The prevalence of development minerals in Uganda is high, and the industry generates an estimated US$350 million annually, directly supporting 390,000 Ugandans, 44 percent of whom are women. Credit: UNDP Uganda
 
Meanwhile, the Third UN Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) is taking place this week from August 5-8, in Awaza, Turkmenistan.

By Francine Pickup
NEW YORK, Aug 5 2025 (IPS)

As the world’s youngest and fastest-growing nations, LLDCs are home to immense untapped potential, yet remain cut off from the currents of international commerce and opportunity. Imagine being surrounded by opportunity, yet separated from it by mountains, borders, and vast distances from the nearest port—this is the daily reality for the world’s landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).

These 32 nations, on average 1,370 kilometers from the closest seacoast, face daunting obstacles: high transport costs, tangled logistics, and economic vulnerabilities. LLDCs account for only 1.3% of global exports, 82% of which are unprocessed primary commodities, and face 1.4 times higher trade costs than coastal partners.

This high dependence on exports of unprocessed goods not only undermines their resilience to crises like demand shifts and trade disruptions but also limits their inclusion in higher-value global supply chains.

Today’s environment of increasing tariffs compounds these vulnerabilities and LLDCs risk becoming further marginalized from global value chains, which can slow economic growth and hinder efforts toward poverty reduction.

LLDCs often depend on a small number of trade partners, with China being the primary market for many. This economic concentration and dependency on a single partner increases vulnerability when there are unpredictable shifts in global trade policies.

LLDCs’ development landscape is shaped by intersecting crises: economic instability, debt distress, climate shocks, and technological disruption. Nearly half of LLDCs are classified as Least Developed Countries and almost 40 percent of their urban populations live in slums.

The LLDCs face compounded vulnerabilities that demand more agile, anticipatory, and systemic responses. With their populations poised to surpass one billion by 2050, the stakes have never been higher—or the moment for transformative action more urgent.

Four game changers for unlocking local action in LLDCs:

1. Harnessing Extractives for Sustainable Development – Harnessing extractive industries is vital for many mineral-rich LLDCs. Promoting sustainable practices, especially in artisanal and small-scale mining is critical along with maintaining strong regulatory frameworks, social environmental safeguards and technological innovation. In Uganda, in partnership with the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), UNDP is addressing these challenges by strengthening regulatory frameworks, so issues pertaining to Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Enterprises (ASMEs) are mainstreamed into mining and mineral laws and policies.

2. Trade Facilitation and Regional Cooperation – Regional integration is essential for LLDCs to overcome geographic constraints and boost economic resilience. Initiatives like Aid for Trade and African Continental Free Trade Area implementation have helped LLDCs align strategies, improve coordination, and strengthen infrastructure, resulting in greater regional trade and inclusive growth.

3. Strengthening National Institutions– Effective governance is central to drive structural transformation in the backdrop of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space. A comprehensive approach that seeks to strengthen local and national institutions with quality analysis of evidence and improved monitoring and evaluation can boost inclusive and accountable governance. Efforts in Nepal, Moldova, Lao PDR, and Mali have helped reinforce institutions during times of crises.

4. Supporting Local Entrepreneurship and Innovation – At the local level, small businesses and community enterprises need new opportunities through inclusive development models. Support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) means providing technical assistance and innovative tools to improve access to finance, digitalization, and investment. For example, in many countries women-led cooperatives in agriculture have gained skills to boost exports, resulting in significant economic gains.

Over the past decade, UNDP has partnered with all 32 Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) across diverse contexts. Through the framework of the Vienna Programme of Action (2014–2024), UNDP invested over USD 12.5 billion to support national efforts in governance, climate resilience, economic transformation, and financing for development, helping countries find solutions that fit their own needs.

This decade of impact is captured in the latest report Landlocked Developing Countries: Looking Back and Ahead | Accelerating Action in the next 10 Years.

The next decade must be about unlocking the untapped potential

Although the sea may be far away, the horizon offers broad possibilities when we consider perspectives beyond geographic boundaries. Many Landlocked Developing countries (LLDCs) have achieved meaningful developments over the past decade, but overall progress has been uneven and still limited to meet the goals set by the Vienna Programme of Action or the Sustainable Development Goals.

