Baghdad- 100 days after military operations to retake Mosul started, humanitarian partners are expressing deep concern about the plight of the estimated 750,000 civilians who are currently living in the western sections of the city where fighting is expected to start in coming weeks. "We are relieved that so...

Missan – Fourty-two officials from Governorates and Provincial Councils of Baghdad, Najaf, Karbala, Wassit, Babel and ThiQar participated in the Provincial Development Planning Process Workshop held from 26 to 29 December 2016 in Missan. The 4-day training was organized under the Local Area Development Programme...

Missan – More than 10,000 volunteers have participated in “Clean Missan in One Day” Campaign. Volunteers were university and high school students, NGOs, community leaders and members of Missan local Government. Around 500 tonnes of waste have been collected, 800 trash containers distributed, and 4,000 meters of...

Baghdad –The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Governorate of Baghdad have completed the rehabilitation of the primary water supply infrastructure in Al Nahrawan District, where water shortages and lack of clean water have exposed displaced people and the host community to the risk of...

Cairo- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a Regional Parliamentary Conference on Security Sector Reform from 11-12 December 2016 in Cairo, Egypt, brining together members of Parliamentary Security and Defence Committees (SDCs) from the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU), namely from...

Erbil/Duhok- As part of UNDP’s commitment to advance the empowerment of women and help to build a resilient society, the Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) joined the global 16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) campaign through a series of workshops jointly...

Baghdad- A consultation with representatives of Iraq’s Government and civil society on Improving Access to Justice for Internally Displaced and Returnee Populations was organized on 4 December 2016, at Al Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies in Baghdad. Funded by the Government of Japan and supported by the...

Erbil- In collaboration with the Government of Iraq (GoI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has organized a training workshop on understanding the role of gender in disaster risk reduction (DRR), environment, and climate change. Held on 28-30 November...

Beirut – Arab countries can achieve a significant leap forward in development, reinforce stability and secure such gains in a sustainable manner, if they urgently prioritize adopting policies that ensure the well-being, productivity, self-determination and good citizenship of their young population, concludes the Arab...

Baghdad- Strategic programming approaches to address sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) through legal aid provision to displaced women in South and Central Iraq was the theme of a workshop held on 28-29 November 2016, to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. The United Nations...

Sulaimaniyah– As part of the United Nations Development Programme’s commitment to support social cohesion in Iraq, a three-day workshop has been organized on 25-27 November 2016 in Sulaimaniyah, in partnership with King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID)....

Brussels- A photography exhibition which raises awareness about the ongoing humanitarian and development challenges in Iraq and Syria was organized on 25 November 2016 in the European Commission’s Berlaymont Building in Brussels. In Iraq, which hosts over 200,000 Syrian refugees, Reza Visual Academy, a non-profit...

Baghdad- In collaboration with the Government of Iraq (GoI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a 3-day workshop on enhancing international cooperation on sustainable management of Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Held over the period of 13 to 15 November at Al Nahrain Centre for Strategic...

Baghdad- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA), and the Supreme Judicial Council inaugurated and co-chaired the first meeting of the Criminal Justice Working Group (CJWG) for the relevant Iraqi authorities and international partners on 10 November...

Basra, 8 November 2016- Widowed at an early age, raising five children including a disabled son is a tough struggle for an illiterate woman. Now a proud owner of the only minimarket in her neighbourhood, 40-year-old Karima is able to sustain her family. In the sub-district of Al Nashwa in Basra, South of Iraq, Karima...

Erbil –The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Governorate of Erbil have signed two agreements to rehabilitate key infrastructure in areas hosting thousands of displaced people, including large numbers who have fled from Mosul. With generous funding from the German Development Bank (KfW), UNDP’s...

Sulaimaniyah- A strategic plan for the period of 2016 – 2018, an action plan, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Iraq’s Parliamentary Legal Committee were the outcome of a workshop jointly organized in Sulaimaniyah, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, by the Council of Representatives (CoR) and the United...

Erbil – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Toyota Iraq launched a flagship job placement and vocational training programme to provide young, displaced Iraqis with access to sustainable income opportunities. This comes nearly four months after both parties signed an agreement in Erbil, in the...

