UNDP Is Lead UN Agency on Democratic Governance

UNDP supports one in three parliaments in the developing world and an election somewhere in the world every two weeks.

In 2010, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) invested more than US$1.36 billion in 130 countries in the area of democratic governance, making it the lead agency for democratic and effective governance in the United Nations system.

UNDP supports governments to establish effective, fair, responsive, and independent electoral, justice, and security institutions and processes that promote rule of law and resilience, particularly for women and for marginalized and vulnerable groups. More than half of UNDP’s democratic governance spending goes to support the world’s 48 Least Developed Countries, as well as those countries facing unique development challenges such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia.

UNDP Response to Arab Region

South Sudan: Justice workshop for traditional authorities

The results below constitute a selection of UNDP’s 2010 work.

Fostering Inclusive Participation

UNDP deepens inclusive democracy in four areas: Civic Engagement, Electoral Systems and Processes, Parliamentary Development, and E-Governance and Access to Information. UNDP provided electoral support to 60 developing countries, about half of which held elections in 2010.

  • For the January 2011 South SudanReferendum, UNDP, through the UN Integrated Referendum and Electoral Division, managed donor funds of more than US$56 million, procured 3,160 registration kits, 7.5 million ballots, and 8,500 polling booths, and delivered polling materials via commercial trucks, helicopters, and air drops. UNDP also supported voter education and media training, and it deployed more than 500 domestic electoral observers to 62 counties during the voter registration period. UNDP has also placed rule-of-law specialists in all 10 states of South Sudan.
  • For Haiti’s legislative election and two rounds of presidential elections, UNDP provided technical, operational, and managerial support and advice, managing $20.2 million for the 2010-2011 electoral cycle, acquiring and distributing 24,000 electoral kits, helping to set up a Vote Tabulation Centre, and supporting the Provisional Electoral Council. UNDP also trained the Council’s technical staff to manage vote tabulation and electoral lists.
  • In Tanzania, in the runup to the fourth multi-party general election in October 2010, the multi-donor $28 million UNDP Election Support Project was involved in preparatory activities, including technical assistance to election management bodies, procurement of electoral materials, and voter registration equipment. The project provided NGOs with grants for voter education projects focusing on women, disabled people, and marginalized groups, as well as electoral training for 21 judges, 788 female candidates, 360 women’s association members, 5,000 party officials, and 9,000 police personnel.

Promoting Responsive Governing Institutions

2010 was the inaugural year for implementation of a global programme to accelerate access to justice and rule of law for human development. While prioritizing rule-of-law support for those countries farthest from achieving the MDGs, UNDP also supported efforts around the world to uphold judicial and transparency standards and increase compliance with international human rights obligations.

  • In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNDP support construction of 38 public and military offices and 930 sanitary facilities in the country’s conflict-affected eastern region. This improved the working and living conditions of 7,000 soldiers and their families. UNDP strengthened the judicial response to sexual violence by working with a range of partners to train 72 police officers on gender and sexual violence sensitization.
  • In Afghanistan, UNDP helped establish the Human Rights Support Unit in the Ministry of Justice and provided human rights legal awareness training to 55 judges, 59 prosecutors, 638 religious leaders, 465 teachers, and 46,500 students. It also conducted a nationwide media campaign on access to justice and human rights.
  • In Georgia, UNDP supported the Legal Aid Service in opening 11 offices and three consultation centres across the country, near populations most in need of legal services. In 2010, the service received more than 20,000 applications for legal assistance. UNDP also supported training of lawyers and the public on civil rights.
  • In Iraq, UNDP worked with the government to develop andlaunch a national anti-corruption strategy at the national, governorate, andprovincial levels. This effort included implementation of a national roll-out as well as the training of national, regional, and local officials on the UN convention against corruption and other policies and measures to combat corruption.
  • In Cambodia, UNDP has supported the government’s 10-year National Programme for Sub-National Democratic Development, which in 2010 helped 15,000 more children go to preschool—nearly half of them girls.

Mainstreaming International Principles

Through partnerships with several UN agencies, UNDP works under the auspices of international legislation tackling corruption and upholding women’s and human rights to further development goals.

  • In Afghanistan, women won 27 percent of parliamentary seats, exceeding a 25 percent quota reserved for them at September 2010 elections, following a programme of UNDP electoral assistance that included awareness-raising and training on gender-related issues.
  • In Liberia, UNDP trained some 17,000 destitute women, including many survivors of violence, in obtaining microfinance loans. In less than a year, these loans helped recipients in setting up as many as 50 businesses, mainly in small-scale agriculture and agro-processing, goods trading, and marketing.
  • In Indonesia, UNDP supported the Government in formulating a comprehensive national strategy on access to justice. UNDP also provided legal information, advice, and other forms of assistance to over 450,000 people facing problems such as land disputes, discrimination, and corruption.
  • In Rwanda, UNDP continues to support institutional reform that promotes decentralized, transparent local government, benefiting more than 700,000 people in the rural districts of Gicumbi and Rulindo.

Learn more about UNDP’s projects, publications, and initiatives in Democratic Governance

Empowered lives.

Resilient nations.

UNDP is the United Nations global development organization, on the ground in 177 countries and territories and focused on democratic and effective governance, crisis prevention & recovery, climate change & energy, and poverty reduction. Follow us on facebook│flickr│twitter│youtube