UNDP regional head of Europe and CIS lauds Turkey for its commitment to sustainable development in the region

Istanbul - Cihan Sultanoğlu, Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, arrived in Istanbul for a two-day visit that includes an annual partnership dialogue with Turkey. She will also take part in the Executive Council Meeting of the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, and address the consulates and international organizations in Istanbul on the work of the UN in the region.

The annual Partnership Dialogue between Turkey and 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 follow-up to last year’s conference in Istanbul on trends and emerging opportunities in international development cooperation. Support to upcoming global events like the UN Summit on Sustainable Development and the UN Conference on Financing for Development will be on the agenda of the meeting.

On the first day of her visit, Ms. Sultanoğlu with Mr. Kenan Ipek, Ambassador, MFA of Turkey, opened a meeting of representatives of the consulates and international organizations based in Istanbul. Representatives from the UN Population Fund and UN Women spoke about their work in the region.

“We look forward to working with partners in the region as we walk the last mile towards the Millennium Development Goals, “said Ms. Sultanoğlu in her opening address to the meeting of 50 representatives of consulates, national and international organizations, and UN agencies based in Istanbul.

Ms. Sultanoğlu commended the Government of Turkey for its commitment to contribute to sustainable development of the countries in the region. She added that Turkey is one of the 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.

Ms. Sultanoğlu’s trip will also include an Executive Council Meeting of the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD). The Center builds on Turkey’s convening power and dynamic private sector as well as UNDP’s global mandate to engage the private sector constructively in supporting global and local efforts to address development challenges.

Contact Information
Cherie.hart@undp.org; +90 535 626 8082 Faik.uyanik@undp.org +90 530 499 2548