Sulaimaniyah- In collaboration with Iraq’s Ministry of Health and Environment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a capacity building workshop on the Paris Climate Agreement and climate risk mitigation through implementation of the country’s poverty reduction strategies. Held in Sulaimaniyah...

Baghdad - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined the United Nations (UN) family in Iraq and worldwide today to mark the UN Staff Day, first observed in 1953. Staff members gathered in Baghdad and Erbil, amongst other cities, to celebrate their diversity and enjoy good food and music. Celebrations...

Erbil – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has concluded a 3-day workshop in Erbil on the integration of gender perspective in local area development planning. Organized under the EU Local Area Development Programme (LADP), implemented by UNDP, the workshop gathered 20 participants from women...

Baghdad - In partnership with the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Directorate of Iraq’s Council of Representatives and the Government of Sweden, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) marked today in Baghdad the conclusion of a one-year Training of Trainers project addressing the needs of...

Baghdad- Positioning Iraq on the Social Good Summit global map and promoting innovation and entrepreneurship for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the EU/UNDP Innovation for Development Initiative under the Local Area Development Programme (LADP) organized six innovation gatherings in Baghdad, Erbil, Kirkuk,...

Erbil – Within the framework of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) support to Iraq’s Government Programme (2014-2018), the sixth round of capacity development workshops was conducted in Erbil over the period of 24 September to 4 October 2016. The objective is to enhance the National Capacity for...

Erbil – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement today in Erbil with the Ministry of Planning of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to establish a new Funding Facility for Economic Reform (FFER). FFER will be used to mobilize high-caliber international expertise to support priority...

Baghdad– The Government of the Republic of Korea has contributed US$3 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  Based on priorities identified by the Government of Iraq and local...

Baghdad– In collaboration with Iraq’s Council of Ministers Secretarial (COMSEC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a conference on the integration of gender perspective as a basic pillar of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015 – 2030). Titled Leaving No Woman Behind: Towards...

Baghdad – The Government of New Zealand has contributed US$1 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  Based on priorities identified by the Government of Iraq and local...

Basra - At the request of the Government of Iraq (GoI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been helping counterparts to reform the Security Sector and broader Rule of Law priorities in the country. In order to ensure the reform plans are robust and address both national and provincial level...

Basra, 1 September 2016- Disabled at birth and born to an art loving family in Basra Southern Iraq, Rami al-Tamimi, now 23, has grown into a fine artist. A spinal birth defect has affected his ability to walk. Yet, to Rami, the ancient city of Basra located on the Shatt al-Arab waterway, being part of the historic...

Baghdad-  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is assisting the Government of Iraq (GoI) in its efforts on Security Sector Reform (SSR) through a well-established partnership with the Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA). On 29 August, UNDP and ONSA co-chaired the first meeting between the...

Baghdad – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Iraq signed an agreement today in Baghdad to help strengthen the capacity of the Government to detect, investigate and prosecute high-profile and complex corruption cases. The Prime Minister’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Naoufel...

Baghdad – The Kingdom of Norway has contributed an additional US$3 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). With this contribution, Norway has channelled $10.7 million to UNDP's FFIS...

Sulaimaniyah- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Governorate of Sulaimaniyah signed an agreement to rehabilitate the main water network for Sulaimaniyah City which provides safe drinking water for more than one million people.    “The Governorate and people of Sulaimaniyah have generously...

Tunis – Developing a strategy, action plan, and Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for the Human Rights Committee of Iraq’s Council of Representatives (CoR) was the outcome of a 5-day workshop jointly organized, in Tunis on 24 to 28 July, by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the CoR....

Tunis- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a training workshop on the mechanisms of parliamentary discussions of the National Budget, on 24 to 27 July in Tunis. The training targeted 23 members of the Financial Committee, Financial Office and relevant committees on Budget and Financial...

Erbil – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Toyota Iraq signed a flagship agreement today in Erbil to train and place hundreds of displaced people in jobs.  This new partnership brings together one of the world’s leading car companies, Toyota, and UNDP, which is actively working to improve...

