial development and reindustrialisation oriented towards higher value added production, smart specialisation and resource efficiency.

“UNIDO and Montenegro are dedicated to delivering on the great CPF’s promise and making ISID in Montenegro a reality,” stated LI Yong, Director General of UNIDO. Both parties agreed to work hand in hand to raise funds for the implementation of the CPF and discussed viable partnerships with donors and other development partners.