About UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa

UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) supports Africa’s people, its governments and institutions as they seek to consolidate recent gains and effectively address the challenges that remain. These include persistent inequalities, weak governance institutions, climate change, rapid population growth, stalled industrialization and rising violence.

UNDP's renewed strategic offer in Africa

Guided by the core principle that the Africa region is not homogenous, the Strategic Offer will tailor UNDP’s programmes and operations to context-specific circumstances. The specificities arise from varying levels of development (low vs middle income countries); geographical diadvantages and advantages (Small Island Development States vs larger Landlocked Developing Countries); projected impact of climate change (resilient vs vulnerable); and political stability (stable vs fragile states).

UNDP's Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa  aims to strengthen UNDP’s position as Africa’s premier ENABLER and INTEGRATOR for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Guided by the core principle that the Africa region is not homogenous1, the Strategic Offer will tailor UNDP’s programmes and operations to context-specific circumstances. The specificities arise from varying levels of development (low vs middle income countries); geographical disadvantages and advantages (Small Island Development States vs larger Landlocked Developing Countries); projected impact of climate change (resilient vs vulnerable); and political stability (stable vs fragile states).

Structure

Headquarters

At its New York headquarters, the Regional Bureau for Africa team provides overall strategic oversight, guidance and quality assurance, as well as management, partnerships and communications support and a broader regional analysis, including on global issues.

Regional Service Centre

At the regional level, the Regional Service Centre in Addis Ababa, and sub-regional thematic hubs in Dakar, Nairobi and Pretoria, provide integrated and holistic support to RBA Country Offices and regional partners, such as the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities, across all of UNDP’s areas of work.

The Regional Centre also leads in coordinating the UNDP Regional Programme for Africa, which focuses on supporting groups of countries or regional bodies to work together on addressing common and trans-border development challenges.

Country Offices

At the national level, UNDP Country offices provide proactive support, and respond to country demands, for policy and programme advice, and ensure alignment of country programmes with regional and corporate priorities.

UN system

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.

The Regional Bureau for Africa also contributes to UN reform and coordination efforts by strengthening the UN Resident Coordination system in the region for greater coherence and harmonization of UN Country Teams, and leading the sub-Saharan Africa Regional UN Development Group.