Overview 
Women and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, benefit from and contribute to more sustainable and inclusive economic development, with increased economic diversification, improved climate change adaptation and greater resilience to economic shocks.  

Description

i.    Economic and Social Transformation
Leveraging #NextGenUNDP aggregation, visualization, analysis, and reporting tools, UNDP provides cross-cutting policy analysis and research to deliver three elements: first, making local economies work (ensuring economic oversight institutions and state-level tax administration systems are effective). Second, nurturing partnership platforms and frameworks (articulating tools that enable stakeholders at local and national levels to align to and partner to deliver the National Development Plan). And third, strengthening statistical systems for accountability (measuring, reporting, and informing decision-making through articulating aggregative tools). UNDP further works at national and subnational levels on revenue diversification, expansion of fiscal space, and more transparent utilization of public resources.

ii.    Climate Change and Adaptation
Geared towards building the resilience of people against climate shocks and stresses through mitigation and adaptation measures, UNDP’s climate programme provides the enabling environment for policy and programmatic engagements on environmental protection and sustainable use, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster risk management. It is the main mechanism for the country’s engagement and commitment under the Paris Agreement and related international frameworks like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Read More

iii.    Climate, Peace and Security
South Sudan is among the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change, with over 95% of its population dependent on climate-sensitive livelihoods. Widely recognized as a risk multiplier, climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities and fuels conflict over scarce resources. In response, the Climate, Peace and Security Programme is a collaborative initiative that works within an inter-agency framework, including UNMISS, UNDP, and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO). This programme is strategically positioned to fill a critical policy and programmatic gap by providing on-the-ground research and a collaborative framework to address the complex interlinkages between climate change and peace, working across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus.

iv.    Empowering Youth and Women
UNDP is empowering youth and women in seven targeted locations in South Sudan through nurturing their entrepreneurial culture and market-linked skills and enhancing their employability and productive engagement in economic activities. The project also seeks to increase the productivity and labour-absorptive capacities of agriculture and natural resource-linked value chains and private sector enterprises, focusing on young men and women.
UNDP also works closely with the Partnership for Recovery and Resilience to ensure information sharing, joint planning, and coherence.

v.    Trade
UNDP seeks to enhance South Sudan’s presence in international markets by opening its opportunities to increase market access for trade in goods and services, including through creation of a conducive trade policy environment. The programme focuses on strengthening institutional coordination for trade and development, development of market access opportunities, economic diversification strategies, and reinforce platforms for investment and ease of doing business for inclusive trade and private sector development. Support to trade integration contributes to the accomplishment of National Development Strategy objectives related to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

vi.    Durable Solutions

vii.    Emergency and Crisis Response
UNDP has established the South Sudan National Coordination and Operations Centre, in collaboration with the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, to centralize emergency response and recovery efforts. The center serves as a hub for early warning, disaster and climate modelling, response coordination and information dissemination. It promotes an integrated, multisectoral approach to disaster and displacement planning, preparedness and management, which are essential for sustained socioeconomic growth.