BANGKOK | February 26, 2025 ― The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Rockefeller Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) demonstrating their shared commitment to advance opportunity for people across Asia Pacific through sustainable development. This new partnership aims to advance targeted interventions that benefit people and help close the financing gap needed to create a more sustainable future for a region that is home to 60% of the world’s population. The MoU was signed by Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UNDP, and Natalye Paquin, Chief Operating Officer, The Rockefeller Foundation, during a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Strategic partnerships with leading philanthropies are essential to unlocking climate finance and drive meaningful progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia-Pacific region. UNDP and The Rockefeller Foundation aim to mobilize critical financing for climate action and strengthen public-private collaboration for scaled up and impactful climate solutions,” said UN Assistant Secretary-General Wignaraja, during the MoU signing ceremony.

“By fostering public-private-philanthropic collaboration, we can help close the climate funding gap and ensure everyone in Asia-Pacific has a good job, good health, good food, enough electricity, and a chance to thrive in the face of climate change,” said Natalye Paquin, Chief Operating Officer at The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Rockefeller Foundation is honored to partner with UNDP to empower communities, protect people too often left behind, and drive solutions that benefit both people and the planet.”

According to the latest estimates from the International Monetary Fund, the region needs investments of at least US$1.1 trillion annually to meet mitigation and adaptation needs—helping expand health care, create jobs, connect people to electricity, and more. At the same time, however, the region currently mobilizes US$ 333 billion annually, mainly from sustainable debt instruments like green bonds, and public sources. This shortfall leaves the Asia Pacific region with a funding gap of at least US$800 billion.    

Mobilizing financing is core to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, while catalyzing much-needed investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and in mitigating emissions. This is especially important for Asia, which contributes two-thirds of global GHG emissions but also is home to two-thirds of the world’s population, many of whom are vulnerable to climate change’s effects.

The new MoU between UNDP and The Rockefeller Foundation demonstrates their shared commitment to mobilizing financial resources, fostering public-private partnerships, including with philanthropic organizations, strengthening capacity through trainings and technical assistance, promoting the exchange of knowledge, and more across the Asia Pacific region.

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For more information and media inquiries, please contact:

UNDP

Aminath Mihdha, Regional Private Sector Partnerships and Communications Analyst, UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Bureau: aminath.mihdha@undp.org

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 

 As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s work is centred around six signature development solutions: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality. Learn more at undp.org  or follow @UNDP 

The Rockefeller Foundation
Gurpratap Singh, Asia Communications Consultant, The Rockefeller Foundation: c-gsingh@rockfound.org 

About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe  and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LI @the-rockefeller-foundation.