This week, global leaders and stakeholders will gather in Turkmenistan, for the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. The Awaza Programme of Action already provides a blueprint for governments to agree on reforms for better trade arrangements, address tariff sensitivities by fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, economic diversification and through regional and South-South cooperation, so LLDCs are fully integrated and empowered within the framework of global development.

https://www.un.org/en/landlocked/about-landlocked-developing-countries

Francine Pickup is Deputy Director, UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support

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‘J Hunter Pearls Fiji: Savusavu Community Edible Pearl Oyster Farms’ project is an environmentally sustainable, community-owned and -operated aquaculture aimed at alleviating poverty in Fiji communities and building sustainable use of ocean resources. Credit: UNDP Fiji
 
The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), scheduled to take place in Nice, France from 9-13 June, will bring together Heads of State, scientists, civil society and business leaders around a single goal: to halt the silent collapse of the planet's largest – and arguably most vital – ecosystem.

By Francine Pickup
NEW YORK, Jun 6 2025 (IPS)

The ocean is far more than a vast expanse of water; it is a cornerstone of life and a critical driver of sustainable development. The intricate relationship between human development and the ocean underscores why ocean governance and sustainability are pivotal to global progress. Its significance becomes particularly evident in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where the ocean is not just a resource but an intrinsic part of identity and survival.

Custodians of some of the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zones— SIDS protect vast ocean and coastal areas, home to 20% of all plant, bird and reptile species. Many have designated large parts of their national waters into marine protected areas, positioning themselves as leaders in global conservation. These natural assets form the backbone of their economies in ocean-dependent sectors such as tourism and fisheries. Yet these nations are also on the frontlines of climate change.

Rising sea levels, increasingly severe weather events, accelerating environmental degradation are not distant threats – they are today’s reality. And yet, despite this future-smart, holistic approach to their development, these countries are trapped in a vicious cycle of indebtedness, undermining their ability to plan and prepare for climate-induced shocks that will undoubtedly come.

A Sea of Solutions

SIDS were instrumental in securing the 1.5° degrees global warming threshold in the Paris Agreement, a testament to their foresight of the urgency we all will face. They lead the world in implementing bold, integrated solutions that tackle multiple challenges of conserving and sustainably using their ocean and coastal resources, promoting renewable energy, fostering digital and local capacity and creating jobs.

The Fourth International Conference on SIDS (May 2024) and the adoption of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) charts a ten-year roadmap to scale climate and biodiversity action, increase conservation and promote sustainable ocean use, with resilience at its core. SIDS make important contributions to implementing global environmental accords including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the Paris Agreement and the UNCCD Strategic Framework, all of which prioritize action to save the ocean and reduce marine and land-based drivers of degradation.

The Rising Up for SIDS – a forward-looking strategy to outline a transformative vision for the next decade, builds on nearly 60 years of collaboration between UNDP and the SIDS and a partnership with Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) ensuring that SIDS’ specific needs are met in policy and practice.

As the world leaders gather for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, (June 9-13) SIDS will offer innovative and scalable solutions to global environmental and development challenges and show how they are at the forefront of ocean-positive strategies,. It is critical that the world listens. Here are the three key lessons SIDs bring:

1. The Ocean is a Catalyst for Human Development

For SIDS, the ocean is not a boundary: it is life itself. Small-scale fisheries provide food and livelihoods for millions. Marine and coastal tourism drives much of their GDP. Blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes, sequester carbon, buffer coastlines, and host diverse species. The ocean’s vast genetic and biological wealth offers untapped potential for future medicines, sustainable industries, and climate adaptation.

In SIDS, ocean action is inseparable from economic development. Escalating environmental threats aggravate economic insecurities. Harnessing the ocean economy enables sustainable growth and diversification for food security, tourism, trade and climate resilience.

But SIDS cannot do it alone. Global partnerships and international finance are essential to support SIDS unlock the full potential of their marine resources, ensuring inclusive, equitable development that leaves no one behind.

2. Integrated Solutions are needed to address Interconnected Challenges

Sea level rise, ecosystem degradation and economic vulnerability are not separate problems. Neither are their solutions. In SIDS, efforts to restore and protect coastal ecosystems also support sustainable tourism and sustainable fishing. Expanding opportunities drive human development, bringing jobs and economic prosperity within planetary boundaries.

