"In the final analysis, human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not silenced. Human security is not a concern with weapons--it is a concern with human life and dignity."--Human Development Report 1994
"Human development...brings together the production and distribution of commodities and the expansion and use of human capabilities. It also focuses on choices--on what people should have, be, and do to be able to ensure their own livelihood. Human development is, moreover, concerned not only with basic needs satisfaction but also with human development as a participatory and dynamic process. It applies equally to less developed and highly developed countries."--Human Development Report 1990
"...Human development--our defining mandate--is not only about helping to ensure a decent income level and standard of living for everyone, but also about helping to ensure that every person has the capacity, right, freedom, and choice to take and be part of the decisions that affect a person's life, to select the leaders who make those decisions, and to then hold them to account."--UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan’s remarks on World Democracy Day, 2010.
"Human development focuses on individual and group empowerment, on human rights, structural safeguards, [and] common humanity, to live a life of freedom and dignity. They give all people moral claims on the behavior of individuals and on the design of social arrangements--and are universal, inalienable and indivisible."--Human Development Report 2000
Addressing hunger precondition for sustained human development in sub-Saharan Africa, UNDP Report says
Food security is central to continent’s development agenda
Nairobi, Kenya, 15 May 2012—Sub-Saharan Africa cannot sustain its ongoing economic resurgence without eliminating the hunger that affects nearly a quarter of its people, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says in its first-ever Africa Human Development Report, released today.
“Impressive GDP growth rates in Africa have not translated into the elimination of hunger and malnutrition. Inclusive growth and people-centered approaches to food security are needed,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said in launching the report, Towards a Food Secure Future, with Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki.
Arguing that action focused on agriculture alone won’t end food insecurity, the Report calls for new approaches covering multiple sectors—from rural infrastructure to health services, to new forms of social protection and empowering local communities.
Asia-Pacific can no longer afford to grow first, clean up later, says UNDP report
Asia-Pacific actions to address climate change will have global impact
Jakarta, May 10, 2012—Countries in Asia and the Pacific are at a crossroads and must now strike a balance between rising prosperity and rising emissions. Their success or failure will have repercussions worldwide, a report released today by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says.
The Asia-Pacific region must continue to grow economically to lift millions out of poverty, but it must also respond to climate change to survive. Growing first and cleaning up later is no longer an option, says the Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012—One Planet to Share: Sustaining Human Progress in a Changing Climate. The publication is aimed at reinvigorating climate change dialogue by bringing people’s concerns into the fore in the lead-up to the Rio +20 conference.
“The world's common future will be hugely affected by the choices that are made in Asia and the Pacific on a low carbon growth path,” says Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “The goal is clear: reduce poverty, increase prosperity but leave a smaller carbon footprint.”
UNDP’s "Himalayan Meltdown" wins top prize at International Film Festival
Houston, Texas, April 23, 2012—The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) film "Himalayan Meltdown" took first prize for a broadcast documentary at the 45th Annual Worldfest International Film Festival, the world's longest-running independent film festival.
The one-hour film examines the shrinking glaciers of the Himalayas, and how their diminution has affected the lives and livelihoods of billions of people in Asia. It illustrates critical solutions, small and large, simple and complex, for coping and adapting in a changing environment.
"Revealed: Himalayan Meltdown" aired on Discovery Channel Asia in 2011, co-produced by UNDP and Arrowhead Films and aimed at examining the impact of glacial ice melt on communities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal.
United Nations, French Development Agency sign partnership accord to speed fight against poverty
Washington, Apr. 21, 2012—With the clock running out on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French Development Agency, signed an agreement Saturday pledging to work more closely together to speed up progress toward the anti-poverty goals.
The new agreement brings the two organizations closer to forge solutions in the areas of the fight against climate change, youth employment and the promotion of public-private partnerships for the provision of essential services.
A centerpiece of the job creation component is a shared commitment to enhance and promote dialogue among public authorities, civil society, and the private sector to facilitate the professional insertion of unemployed youths, particularly women. A specific focus will be placed on the Middle East, a priority for both institutions.
Development demands new partnerships, UNDP official says
Washington, Apr. 20, 2012—Daunting new challenges demand a major shift in development which puts building resilience at its centre, UN Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark said today.
