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Countries across Asia plan ways to foster gender equality in politics

Representatives from 11 countries across Asia developed national plans to increase women’s role in politics during a two-day regional conference in Mongolia.

Timor Leste: On the road to better informed citizens

In the lush mountain-top rural town of Maubisse, central Timor Leste, 250 local residents sit patiently listening to government representatives talk about everything from property law to domestic violence, human rights, birth registration and border passes.

Landmine clearing efforts help boost Angola’s recovery

UNDP has contributed to local efforts by training more than 1,000 demining specialists at the National Demining Institute in recent years.

Rebeca Grynspan: Remarks at the launch of the Global Parliamentary Report

Helen Clark: Opening remarks “Happiness and wellbeing: Defining a new economic paradigm”

Rebeca Grynspan Seminar 2: Funding of UN Operational Activities for Development. What is meant by “critical mass” of core resources?

UN debates putting happiness at centre of development

More than 500 high level government official and representatives from religious organizations, academia and civil society gathered at the United Nations headquarters today to discuss new ways to measure wellbeing and happiness, moving beyond a purely economic paradigm, in a meeting convened by the Government of Bhutan.

Parliaments still vital to public quest for democracy despite fragile trust, new report says

Parliaments today are facing greater public scrutiny and pressure than ever before with fundamental questions on their ability to hold governments to account, but they have never been more essential to the political life of a country, says a joint report launched today by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Helen Clark: Q&A on “Green Conversations” Blog

Author Michael Tobias talks with Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme about the organization’s work on his “Green Conversations” blog.

Helen Clark: Opening speech to UNDP Arab States Regional Meeting of Resident Representatives in Rabat, Morocco

Helen Clark: Opening remarks on the occasion of World Social Work Day

Indonesia: Partnership helps preserve climate and build green economy

Due to its hot and humid climate, Indonesia faces an increasing demand for air conditioners, with a market estimated to reach 2.5 million units annually by 2015.

Helen Clark: "Education and International Development"

Global Human Development Forum adopts ‘Istanbul Declaration’ urging action at ‘Rio+20’

Delegates to the first Global Human Development Forum today unanimously adopted an “Istanbul Declaration” calling on the world community to take bold action against global social inequities and environmental deterioration at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio this June.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia should transition toward sustainable development now, says UN report

Eastern Europe and Central Asia need to remove fossil fuel subsidies, invest in ‘green’ jobs, and establish social protection floors to ensure a sustainable future, according to the findings of a UN report launched today in Istanbul, Turkey.

UN development chief hails progress in Haiti two years after the quake

In her second visit to Haiti after the devastating January 2010 earthquake United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark said she was impressed by the visible progress seen in the capital Port-au-Prince two years after the devastating earthquake that rocked the country killing 200,000 people.

Equator Prize winners announced, awards will be presented during Rio+20

The Equator Initiative announced yesterday the names of twenty-five local community groups to receive the Equator Prize 2012 in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sustainable development.

Helen Clark: Remarks at the inauguration of the “Seismic risk reduction plan for northern Haiti”

Urgent international action needed to combat social inequalities and environmental risks, UN Secretary General says

Social justice and environmental protection are equally urgent and intrinsically linked universal goals, with coordinated global action needed on both fronts at the UN’s ‘Rio+20’ Conference on Sustainable Development in June, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the first Global Human Development Forum.

Colombia: Marginalized groups increasingly involved in local governance

Efforts to engage Colombia’s traditionally marginalized Afro-descendants and indigenous people in local government accountability processes are beginning to pay off, with increased involvement in oversight mechanisms and improved public trust.