Qatar commits 16 million to UNDP in multiyear agreement

Provides an additional $20 Million as ‘Launch Partner’ to Accelerator Labs in 60 Countries

December 16, 2018

Doha, 16 Dec. – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has welcomed a two-year commitment by the government of Qatar for $16 million to its 2019 and 2020 core resources and an additional $20 million to help fund UNDP’s Accelerator Labs and become a ‘launch partner.’

The pioneering Accelerator Labs will be launched in January 2019 in 60 developing countries.   These Labs will become integral to UNDP’s existing country-based teams and infrastructure, and will enable UNDP to connect its global network and development expertise spanning 170 countries, with a more agile, innovation capacity to support countries in their national development priorities.

“We thank the government of Qatar for their strong investment to UNDP’s core capacity and for their support to our cutting-edge Accelerator Labs initiative,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner today in Doha.  “It is my hope that by supporting and connecting a diverse group of government actors, entrepreneurs, academics, and civil society with global networks of development innovation and best practice, we can surface nationally inspired solutions that will accelerate and scale up progress towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Germany announced last week that it would also support the Accelerator Labs and be a launch partner.

Mr. Steiner and Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development, signed a Partnership Framework Agreement for the next four years where they agreed to partner to advance the Sustainable Development Goals globally and involve young Qatari professionals in the UN’s development work as Junior Professional Officers (JPOs).

"We are proud to collaborate with such an important partner to contribute to bridging the gap between humanitarian and development work. " said Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration with UNDP to address the underlying risks and enhance resilience to crises.”

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.  At its heart are the 17 SDGs, an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

UNDP works in over 170 countries, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion.  The Accelerator Labs will be connected and supported by a global learning network and a wide array of partners to build on work already done by UNDP in incubating policy and innovation in labs in over a dozen countries.