Madrid, 9 October 2026 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has officially established a new office in Madrid, reinforcing its longstanding partnership and collaboration with Spain, a leading supporter of international development and multilateral cooperation.      

UNDP Administrator Alexander de Croo joined Spain’s  Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno at the opening ceremony, where they highlighted their shared commitment to multilateralism and sustainable human development. Together, they underscored the importance of partnering to address today’s critical challenges; including financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reducing inequality, combating climate change, and strengthening crisis resilience.       

"The opening of the UNDP offices in Spain fulfils one of the main objectives of the Seville Plan—launched during the Fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development in July 2025—namely, to provide a home for multilateral institutions by hosting headquarters of United Nations system bodies in our country," said José Manuel Albares Bueno, Spain’s  Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.       

“Development cooperation is an investment in shared stability. Instability crosses borders, but so does prosperity. In a world facing so many insecurities, we need multilateralism that adapts and delivers. Our new office in Madrid is about getting things done: working with Spain to fight poverty, advance human development and unlock sustainable finance, delivering real results for people across the developing world,” said Alexander DeCroo, UNDP Administrator.      

The new UNDP's office in Spain is part of UNDP’s effort to consolidate its global presence and collaborate more closely with its partners and beneficiaries. Madrid will now serve as a key hub for advancing shared priorities in sustainable development finance, including the Sevilla Commitment, aimed at closing the global financing gap for achieving the SDGs.      

The launch comes at a crucial time, as countries face growing pressure in widening inequalities, climate action, conflicts and increasingly complex development challenges. The partnership between Spain and UNDP seeks to respond to these challenges by combining Spain’s development cooperation leadership with UNDP’s global presence, policy expertise and ability to support integrated solutions on the ground.      

As part his visit to Madrid, the UNDP Administrator signed the 2026–2029 Spain–UNDP Strategic Partnership Framework and the 2026 Memorandum of Understanding between the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and UNDP with Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno.      

The Spain–UNDP Strategic Partnership Framework 2026–2029 provides a renewed foundation for cooperation around four priority areas: sustainable development finance and the fight against poverty and inequalities; democratic governance and institution-building; environmental sustainability and climate action; and crisis resilience and the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Gender equality, localization, and digital transformation will be advanced as cross-cutting priorities.      

The framework also places a stronger emphasis on gender equality, localization, and digital transformation as cross-cutting priorities, while establishing a stronger mechanism for strategic dialogue, coordination, and results monitoring.      

The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and UNDP 2026 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets the contribution for 2026–2028 for UNDP’s work on Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF), Climate Promise, SDG localization in Cabo Verde, Mine Action and reconstruction of educational facilities in Ukraine, and Nexus Academy. The MoU reflects the continued strength and breadth of the AECID–UNDP partnership and provides a framework for predictable, multi-year support in particular  for INFF and the Nexus Academy.