June 2009: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has issued its 2009 Annual Report titled “Living Up to Commitments.” The report focuses on the need to ensure that the global shocks, including the food, energy, climate and economic crises, do not reverse progress achieved on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The report highlights that UNDP is well-positioned to assist countries to mitigate the negative impact of global shocks. It has been helping countries improve procurement and management of food reserves, intensify research and development of higher-yield staple crops, promote energy efficiency, and diversify from traditional fossil fuels. On climate change impacts, such as decreased agricultural production, increased exposure to climate-induced natural disasters, and increased incidence of warmer climate diseases, UNDP has been assisting countries to foster financial and technological solutions to make economies less carbon-intensive, increase access to cleaner energy for household usage, and establish disaster risk reduction and adaptation plans such as early warning systems.
The report emphasizes the need to mainstream climate change into development planning at all levels. It highlights that the UNDP climate change strategy, endorsed in 2008, promotes climate change adaptation and mitigation. The report also provides an overview of UNDP’s capacity building activities in developing countries to appropriately integrate climate risks into national development policy and plans, and to develop adequate financing options. The report notes that UNDP is linking its actions on renewable energy through the development of partnerships, planning tools, public policies and financial instruments, to promote the creation of new markets and jobs. Finally, the annual report mentions UNDP efforts in the first phase of the UN Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries Programme (UN REDD), which is carried out in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the financial support of the Government of Norway. [UNDP Annual Report]