UNDP
Our partners
UNDP and International Financial Institutions
International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank Group, other multilateral and regional development banks, and national development banks with international objectives, are critical development partners to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to policy expertise, economic analysis and knowledge products, they bring to the table considerable development resources and deep ties to national governments.
IFIs are already important contributors to UNDP’s project-specific (non-core) funding. Since 2010, IFIs have contributed more than $1 billion to UNDP programs. Some of these contributions were provided through direct grants to UNDP, while the majority (approximately 60 per cent) came in the form of Government Cost-Sharing arrangements, through which UNDP provides capacity development or implementation support to national government projects financed by IFI loans.
Forging partnerships
In every region, UNDP is working with Governments and IFIs to leverage development expertise and resources by collaborating on analysis, assessments and planning, pipeline development and project implementation towards shared outcomes to enhance support for national governments and local communities, and improve the sustainability of development efforts.
UNDP recognizes that scaling up its engagement with IFIs is essential to achieving the SDGs, as underscored by the UNDP Strategic Plan. The Financial Institutions (FI) team in UNDP’s Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is working across UNDP to help improve collaboration with IFIs. Please contact the Team with any queries you may have related to IFI-UNDP collaboration.
Current collaboration
UNDP has entered into formal agreements with the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Council of Europe Development Bank, Development Bank of Latin American (CAF), Eurasian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Islamic Development Bank, and the World Bank Group.
UNDP also works closely with national development banks, including KfW, the China Development Bank and BNDES, the Brazilian National Development Bank, and is currently in discussions with emerging banks, namely the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.
Most collaboration with IFIs takes place through one of several modalities. These include:
- Research Research and knowledge products, such as the African Economic Outlook Reports with the African Development Bank;
- Assessments and analysis, such us the joint post-disaster assessments with the World Bank (WB) in places like the Caribbean, Sierra Leone, Ecuador and Haiti; and recovery/peacebuilding assessments with the WB and others in Ukraine, CAR, Cameroon, Nigeria and other countries;
- Partnering through joint priorities or “parallel financing”, working with IFIs on common projects and joint outcomes through separate funding streams, like supporting the development of the Islamic Development Bank’s innovation strategy;
- Project implementation, where at the request of national governments, UNDP supports the design or execution of national development projects funded by IFIs, while developing long-term capacity. Click here to access examples of tripartite collaboration between Governments, IFIs and UNDP globally.
UNDP and IFIs for the Global Goals
- UNDP Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank (June 16 2017)
- Modernising Energy Efficiency of Public and Multi-Apartment Buildings (Jul 7 2017)
- UNDP, Council of Europe Development Bank to boost Development Goals in Europe (Feb 6 2017)
- UNDP To Support Zakat for Development in Indonesia (Mar 15 2017)
- The European Union, the Islamic Development Bank and UNDP launch the Revitalization of Sultan Suleiman and Salah Eddin Streets in East Jerusalem (Dec 13 2016)
- UNDP and Islamic Development Bank Sign Partnership to Support the Sustainable Development Goals (May 18 2016)
Explore more
More marginalized Roma girls and boys are attending compulsory education in the Western Balkans than…
One month before Lebanon holds its first parliamentary elections in nearly a decade, the United…
One year after Somalia declared drought as a national emergency, famine has so far been averted due…
UNDP announced its support to Caribbean leaders gathered today during the launch of a new…
Following the colossal category 5 hurricane that decimated the Caribbean island nation of Dominica…
Remarks at the Small States Forum 2017
Remarks at the Small States Forum 2017
Opening remarks on Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Prevention of Violent Conflict
Statement to the 96th Meeting of the Development Committee.
Statement to the 36th Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee
Closing Remarks at World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings High-Level Seminar
Keynote at co-hosted UNGA side event with Qatar: 'Impact of the SDGs on Development Cooperation’





Last month, hurricanes Maria and Irma laid waste to the Caribbean islands of Barbuda, Dominica,…
In May, the World Bank issued the world’s first bond linked explicitly to the UN Sustainable…
A look at the current state of development funding shows a stark contrast between the price tag to…
How to tackle various forms of risk – from extreme weather events to commodity price shocks, disease…
In the run up to the Ocean Conference that is ongoing, this blog series explores issues related to…
The Caribbean country of Grenada, known by many as ‘Spice Isle’ for its production of nutmeg, cloves…
The benefits of UNDP’s support to Governments to deliver their domestic resources, including loans,…