The Third General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is being held in New Delhi from the 21st January to the 8th February, 1980. All the Member States of the United Nations and observers and experts from the Specialised Agencies. of the United Nations and several inter-governmental and non-governmental agencies will attend the Conference.

UNIDO  came  into  being  in January, 1967 persuant to the resolution adopted by the  United   Nations General Assembly to promote and accelerate the industrialisation of  developing  countries. UNIDO's primary responsibility is to assist in promoting and accelerating the industrialisation of developing  countries  by  encouraging  the  mobilisation   of  national  and  international resources. Following the recommendations of the Second General  Conference in Lima (Peru) in March, 1975, steps have been taken to establish UNIDO as the 16th Specialised Agency of the United Nations System. In this capacity, UNIDO will play the central role in reviewing and promoting coordination of all activities of the United Nations in the field of industrial development.

The Third General Conference of UNIDO in New Delhi will review the world industrial situation with specific reference to industrialisation of developing countries and recommend appropriate strategies for further industrialisation  as an essential element of the development process in the 1980s and beyond. The Conference will focus attention on industrial cooperation among developing countries as also on mechanisms  to  promote the flow of integrated technical and financial assistance  to developing  countries. It will also review the institutional arrangements for UNIDO with reference to its long range strategy to meet the challenges of industrialisation in the coming decades. The Third General Conference will have  an important bearing on the formulation of industrial strategies and policies for the third development decade. It will be the last major conference of the United Nations before the special session of the General Assembly on the New International Economic Order.

Indian P & T Department is happy to issue a special postage stamp to commemorate the Third General Conference of the UNIDO.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India