The ICGEB is a unique intergovernmental organization, originally created as a special UNIDO project. Fully autonomous since 1994, it manages 46 state-of-the-art laboratories, located in Trieste, Italy, New Delhi, India and Cape Town, South Africa, and forms an interactive network with more than 65 member states. It plays a key role in global biotechnology to ensure excellence in research, training and technology transfer to industry in order to contribute concretely to the achievement of sustainable global development and operates within the United Nations system.