The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the
United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and
connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build
a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their
own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop
local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.
UNDP is an executive board within the United Nations General
Assembly. The UNDP Administrator is the third highest-ranking official of the
United Nations after the United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General.
Headquartered in New York City, the UNDP is funded entirely
by voluntary contributions from member nations. The organization has country
offices in 177 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).
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, social development, and crisis prevention and recovery. UNDP also
encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women in all
of its programs.
Furthermore, the UNDP Human Development Report Office
publishes an annual Human Development Report (since 1990) to measure and
analyze developmental progress. In addition to a global Report, UNDP publishes
regional, national, and local Human Development Reports.
The UNDP was founded on 22 November 1965 with the merger of
the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance or EPTA and the United Nations
Special Fund. In 1971, the two organizations were fully combined into UNDP. The
rationale was to "avoid duplication of [their] activities". The EPTA
was to help the economic and political aspects of underdeveloped countries
while the Special Fund was to enlarge the scope of UN technical assistance.In
2010, UNDP’s entire budget was approximately 5 billion USD.
Functions:
UNDP’s offices and staff are on the ground in 177 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. This field of activity included UNDP's support of the
Elections Reform Support Group which supports the election activities of the Palestinian
National Authority.
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.
The UNDP International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG)
in Brasília, Brasil expands the capacities of developing countries to design,
implement and evaluate socially inclusive development projects. IPC-IG is a
global forum for South-South policy dialogue and learning, having worked with
more than 7,000 officials from more than 50 countries.
Crisis prevention and recovery UNDP works to reduce the risk
of armed conflicts or disasters, and promote early recovery after crisis 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.
Environment and Energy As the poor are disproportionately
affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable
water, sanitation and energy services, UNDP seeks to address environmental
issues in order to improve developing countries’ abilities to develop
sustainably, increase human development and reduce poverty. 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 including access to water supply and sanitation, 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. UNDP's Equator Initiative office biennially offers
the Equator Prize to recognize outstanding indigenous community efforts to reduce
poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and thus
making local contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS is a big issue in today's society and UNDP
works to help countries prevent further spreading and reduce its impact.
Hub for Innovative Partnerships Major programmes underway
are ::
·
ART Global Initiative
·
World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty
·
Territorial Approach to Climate Change
Human Development Report Since 1990, the UNDP has annually
published the Human Development Report, which includes topics on Human
Development and the annual Human Development Index.[3]
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.
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 analyze 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.
32 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.
The resident coordinator (RC) 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.It is now coordinated by the UNDG.
Criticism:
The UNDP has been criticised by members of its staff and the
Bush administration of the United States for irregularities in its finances in
North Korea. Artjon Shkurtaj claimed that he had found forged US dollars in the
Programmes safe while the staff were paid in Euros. The UNDP denied any
wrongdoing, and keeping improper accounts.
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 region
of Uganda in response to human rights abuses in the parallel forcible
disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force.
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