Delivering on Our Commitment to Development
Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator
With activities in more than 160 countries UNDP is active across the developing world supporting countries to meet their development goals.
UNDP’s mandate is to work with countries to reduce poverty, promote democratic governance, prevent and recover from crises and protect the environment and combat climate change. Throughout, UNDP is striving to help bring about the transformational change to which countries aspire, and to build countries’ resilience to overcome whatever challenges they might face.
Carrying out this mission has never been easy. It was made more difficult in the face of the economic recession, the lingering effects of the food and fuel crises and the ongoing climate challenge — all of which have placed heavy burdens on many of the world’s most vulnerable people and countries.
This year is an especially important one to be advancing the development agenda. It marks a decade since countries adopted the Millennium Declaration, which enshrined the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a common commitment to create a better tomorrow for billions of people.
With just five years left to meet the 2015 deadline for meeting the MDGs, UNDP believes that with the right policies, resources and unwavering leadership the Goals can be met at the global level. This September the UN hosts a special MDG summit to re-energize and accelerate national and global efforts to meet the Goals. UNDP is fully mobilized to support a strong and action-oriented outcome from the summit.
This is no time for business as usual approaches to development. On the contrary, this is a time for translating words and promises into action on the ground. This publication, UNDP in Action, has been produced to help illustrate how UNDP can contribute to that.
From supporting the empowerment of women, developing sustainable livelihoods and conducting elections, to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants and helping countries adapt to the effects of climate change, UNDP in Action showcases some of the many development results UNDP helps bring about.
UNDP will continue to foster strong partnerships for development within and beyond the UN system. We have an important role to play in ensuring that programme countries have access to the support they need to meet their development goals. By keeping a strong focus on results, and continuously improving how we work, I am confident that we can continue to make a significant difference for the better wherever we work.
Helen Clark
UNDP Administrator
