Sustainable development helps to build peace

The Oslo Governance Centre (OGC) is one of six UNDP Global Policy Centres working with international development issues.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN body for funding and coordination of multilateral development cooperation. It works to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to sustain development results.

Oslo Governance Centre

The primary task of the OGC is to facilitate global knowledge-sharing on governance. First launched in 2002, the centre was re-opened today after a year of restructuring. The OGC is headed by Director Sarah Lister of the UK.

“Inclusive and effective governance is essential for the achievement of sustainable human development – particularly for countries emerging from conflict or crisis, or those transitioning to new political settlements,” says Ms Lister.

The relaunching of the centre was marked with a seminar on the role of the authorities and how supporting sustainable development promotes peacebuilding.

UNDP focuses on the least developed countries and gives special priority to eradicating poverty, establishing democratic regimes, employment, information technology, environmental sustainability, and gender equality and empowerment of women. Since 2000, UNDP has coordinated many of its activities via the UN Millennium Development Goals.

UNDP is a main partner for Norwegian and Nordic development cooperation, with over 2 000 projects in more than 150 countries.

Goodwill Ambassador

In autumn 2003, Crown Prince Haakon was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP. In this capacity he has travelled to a number of countries, with particular focus on the Millennium Development Goals. The Crown Prince has given talks in Norway and abroad on the importance of ensuring that people living in poverty have access to fundamental services such as education, legal assistance, health services and clean energy.