Democratic Governance

More countries than ever before are working to build democratic governance. Their challenge is to develop institutions and processes that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor, and that promote development. UNDP helps countries strengthen electoral and legislative systems, improve access to justice and public administration and develop a greater capacity to deliver basic services to those most in need.

Our Goals

Through its programmes, UNDP brings people together within nations and around the world, fostering partnerships and sharing ways to promote participation, accountability and effectiveness at all levels. We aim to build effective and capable states that are accountable and transparent, inclusive and responsive — from elections to participation of women and the poor.

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Facts and Figures

UNDP supports one in three parliaments in the developing world and an election every two weeks.
In 2010, UNDP helped over 130 countries and devoted US$1.36 billion* in resources to democratic governance, making UNDP the world's largest provider of democratic governance assistance.
*Total spending tabulated as of August 2011

Our Stories

  • UNDP in Liberia

    Women's role in peacebuilding

    Nearly 1.7 million Liberians, almost half of them women, had a chance to vote in the October 11th elections in 2011, the first organized nationally since More

Projects and Initiatives

Local Governance in Cambodia

Few countries have faced such monumental challenges as Cambodia following the Khmer Rouge regime. Shattered infrastructure, hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and limited subnational governance capacity remained barriers to stability long after the 1993 elections. more

Georgia: Justice for All

Kakha Kisishvili might have gone to jail for a theft he did not commit. Emma Esiava, who had fled from conflict in Abkhazia, might have lost her apartment and ended up on the street. Both escaped these injustices because they were able to seek free help from Georgia’s Legal Aid Service. more

Featured Publications
2010 Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund Annual Report

The 2010 Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF) annual report highlights our ongoing support to 67 country projects awarded under the 2009 and 2010 DGTTF Call for Proposals; our evaluations, analysis and lessons learned from past projects; and continuous promotion of South-South exchange on successful pilot experiences.

Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing Human Development through Participation and Innovation

Mobile technologies are opening new channels of communication between people and governments, potentially offering greater access to public information and basic services to all.  By looking at basic concepts, current trends and real life examples, the primer shows how we can harness the potential of mobile technologies to improve development outputs and outcomes at the country level.

Practioner's Guide to Capacity Assessment of Anti-Corruption Agencies

In order to strengthen the capacity of anti-corruption agencies to more effectively discharge their mandates, it is necessary to first assess their existing capacity. Accordingly, this Practitioners' Guide has been developed to assist national anti-corruption officials, as well as UNDP Country Offices and other development partners, to carry out capacity assessment of anti-corruption agencies.

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