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Encyclopedia > United Nations Development Programme

The United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), the United Nations' global development network, is the largest multilateral source of development assistance in the world. The UNDP is an executive board within the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The UNDP Administrator is the third highest ranking member of the United Nations after the United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations assists the General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development. ... Kofi Annan, current Secretary-General of the United Nations The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. ...


Headquartered in New York City, the UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from member nations. The organization has country offices in 166 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity. Additionally, the UNDP works internationally to help countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Capacity building is assistance which is provided to entities, usually developing country governments, which have a need to develop a certain skill or competence, or for general upgrading of performance ability. ... The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 191 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. ...


UNDP provides expert advice, training, and grant support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. To accomplish the MDGs and encourage global development, UNDP focuses on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, democratic governance, energy and environment, and crisis prevention and recovery. UNDP also encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women in all of its programs.  Least Developed Countries Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. ... Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. ... Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...


Furthermore, UNDP publishes an annual Human Development Report to measure and analyze developmental progress. In addition to a global Report, UNDP publishes regional, national, and local Human Development Reports. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Contents

History

Main article: United Nations

The UNDP was founded in 1965 to combine the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund. In 1971, the two organizations were fully combined into the UNDP. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ...


Budget

In 2005, UNDP’s entire budget was approximately $4.44 billion. Of that total, core, unrestricted financing reached approximately $921 million. Non-core, earmarked contributions grew to over $2.5 billion, and resources to support countries’ own development programs totaled $1.02 billion.


Donors

The largest single donor was the United Kingdom, contributing $254 million in regular and other resources, followed by the United States, which contributed $245 million to UNDP. Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Canada, and Germany each contributed more than $100 million.


Functions

UNDP’s offices and staff are on the ground in 166 countries, working with governments and local communities to help them find solutions to global and national development challenges.


UNDP links and coordinates global and national efforts to achieve the goals and national development priorities laid out by host countries. UNDP focuses primarily on five developmental challenges:


Democratic governance UNDP supports national democratic transitions by providing policy advice and technical support, improving institutional and individual capacity within countries, educating populations about and advocating for democratic reforms, promoting negotiation and dialogue, and sharing successful experiences from other countries and locations. UNDP also supports existing democratic institutions by increasing dialogue, enhancing national debate, and facilitating consensus on national governance programs.


Poverty reduction UNDP helps countries develop strategies to combat poverty by expanding access to economic opportunities and resources, linking poverty programs with countries’ larger goals and policies, and ensuring a greater voice for the poor. UNDP also works at the macro level to reform trade, encourage debt relief and foreign investment, and ensure the poorest of the poor benefit from globalisation.


On the ground, UNDP sponsors developmental pilot projects, promotes the role of women in development, and coordinates efforts between governments, NGOs, and outside donors. In this way, UNDP works with local leaders and governments to provide opportunities for impoverished people to create businesses and improve their economic condition.


Crisis prevention and recovery UNDP works to reduce the risk of armed conflicts or disasters, and promote early recovery after crises have occurred. UNDP works through its country offices to support local government in needs assessment, capacity development, coordinated planning, and policy and standard setting.


Examples of UNDP risk reduction programs include efforts to control small arms proliferation, strategies to reduce the impact of natural disasters, and programs to encourage use of diplomacy and prevent violence.


Recovery programs include disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, demining efforts, programs to reintegrate displaced persons, restoration of basic services, and transitional justice systems for countries recovering from warfare.


Energy and environment As the poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable energy services, UNDP seeks to address environmental issues in order to improve developing countries’ abilities to develop sustainably. UNDP works with countries to strengthen their capacity to address global environmental issues by providing innovative policy advice and linking partners through environmentally sensitive development projects that help poor people build sustainable livelihoods.


UNDP’s environmental strategy focuses on effective water governance, access to sustainable energy services, Sustainable land management to combat desertification and land degradation, Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and policies to control emissions of harmful pollutants and ozone-depleting substances.


Human Development Report

Since 1990, the UNDP has annually published the Human Development Report, based on the Human Development Index. This article is about the year. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...


UN co-ordination role

UNDP plays a significant co-ordination role for the UN’s activities in the field of development. This is mainly executed through its leadership of the UN Development Group and through the Resident Co-ordinator System.


Disarmament and controversy

In mid-2006, as first reported by Inner City Press and then by The New Vision, UNDP halted its disarmament programs in the Karamoja regoin of Uganda in response to human rights abuses in the parallel forcible disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force. Karamoja sub-region is a region in northeastern Uganda comprising of the districts of Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit. ...


United Nations Development Group

Main article: United Nations Development Group

The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) was created by the Secretary General in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of UN development at the country level. The UNDG brings together the operational agencies working on development. The Group is chaired by the Administrator of UNDP. UNDP also provides the Secretariat to the Group.


