United Nations Development Programme

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, expertise, and resources to help people build a better life. At present, UNDP is on the ground in 177 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP's main goal is to help developing countries build their own national capacity to achieve sustainable human development; that is, to improve people's lives on an enduring basis - their work, their education, their health, their surroundings and their use of natural resources.

At the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders put development at the heart of the global agenda by adopting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which set clear targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women by 2015. UNDP uses its global network to help the UN system and its partners raise awareness and track progress, while it connects countries to the knowledge and resources needed to achieve these goals. Our substantive focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of: democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, environment and energy and HIV/AIDS.  

UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women. The Annual Human Development Report, commissioned by the UNDP, focuses the global debate on key development issues, providing new measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. The global Reports' analytical framework and inclusive approach carry over into regional, national, and local Human Development Reports which are also supported by the UNDP. In each country office, the UNDP Resident Represenative normally also serves as the Resident Coordinator of development activities for the United Nations system as a whole. Through such coordination, the UNDP seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international aid resources.

United Nations Development Programme - Kosovo

The primary and overarching objective of the United Nations Development Programme in Kosovo is the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development, including the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, and promotion of United Nations fundamental principles. The core dimension in our approach is investing in human development, wealth creation (with emphasis on issues such as entrepreneurship, job creation), institutional reform, and capacity development. The empowerment of women is key to all development initiatives meaning that gender equality is a core part of all policy strategies. The MDG agenda and the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of development include many development activities from democratic governance, economic and social reforms, conflict prevention, social justice, promotion of access to public services, the environment and sustainable management of natural resources, pro-poor economic growth, trade development, gender equality, and social inclusion. The United Nations Development Programme in Kosovo addresses these challenges and helps through three practice areas: Democratic Governance, Inclusive Growth and Policy Research, Gender and Communication.

Since 1999, the United Nations Development Programme has earned a strong reputation as an independent and experienced partner in the effort to rebuild Kosovo. After the initial period of post-conflict reconstruction, it has helped establish and develop local institutions. Kosovo is now on a new phase of development. The international community is scaling down its presence, and local authorities are taking on the responsbilities for leading development process and managing European integration. However, Kosovo faces a daunting task in coping with some of the taughest economic and social conditions. The UNDP is ideally placed to help the Kosovan people and institutions in overcoming these challenges. Our support comes in numerous forms and uses experience gained from developing economies around the world.

UNDP will contribute to Kosovo's priorities and development of capacities of various partners through two programme components: inclusive growth and development, and democratic governance. UNDP offers comparative advantages in these areas, drawing on its global knowledge base, best practices, lessons learnt, and past cooperation. Efforts will continue to reinforce mainstreaming gender equality and women empowerment across the programme and greater attention will be devoted to embedding a more coherent strategy for civil society engagement and research-based programming across all development interventions.

How do we get funding?

The United Nations Development Programme global budget is used as seed money to develop programmes and projects. The projects developed with our partners are then referred to potential bilateral and multilateral donors. The seed funds make less than three and a half percent of our total delivery. For a more thorough description of programme delivery and donors, please visit their respective pages.

Organisation and Management

United Nations Development Programme - Kosovo Office is led by the Resident Representative Ms. Osnat Lubrani, who is also the UN Development Coordinator.  The Deputy Resident Representative is Ms. Steliana Nedera. The office's senior management also includes the Chief of Operations, Mr. Shpend Selimi, and Senior Gender Advisor, Ms. Jocelyne Talbot. The mid-level management includes Programme Coordinators and Programme Analysts.

How do we do business?

All of the supplies for the office and project implementation are done through open tendering bids. The United Nations Development Programme publishes all tender notices in local and international newspapers and on its homepage. While all supplies are subject to the open tendering process, actual procedures may vary according to the value of the tender.