‘Whole of island’ approaches offer a powerful model for sustainable development. These strategies align decarbonization with community empowerment, protect biodiversity while expanding opportunity and security, and build on traditional and local knowledge as a foundation for innovation.

SIDS are showing the wider world how to cope and solve multiple, interconnected challenges that demand integrated solutions for people and prosperity – with the ocean at the heart.

3. Innovation is the Accelerator

SIDS are testing and scaling innovative ocean-based solutions that can be replicated globally. Many islands are today incubating new and investable ocean-based solutions that can be scaled up to support successful transitions to ocean-positive economic sectors and centers of excellence, both in the islands themselves and to the benefit of countries beyond.

Seychelles launched the world’s first ‘blue bond’ to finance marine conservation. In Cuba, nature-based solutions are reversing the degradation of the Sabana-Camagüey ecosystem. In the Maldives, local communities have successfully banned single-use plastics. The new GEF-financed, UNDP-led Blue & Green Islands initiative is taking this work further.

Designed specifically for SIDS, it promotes nature-based solutions across three key economic sectors: urban development, food production, and tourism. It is the first of its kind—focused on systems-level transformation that delivers global environmental benefits while advancing sustainable development.

Innovative partnerships that crowd in public, private and philanthropic capital, like the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, are also attracting and de-risking private sector investment into local businesses to protect and restore coral ecosystems. These new initiatives are already inspiring similar models in other countries.

SIDS for Ocean Action

As global leaders gather in Nice for the third UN Ocean Conference and at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, (30 June-July 3) the message is clear: the world must rally behind SIDS to scale up the solutions they are already pioneering. By supporting their leadership, we create new ‘oceans of opportunity’ where people and planet can thrive together and where the path to sustainable development is swept forward by the oceans that touch every coastline in SIDs and beyond.

IPS UN Bureau

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Tourism makes up about 10% of the global economy, but sustainable practices are key to protecting destinations and communities and boosting resilience. Credit: UNDP Maldives | Ashwa Faheem
 
The UN commemorates Global Tourism Resilience Day on 17 February.

By Francine Pickup
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 13 2025 (IPS)

Tourism is back – and stronger than ever. With 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded globally in 2024, the sector has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, signalling a recovery from its worst crisis.

But in a world facing climate shocks, resource depletion, and many conflicts and crises, recovery is not enough. Tourism must not only bounce back; it must drive sustainability and build resilience.

The Cost of Unchecked Tourism

Tourism drives economies, cultures, and connections, making up about 10% of the global economy and creating one in four new jobs. However, the rising number of tourists is pushing popular destinations to their limits. From overcrowding on Mount Everest to water shortages in Spain’s tourist hotspots, overtourism is increasingly problematic, exposing the environmental impact of tourism:

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Hotels, resorts, and restaurants rely on unsustainable energy and inefficient equipment, with cooling systems significantly contributing to emissions.
• Water Overconsumption: Tourists use about 300 liters of water (guest per night), stressing water-scarce regions.
• Waste and Pollution: Tourism generates excessive waste, overwhelming local systems. For example, 85% of wastewater in the Caribbean is untreated, harming marine ecosystems.
• Biodiversity Loss: Poorly planned tourism developments cause habitat destruction, deforestation, and coastal erosion, threatening ecosystems that attract visitors.
• Unsustainable Supply Chains: Tourism supply chains often rely on harmful chemicals and unsustainable practices, such as excessive pesticide use in food production, which damages the environment.

To ensure a sustainable future, tourism must shift from depleting resources to regenerating and protecting them.

Why Resilience Matters

The tourism industry is highly vulnerable to disruptions like climate change, disasters, pandemics, and economic downturns, particularly in developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where tourism often accounts for over 20% of GDP.

These nations face rising sea levels, stronger storms, coral bleaching, and biodiversity loss, threatening their tourism industries and survival. Heavy reliance on imports and small economies increases vulnerability and recovery challenges.

