UNITED NATIONS BODY TO HOLD ASIA-PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM IN CHENGDU, CHINA, IN MID-DECEMBER

UNITED NATIONS BODY TO HOLD ASIA-PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

FORUM IN CHENGDU, CHINA, IN MID-DECEMBER

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 24 November 2003 -- Biotechnology presents unprecedented opportunities for spurring economic growth and enhancing industrial productivity and, as such, has become a mighty engine of economic advancement in the industrialized world.  Yet it appears that the potential of biotechnology, especially its industrial applications, is still greatly under-exploited to the benefit of developing countries.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in its capacity as Task Manager for Chapter 16 of Agenda 21, is organizing an Asia-Pacific Industrial Development Forum on Biotechnology in cooperation with the Government of China.

The Forum will be held in Chengdu, China on 16-17 December 2003.  It will explore policy, socio-economic, technology and management issues that have a bearing on the development and accessibility of biotechnologies capable of contributing to sustainable industrial development.  It will be attended by high-level government policy makers, leading representatives of development agencies, industry, the scientific community and the general public.

The Chengdu Forum is the last in a series of four regional consultative meetings to generate inputs to the Global Biotechnology Forum to be held in Concepción, Chile, in March 2004.

Visit our Web site:  http://binas.unido.org/global_forum/ for more information about the Global Biotechnology Forum.

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*     Press Release PI/1523-SAG/182 was issued for French only.