Statement by the Co-Hosts Canada, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, The Netherlands, and the United States at the July 20 Pledging Conference in Support of Iraq Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC July 21, 2016 Over $2 billion in new money has been pledged for the people of Iraq in response to Da’esh’s...

Tikrit, 20 July 2016 - Tikrit was the first city where the Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS) was field-tested. Abandoned by its residents, the city was liberated in April 2015 after heavy fighting. For months, families delayed returning, fearful of retaliation, discouraged by the lack of services and...

Amman- In support of the Government’s important reform agenda, the United Nations Development Programme brought together 25 deputy ministers to participate in a high-level workshop in mid-June in Amman to discuss result-based management and budgeting. The workshop was held under the patronage of the General...

Erbil– More than 2,500 tonnes of garbage were collected yesterday from the Governorates of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq- Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Duhok and Halabja- as a result of the Let us Clean Kurdistan in One-Day campaign funded by the European Union. With the objective of raising awareness on conservation of...

  Baghdad - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Canadian non-profit Institute on Governance (IoG) signed a partnership agreement in Baghdad that aims at advancing Iraq’s crises management ability. Accordingly, UNDP will support IoG to implement Fiscal Federalism, Decentralization and Resilience...

  Baghdad – The Italian Republic is contributing an additional US$4.91 million (€4.5 million) to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This follows a contribution of $2.72 million (€2.5 million) in...

Amman - As part of its support to the Government of Iraq to facilitate effective and efficient access to quality and responsive government services for citizens, UNDP Iraq's Public Sector Modernization (I-PSM) Programme conducted a 5-day workshop on Simplification of Work Systems, Procedures and Service Delivery...

Basra, 31 May 2016 – The long conflict in Iraq has gravely affected the education sector, imposing numerous challenges on accessibility, delivery, sustainability and quality of this vital public service. Over time, specifically the poor quality of facilities available to students can be a demotivating factor that limits...

  Let us Clean Kurdistan in One Day campaign is organized by Ministry of Municipality and Tourism of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Kurdistan Region Governorates, and EU Local Area Development Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union (EU)....

Duhok– The Governorate of Duhok launched its Provincial Development Strategy 2016-2018 in a ceremony organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU), and NOREL non-governmental organization. Conceptualized with the support of UNDP’s EU funded Local Area...

Erbil- The Joint Crisis Coordination Centre (JCC) of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) convened a two-day conference on 17 and18 May in Erbil, bringing together more than 60 representatives of government institutions and offices. Initiated by the JCC and endorsed by the Council of Ministers, the conference...

Baghdad – The Republic of Finland is providing US$1,13 million (€1 million) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support stabilization in areas newly liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The Finnish contribution will be allocated to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate...

Erbil- Under the Local Area Development Programme (LADP) funded by the European Union (EU), a volunteers’ training and introduction workshop on Innovation for Development has been organized over the period of 11 to 13 May in Erbil. The initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)...

Erbil– To mark the closure of a comprehensive informal settlement upgrading intervention in Erbil, a community development centre and a neighbourhood park were opened today in Kurani Ainkawa. The Improving Housing Delivery System in Erbil - Upgrading of Kurani Ainkawa Informal Settlement project is funded by the...

  Baghdad – Germany has contributed an additional US$3.9 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This contribution brings Germany’s total financing of the Facility to $16 million....

Amman – The role of women in promoting the protection of minority rights and participation in public policies and community reconciliation in Iraq was the theme of a three-day workshop organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) over the period of 28-30 April in Amman, Jordan. Funded by the...

Erbil – The progress achieved under the project Establishing a Building Control Regime for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), was discussed in a ministerial meeting today in...

Baghdad – To promote strategic partnerships between civil society organizations (CSOs) and legislative institutions in Iraq, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a training workshop on 26 April in Baghdad targeting 18 representatives of local CSOs. This training came under UNDP’s Strengthening...

