News
Circle Foundation announces support for United Nations Development Programme and World Food Programme to advance digital payments for development and humanitarian action
NEW YORK — [September 25, 2026] — Circle Foundation, a philanthropic initiative supported by Circle Internet Group, Inc.’s (NYSE: CRCL) 1% equity commitment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP), today announced two initiatives to…
UNDP releases 2025 Slovak Transformation Fund Annual Report
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia has published the 2025 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), highlighting how cities across the region are strengthening their capacity to manage complex urban transitions and connect…
M4EG: Leading cities when the compass fails
Originally posted at M4EG’s website, read the full article here. When familiar maps no longer work and the compass starts to spin, leadership is about learning to navigate the unknown. Tools alone are not the…
M4EG: What if the project is not the point?
Originally posted at M4EG’s website, read the full article here. Cities rarely move in straight lines. A tourism problem is also a skills problem, a public-service problem, a business-confidence problem and often a community-belief problem.…
UNDP and DFINITY Foundation collaborate on exploring sovereign cloud infrastructure and decentralized AI deployment for public good
New York, Istanbul, Zurich, 25 August — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the DFINITY Foundation today announced a new partnership to explore the deployment of sovereign cloud infrastructure and decentralized artificial intelligence to…
UNDP AltFinLab invites UN teams to apply for the 2026 SDG Blockchain Accelerator
The UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab) has launched an open call for the third edition of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, inviting UNDP Country Offices and other UN entities to submit development challenges linked to active…
UNDP releases 2025 Slovak Transformation Fund Annual Report
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia has published the 2025 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), highlighting how cities across the region are strengthening their capacity to manage…
M4EG: Leading cities when the compass fails
Originally posted at M4EG’s website, read the full article here. When familiar maps no longer work and the compass starts to spin, leadership is about learning to navigate the unknown. Tools alone are not the…
What blockchain VDAP opens for UNDP colleagues
UNDP teams are increasingly being asked to make sense of fast-changing digital systems before the institutional playbook is fully written. As part of this shift, blockchain is entering more practical development conversations, and UNDP’s ability…
UNDP convenes municipalities in Podgorica to explore AI for urban transformation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how cities deliver services, manage infrastructure, and make decisions. For many municipalities across Europe and Central Asia, the challenge is not simply adopting AI, but understanding where it genuinely fits their…
UNDP launches CEF x AI programme for municipalities across Europe and Central Asia
Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities for how cities deliver services, make decisions, and manage complex systems. For municipalities, the question is no longer whether AI will play a role, but how to engage with it…
UNDP convenes high-level event in Paris on scaling blockchain for good
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will convene Scaling Blockchain for Public Good, a two-day high-level event bringing together blockchain ecosystem leaders, governments, development organizations, and academic institutions to explore the practical pathways through which blockchain technologies can strengthen public systems and support sustainable development. The programme is organized by UNDP’s Alternative…
New report introduces the Twin Transition Stencil for cities navigating green and digital transformations
UNDP’s City Experiment Fund has released the Twin Transition Stencil Report, presenting a structured framework that was designed to support cities in designing and managing integrated green and digital transformation portfolios. It responds to a common challenge faced by municipalities:…
Listening to Cities: Insights from the 2025 City Experiment Fund Cohort
How do cities understand the needs of their citizens – and turn those insights into meaningful action? As part of the 2025 cycle of the City Experiment Fund (CEF), ten cities across Europe and Central Asia…
City Experiment Fund bootcamp brings cities together in Bratislava
The City Experiment Fund (CEF), a regional UNDP initiative supporting sustainable urban transformation through strategic innovation, is bringing together over 40 participants from across Europe and Central Asia for a two-day kick-off bootcamp in Bratislava,…
UNDP Kazakhstan: Air Quality, Community, and the Right to the City
Everyone has the right to live in cities that are comfortable, accessible, and environmentally clean, where public spaces prioritize human well-being and inclusivity. Indeed, many urban theorists argue that modern city development is overly centered…
When learning questions are met with more questions
At the end of 2023, the Innovation team at UNDP Europe and Central Asia initiated a more structured exploration of how to strengthen the team’s learning muscle. Six months into the process of gathering individual…
UNDP publishes 2023 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia released its 2023 Annual Report for the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF), funded by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic. The annual report…