A partner of choice

Partnership is at the heart of everything UNDP does. We offer a nearly universal presence. Our substantial expertise—both intellectual acumen and practical experience—cuts across diverse development issues and settings. These valuable assets combined with our long legacy of trust have made us a global partner of choice.

Governments

At approximately US$5 billion annually, donor and programme country contributions to UNDP represent one-quarter of all contributions to the United Nations development system.

Learn more about the contributing countries that make UNDP’s work possible.

United Nations System

The UNDP Administrator is the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which unites the 40 UN entities that contribute to the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the country level and which collectively constitute the UN development system (UNDS). The UNSDG provides strategic direction and oversight to ensure UNDS entities deliver coherent, effective and efficient support to countries seeking to achieve sustainable development. As UNSDG Vice-Chair, the Administrator convenes the UNSDG Core Group comprised of the Executive Heads of DESA, FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, WFP, WHO and the rotating chairs of the Regional Economic Commissions. UNDP’s integrator mandate serves both as a foundation for a strong UN development system, and as a key provider of integrated services and platforms in support of a coherent UN system approach to the achievement of the SDGs.

International Financial Institutions

International Financial Institutions (IFIs) are an important source of development funding. They account for a large portion of the non-core (earmarked, project-specific) funding of UNDP. UNDP has formal agreements with some IFIs (the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank), and is working on additional agreements.

Private Sector

The private sector can make an important contribution to development by fostering innovation, providing funding and promoting entrepreneurship in developing countries. In many of our programme countries the preconditions for private sector development and the emergence of inclusive markets (i.e. markets that extend choice and opportunity to the poor as producers, consumers and wage earners) are not yet in place. To facilitate inclusive market development, UNDP focuses on connecting and integrating local producers with domestic and global markets.

Foundations

Both global and local foundations are providing strong backing for UNDP's development activities. We recognize the tremendous knowledge that foundations offer, ranging from governance and environment to health and financial inclusion; and work with them at the community level to better address local issues.

Civil Society Organizations

For UNDP, civil society constitutes the full range of formal and informal organizations that are outside the state and market. This includes social movements, volunteer organizations, indigenous peoples' organizations, mass-based membership organizations, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations, as well as communities and citizens acting individually and collectively.

UNDP partners with civil society organizations in programme implementation and policy advocacy. At the country level, this often means working with them to provide basic services in the areas of health, education, water delivery, agricultural extension and micro-credit provision.

Goodwill Ambassadors and Advocates

UNDP has long enlisted the voluntary services and support of prominent figures as Goodwill Ambassadors and Advocates to shine a spotlight on important issues affecting our planet and its people. These well-known individuals are at the top of their field—whether it's film, television, music, art or sports— and share a commitment to making the planet a better place.