To address these challenges, destinations must build more resilient and sustainable business models:

• Diversification: Relying on a single source of visitors or narrow products increases risk. Expanding markets and experiences can create buffers against disruptions. For example, Malaysia’s Sustainable Tourism Recovery project strengthens nature-based tourism, boosting resilience and diversifying the economy.
• Regenerative Practices: Sustainability is essential. Eco-friendly initiatives, local supply chains, and energy efficiency help minimize impacts. In Türkiye, the Cool Up initiative reduces energy consumption and emissions in tourism through natural refrigerant cooling systems.
• Local Empowerment: Engaging local communities strengthens resilience. In Ecuador, Indigenous communities use eco-tourism to preserve culture and the Amazon rainforest while benefiting from tourism.
• Crisis Preparedness: Governments, businesses, and communities must collaborate on contingency plans to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risk. In the Caribbean, coral reef restoration protects marine life, boosts resilience to hurricanes, and supports tourism.

A New Era of Resilient and Sustainable Tourism

The tourism sector must evolve to become a champion for sustainability and build resilience against future disruptions. That means embracing solutions that ensure tourism supports – not depletes – the ecosystems and communities it depends on.

Working towards this transformation, UNDP has been supporting countries and communities around the globe to balance economic growth with environmental protection and community well-being.

This year, a new initiative is kicking off to drive systemic change across the tourism sector in 14 countries, including seven small island nations. Funded by the Global Environment Facility, the Integrated Collaborative Approaches to Sustainable Tourism (iCOAST) initiative is set to play a critical role in enhancing sustainable and resilient tourism by addressing key areas such as cooling, chemicals and waste, electronics, construction, food systems, and plastics.

With a vision to make tourism nature-based, low emission, zero-waste, and resilient, iCOAST will implement four core strategies:

• Strengthening Policy and Regulation: Supporting governments in crafting cohesive policies and regulatory frameworks for sustainable tourism.
• Increasing Access to Finance: Unlocking commercial and private sector funding to help businesses transition to sustainable practices.
• Cleaning Up Supply Chains: Removing harmful chemicals, reducing waste, and optimizing the use of natural resources across tourism-related industries.
• Fostering Global Knowledge Exchange: Creating a platform for transformative partnerships and cross-sector collaboration.

The Road Ahead

A resilient tourism sector not only survives crises but emerges stronger. By learning from past disruptions, prioritizing sustainability, and empowering local communities, we can build a more resilient, equitable, and enriching tourism industry.

Initiatives like iCOAST ensure tourism remains a cultural bridge while protecting ecosystems and communities. But resilience requires action. Governments, businesses, and travelers must recommit to tourism model that respects the planet and empowers people. Together, we can make sustainable, resilient tourism the standard.

(The iCOAST is funded by the Global Environment Facility and will be implemented across Belize, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, and Vanuatu, by the following partners: UNDP, UNEP, WWF, UNIDO, FAO, IDB, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in cooperation with UN Tourism).

Francine Pickup is Deputy Director, UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, New York

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The UN says that corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust. Credit: UN News/Daniel Dickinson
 
The 21st IACC -Anti-corruption Conference will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania 18-21 June

By Francine Pickup
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 17 2024 (IPS)

58 percent of respondents to a worldwide survey believed that their political system has been captured by an elite that is corrupt, obsolete, and unreformable. Corruption thrives in environments characterized by weak governance, where transparency, accountability, and public decision-making are compromised by conflicts of interest and political interference.

Efforts to combat corruption and restore trust in governance must translate the core tenets of good governance—information dissemination, transparency, integrity, accountability, and participation—into tangible action across sectors.

The 21st International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, under the theme “Confronting Global Threats: Standing up for Integrity” from June 18 to 21.

It gathers diverse participants, ranging from heads of state to civil society representatives, youth activists, business leaders and investigative journalists from across the globe.

The IACC stands as the foremost multi-stakeholder biennial global platform on anti-corruption, attracting approximately 1,500 participants worldwide. Since 2003, UNDP, in partnership with GIZ/BMZ and the U.S. State Department, has played a pivotal role in shaping the discourse and global anti-corruption agenda through the IACC series.

The conversations we will have in Vilnius in the coming days are critical for four reasons:

First, the meeting convenes amidst a backdrop of complex and multifaceted crises: climate change, conflict, geopolitical tensions, polarization, democratic erosion, economic volatility and unregulated frontier technologies—each posing a threat to hard-earned developmental gains.

