Iraq

Arab States

Regional Hub in Amman

UNDP engagement redefined


Sustainable Human Development involves a process of enlarging people’s choices by expanding their capabilities and opportunities in ways that are sustainable from the economic, social and environmental standpoints, benefiting the present without compromising the future.

More specifically, UNDP has defined its agenda for the future around three interconnected challenges:

  • to invest in and amplify the positive momentum of expanded people’s voice and unprecedented participation, brought about by movements towards more inclusive and effective democratic governance across the globe, and access to new technologies and knowledge;
  • to capitalize on this momentum to pursue economic growth and development pathways that can tackle the connected issues of poverty, inequality and exclusion, while ensuring environmental sustainability; and
  • to put in place measures to build resilience to crises and prevent loss of development gains through reducing the likelihood of conflict, and mitigating the risks of natural disasters, including from climate change.

Responding to transition in the region


This new agenda positions UNDP very well to respond to the major transformations that the Arab States region has been undergoing since the beginning of the current decade. The dramatic push for democratic transition and various reform initiatives brought about by pressure from a youthful population that is better educated and connected via modern technology has opened new doors to more inclusive development and infused a new momentum for change to the better.

Yet the region still registers high levels of exclusion and inequality, within and between countries, and suffers serious regression in development gains in some countries, due to persistent and fast expanding conflicts and forced displacement, generating protracted crises.

Aligning support closer to development action


That is why, the Regional Bureau for Arab States established, in 2015, as part of UNDP’s global restructuring effort, its new Regional Hub in Amman, consolidating and expanding its presence in the region through redeploying a wider set of technical resources from Headquarters to the region. Our expanded technical support offerings to Country Offices ensures effective, timely and responsive support focused on UNDP’s realigned programme priorities and tailored to the emerging and changing needs and priorities in the region.

New UNDP


The Strategic Plan 2018-2021 sets out the direction for a new UNDP, optimized to help countries achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Plan describes how UNDP will better adapt to the range of country contexts in which we work, framed through:
(a) The three broad development settings to which our approach respond;
(b) A series of signature solutions that define the core work of UNDP;
(c) The two platforms through which we will deliver our work
(i) Country support platforms for the Sustainable Development Goals
(ii) A global development advisory and implementation services platform
(d) An improved business model to underpin our efforts

Hub Management

Message from the Hub manager

I am pleased to introduce UNDP’s Regional Hub for the Arab States in Amman, Jordan, which expands and revitalizes our presence in the region, bringing our technical expertise and vital support functions closer to our Country Offices and helping us be more responsive and pro-active to their immediate and changing needs.

The Regional Hub in Amman is part of UNDP’s global positioning to become a more effective and efficient organization, fit-for-purpose and future-ready – to help countries achieve the SDGs and drive positive socio-economic change for the years ahead.  

In the Arab States region, fulfilling this purpose requires broader and integrated capabilities.  

We must be able to support the many countries in the region undergoing major political transitions that are expanding voice and participation, but at times witnessing weakening State institutions and regenerating dormant societal divisions.

We must also find effective ways to help countries safeguard human security while managing transitions peacefully and to anticipate and, where possible, prevent conflicts.

But, when such conflicts break out, as they have in our region with unprecedented vigour in recent years, we must be ready to provide quick socio-economic assessments and be well-positioned to help people, communities and institutions, cope, recover and strengthen their resilience in the face of future shocks and to safeguard hard-won development gains.

And, we must do all this in ways that are equitable, inclusive and sustainable, socially, economically and environmentally.

Through its first-responder expert teams, the Regional Hub in Amman brings together the capacities and skill sets that allow us to facilitate strategic discussions, enable creative ideation and solutions design, and to foster critical partnerships. It acts as an analytical think tank and thought leader for regional issues, as a service provider to our country offices with the policy advice and technical support they need, including rigorous socio-economic analysis, and as a response facility to crises and emerging challenges.

It also combines our thematic GPN advisory services, with our pioneering regional programming to provide seamless support to our Country Offices and facilitate access to regional and global funding and financing. Finally, the Regional Hub offers a unique gateway for partners who want to engage in development in individual countries or in the region as a whole.