Istanbul now trails New York as global diplomatic center: FM

ISTANBUL

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The United Nations and the Republic of Turkey officially launched the new Istanbul Regional Hub on April 23 in a move that made the intercontinental city “the second global diplomatic center after New York,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said.

The U.N.’s Istanbul Regional Hub provides 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 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. 

“This is actually an indicator of the importance given to Turkey’s foreign policies and Turkey itself by international organizations and other countries,” Çavuşoğlu said during the opening. “Considering the number of diplomatic centers, Istanbul is now second after New York in the world,” he added.

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.