19 April 2012: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has entered into an agreement with the Government of China that aims to strengthen their cooperation in environmental protection and other areas of mutual interest.

Kandeh Yumkella, UNIDO Director-General, and Liang Chen, acting Director-General of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office at China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, signed a letter of intent to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including climate change mitigation and new programmes to reinforce South-South cooperation in environmental protection. In addition, the agreement addresses cooperation in the implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the forthcoming mercury convention, among other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

Yumkella also announced UNIDO’s plans to boost efforts to advance South-South cooperation. [UNIDO Press Release] [UN Press Release]