Istanbul, April 23 () - The United Nations launched the new Istanbul Regional Hub on Thursday, to provide support to the countries and territories in which the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) works in Europe and the CIS. The Hub also hosts UNICEF and U.N. Women regional offices.
“By locating this knowledge and technical expertise in Istanbul, the UNDP will be well positioned to support and engage with partners in Europe and the CIS on the post-2015 development agenda, which is due to be agreed upon in September of this year” said Helen Clark, Chair of the U.N. Development Group and Administrator of UNDP, in her opening remarks at the inauguration of the Istanbul Regional Hub.
Helen Clark was joined by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topbaş to inaugurate the new Hub and unveil a plaque on the premises at Key Plaza in the Şişli neighborhood of Istanbul.
According to a press release about the inauguration, the support of the Istanbul Regional Hub will enable countries to pursue development paths that are responsive to many issues, including sustainable growth, governance and peace-building, gender equality and women’s empowerment, energy, disaster resilience and climate change and the protection of children’s rights.
In addition, the Istanbul Regional Hub and the Republic of Turkey will jointly advance efforts to promote cooperation and share Turkey’s important development experience with other countries. This strategic partnership recognizes the increasing role of Turkey as an emerging donor for development cooperation across the world.
The Istanbul Regional Hub is co-located with other U.N. agencies, including the U.N. Population Fund, which will strengthen coordination within the U.N. development system. The UNDP has other regional offices in Amman, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Cairo, Dakar and Panama.
