International Center on Small Hydro Power

The International Network on Small Hydropower (IN-SHP) is an international organization co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Industry Development Organization (UNIDO), the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) of the People's Republic of China. IN-SHP is an international coordinating and promoting organization for the global development of small hydropower. It operates on the basis of voluntary participation of regional, sub-regional and national focal points, relevant institutions, utilities and enterprises and has social benefit as one of its major objectives. On 12th, Dec. 1994, 23 countries and international organizations held a meeting in Hangzhou where they signed the Hangzhou Pronunciamento and announced the establishment of IN-SHP with its headquarters, Hangzhou International Center on SHP. The Chinese Vice Premier, Zhou Jiahua has written the autograph message Manage Well the International Network on Small Hydro Power to Serve the People of the Worldfor the center.On 14th Feb. 1999, an official document acknowledging the international legal status of IN-SHP in the host country was accepted and approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. MWR financed the construction of the IN-SHP Headquarters building of more than 3, 000m2 near the West Lake. In March 2000, approved by Central Management Committee, IN-SHP was authorized to be an international organization with independent legal person status. In December 2000, during the 5th Coordinating Committee Meeting of IN-SHP in Vienna, the recommendations for finalizing the formalities to establish an International Center on Small Hydro Power under UNIDO auspices were approved by the Government of China and UNIDO. The UNIDO International Center was founded in Hangzhou on Dec. 5, 2000.