“If you don't have a basic level of resilience then you can't hang on to the gains you've made when adversity and shocks come along,” Helen Clark told a High Level Panel on Resilience Dialogue at the World Bank-International Monetary Fund spring meeting here. But major donors “are beginning to place building resilience at the top of their priorities. I'm really quite optimistic that we might make some breakthroughs.”
Building resilience requires time and a longer-term planning cycle than development partners have historically approved, Ms. Clark said earlier this week. “Funding over a five- to 10-year time frame at the country level is paramount. UNDP’s work on resilience continues to be compromised by a lack of sustained funding, even in modest amounts.”
Before the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in southwestern China on 12 May 2008, 62-year-old Qing Liehua’s main source of income and food for his family was chicken farming. After the earthquake destroyed his home in Qinghe Village, Sichuan Province, however, he lost everything, including his chickens.
Qing was one of the 40 million people who were affected by the earthquake, which killed almost 90,000 people. The destruction left behind untold levels of poverty and loss in communities that were already living a marginal existence.
At the request of the Government of China, UNDP stepped in, launching a two-year, US$5.3 million programme to assist 20 of the poorest villages that were affected by the earthquake. With its already long-standing presence in China, UNDP was uniquely placed to assist.
Egyptians learn from transition to democracy and social, economic advances in Brazil
(Photo: UN)
Apr.20, 2012—A delegation of Egyptian business leaders and government officials has finished a two-day visit to Brazil and is heading to Chile to learn how the two South American countries transitioned to democracy in the 1980’s and 1990’s respectively, following two decades of military regime.
The UNDP-led initiative promotes direct exchange between Egyptians and South Americans to boost the North African country’s own transition to democracy and support its path towards sustainable development.
The exchange takes place in a key moment in Egypt’s restructuring process. In 2011 a wave of protests resulted in President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation after 30 years in power. Egypt is currently drafting a new constitution and presidential elections are taking place in the coming months. More
Development demands new partnerships, UNDP official says
Washington—As new challenges emerge and old social structures diminish, sustainable development can occur only in the context of new partnerships between the public and private sectors, UNDP Deputy Assistant Administrator Romesh Muttukumaru said here.
“Solutions can be found when governments come together with the private sector and civil society and find synergies, combine their resources, and work hand in hand in all stages of projects,” Muttukumaru told a panel at the Global Philanthropy Forum, meeting here April 16-18.
The Global Philanthropy Forum gathers annually, convening some 200 philanthropists, foundations, and others from around the world.
UNDP- IKEA Foundation expand partnership to build self-reliance of 2.2 million women in India
(Photo: UNDP India)
New Delhi, Apr. 10, 2012—The IKEA Foundation has committed €30 million (approximately US$40 million) for a programme to empower 2.2 million poor rural women in India. This will allow the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to reach these millions of women and their families in approximately 20,000 villages in some of India’s poorest districts.
UNDP’s Swaayam (Sanskrit for ‘self-reliance’) empowerment model integrating the key social, economic, political and legal dimensions was initiated two years ago in a pilot programme funded by the IKEA Foundation in 500 villages in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with a grant of €5.5 million (US$ 7.5 million), successfully reaching approximately 50,000 women to strengthen their abilities to become catalysts of change. More
Building a sustainable democracy in Libya
Tripoli—A year ago, Khadija Baba would not have considered engaging in any independent civil society or political activities in her home town of Tripoli. Not only was such activity forbidden under the former regime in Libya, but it would have likely landed the university student in prison. Now, with UNDP support, Baba has completed the first phase of training to become a Civic Education Instructor for her peers in Libyan universities.
Baba was among 15 women and 11 men selected to attend a comprehensive civic educational training session, employing the Building Resources in Democracy, Governance & Elections (BRIDGE) approach. The training comprises the first of three components of UNDP’s $4.37 million “Support to Civic Engagement in Libya’s Transition” project, which began in January.
“Landmines and explosive remnants of war take a heavy toll on people's livelihoods, countries' economic and social development, and international peace-building efforts,” Jordan Ryan, Director of the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention & Recovery, said.
