Annual Report 2009 - United Nations Development Programme

Delivering Development Results
The recent economic crisis has brought home the
volatility and fragility of globalization and requires,
more than ever, determined action by organizations
with a global mandate, knowledge and networks.
There is a serious risk that the overwhelming focus
on stimulating economies in rich countries ignores
the daily struggle for survival of the poor, who
remain beyond the spotlight. The “rich man’s” worry
should not become the “poor man’s” plight.
UNDP, as part of the UN family, plays a key role
in ensuring that the poor do not remain excluded
from decisions and actions in order to avert a potential
human development crisis. Demand for the kind
of support that UNDP can offer in a time of crisis
– including policy advice, development support,
and operational assistance – is high. UNDP uses
human development knowledge and good practices
in capacity development to support investments that
address the threats of hunger, poverty, unemployment
and climate change in countries where we work.
Since Kemal Derviş (Administrator until March
2009) and I joined UNDP, we have seen the organization
make great strides at the country level in
contributing to real improvement in people’s lives.
The dedicated women and men of UNDP have provided
support to a historic election in Bangladesh;
assisted governments in monitoring progress towards
the MDGs in Madagascar, Pakistan and Uganda;
delivered life-saving support to the victims of natural
disaster in Haiti and Myanmar and escalated violence
in Gaza; and ensured that a year’s planting cycle for
farmers was not lost by the conflict in Georgia. These
are just a handful of examples from 2008 that illustrate
the versatility of the organization in delivering results
on the ground, and in often challenging situations.
Despite progress made, we need to continually
check that our contribution to development remains
relevant and that our quality and impact is optimal.
We need to scale up our support to ensure capacities
are strengthened at the national level to deliver
UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert (left)
and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Joel Boutroue
(right) assessing flood-affected areas caused by
Hurricane Gustav on a map of Haiti.
on the commitments of the MDGs in an inclusive
manner that draws on South-South experiences. Our
role in early recovery is paramount to leading the
UN system in the immediate aftermath of conflict
and disaster to ensure that development gains are
not reversed. And behind the much-warranted global
attention to climate change, we must not forget
that access to energy at the local level is a basic precondition
to addressing poverty. All this we cannot
– and should not – do alone. We continue to “Deliver
as One” with our partners in the UN development
system – which Kemal so ably spearheaded – and to
advance reforms, focusing more on substance as the
driver of coordination. These are some of the challenges
for the future.
I am sure that Helen Clark, UNDP’s new
Administrator, will take up these challenges to ensure
that the organization builds on the achievements of
the past while remaining a crucial bedrock of reliability
for our partners in developing countries in these
volatile times. Given Helen’s record in politics and
her motivation to strive for equality and inclusion in
society, UNDP and the wider UN system can be proud
that she has taken the helm of a great family.
Ad Melkert
Associate Administrator
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