Doha, September 20 (QNA) - The partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has expanded since the launch of the agency's Doha office in 2021, shifting from simple financing to global policy, sustainability, innovation and capacity building, a senior UNDP official has said.

Interviewed by Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE UNDP Technical Representative and Head of Doha Office Biplove Choudhary said the partnership connects Qatari institutions to the program's global network of expertise, offices and policy centers, while also enabling Doha to share its development experience and solutions both regionally and globally.

His Excellency said the Doha office's role goes beyond coordination. It is focused on building strategic and multi-dimensional partnerships, developing innovative development solutions, strengthening institutional capacity and streamlining policy dialogue in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Hailing Qatar as one of UNDP's "most principled, credible and committed" partners, he highlighted its support for the agency's initiatives in crisis-hit countries including Syria, Sudan and the Gaza Strip.

In Syria, some of the initiatives have focused on sustaining essential public services and preserving critical government jobs during a sensitive transitional period.

In Sudan, Choudhary said support from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Education Above All (EAA) has helped strengthen youth employment, livelihoods, agricultural production and food security for communities affected by conflict.

In Gaza, the 'Rebuilding Hope' project, implemented by UNDP in cooperation with EAA and QFFD, is among the partnership's flagship programs. It seeks to maintain access to secondary education for young people, with the current phase designed to reach about 90,000 high school students.

Moreover, HE Choudhary said the partnership with Qatar stands out for combining flexible, long-term support with investment in innovation and a shared commitment to working in some of the world's most challenging environments.

He noted that Qatar is contributing to the implementation of UNDP's new 2026–2029 strategic plan, highlighting that Qatar, through QFFD, partnered with Germany, to co-invest and co-found the UNDP Accelerator Labs. The initiative has since expanded into a global network operating in 115 countries, aimed at developing and testing innovative approaches to complex development challenges.

The UNDP sees a growing strategic dimension to its partnership with Qatar because of Doha's growing role in mediation and diplomacy during international crises. Choudhury said there was an integration between Qatar's mediation efforts and UNDP's long-term development work. Diplomacy can help create the political conditions for peace, he said, while development can provide the economic, social and institutional foundations needed to maintain it.

More than half of UNDP projects are implemented in fragile settings, according to Choudhary. In 2025, the organization delivered programs worth USD2.6 billion in crisis contexts, accounting for over half of its global volume of work.

He said the Qatar-UNDP partnership was developing at a time when international development financing is facing growing pressure. According to him, official development assistance fell by about 23 per cent in 2025, while core contributions to UNDP declined by 24 per cent, from USD581 million to approximately USD442 million.

He described core funding as a form of capital capable of leveraging wider development resources and stressed the importance of deepening cooperation with the QFFD. The fund, Choudhary said, has demonstrated an ability to combine development cooperation with investment capacity and a growing interest in innovative financing mechanisms.

HE Choudhary said the digital divide could no longer be defined simply by access to the internet. It also involves infrastructure, skills, institutions and regulatory capacity that enable countries to benefit from artificial intelligence and participate in shaping the rules governing its use.

As part of this effort, UNDP, Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Ooredoo Group launched the Digital Policy Framework for Arab States, covering areas including connectivity, data, public digital infrastructure, and smart systems and applications.

Doha also hosted the High-Level Digital and AI Policy Leaders Forum on September 1 and 2, bringing together government officials, regulators, private-sector leaders, academics and development partners.

As attention turns to the international development agenda ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, UNDP sees Qatar as an increasingly important voice in global discussions, given its combination of commitment to multilateralism, experience in mediation, development cooperation, humanitarian action and investment.

HE Choudhary said UNDP hoped that by 2030 its partnership with Qatar would become more integrated and broader in scope, covering more countries and sectors.

The ultimate measure of success, he said, would be the partnership's ability to help preserve essential services in crisis zones, restore livelihoods, strengthen institutional resilience, create opportunities for young people and enable communities to have a greater role in shaping their future. (QNA)