The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have renewed their cooperation agreement and extended it. The document was signed by UNIDO Director General Li Yong and BICA’s Secretary General Dr. Milena Angelova at the headquarters of the international organization in Vienna. The agreement enables the most representative employer organization in Bulgaria to receive and exchange knowledge, experience, information and technologies that will contribute to improving the productivity of the Bulgarian economy.

At the end of 2016, BICA became the first employer organization in Bulgaria to start a partnership with UNIDO. Co-operation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization is an important element in achieving BICA’s Sustainable Development Goals and in assisting members of the Organization in accessing information and good practices in this area.

The Partnership Memorandum empowers both organizations to develop projects and policies to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises to tackle key global challenges such as digitalization and cybersecurity, to balance knowledge and skills of the future workforce and the use of new technologies.

“It is an honor for BICA to extend its cooperation with UNIDO. We are also determined to explore further opportunities to deepen our partnership, including by supporting UNIDO’s technical cooperation activities, launching joint capacity building initiatives, and sharing experience and good practices with other Member States of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization”, said BICA’s Secretary General Dr. Milena Angelova at the signing.

Dr. Angelova welcomed the idea of ​​BICA’s involvement in capacity building for UNIDO Member States that were candidates for EU membership, with regard to the preparation of project applications for Union Structural Funds. She expressed confidence that the Bulgarian government would be interested in supporting such actions.

UNIDO was established in 1966 with the primary objective of promoting industrial development and productivity gains, leading to poverty reduction in developing countries. In 1985, UNIDO was transformed and is now a specialized agency of the United Nations with the mandate to promote and assist in accelerating sustainable industrial development in developing countries and transition economies. Bulgaria has been a full member of UNIDO since 1985.