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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), as the lead agency of the UN Development Group, advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP offices in 166 countries are working to achieve local solutions to community problems. By working with governments as well as civil society, UNDP is able to address systematic problems that lead to poverty and inequity in societies. UNDP is in 166 countries, which allows local activities to draw on regional and global experiences. In all activities, UNDP encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.

UNDP is active in all sectors of economic and social development including that of the textile industry, and regards sustainable textile development as an effective way to reduce poverty, generate income, and empower underrepresented sectors of the population such as women and girls. UNDP globally is involved in textile development projects which range from: business and craftsmanship training courses, technical and knowledge exchanges, industrial standardization, and microfinance. Highlights of ongoing and past activities are detailed below.

Fiji Retail Enterprise Engine (FREE Shop) – Fiji

UNDP's Pacific Sustainable Livelihoods Programme – the first of its kind to be set up in the Pacific island region – has established the FREE Shop as a business incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs eager to set up and grow their own businesses. The Free Shop is designed to foster the creation of small businesses and job opportunities by creating a supportive and collaborative environment for entrepreneurs to share ideas. Participants learn critical business skills though consultation with FREE Shop staff and benefit from the use of modern office equipment to more effectively market their products and build a client base.

 

Establishment of the Women's Employment Center - Indonesia

In the wake of the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia, UNDP has established a Center for Women's Employment in Aceh , Indonesia . The Center focuses specifically on the role women can play in Indonesia 's economic rehabilitation through extensive training in tailoring techniques. Money that the women have earned as tailors has significantly increased their incomes and allowed many to move from displaced persons camps to private homes where they can better care for their children and families.

 

Textile Industry Collaboration and Exchange - Ghana and Botswana

UNDP has sponsored seminars in Ghana and Botswana to facilitate knowledge and experience transfer among stakeholders in the textile industries of both countries. The seminar participants included policymakers and entrepreneurs and focused on promoting bilateral trade between the two countries. UNDP is actively engaged in promoting textile development in Botswana through business training as a way of creating jobs, empowering women, and reducing poverty.

 

Textile Training and Marketing - Kingdom of Bhutan

UNDP support of the textile industry in the Kingdom of Bhutan has helped local weavers more effectively market their crafts. By organizing art exhibitions and creating e-business opportunities, UNDP has greatly increased market access for Bhutanese products. UNDP has also sponsored training sessions for Bhutanese artisans on creative dying techniques, improved packaging, and presentation.

 

Vocational Training and Marketing - Rwanda

UNDP, through its member group The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), has contributed to textile development in Rwanda through a variety of innovative projects. In a multilateral effort involving UN agencies and private partners, more than 100 sewing machines and materials were donated to Rwandan associations, and more than 400 women have been trained to knit. These women, in partnership with designer Sonya Madden, have successfully marketed the “Peace Poncho” (pictured left), a product currently highlighted in the UN sponsored Year of Microcredit (2005).

 

Amelioration of Pashmina Fiber – India

UNDP has set up facilities in India to enhance the quality of pashmina fiber as well as increase the overall quantity produced. The project has also set up a quality control laboratory, which to date has ensured that the quality of the pashmina has been of international standard. Farmers' cooperatives supply all the wool for processing and the dehaired pashmina fiber is sent directly to local hand spinners, thereby directing revenues from the increased value of the product back to the local economy.

 

Establishment of the Cotton Standardization System – Pakistan

UNDP was a key partner in the establishment of the Pakistan Cotton Standards Institute, which initiated the standardization of cotton grading in Pakistan . The project upgraded facilities in ginneries and produced a core of trained graders, classers, arbitrators, and instructors. As standardization practices took hold, the Cotton Export Corporation earned an average premium of US$ 19.45 million per annum on the export of higher grade cotton, demonstrating the financial benefits obtained by switching to a standardized grading system. UNDP will soon launch a project aimed at promoting gender equality in the Pakistani garment and textile industry.