The joint effort by mine-affected countries, non-governmental organizations, and the United Nations to clear mines, provide mine risk education, and destroy stockpiles has helped to reduce the annual number of new casualties to about 4,000—down more than 75 percent from a high of 26,000 in 1997. More
Haitian women rebuild their lives one brick at a time
The main driving force for earthquake-damaged house rebuilding in Haiti is not the government, the private sector, NGOs, or international organizations. Families and communities have been playing a vital role, taking the task to build back a more resilient country into their own hands—especially women who head more than 40 percent of Haitian households.
For the past three months the Community Support Centers for House Self-Repair, known by the French acronym CARMEN, have been empowering quake-affected communities in the capital Port-au-Prince and the western town of Léogâne to directly take charge of house reparations, with engineering assessments and construction trainings. The UN Development Program (UNDP)-Government of Haiti initiative has registered more than 19,000 people who will be trained in disaster-resilient house building techniques. Nearly half of them are women.
Indonesia: Partnership helps preserve climate and build green economy
(Photo: UNDP)
Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and growing fast, with a population of over 200 million. Due to its hot and humid climate, the country faces an increasing demand for air conditioners, with a market estimated to reach 2.5 million units annually by 2015.
To help Indonesia ensure its air-conditioning industry is environmentally sustainable and select climate-friendly alternatives to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), UNDP provided technical advice for the government to make informed policy choices. Experts analyzed available and viable alternatives which would bring benefits to both global climate and ozone layer and informed their Indonesian counterparts.
Port-au-Prince, Mar. 23, 2012 —On her second visit to Haiti since the devastating January 2010 earthquake, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said today she was impressed by progress in the capital, Port-au-Prince, two years after an earthquake devastated the Caribbean island nation, killing 200,000.
“I saw a huge difference from the desolation I saw four days after the earthquake: The streets of Port-au-Prince are alive again,” Helen Clark said. “I feel very confident in the capacity of the Haitian people to rebuild their own country.”
More than 60 percent of the 10 million cubic meters of rubble left by the quake has been removed in one of the largest-scale clearance operations of its kind by the United Nations and partners, coordinated by UNDP. More than 80,000 buildings in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas collapsed after the magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, leaving a mass of concrete, steel, and other debris equivalent to 4,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. More
Political parties must open doors to women, UNDP official says
Washington, Mar. 22, 2012 —Bringing women into political parties is smart politics and gets results, UNDP Gender Team director Winnie Byanyima said here Thursday on a panel to launch a new report by UNDP and the nonprofit National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The study identifies ways to promote the stronger presence and influence of women in political parties as well as advancing gender equality issues in policies and platforms. The lessons learned and common strategies are drawn mainly from 20 case studies commissioned by UNDP and conducted by NDI from 2009-2010. More
“The majority of people all over the world displaced by conflicts are women and children,” UNDP senior gender expert Roma Bhattacharjea told a UN Association gathering in Washington. “By promoting the voices and participation of women in peace-building, we are broadening the consultative processes, bringing to the table the everyday issues of ordinary citizens affected by conflict, and broadening our agenda.”
Washington, Mar. 19, 2012—The nonprofit Center for American Progress today published a new interactive map to track and categorize US aid, to show where foreign assistance goes and how recipient countries rank on basic indicators such as political rights and civil liberties, corruption, and overall levels of development. The new map reflects country-by-country US assistance spending for fiscal year 2011.
Development rankings come from UNDP's 2011 Human Development Index. For this map, countries were ranked as having high, medium, or low development based on which third of the development index they fell into.
Freedom rankings come from Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2011, the organization’s annual survey of global political rights and civil liberties. Freedom House ranked countries as free, partly free, or not free based on a survey of political rights and civil liberties.
Corruption indicators come from Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index. Countries were ranked as having high, medium, or low corruption based on which third of the corruption index they fell into. More
Second Arab Knowledge Report addresses future generations
The Arab Knowledge Report 2010-2011, launched this week, is second in a series of reports that the United Nations Development Programme is jointly producing with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF).
This year’s report addresses the crucial issue of preparing future generations for the knowledge society.
