June 11 2015. The actress Misako Konno, the longest-serving UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, and the Japanese retailer Ryohin Keikaku, also known as MUJI, have pledged 1 million and 3 million Yen to support the UNDP rebuilding Nepal. The 7.8 magnitude quake took the lives of more than 8000 people and left millions homeless.

The delegates of 18 African countries, the ILO, the International Organisation for Migration and the World Health Organisation gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, to discuss the effects of infrastructures drive on local communities and populations.

"Large capital projects are a key driver of employment and growth, and for development to be achieved, we must minimise environmental and social damage," commented Ms. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Vice President and Special Envoy on Gender at the African Development Bank (AfDB).

June 17 2015. The Government of the Dominican Republic, the National Cocoa Commission and the United Nations Development Programme have signed an agreement to strengthen the cocoa sector, which employs 40 000 farmers and provide indirect access to employment for about 350 000 people across the nation. "By supporting the National Cocoa Platform and the National Action Plan, UNDP is aiming to improve the governance of the sector," said Lorenzo Jiménez de Luis, UN Resident Coordinator in Dominican Republic.

In preparation for the upcoming Financing for Development Conference scheduled 13 to 16 July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Swiss government, in partnership with the UNDP, hosted a high-level event on the 15th of June. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the role of risk and resilience in Financing for Development.

"There is a disjoint between the way we plan and finance development and the realities of the world we live in," noted Jo Scheuer, UNDP's Director for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. The report of the event will be carried forward during the conference in July.

United Nations Development Chief Helen Clark concluded a 4 days conference in Gaborone, Botswana, which highlighted the challenges and opportunities of the upper-middle income country. Botswana's economy has been one of the fastest growing in the world over the last 40 years. While such a growing economy allows for considerable investment in development, the challenges do not go away, reminded Helen Clark. "UNDP looks forward to continuing its strong relationship with the Government, including on incorporating the forthcoming Sustainable development Goals in the national agenda" she mentioned during her concluding speech.