Landmark partnership agreement signed in Davos

Since the closure of UNDP's Country Office in Moscow in 2011, UNDP and Russia have entered a new stage of partnership

Today, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor I. Shuvalov signed a landmark Partnership Framework Agreement between Russian Federation and UNDP during a meeting on the margins of the Davos World Economic Forum.

The Agreement creates a foundation for a long-term strategic partnership with Russia marking a full transition to its role as donor to UNDP. Since the closure of UNDP Country Office in Moscow on 1 January 2011, UNDP and Russia have entered a new stage of partnership, focused on cooperation at the regional and global level, and Russia’s growing donor role.

Since 2011, Russia has already allocated over $20 million dollars to UNDP projects worldwide, including in Belarus, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Syria and Tajikistan, with the most recent contribution of $5 million to a local development programme in Armenia approved just two days ago.

Negotiations are under way on a sustainable funding mechanism in form of a trust fund, which will target assistance to the CIS countries, focusing on rural development, disaster risk reduction, energy efficiency and support to integration processes.