UNDP lauds Turkey for its commitment to sustainable development in the region

Cihan Sultanoğlu, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, has commended the Turkish government for its commitment to contributing to the sustainable development of countries in the region. Speaking at an annual partnership dialogue meeting with Turkey in Istanbul on Tuesday, Ms. Sultanoğlu said that Turkey is one of the most important partners in the region, particularly in the area of sustainable and inclusive growth. "Sharing Turkey's experience in the region and globally is also important in setting a powerful example for other countries to follow," she said.

The annual Partnership Dialogue between Turkey and the UNDP will take stock of progress made around the global Partnership Framework Agreement signed by Turkey and UNDP in 2011, which 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 UNDP's support to Turkey's G-20 Presidency in 2015.

The Partnership 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 for upcoming global events like the U.N. Summit on Sustainable Development and the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development will be on the meeting's agenda.

On the first day of her visit, Ms. Sultanoğlu with Kenan Ipek, MFA ambassador from Turkey, opened a meeting of representatives of the consulates and international organizations based in Istanbul. Representatives from the U.N. Population Fund and U.N. Women spoke about their work in the region. During her visit, Ms. Sultanoğlu also took part in the Executive Council Meeting of the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, and addressed the consulates and international organizations in Istanbul on the work of the U.N. in the region.