The report adopts the triad of skills, values and enabling environments as the basic pillars for preparing the future generations. The basic argument is to investigate and address the issue of providing future generations with the required skills (cognitive and conative and social) for active participation in knowledge society building processes.
World Water Forum International Charter promotes universal access
Marseille, Mar. 15, 2012—UNDP has led a group of 25 institutions in creating a new international tool, launched this week, to promote decentralized cooperation in water and sanitation.
The Global Water Solidarity Platform was launched yesterday at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France, where 20,000 participants from the private, public, and non-profit sectors gathered to address the water crisis.
At the UNDP event, numerous organizations joined local authorities from across Africa and Europe at a special ceremony to sign the Decentralized Solidarity Mechanisms International Charter.
UNDP official stresses role of private engagement in development
New era demands more knowledge-sharing and expertise
Washington—Major changes in the multilateral landscape have paved the way for new partnerships and a concrete, recognized role for the private sector in development, UNDP Assistant Administrator for External Relations and Advocacy Sigrid Kaag said here.
“The geopolitical and multilateral landscapes have changed, creating new opportunities to partner and co-create,” Kaag told a panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Feb. 24. “The development experiences and approaches coming from emerging economies provide new examples and new insights.”
UNDP draws on its legitimacy, neutrality, and global reach to further promote trilateral cooperation and private sector engagement, she said, adding that the agency seeks to foster inclusive markets with jobs and services for the poor, predictable economic bases, and good governance.
Sierra Leone Saturday courts tackle gender-based violence
(Photo: UNDP)
Freetown, Sierra Leone—Survivors of sex- and gender-based violence in Sierra Leone are having their day in court, as the judiciary now sits on Saturdays in a critical first step toward clearing a backlog of some 700 cases.
Since their inception in February 2011, the Saturday courts have heard more than 630 cases and processed more than half of them. To date, 85 cases have been discharged for lack of evidence.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided logistical support to the courts, and together with the Sierra Leone Police, helped train more than 250 police officers to investigate gender-based crime more effectively and successfully support the prosecution process, including through the proper management of survivors and witnesses.
Guidebook promotes women’s participation in politics
With women underrepresented in high level politics and decision-making the world over, a new guide produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is showing political parties how they can begin to redress this imbalance by supporting women’s participation in the electoral process.
Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties - A Guidebook to Promote Women’s Political Participation, launched by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark last Wednesday, provides best practices on how political parties can promote women’s participation in decision-making at all levels.
Globally, although women comprise 40 to 50 percent of members of political parties, they hold only about ten percent of party leadership positions.
First mobile phone cash transfer for housing repairs kicks off in Haiti
(Photo: UNDP)
Port au Prince/New York, Mar. 1, 2012—Haiti’s earthquake-affected households started, this week, to receive cash installments through the first ever mobile money transfer mechanism to support post-disaster housing reconstruction.
More than 2,000 mobile money transfers are planned in the next three months to 1,000 low-income families receiving subsidies totaling US$500 to purchase construction materials such as cement, iron and wood at selected project-certified stores for high-quality assurance at affordable prices. The initiative is part of the ‘Community Support centers for House Repairs’, a partnership between the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Haiti.
Key steps, leadership can address surging Caribbean violence, UNDP official says Washington, Feb. 27, 2012—Latin America and the Caribbean are facing crisis levels of violent crime, UNDP Assistant Administrator Heraldo Muñoz said here, but a combination of prevention, effective law enforcement, and political leadership can reverse it.“ This is the most violent region in the world,” Munoz told a Capitol Hill briefing on UNDP’s first Caribbean Human Development Report, Human Development & the Shift to Better Citizen Security. “Twelve of the 20 most violent countries in the world are in Latin America and the Caribbean.”more
Listen to a panel discussion on Emerging Economies & New Models of
Public-Private Partnerships at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Friday, Feb 24, 2012, withSigrid Kaag, Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy,
Ho-Jin Lee, Visiting Fellow, Korea Chair, CSIS andCurt Reintsma, Director of Donor Engagement, USAID More
Democracy necessary but not enough, UNDP report says Cairo, Feb. 19, 2012—Arab progress towards democracy hinges on success in dealing with economic and other challenges, particularly social justice, according to UNDP’s new Arab Development Challenges Report 2011, launched here with representatives from the Egyptian government along with academic and development professionals.more
Up to 33 million in Africa, Asia to get solar energy New York, Feb. 16, 2012—Up to 33 million people living in poverty in Africa and Asia will gain access to low-cost solar energy by 2016 following a commitment made by solar power provider ToughStuff to the Business Call to Action (BCtA) today. The BCtA is a global initiative that encourages private sector efforts to fight poverty, supported by several international organizations including the UN Development Programme (UNDP). more
UN agencies, USAID, EC call for urgent aid in West Africa Rome, Feb. 15, 2012—Leaders of United Nations agencies, representatives of affected governments, and major donors today called for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian, rehabilitation, and development assistance to address rising levels of hunger and malnutrition in the Sahel region of West Africa.
