Ireland and UNDP

"It is an affront to our common humanity, five years after the the Millennium Summit, that 30,000 children die each day from easily preventable diseases, or that 100 million people go to bed hungry, or that 100 million children are not receiving a basic education." Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2005.

Supporting Human Rights and Governance in East Timor The Irish government has been supporting Timor-Leste's national govrenance programme. One of the objectives of this programme is to strengthen the human rights capacity of Timor-Leste’s national human rights institution and ombudsman’s body. Read more... News form the Irish Aid website

About the partnership

In the three years running up to the end of 2007, Ireland will have spent € 2 billion on assistance to the world's poorest developing countries. The government has promised to reach the UN target of 0.7% of the gross national income spent on official aid by 2012, ahead of the EU target date of 2015.

UNDP received the bulk of Ireland's funding to UN development agencies. Ireland's contribution to UNDP's regular resources has steadily increased over the past six years. In 2003, it increased by 43% and reached €12.7 million, its highest level ever. More...

Thematic priorities

Ireland's overarching goal is the reduction of poverty, inequality and exclusion. The country's focus areas includ:health, education and food security; preventing and responding to humanitarian emergencies; building better governments, fighting corruption and supporting human rights; fighting HIV/AIDS and other diseases.