Russia-UNDP Partnership

Since the closure of UNDP’s Country Office in the Russian Federation in 2010, UNDP and Russia have entered a new stage of partnership, focused on Russia’s growing role as a donor. 
The UNDP-Russia Partnership consists of more than 70 completed and ongoing projects in 38 countries. It exceeds US$150 million in total volume and has reached over 6.5 million direct beneficiaries, supporting countries in keeping people out of poverty, providing sustainable livelihoods, access to employment, community infrastructure, climate-smart and disaster-proof solutions. 
Thematic priority areas include sustainable development, poverty reduction, rural development, sustainable management of water resources, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction and early preparedness to emergencies, post-disaster response and early recovery, sustainable energy.
All project proposals stem from national demand and are part of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the UNDP Country Programme in the respective country. 
All projects are implemented by UNDP Country Offices fully in line with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures, including for procurement, monitoring and evaluation.

A greenhouse in Vose district, Tajikistan, helps develop the local economy, improve the welfare of the rural population and provide access to the vegetables all round a year. Photo: Nozim Kalandar / UNDP 

The regional project “Knowledge Management and Capacity Development in Russia-UNDP Partnership” was launched in 2016 to support the newly established Russia-UNDP Partnership and Trust Fund for Development by enhancing expertise and knowledge-sharing between Russia and partner countries, including by facilitating the involvement of Russian experts in the implementation of development programmes around the world. 

The KM project uses various mechanisms to achieve sustainable, scalable development impact in partner countries: 
 

1. Experts on Demand programme with over 120 expert assignments completed in 12 countries to meet requests of UNDP COs’ national partners;  
   The Russian EoD Programme supports UNDP partner countries in addressing development challenges by sharing Russian knowledge, hands-on experience, and know-how via Russian experts’ deployment for on-demand short-term assignments. The modality envisages desk work, online communications, and events via digital communication tools, and missions to the country of the assignment if needed, with provision of key outputs (e.g., small-scale feasibility studies, recommendations for government officials, trainings, workshops, contributions to conferences and various types of targeted technical consultations). 
   Since 2017, more than 100 Russian experts have completed short-term assignments for UNDP COs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
2. Database of Russian experts, which has proved to be a very useful tool for locating and identifying Russian expertise, including for the EoD programme, contains 20 thematic areas linked to the SDGs with over 400 expert profiles, and counting; 
3. Funding the participation of Russian experts in international events focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
   To facilitate knowledge exchange and raise awareness on development issues, as well as to share Russian expertise globally, the KM project supports the travel of experts to present Russian knowledge and development solutions at international forums related to SDGs held outside of Russia.
4. Russian Challenge Fund introducing innovative solutions of Russian institutions to partner countries; 
5. Internship programme with 50 Master’s students who have successfully completed  their 3-6 month assignments (including parallel funding from the Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO); 
6. UN Volunteers Full Funding Programme  for Russian citizens, with 57 UN volunteers deployed in 33 countries and territories since 2018.