Basra, 23 April 2017- Baneen is amongst the nearly 300 students at Al Jawadain Primary School enjoying and benefiting from new facilities, rehabilitated in early 2016 under the UNDP-Shell Partnership. “I am in the sixth grade, and have been attending Al Jawadain School since the first grade,” said Baneen, 12. “My...

New York – The President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today welcomed the appointment of Achim Steiner as the Organization’s new Administrator. Mr Steiner’s nomination for UNDP Administrator was forwarded by Secretary-General António Guterres to the General...

Baghdad- Building on dozens of projects already underway, the Government of Iraq today authorized UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) to initiate 202 more projects to accelerate the immediate stabilization of Mosul and greater Ninewa governorate.   The projects will repair damaged water, sewage and...

New York – The following is a statement on behalf of President of the UNDP Executive Board, Ambassador Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN, on the departure of Helen Clark as Administrator of UNDP: “Helen Clark today completes her time as head of the United Nations Development...

Baghdad – The Government of Turkey has contributed US$750,000 to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS), 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 authorities, FFS helps...

Erbil– Over 60 Iraqi officials from the federal and local governments convened in Erbil to participate in the workshop Implementing the New Urban Agenda through Enhanced Planning Capacity and Responsiveness to Citizens’ Needs. The workshop was held on 07-10 April 2017, and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat and...

Baghdad– Large-scale reforms in the procurement of goods and services in the health sector, and strong multi-pronged steps designed to stop massive evasion of customs revenues will be key to stamp out corruption in Iraq. This was one the top recommendations of the National Consultations on Combating...

Baghdad– The Government of Canada has contributed an additional US $2.2 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilization (FFIS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This brings Canada’s total contribution to US$ 6.3 million to date....

UNDP’s Iraq Country Office is pleased to inform all potential Construction Firms/Companies that starting 01 May 2017, all procurement processes will be conducted using an online E-Tendering system (Electronic Tendering Platform). The initiative of E-Tendering will allow UNDP to further improve transparency and...

Stockholm- Despite significant progress in human development over the past 25 years, the Arab States region has, amongst developing regions of the world, the highest youth unemployment rate and the lowest share of primary school age children attending school. A stronger focus on youth and others excluded –...

Erbil- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized two workshops, over the period of 12-17 March 2017 in Erbil, to help to strengthen the legislative role of Iraq’s Provincial Councils. With generous funding from the Government of Denmark, Iraqi officials were provided training on legislation, with...

Erbil- As part of its efforts towards the protection of diversity in Iraq, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping to build the capacity of Iraqi civil society organizations (CSOs) in the areas of advocacy, communications and negotiations. To this end, representatives of 44 CSOs from Baghdad,...

  Najaf- Youth are drivers of change in Iraq. A Peace Weekend has been organized in Najaf on 10-11 March 2017, with the support of UNDP’s Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) and generous funding from the Government of Germany. After successful completion of a training on conflict analysis,...

Erbil-The Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI) hosted a Business Forum titled “The role of the private sector in the growth and development of the local economy”. The Forum was supported by UNDP’s Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP), with generous funding from the Government of...

Ninewah, 08 March 2017– For a young Yazidi woman who survived upheaval and displacement in northern Iraq, hope and stability finally arrived in an unexpected form: plump brown quails, and their tiny speckled eggs.  Gulistan, 23, lives in the predominantly Christian and Yazidi district of Alqosh in the northern reaches...

New York- This year, International Women’s Day is devoted to Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. Globalization and technology change are driving that change. It’s important that women are able to succeed in this new world of work.  As it is, a global wage gap persists, with women earning on...

  By Moises Venancio, Adviser, UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States. In Mosul a battle is raging to take back the city from ISIL. As the fighting ends, essential work is ramping up to make sure that people who have been displaced by occupation and war can return to their homes as fast as possible - and stay...

Erbil- Since its establishment in April 2016, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Women Minorities Forum has been developing a common understanding on the needs and priorities of women minorities in Iraq.   On 5 and 6 March 2017, twenty women gathered for a workshop in Erbil to...

Baghdad– The European Union (EU) has contributed around US$14.8 million (€14 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...

Sulaimaniyah- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a workshop over the period of 22-25 February 2017 in Sulaimaniyah to help capacitate staff of Iraq’s Council of Representatives (CoR) on legal drafting and review. Titled Principles and Skills of Legislation Review, the workshop was funded by...

Baghdad– Nearly 300 people, mostly youth, gathered in Baghdad on 25 February 2017 to participate in the second Innovation for Development Forum. Organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Local Area Development Programme (LADP), funded by the European Union (EU), the Forum showcased 24...

Sulaimaniyah- Continuing support to strengthen the role of Iraq’s Council of Representatives (CoR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assisted the National Reconciliation, Accountability and Justice Committee to develop an integrated strategy for the current cycle (until 2018) including vision, mission...

Erbil– The Kingdom of the Netherlands is contributing nearly US$270,000 (€250,000) towards the implementation of the Economic Reform Roadmap, developed by the World Bank in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). The contribution is made under the Funding Facility for...

Baghdad- In collaboration with the Government of Iraq (GoI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has organized a technical workshop with the objective of discussing and improving understanding of gender mainstreaming in environment projects in Iraq. Held on...

Erbil- A total of 27 Iraqi experts and officials discussed and agreed on an outline for Iraq’s actions towards mitigating the cause of climate change that will lead to the finalization of the country’s Roadmap for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA). This outline was the outcome of a technical...

Baghdad- Within its continuing efforts to address sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) in Iraq, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted a workshop on 9 February 2017 at Al Nahrain Centre for Strategic Studies in Baghdad, titled Advancing Understanding of SGBV to Enhance Response. This was...

Baghdad- Informed by the Government of Iraq's ongoing security sector reform efforts and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) Law 20 (2016), the Ministry initiated an assessment and planning process for its institutional level reforms, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Law 20 provides...

Baghdad– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a project document today in Baghdad with the Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq to establish a Funding Facility for Economic Reform (FFER).  Through the Facility, UNDP will support the Government of Iraq to address key economic challenges and...

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 many...

Baghdad – Starting to identify key priorities for reforming Iraq’s criminal justice system was the decision made during the second meeting of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) Criminal Justice Working Group (CJWG), held on 24 January 2017 at Al Nahrain Centre for Strategic Studies in Baghdad. Co-chaired by Iraqi...

Duhok– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women Iraq conducted a three-day training workshop on conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) for 50 representatives of local partners, including legal practitioners, law enforcement officers, social workers, and staff of civil society organizations. ...

Erbil- Over the period of 10-11 and 15-16 January 2017, twenty-eight staff members of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Directorate of Iraq’s Council of Ministers Secretariat (CoMSec) gathered in Erbil to collectively identify difficulties facing the provision of services to local NGOs and develop tools to...

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...

Sulaimaniyah- The EU-UNDP Innovation for Development Initiative, under their joint Local Area Development Programme (LADP), is taking a leading role in enhancing entrepreneurship in Iraq through the promotion of innovation in business. In this context, UNDP organized a four-day training workshop from 18 to 21...

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...