Our mission, our goals, our mandate

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.

Mission and vision

UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

UNDP in Cameroon

According to the UNDP Strategic Plan 2021-2025, and developed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNDP Cameroon aims, through the Country Programme Document 2022-2026, to contribute to the achievement of national development priorities through three strategic pillars:

• Transformative, inclusive and sustainable growth
• Inclusive governance and peacebuilding
• Environmental sustainability and climate disaster risk management

As Cameroon's main strategic development partner, UNDP has focused its intervention on Cameroon's National Development Strategy (NDS30), which is designed to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What we do

UNDP works with the Government of Cameroon, development partners, other UN agencies, civil society and local communities to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, strengthen institutions, accelerate structural transformation for sustainable development, build resilience to crises and shocks, and support the country in achieving the SDGs.

• We support young entrepreneurs in developing innovative technologies.
• We are taking actions to consolidate peace and social cohesion throughout the country.
• We are ending all forms of discrimination against girls and empowering young girls for leadership.
• We strengthen stabilization and reconstruction in conflict-affected areas.

UNDP is strategically positioning itself by expanding the scope and scale of its work to address current challenges, unlock opportunities and accelerate development in Cameroon in its four thematic areas :

• Democratic Governance and social cohesion
• Entrepreneurship and local economic insertion
• Stabilisation and prevention of violent extremism
• Environment, natural resources, and climate change

What do we want to accomplish?

In the current context, our top priority is to assist the Government and its people in restoring lasting peace and strengthening stabilization in the crisis-affected areas, as well as in achieving the SDGs by acting on the following key areas:

• Promoting democratic governance and the rule of law.
• Promoting inclusive economic growth.
• Building resilience.
• Strengthening gender and social inclusion as a cross-cutting issue in all these areas.

The UNDP Cameroon offices in Yaoundé, Buea, Bamenda and Maroua are very dynamic due to the diversification of the CO's portfolios, the establishment of new partnerships within the framework of HPD, the simplification of procedures to ensure rapid and efficient implementation, the establishment of natural resource development projects and the integration of gender in all programmatic interventions.

In 2022, UNDP Cameroon plans to capitalise on previous successes to increase resilience, empower women and youth, and strengthen social cohesion in the country.