Brussels, 14 March 2017 – Persistent insecurity and fragility in the Central African sub-region can only be addressed if national and regional actors, as well as international partners, prioritize peacebuilding and development of border areas, boost citizen’s engagement and participation, and improve governance...

Mr. President of the Republic, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Government, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers of the Countries represented here, Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of the Institutions of the Republic, Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Dear...

United Nations Headquarters, UN Peacebuilding Commission Monday 6 March 2017 United Nations Development Programme Statement by Mr. Abdoulaye Mar DIEYE Regional Director for Africa Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me first thank the PBC Chair for convening this discussion on the heel of the Security Council discussion on...

A new Care2 petition from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, actor on the HBO series Game of Thrones and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme, is calling on fathers to unite and empower women and girls by promoting literacy and education around the world. More than 18,000 people have taken the pledge.

Last May, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (USCFR) organized a briefing session on the situation in the Sahel. Among the invited participants, UNDP stressed the need for broad and concerted action to confront the surge in violent extremism and bring development-based solutions to the region affected...

With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) having significantly raised the bar regarding ambition and universality, there is agreement that we have to go well beyond business as usual. Achieving breakthrough progress in these rapidly-changing times requires a new mind-set and different behavior from all of us.

By 2021, 76,651 MWh of electrical energy will be produced through biomass gasification, avoiding 67,070 tons of CO2. Some 500 green jobs will be created in biomass gasifiers, sustainable forest and land management with at least 50% of the jobs created for women. In the meantime, over 5,000 rural households and small commercial/industrial enterprises will be connected to electricity services by the project end.

Johannesburg, South Africa - IBM is investing $70 million in building much-needed digital, cloud, and cognitive IT skills to help support a 21st century workforce in Africa. The initiative, “IBM Digital - Nation Africa”, provides a cloud-based learning platform designed to provide free skills development programs for up to...

Combating illicit financial flows, building up capacities in public administrations and encouraging partnerships with the private sector are some of the initiatives that could be implemented in the fight against corruption. These were some of the solutions offered by panelists who participated in the seventh Maendeleo Policy Forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the theme “Corruption as an impediment towards SDGs achievement: What must Africa do?”.

As part of the preparations for the 2nd International Conference on the Emergence of Africa (ICEA) to be held from 28 to 30 March 2017 in Abidjan, the Minister of Planning and Development, Mrs. Kaba Nialé, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Babacar Cissé, met with...

Efficient conversion technologies and sustainable land management practices save forests and livelihoods.

There are strong arguments for reducing resource-dependence − from declining terms of trade for commodity exports and volatility in their prices to potential weak governance and poor environmental and social safeguards associated with extraction.

Central to the 28th African Union Summit that takes place in Ethiopia this week and to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, to be held on 30-31 January 2017, is this question: How do we harness the dividend from the continent’s current youthful population?

To help address the threat of violent extremism in their regions, 65 Muslim scholars from West and Central Africa have committed to actions that include more transparent mosque management, the participation of women and youth in decision-making processes, and training of religious leaders and institutions to deliver content more effectively.

Mr. President, Members of the Executive Board, Colleagues and friends, I welcome you all to this first regular session of the UNDP Executive Board for 2017. Let me begin by congratulating H.E. Mr. Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN, on his election as President of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS...

Remarks by Ms. Ruby Sandhu-Rojon Deputy Regional Director for Africa at the Joint UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board Mr. President of the UNDP Executive Board, Distinguished Members of the Executive Board, Representatives of the Governments of Botswana and Chad, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,   I am pleased...

Journalist Nourou-Dhine Salouka was awarded with Zimeo Award for Excellence in Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 8 December, in Nairobi, Kenya. From Burkina Faso, Salouka won the SDGs Reporting category with his news article about Samandollé, a small village in Burkina Faso that is struggling with scarce water resources and sanitation services.

Since 2014, Cameroon’s security crisis, caused by Boko Haram, has exposed the vulnerabilities and obstacles that undermine integration of disadvantaged groups, especially women and youth. To prevent youth from being radicalised, UNDP trained religious leaders from the Far North Region of Cameroon on how to identify radicalisation and how to speak with radicalised youth.

Since August 2016, South Africans have had the chance to participate in public hearings about how laws passed since 1994, the first year of the African National Congress government, have affected their lives.

"It gives me great pleasure to participate in this important event on “Uganda’s Transformational Approach to Refugees and Host Communities: Dealing with Multiple Vulnerabilities. We are here today to mobilize support for Uganda’s forward-looking and innovative Theory of Change."

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) have become an integral part of the structure for the human rights protection system in Africa, a report released on 21 October by the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) has shown.

As we mark the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December, one just needs to peruse the newspaper headlines across Africa to see the continent’s struggle with corruption.

Uganda’s 2015 National Human Development Report has been announced as one of the four winners of the 2016 Awards for Excellence in Human Development Reporting. This was announced by the Human Development Report Office (HDRO) during the 2016 Awards for Excellence in Human Development Reporting for national...

The Governments of Sweden and the Netherlands have made financial contributions of USD 3.3 million and USD 800,000 respectively towards UNDP’s regional initiative on preventing and responding to the growth of violent extremism in Africa through a development lens.

It is a fair to assume agricultural productivity is higher in resource-rich countries. This is because revenues from the sale of oil, gas and minerals can finance the provision of equipment, fertilizer, irrigation, credit and seed to farmers. However, agricultural productivity continues to remain modest in many of...

Developing countries in Africa are among the most affected by climate change impacts, and yet remain among the least prepared to respond or cope when disaster strikes. One of the reasons is the lack of effective climate services, the collective term for collection, analysis, distribution and application of reliable weather, water and climate information used for early warning and to manage a disaster once it has occurred.

At present, in all countries throughout the African continent, "innovation hubs" are being set up with support from UNDP. Such hubs target young people who want to change the world by testing out new approaches and solutions. But how do we innovate?

Some countries in Africa have made notable progress in enhancing women’s access to justice and reducing the incidence of sexual and gender based violence. In partnership with UNDP, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia and Mozambique have improved legal frameworks, response by law enforcement agencies in handling violence against women and established stronger mechanisms for providing support to survivors.

The newly released Africa Human Development Report 2016 finds that the gender gap is jeopardizing the continent's efforts for inclusive human development and economic growth.