The UNDG develops policies and procedures that allow member agencies to work together and analyse country issues, plan support strategies, implement support programmes, monitor results and advocate for change. These initiatives increase UN impact in helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including poverty reduction.


Over 25 UN agencies are members of the UNDG. The Executive Committee consists of the four "founding members": UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP and UNDP. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. UNICEF Logo The United Nations Childrens Fund or UNICEF (Arabic: ; French: ; Spanish: ) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was started in 1969 and renamed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1987. ... The World Food Programme (WFP) is an agency of the United Nations which distributes food commodities to support development projects, to long-term refugees and displaced persons and as emergency food assistance in situations of natural and man-made disasters. ... The purpose of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights involves the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide through direct contact with individual governments and the provision of technical assistance where appropriate. ...


Resident co-ordinator system

The Resident coordinator system co-ordinates all organizations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development in the field. The RC system aims to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level. Resident Coordinators, who are funded, appointed and managed by UNDP, lead UN country teams in more than 130 countries and are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for development operations. Working closely with national governments, Resident Coordinators and country teams advocate the interests and mandates of the UN drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN family.


Administrator

The UNDP Administrator has the diplomatic rank of an Under-Secretary-General. While the Administrator is often referred to as the third highest-ranking official in the UN (after the UN Secretary General and the UN Deputy Secretary General), this has never been formally codified. The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ...


In addition to his responsibilities as head of UNDP, the Administrator is also the Chair of the UN Development Group.


Current Administrator

On 5 May 2005, the United Nations General Assembly, representing 191 countries, unanimously confirmed Kemal Derviş, a former finance minister of Turkey and senior World Bank official, as UNDP Administrator. Derviş started his four-year term on 15 August 2005. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kemal Dervis during a speech Kemal Dervis (Turkish: Kemal DerviÅŸ) is a Turkish economist and politician. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Associate Administrator

The current Associate Administrator of UNDP is Ad Melkert, a Dutch national appointed on the 1 March 2006. During meetings of the UN Development Group, which are chaired by the Administrator, UNDP is represented by the Associate Administrator. Ad Melkert (1956) is a Dutch politician and an Executive Director of the World Bank. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Previous Administrators

UNDP's former Administrator, Mark Malloch Brown was appointed Chief of Staff to the UN Secretary General half-way through his second term in office. Subsequently, he has been appointed UN Deputy Secretary General. Also known as MMB, he often regarded as a strong and forceful administrator of UNDP, as such when there was problems with Annan's food for oil programme MMB was thrusted into the spot light to enable damage control. Mark Malloch Brown (born 1953), a British national, is Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations as of 1 April 2006, succeeding Louise Fréchette. ...


Goodwill Ambassadors

UNDP, along with other UN agencies, has long enlisted the voluntary services and support of prominent individuals as Goodwill Ambassadors or Youth Emissaries to highlight and promote key policies. According to UNDP’s website: “Their fame helps amplify the urgent and universal message of human development and international cooperation, helping to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.” The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 191 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. ...


Global Ambassadors

Nadine Gordimer (born 20 November 1923) is a South African novelist and writer, winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize in literature and 1974 Booker Prize. ... Misako Konno (紺野美沙子 Konno Misako), born Misako Shinoda (篠田美佐子 Shinoda Misako, born September 18, 1960) is a Japanese actress and essayist. ... Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima (born September 22, 1976), simply known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. ... Zidane redirects here. ... Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (born Haakon Magnus on July 20, 1973 in Oslo). ... Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (born April 22, 1982 in Brasília), better known as Kaká, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brazil and the Serie A club A.C. Milan. ...

Regional Goodwill Ambassador

Hussein Fahmy, (Arabic: حسين فهمى ) born in 1940 in Cairo, Egypt. ...

Honorary Human Development Ambassador

  • Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan

Honorary Advisor on Sports and Development

  • Syndiely Wade

Youth Emissaries

Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo (born June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a basketball player in the NBA, playing at the position of center for the Houston Rockets. ... Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. ... Maria de Lurdes Mutola (born October 27, 1972 in Maputo) is an athlete from Mozambique who has specialised in the 800 m. ...

See also

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... Economic development is the development of the economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants. ... OECD Statistics on Public Foreign Aid by country Development aid (also development assistance, international aid, overseas aid or foreign aid) is aid given by developed countries to support economic development in developing countries. ... This article is about International Development. ... This is the list of UNDP (United Nations Development Program) country codes. ...

External links

  • Official UNDP web site
  • UNDP for Beginners: a short, comprehensive introduction to the UNDP; an updated, second edition from June 2006 is now available online
  • Official UNDG web site
  • Community Development Ideas
  • Declaration on Social Progress and Development
  • Palgrave Macmillan, official publisher of the Human Development Report 2006


 

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