The latest Human Development Report 2023-2024 underscores a widening gap in human development, fraught with the peril of irreversible setbacks. Corruption remains a significant impediment to equitable development progress, exacerbating existing inequalities and further reducing people’s trust in governance.

In this tumultuous era, the 21st IACC must galvanize sustained collective actions, partnerships and actionable strategies to combat corruption. Its outcomes should feed into the 2024 United Nations Summit of the Future and the 2025 Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development because these platforms present vital opportunities to rejuvenate multilateralism and foster a spirit of international cooperation and partnerships to tackle our shared challenges.

The IACC can also accelerate momentum for collective action and foster effective partnerships by addressing the focus of the three Rio Conventions—Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Desertification—all converging this year.

Forestry crimes, including unregulated charcoal burning and large-scale corporate malpractice in timber, paper, and pulp sectors leading to extensive deforestation, critically impact global greenhouse gas emissions, water reserves, desertification, and rainfall patterns.

At the same time, many nations also urgently require climate finance in order to invest in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Effective climate action relies on robust institutions, necessitating a coordinated approach to combat corruption and safeguard environmental initiatives from compromise.

Second, the IACC’s theme, “Confronting Global Threats: Standing Up for Integrity,” broadens the scope of the governance and anti-corruption agenda to address a range of issues including conflict resolution, climate action, global security, and human security, ensuring also integrity in development financing and the roll-out of frontier technologies.

The outcome of the IACC will be instrumental in continuing global efforts to bring governance and anti-corruption to the centre of the global development agenda, drawing on experiences such as the Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA) initiative in India. Digitalisation and open data can challenge corruption by reducing discretion, increasing transparency, and enabling accountability by limiting human interactions.

This multi-stakeholder collaboration for data sharing – involving governments, research organizations, citizens and data scientists across the world –promotes open innovation and transparency to strengthen climate resilience in agriculture.

Third, the interlinkages between sustainable development financing and the strength of governance systems, both at the national and global levels, will be front and centre in the discussions. As the global financial framework grapples with the fallout of multiple crises, $4 trillion is needed to address the financing deficit to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The quality of governance in any nation shapes the effectiveness of its financing mechanisms and policies, while the availability of robust financing also influences the stability and quality of governance systems.

A breakdown in either of these jeopardizes the social contract, exacerbating crises, with international bodies and governments overly focused on short term and reactionary responses. Urgent reforms are needed in national and global governance systems to prevent corruption and illicit financial flows, to accelerate progress towards the SDGs

Fourth, in these challenging times, countries need to be able to evaluate the impact of their anti-corruption initiatives and reforms and, most importantly, learn from what works, and what doesn’t.

The conference offers a platform to introduce innovative approaches to measuring corruption, drawing on UNDP’s work with partners in this area. Robust measurement methodologies are fundamental, since without standardized tools and methodologies, collecting data and evidence to inform policy decisions on anti-corruption reforms is difficult.

In UNDP, we strive to ensure that every dollar spent goes to development activities while strengthening UNDP’s status as a trusted partner in delivering development results. The UNDP Transparency Portal is UNDP’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and continuous self-reflection and learning with the support of independent assessments, audits, and oversight mechanisms. The site provides the public with access to data on over 10,000 UNDP projects.

Addressing corruption demands effective and innovative partnerships, increased resource allocation, and sustained commitment to anti-corruption endeavours, including in complex political environments where UNDP works, such as in Ukraine.

Only then can countries effectively tackle the interconnected challenges they face and restore trust in governance. The discussions at the 21st IACC will play a pivotal role in shaping the global anti-corruption agenda for the next biennium.

Francine Pickup is Deputy Director, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP

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Overcoming Corruption in a Race Against the Climate Crisis’ plenary session at the 20th International Anti-corruption Conference (IACC), 8 December 2022. Credit: UNDP
 
The 20th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) on ‘Uprooting Corruption, Defending Democratic Values,’ took place 6-10 December 2022, in Washington, D.C.
 
Left to right: Patrick Alley, Founder, Global Witness; Isabel de Saint Malo, Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Institute of Politics, Former Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama; Caroline Henshaw, Editor, The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP); Francine Pickup, Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Director Bureau for Policy and Programme Support and UNDP, Stephen M. Gardiner, Professor of Human Dimensions of the Environment, University of Washington.

