United Nations Development Programme

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the United Nations' global development network, present in approximately 170 countries and territories, working to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build resilience to crises and disasters; established in 1965, UNDP works through national governments to support capacity building, democratic governance, climate change adaptation, and recovery from conflict and natural disasters; it coordinates the UN's sustainable development goals monitoring and reporting, manages the global Human Development Index — a composite measure of health, education, and living standards that provides an alternative to GDP-only measures of development — and serves as a key coordinator of UN system development activities in country; UNDP's resident coordinators lead the UN country teams that integrate the work of multiple UN agencies at the national level; critics have questioned UNDP's effectiveness relative to bilateral donors, the coherence of its mandate, and the extent to which it genuinely promotes nationally-owned development processes versus implementing international donors' agendas