The United Nations Development Programme partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

World leaders have pledged to achieve The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the overarching goal of reducing poverty in half by 2015. UNDP has a key role in coordinating global and national efforts to reach these goals. Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:

• Democratic Governance
• Poverty Reduction
• Crisis Prevention and Recovery
• Energy and Environment
• HIV/AIDs

UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights, and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. We are committed to facilitating south-south cooperation, and building national capacities for sustainable human development.

What We Do in Iraq

Iraq was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945. UNDP has been present in Iraq for more than 35 years, and currently operates under an agreement signed in 1976 between UNDP and the then Government of Iraq.

UNDP Iraq has its main office in Baghdad and offices in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region. As a result of the bombing of UN Headquarters in Baghdad in 2003, UNDP Iraq opened an office in Amman, Jordan. At present, UNDP Iraq has 151 employees.

UNDP is part of the UN Country Team in Iraq, which is comprised of 16 resident and 4 non-resident agencies. The UN Country Team is part of the integrated mission with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which was established in 2003. UNDP works alongside the UN Country Team to strengthen its coordinated effectiveness with the overall aim of achieving the MDGs. UNDP enables the work of the Country Team by undertaking a number of joint programmes to improve networking and information exchange capacities and reach a broader range of stakeholders and areas of Iraq. In 2011 UNDP led 18 joint programmes addressing complex development issues. UNDP is also taking the lead in a number of multi-agency programmes, including Private Sector Development and Public Sector Modernisation.

The UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Jacqueline Badcock serves as the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNAMI Deputy Special Representative (Development and Humanitarian Support) of the Secretary-General. Read the 2010 Resident Coordinator Annual Report.

UNDP’s work in Iraq is closely linked with the priorities of the Government and the United Nations in Iraq. UNDP Iraq signed its first Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) for the period 2011-2014 with the Government in March 2011. The CPAP is fully aligned with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2011-2014) – a joint document of United Nations agencies in Iraq and the Government of Iraq’s National Development Plan (2010-2014).

The UNDP programmes are prepared in consultation with the Government, the civil society, the United Nations and other development partners. As the Government coordinating agency, the Ministry of Planning heads the Country Programme Board, which guides the implementation of the CPAP.

The current programme priorities for UNDP Iraq are:

• Democratic Governance
  • Fostering Inclusive Participation.Government of Iraq and civil society have strengthened participatory mechanisms for electoral processes, national dialogue and reconciliation.
  
  
  • Strengthening Accountable and Responsive Governing Institutions. Enhanced rule of law, protection and respect for humanrights in line with international standards.
  
  
  • Grounding Democratic Governance in International Principles. Strengthened regulatory frameworks, institutions and processes in place for accountable, transparent and participatory governance at national and local levels.
• Economic Recovery and Poverty Alleviation
  • Promoting Inclusive Growth, Gender Equality, Climate Change, Mitigation and Adaptation and MDG Achievement. Government of Iraq has the institutional framework to develop and implement MDG-based pro-poor, equitable and inclusive socio-economic and environmental policies and strategies.
  
  
  • Restoring the Foundations for Development. Enabling policy and frameworks for rapid economic recovery, inclusive and diversified growth and private sector development.