The worsening food situation is the result of drought, high food prices, displacement, and conflict. After an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), participants agreed that the time for humanitarian action is now. more
UNDP steps up capacity to support major transitions in Afghanistan New York—The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is reinforcing its capacity in Afghanistan to better support the country's security, economic, and political transitions up to and beyond 2014, UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan said yesterday.
Following a strategic review in 2011, UNDP will strengthen the policy, programmatic, outreach, and operational capacities of its Afghanistan country office to provide Afghanistan even more effective support in the face of multiple challenges over the critical next few years. More
Gang violence takes rising toll in lives, threatens Caribbean economies, says UNDP First Caribbean Human Development Report recommends ways to fight rising crime
Port of Spain, Feb. 8, 2012—Crime has become a major threat to economies and livelihoods in Caribbean countries, but the right mix of policies and programs can halt the problem, a new report launched here today by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says.The report, Human Development and the Shift to Better Citizen Security, says that with the exception of Barbados and Suriname, homicide rates, including gang-related killings,have surged in the last 12 years across the Caribbean while declining or stabilizing in other parts of the world. more
Earthquake preparedness works, Indonesians show Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Jan. 26, 2012—When a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Aceh province in the northern tip of Indonesia on 10 January there was no damage or casualty—a very different situation compared to seven years earlier when a devastating quake and tsunami killed more than 230,000 people across South East Asia, more than 70 percent of them in Aceh alone.
Now the Acehnese population is better prepared to face disasters, following an effective government-led public campaign with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-sponsored disaster preparedness training programmes. more
UNDP chief urges faster moves on transparency New York, Feb. 2, 2012—UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark urged the agency's Executive Board today to expedite approval of a plan to make all UNDP audit reports publicly accessible by the end of the year.
"As I advised the Board last September, my objective is, with the Board's support, to make UNDP's internal audit reports publicly available. A list of all internal audit reports issued is already available on the UNDP Website, so all interested stakeholders know what has been audited and reported on," Clark told the 36-member Executive Board.more
Nominations open for World Business & Development Awards Sustainable, inclusive initiatives to be honored in Rio
London, New York, Paris, Feb. 2, 2012—The World Business & Development Awards today launched an open call for nominations for successful business initiatives that support sustainable development. All organizations, regardless of size or location, engaged in innovative, successful business models that are in line with the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, may apply online by March 25, 2012. more
128 countries are receiving UNDP support for democratic governance
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103 countries are receiving support from UNDP for anti-corruption efforts
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60 countries are receiving UNDP election assistance
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60 percent of municipalities in Jordan are now using a UNDP-created property tax collection system
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1.2 million people have benefited from UNDP temporary job programs in Haiti
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250,000 people in Armenia have benefited from water, sanitation, microfinance and other UNDP programs
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150,000 people in Liberia received counseling and treatment for HIV & AIDS with UNDP help
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$550 million in interest savings for Jamaica after UNDP helped negotiate with creditors
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6 million square meters of land cleared in Cambodia with UNDP support
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95 percent of UNDP's partners consider the organization a "critical partner" in contributing to the anti-poverty MDGs
UNDP helps register 30 million people for DR Congo vote
Electoral fund of more than US$202 million has 12 donors
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNDP has helped train some 31,000 Electoral Commission and temporary staff and set up 8,163 voter registration centers ahead of the central African country’s second-ever national election, set for Nov. 28 this year