By Francine Pickup
NEW YORK, Dec 16 2022 (IPS)

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. In the words of the UN Secretary General at COP27, “we are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050 is crucial when it comes to meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius target.

At the same time, if we don’t effectively deal with corruption in climate action, it will severely impede our abilities to fight the climate crisis through scaled-up adaptation and mitigation efforts.

According to Transparency International, up to 35 percent of climate action funds, depending on programme, have been lost to corruption in the last five years.

Corruption and the climate crisis reinforce each other

On the one hand, corruption fuels the climate crisis by depriving countries of much-needed revenues to act on climate change and build resilience, while also significantly altering the efficient allocation and distribution of resources to achieve development objectives.

For example, according to the U4 Anti-corruption Resource Centre, the top recipients of climate finance are among the riskiest places in the world for corruption.

On the other hand, climate impacts reinforce corruption by creating economic and social instability and inequality, fostering an environment more conducive to corruption and misuse of funds, that ultimately deprives the poorest and hardest hit.

Overcoming corruption in the race against the climate crisis requires collective action and bold partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society to recognise and combat the issue through more effective management of resources and programmes.

This calls for:

• Governments to step up their efforts in environmental governance,
• Businesses to strengthen business integrity,
• Media, youth, and communities to continue to advocate against corruption.

The four immediate actions that require commitment from all actors:

1. Management of funds: A much greater transparency and accountability is needed in the use and management of climate finance in adaptation and mitigation programmes.

Access to finance is often presented as the main obstacle to achieving a just transition and transformative climate action, but that’s only one side of the problem. The other side is to make sure that the much-needed resources to address climate crisis are not lost due to corruption and mismanagement.

One good example is that of the Colombian climate finance tracking system, which provides updated data on domestic, public, private, and international climate funding.

It is one of the first countries in the world to have developed a comprehensive Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework to transparently track the inflow and outflow of climate finance from public, private and international sources.

2. Voice and Accountability: This means leveraging the power of advocacy and accountability mechanisms, and providing civic spaces for meaningful participation of society, empowering them to hold policy makers and private sector accountable.

For example, UNDP is empowering communities in Uganda and Sri Lanka, to use digital tools to mainstream integrity and transparency in environmental resource management. In Sri Lanka,

UNDP has launched a digital platform, in collaboration with the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation and other partners, for citizens to engage and monitor illicit environmental activities. The initiative is supported through UNDP’s Global Project – Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS) funded by the Norad— Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Meanwhile, in Uganda, UNDP and the National Forestry Authority have launched the Uganda Natural Resource Information System (NARIS), designed to monitor and mediate deforestation throughout Uganda to protect the country’s forests and biodiversity.

In the climate change agenda, fighting corruption is not only about the money. It is also about building trust in institutions and restoring hope in the future. Studies show that ‘eco-anxiety’ is increasing, particularly amongst young people.

A global study of 10,000 youth from 10 countries in 2021 found that over 50 percent of young people felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty about climate change. But we have also seen youth, civil society and communities taking action against the environmental damage and climate change from Serbia to India.

Through UNDP’s Climate promise alone, more than 110,000 people have been engaged in stakeholder consultations to revise key national climate strategies, known as nationally determined contributions –, helping to build social consensus and explicit recognition of the roles of youth and women’s leadership in renewed climate pledges in 120 countries.

3. Private sector has a key role to play: Public capacity needs to be strengthened to implement policies to regulate private sector activities to protect the environment. At the same time, businesses should also play their part with fair, human-rights based business practices, business integrity, and environmental sustainability goals.

4. The normative framework to protect human rights: An intensified focus on ‘environmental justice’ at global and national level is needed. On 28 July 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution that gave universal recognition to the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (R2HE). UNDP promotes responsible business by strengthening human rights standards across 17 countries, with support from Japan.

UNDP has supported over 100 national human rights institutions to address the human rights implications of climate change and environmental degradation. In Tanzania, UNDP has supported the ‘Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance’ to manage disputes related to environmental human rights violations. In Chile, UNDP has supported an ongoing process of constitutional reform which includes strong references to environmental rights.

The development community needs to ensure integrated approaches and break the siloes between the governance and environmental communities; and between public and private sectors to tackle the interlinked crises of corruption and climate change.

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