Erbil – At an official ceremony at Erbil's historic Citadel, the Governorate of Erbil launched its Provincial Development Strategy. The ceremony was presided over by H.E. Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, and attended by members of the Council of Ministers, diplomatic corps...

Abu Dhabi – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is contributing US$10 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help accelerate the stabilization of areas newly liberated from Daesh.  The UAE contribution will be allocated to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), and will be used to...

Amman - The National Advisory Committee (NAC) of UNDP’s Local Area Development Programme (LADP) met in Amman today, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Planning from the Federal Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Director General for Regional Development, and the European Union (EU)...

Baghdad – The Kingdom of the Netherlands is giving US$5.69 million (€5 million) to the United Nations Development Programme to support stabilization in areas newly liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The Dutch contribution will be allocated in two installments to UNDP’s Funding Facility for...

Baghdad – The Government of Japan is providing US$23.5 million to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its work to help stabilize and build resilience in Iraq. Japan’s contribution will be channeled through UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS) and through UNDP’s Iraq Crisis...

Ramadi – The Governor of Anbar, Mr. Sohaib al-Rawi, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ms. Lise Grande, visited Ramadi today to assess conditions and provide urgently needed support to families returning to their...

Tikrit, 3 March 2016 - For 25 year-old Ayad, the café he owns in the city of Tikrit, in Salah al-Din Governorate in Iraq, with his three brothers is the realization of a life-long dream and a valuable source of income and stability for his family. Ayad enjoys providing a venue where patrons can come together, drink...

Baghdad – Iraq’s Council of Representatives convened a roundtable on 27 February in Baghdad that brought together elected officials and civil society leaders and organizations to discuss the best ways to promote community reconciliation throughout the country and most especially in areas impacted by violence...

New York City - As it marks 50 years at the frontlines of international development, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should be seen as an investment in the UN’s critical role in helping to build a world free of poverty and inequality, said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.   “So often, leaders say to...

Baghdad/Erbil – The United Nations Development Programme, which manages the Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), is deeply worried about the safety of displaced families who want to return to Ramadi. “We are saddened by reports that eight people have been killed in the last two weeks while either...

Karbala – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Governorate of Karbala signed the Karbala Agreement, a flagship partnership aiming at strengthening participatory and accountable governance, developing e-governance, and introducing a platform of services provision. To strengthen the capacities...

Baghdad– As the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) celebrates its 50th anniversary this month, the Country Office in Iraq launched today a storytelling contest, #DevStories, with the objective of raising public awareness on development challenges the country is facing and the tangible impact of UNDP’s...

Baghdad - A two-day workshop held on 17 and 18 February in Baghdad has identified criteria for prioritizing initiatives under the six pillars of Iraq’s Government Programme (2014-2018). The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Office organized the event, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). ...

Dohuk, 12 February 2016 – The Dost Bakery, a small cake factory, was established in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in the autumn of 2015. Dost means “friend” in Kurdish, and the bakery is indeed run by ten friends, all women and most of them displaced members of the Yazidi minority, now living in and around the...

Istanbul - Under the Institutional Development of the Iraqi Anti-Corruption Academy project of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), a second round of capacity building training workshops was concluded on 6 February in Istanbul.  Organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)...

Istanbul – As the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has come into effect on 1 January 2016, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a capacity building workshop for 28 Iraqi officials, titled Good Governance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In collaboration with the United...

Basra, 2 February 2016 – “My family and I have been living in this area for a long time. It has been so difficult and expensive to obtain clean water for drinking or other purposes,” said Mr. Hussein Salim, a worker who lives in the neighborhood of the 5-Miles Camp for Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) in Basra....

Tikrit, 1 February 2016 - The Mayor of Tikrit, Omar Tariq Ismail, says he is proud of the progress his city has made in the past seven months following liberation from the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). “With the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the people of...

Istanbul – Within the framework of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) support to Iraq’s Government Programme (2014-2018), a capacity development initiative was launched on 31 January to enhance the institutional readiness and build national capacity in planning, monitoring and evaluation for...

The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Executive Board, the Organization’s governing body, was in New York City today for its first meeting of 2016, at the start of the year which marks the formal launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, fighting...