West Africa
Senegal has announced that it will host a new regional training center for legal officials and experts. West Africa has been suffering from endemic corruption for decades, affecting negatively its economy. The primary reasons responsible for the spread of corruption are the lacks of oversight, mechanisms of enforcement and border control. It has been calculated that Africa might be losing up to USD 60 billion from fraud and tax evasion every year. The new center will train legal experts and lawmakers to create more effective anti-corruption policies.
Central African Republic
Representatives of the United Nations have announced that up to USD 21 million would be required in order to support upcoming general elections in Central African Republic. The UNDP and other development partners are leading large development programmes in CAR in order to try to establish and maintain the authority of the government. "We've brought the country to the beginning of the end of the tunnel. If we don't heed its call, we risk falling to an even lower point" said Aurélien Agbénonci, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian and UNDP Resident Representative in CAR.
The latest sectarian violences in CAR have uprooted over 886.000 people and more than half the country's population is now in need of immediate assistance.
Post-2015 Development Agenda
African Middle Income Countries (MICs) and Small Islands Developing States (SIDs) are gathering in Praia, Cabo Verde to reflect upon the Millennium Development Goals, the achievements and to discuss priorities toward the post-2015 development agenda. SIDs have been known to share common issues due to geography and climate, while MICs are facing the middle income trap characterized by a loss of competitiveness and decreasing aid flow.
Various themes will be discussed during the meeting between delegates, including: knowledge and ownership of the post-2015 development agenda, national growth strategies and financing development projects in the particular context of MICs and SIDs.
Climate Change
The UNDP, in partnership with the World Resources Institute, has launched a new guidance tool to support developing countries in preparing for climate targets and actions.
Announced during a climate negotiations meeting in Bonn, Germany, on the 9th of June, the new publication has been designed to assist developing countries as they prepare for their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), a key component of the Paris climate change agreement. "Tackling climate change will require more than a successful conference, it's going to require sustained commitment and a lot of hard work on the ground" commented Stephen Gold, Head of Climate Change within UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support.
UNDP and Russia Partnership
Lastly, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have signed a funding agreement to benefit regional and global development. The initial funding from Russia will reach $25 million over the next four years and will be used to focus on poverty alleviation programmes, disaster risk reduction, emergencies, energy and environment projects in Central Asia.