Partnering with UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, concentrating its efforts in three focus areas: sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
FAO and UNDP acknowledge the interdependence of agriculture, rural development, and larger development concerns, and through their collaboration, promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural systems, help support the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, address the climate crisis and ensure food security for all.
FAO and UNDP jointly support national governments through integrated policy work across the SDGs, providing data, methods, capabilities and platforms that are needed for the analysis, planning and implementation of development solutions.
Global Frameworks
There are several synergies between FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31, including the Four Betters, and UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, which has three major directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and building resilience.
Building on areas of common interest, in September 2019, FAO and UNDP signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is active for a period of five-years and emphasizes priorities for combined action at the global, regional, and national levels.
The MoU defines overarching areas as priorities in the enhanced collaboration between the FAO and UNDP, as follows:
- Deepening understanding and ensuing action on the interrelated disciplines of sustainable agriculture, the management of natural resources, improving food security and addressing climate change.
- Committing to explore collaborative arrangements to support countries on Sustainable Food Systems.
- Strengthening collaboration on and supporting countries on advancing agricultural/ecosystem-based livelihood enhancement and diversification.
- Committing to continue strategic collaboration in ongoing initiatives and working as “One UN”.
- Strengthening collaboration on advancing the 2030 Agenda at global, regional and national levels.
- Aligning support to countries in advancing rural poverty reduction and the eradication of extreme poverty in rural areas.
- Strengthening collaboration on the implementation of the Global Action Programme on Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- Identifying and collaborating on strategic opportunities to support countries in the design and implementation of projects.
Memberships
FAO and UNDP are Members of several groups and initiatives at both global and country-level to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Below are a few highlights:
Both are Members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a high-level forum for joint policy formation and decision-making, which guides, supports, tracks and oversees the coordination of development operations in 162 countries and territories.
Together with other UN entities, FAO and UNDP are founding entities of the UN Integrated Policy Practitioners Network (IPPN). Established in 2021, the IPPN operates as a knowledge hub and promotes collective learning and experience sharing on the practice of policy integration for the achievement of the SDGs.
