UNDP regional head lauds Turkey for its commitment to sustainable development

ISTANBUL

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional head of Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has lauded Turkey for its commitment to sustainable development in the region, adding Turkey is one of the important partners in the region, particularly in the area of sustainable and inclusive growth.

Cihan Sultanoğlu, UNDP regional head of Europe and the CIS, commended the government of Turkey for its commitment to contribute to the sustainable development of countries in the region.

“Sharing Turkey’s experience in the region and globally is also important in setting a powerful example for other countries to follow,” Sultanoğlu said during a speech at a meeting of representatives of the consulates and international organizations based in Istanbul, during which the representatives from the U.N. Population Fund and U.N. Women spoke about their work in the region.

Sultanoğlu said they were looking forward to working with partners in the region as they walked “the last mile towards the Millennium Development Goals.”

Sultanoğlu’s speech came during a two-day visit to Turkey that included an annual Partnership Dialogue between Turkey and the UNDP, which was signed in 2011 and focuses on the country’s role as a global development partner. The dialogue will agree on a new set of joint initiatives for 2015, and will cover the UNDP’s support to Turkey’s G-20 presidency in 2015.

The dialogue will also review partnerships in the area of effective development cooperation, including a follow-up to last year’s conference in Istanbul on trends and emerging opportunities in international development cooperation. Support to upcoming global events like the U.N. Summit on Sustainable Development and the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development will be on the agenda of the meeting.

Sultanoğlu will also attend the Executive Council Meeting of the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD). The Center builds on Turkey’s convening power and dynamic private sector as well as the UNDP’s global mandate to engage the private sector constructively in supporting global and local efforts to address development challenges.