UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
Mission/Mandate:
“UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.” (UNDP Website, http://www.undp.org/about, accessed on 1 June 2008)
It works in 166 countries and assists them to develop local capacities, policies and programmes (ibid).
UNDP cooperates with a wide range of partners to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; gender equality and empowerment of women; child mortality reduction; maternal health; fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; environmental sustainability; development of a global partnership for development) (UNDP Website, http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml, accessed on 1 June 2008).
Target group:
Policymakers; developing countries’ governments; UN system; international financial institutions; private sectors; civil society organisations; regions and local authorities.
Objective:
UNDP’s objective is to help countries in finding and building solutions to the challenges of “democratic governance; poverty reduction; crisis prevention and recovery; environment and energy; and HIV/AIDS”. In all its activities, UNDP encourages “the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women” (UNDP Website, http://www.undp.org/about, accessed on 1 June 2008).
Funding:
UNDP’s activities are funded by the UN; donors (EU; governments of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA); international financial institutions (World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Caribbean Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, International Monetary Fund and Islamic Development Bank); foundations (for details see http://www.undp.org/partners/foundations/partners.shtml, accessed on 2 June 2008); as well as private sector contributors (UNDP Website, http://www.undp.org/partners/index.shtml, accessed on 2 June 2008).
Scope of Reporting:
Geographic scope: Most countries of the world.
Thematic scope: Human development, education and literacy, health (including HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases), unemployment, good governance and the rule of law (including juridical system, police, legislature, informal justice), poverty, gender equality, mortality, environment, national development strategies and programmes, economy, social exclusion, discrimination and ethnic division, sustainable growth, social services, agriculture, vulnerability, water and sanitation, living conditions and other issues influencing development.
Reporting methodology:
UNDP’s main publication series, the Human Development Reports (HDRs), are independent publications commissioned by UNDP, which assess the situation in priority areas of national, regional and global development. They are divided into global, regional and national reports. Each report is focused on specific topic(s) important to be considered and dealt with in the development process.
Global HDRs are compiled by the Human Development Report team, with support and assistance of a team of consultants and advisers, among them organisations and individuals active in the respective country, including ministries and other state institutions, universities, other UN agencies (eg UNICEF, UNHCR, UNAIDS, ILO), civil society organisations, etc. They provide comments, suggestions, revision, statistical data and otherwise help in the evaluation of the report. Regional reports are prepared by regional Human Development Units, national reports by commissioned contributors. The preparation of the reports involves research and surveys among the concerned population (cf UNDP Human Development Reports Website, http://hdr.undp.org/en/, accessed on 4 June 2008).
Publication cycle:
Global HDRs are published annually, regional and national HDRs sporadically. Special reports are published irregularly, press releases are sent out daily.
Languages:
English; some reports are also available in the national language of the respective country.
Navigation of website:
The topmenu leads to regional sections, the Website of the Millennium Development Goals, topic chapters (What we do) and the newsroom. The left-hand menu (Publications & Special Initiatives) leads to the UNDP Human Development Reports Website and the Millennium Campaign Website. The UNDP Human Development Reports Website contains national, regional and global reports, statistical data, the Human Development Index, press releases and country fact sheets as well as data by country.
Additional references:
