UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Achim Steiner became UNDP Administrator on 19 June 2017. The United Nations General Assembly confirmed his nomination on 19 April 2017, following his nomination by Secretary-General António Guterres.
In order to achieve its mandate, UNDP relies entirely on voluntary contributions from UN Member States, multilateral organizations, private sector and other sources, in the form of unrestricted regular resources (core), and contributions earmarked for a specific theme, programme or project.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Human development is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices.
To meet the objectives of the Strategic Plan in line with the 2030 Agenda, UNDP is implementing six cross-cutting approaches to development, known as Signature Solutions. A strong, integrated way of putting our best work, or 'distinctive' skill set, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNDP connects countries with the knowledge, resources and networks they need to achieve development breakthroughs. With deep local knowledge and a wide global network, we work with partners to end poverty and reduce inequality, while protecting the planet and championing human rights.
Our News centre is a one-stop shop for multimedia press coverage and in-depth information on development-related issues. We provide news announcements, press releases and statements by UNDP leadership.
#FutureSmartUNDP is designed to achieve integrated results at speed and at scale during both quiet and turbulent times.
UNDP publications showcase the organization’s thought leadership and expertise and play a key role in fulfilling our mandate to support the realization of the SDGs and encourage global development.
UNDP's sustainable development blog is written by experts working in over 170 countries and territories.
Our stories are visual and current snapshots of our work from around the world, showing how countries and communities are tackling development issues and moving the SDGs from paper to practice.
UNDP’s asset library is available at assets.undp.org, which features a great selection of UNDP images from projects around the world. Through the digital asset portal, you can find more than 5,000 images from every region, searchable by thematic areas, regions, countries, and key words.
UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.
As a public organization entrusted with donor funds and committed to supporting developing economies, UNDP works to improve access to quality assured supplies in a cost effective and reliable way.
Show you care about poverty, gender equality, climate action and more. Check out our products featuring the causes you care about. Great ideas for presents too.
Localize the impact of your donation, and empower communities and people across the world fighting for sustainable and equitable development.
You can contact our team with general questions about UNDP or about more specific topics.
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two.
The virus has infected more than 230 million people and continues to evolve and spread. We are now approaching the tragic milestone of 5 million deaths, and the human family is suffering under an almost intolerable burden of loss.
The climbing death toll is staggering, and we must work together to slow the spread of this virus.
The pandemic is also a devastating socio-economic crisis. Stressing every one of the countries it touches, it is laying the groundwork for social, economic and political ramifications that could leave deep and long-lasting scars.
The World Bank says 97 million people were pushed into poverty in 2020, an unprecedented increase.
The International Labour Organization estimates that 205 million people will be unemployed in 2022, up from 187 million on 2019.
Drawing on our experience with Ebola, HIV, SARS, TB and malaria, as well as our long history of working with the private and public sectors, UNDP is leading the UN’s socio-economic response to COVID-19 as part of its mission to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and build resilience to crises and shocks.
Although the pandemic has shown stories of great ingenuity and logistical expertise – vaccines were developed and are being distributed in record time, and more than 6 billion doses have been administered—it has exacerbated existing inequalities and exposed deep divisions that will take an enormous toll on societies and economies.
The Global Dashboard for COVID-19 Vaccine Equity, a joint initiative of UNDP, WHO and the University of Oxford, has found that inequality is a risk to full economic recovery and that low-income countries would add US$38 billion to their 2021 GDP forecast if they had the same vaccination rates as rich countries.
We are leading calls for a Temporary Basic Income to help the world’s poorest women cope with the on-going economic effects of the pandemic and prevent rising female inequality.
Together we can and must prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes, as we work to beat COVID-19.
COVID-19 has also created a ‘shadow pandemic’ of gender-based violence, which has risen in what UN Secretary-General António Gutteres has described as a “horrifying global surge”.
UNDP’s gender dashboard looks at the many interconnected ways the pandemic has made life harder for women – from disproportionate economic, health and social risks to a greater burden of unpaid care and housework. It aims to provide information not only to rectify long-standing inequalities but also to build a more gender equal world.
UNDP has also revealed what the world stands to gain from more female leadership. Our joint report with the University of Pittsburgh shows that the blocks to women’s paths to power are undermining the pandemic response. The first in-depth research into the issue – which surveyed 170 countries – finds that despite demonstrated competence by women leaders, they continue to be blocked from positions at the highest levels of power and influence.
The pandemic has exposed just how deeply the digital divide hurts those who don’t have reliable internet and how much work is needed to ensure that opportunities for work, education and public services reach everybody.
Our response is designed to help decision-makers look beyond recovery, towards 2030, making choices and managing complexity and uncertainty in four main areas: governance, social protection, the green economy and digital disruption.
UNDP is working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health piloting smart robots as part of the COVID-19 response.
The pandemic has put young people in Bangladesh under great strain as they struggle with job losses and lack of opportunities due to the digital divide. UNDP is working on projects to promote online learning and create jobs, particularly for women and girls and those in lower income communities.
The Government of China and UNDP are working with the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund in Lebanon to promote socio-economic recovery for women and young people promoting sustainable livelihoods and business opportunities.
Women’s cooperatives in Turkey are getting wide-ranging technical support as they take their businesses online.
And UNDP has made an investment in the futures of Jamaican school children with new virtual learning spaces and equipment.
A vendor sells decorations for Vesak festival, a typically huge tourist attraction, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of many countries heavily reliant on tourism and is severely affected by the halt of tourist travel. Economic diversification for socioeconomic and strategic reasons is a must, going forward.
We must rebuild trust and cooperation, within and among nations, and between people and their governments.
UNDP’s support will also help ensure that the responses of individual countries are comprehensive as well as equitable and inclusive, so that no one is left out and countries can continue to make progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
While we do this, we must also consider ways to prevent a similar pandemic recurring. UNDP will look at ways to help countries to better prevent and manage such crises in the future and ensure that the world makes full use of what we are learning from this one.
Locations
