News
UNDP launches global AI Foundations for Municipalities course
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched AI Foundations for Municipalities, a self-paced online course open to municipal staff and public servants worldwide, regardless of their role, technical background or prior knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence is…
The (In)Visible Effects of the M4EG Mission Journey: A Balcony View of the Region
The Narrative of Transformation How we speak about change fundamentally shapes the change itself. In development, it is easy to default to reporting in templates with indicators, inputs, outputs, efficiencies, and deliverables. But working with human systems and our capacity…
UNDP and Exponential Science Foundation launch the Government Blockchain Academy in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Argentina
Istanbul, Lugano, 26 October 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), and the Exponential Science Foundation (ESF) have launched the Government Blockchain Academy in El Salvador, the Dominican…
On foot or by bike: Four new tourist routes to explore in Sireți
Just 17 km from Chișinău, Sireți invites visitors to slow down and discover the village from a different perspective. Four new tourist routes, two for walking and two for cycling, connect the locality’s better-known landmarks…
BOOSTCamp in Warsaw: Innovation ecosystem builders come together
Twelve organisations from Moldova and Ukraine, selected for the BOOST: Innovation Ecosystem Accelerator, will meet at a BOOSTCamp in Warsaw from 13–15 October. Held at the CIC Warsaw Innovation Campus and hosted with Venture Café Warsaw, UNDP BOOST’s…
GrantsFund4Aid concludes successful on-chain grant management pilot
GrantsFund4Aid, an on-chain grant management platform developed by Innofund, has concluded a pilot testing how blockchain technology can support more transparent, traceable and efficient grant management. It successfully disbursed test grants to ten teams participating…
UNDP launches global AI Foundations for Municipalities course
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched AI Foundations for Municipalities, a self-paced online course open to municipal staff and public servants worldwide, regardless of their role, technical background or prior knowledge of artificial…
Green Economy Hub Opens in Kovel, Volyn Oblast, with Support from Slovakia and UNDP
Kovel, Volyn Oblast, 5 October 2026 – Residents, local authorities, civil society and businesses in the city of Kovel now have a shared home for sustainable innovation with the official launch of the Green Economy…
UNDP selects four municipalities to join the CEF x AI programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has selected four municipalities – Skopje, North Macedonia; Rivne, Ukraine; Yerevan, Armenia; and Pristina, Kosovo[1] – for the first phase of the CEF x AI programme, following an application…
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…
With support from Slovakia and UNDP, a Green Economy Hub has opened in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast
On 30 July, the Green Economy Hub was opened in Nizhyn – a new space where residents, local authorities, businesses and academia can work together around a shared goal: to make the community more energy-resilient and…
Where does AI actually help a city? Ten municipalities spent three days finding out
Inside the CEF x AI Bootcamp in Podgorica, Montenegro – and what it taught us about building AI capability in local governments
AI x Cities webinar series: Session 1 – Starting where cities actually are
While information about AI is abundant, space to make sense of what it means in practice is not. That gap between the global AI conversation and where cities in our region actually stand is the focus of the first…
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…
Three Winners at BOOST x CEF Green Urban Tech Sprint Demo Day
Ten startups and non-profits from across Europe and Central Asia gathered virtually on 25 February 2026 for the BOOST x City Experiment Fund (CEF) Green Urban Tech Sprint Demo Day. They pitched green and urban…
The “city of coal” at a critical crossroads of Montenegro’s just transition
At the entrance to Pljevlja, in northern Montenegro, you are met with a familiar sight. Thick smog hides the small town, concealing all its colour and beauty. For most around here – and across the…
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:…