New York - A high-level strategic dialogue reaffirmed that the partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Türkiye plays an important role in advancing sustainable, equitable and peaceful development at the global, regional and country levels.  

The robust partnership harnesses Türkiye’s geopolitical stance and substantial development expertise, fostering innovative sustainable development solutions across multiple focus areas and enhancing the capacity to address emerging challenges collaboratively. Spanning several decades, the partnership with Türkiye gained new impetus in 2011 with the signature of the Partnership Framework Agreement. Today, Türkiye hosts both the UNDP's Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) and the Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) and serves as the most significant supporter of UNDP’s regional programme in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Türkiye is one of the few contributors to UNDP's core resources with multi-year pledges. In addition, Türkiye and UNDP maintain a close relationship at the country level, where UNDP implements a large and diverse programme in support of national development priorities.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, who opened the consultations, expressed gratitude for the dynamic partnership, emphasizing the strategic alignment between Türkiye’s vision to support Agenda 2030 and UNDP’s mission. “UNDP’s collaboration with Türkiye across global, regional and country levels amplifies our impact on critical issues, including green and just transitions, innovation, private sector involvement and rapid crisis response. These efforts are critical for accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said the Administrator.

The consultations, co-chaired by Ms. Ivana Živković, Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS and Esen Altuğ, Director General of Multilateral Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, provided a timely opportunity to reinforce this vital collaboration and discuss ways to further elevate impact. 

Ambassador Altuğ emphasized Türkiye's dedication to fostering sustainable development solutions, stating, “Türkiye will continue to play a prominent role in supporting the SDGs globally in cooperation with its partners. Our longstanding partnership with UNDP will remain a critical enabler to implement this vision.”

The consultation, attended by key stakeholders from both sides, delved into pressing global challenges, emphasizing climate action, digitalization, and support for least-developed countries. Discussions also emphasized the importance of multilateralism in addressing global challenges and the emerging role of Istanbul as a key UN hub.

The partnership consultations took place just days after the Government of Türkiye generously reconfirmed its multi-annual contributions to UNDP’s core resources and the regional programme in Europe and the CIS, for three years covering 2025 to 2027. 

This new funding comes on top of prior contributions by the Government of Türkiye to UNDP over the last ten years. UNDP's core resources are the pillar of its support to the world’s poorest countries and conflict and crisis settings. These resources allow UNDP to remain agile in diverse and dynamic situations and to leverage financing for the SDGs. Türkiye’s commitment to the regional programme is critical for fostering multi-sectoral and integrated solutions across Europe and Central Asia, capitalizing on UNDP’s innovations and thought leadership.   

With this renewed commitment of partnership, Türkiye and UNDP will continue to jointly shape a sustainable framework for future generations, including in increasingly complex development settings and fragile contexts, building on the immense potential of Türkiye.