Bhutan

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is UNDP ?

UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach these Goals. Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:

• Achieving the MDGs and reducing human poverty
• Fostering democratic governance
• Energy and environment for sustainable development
• Crisis prevention and recovery
• Responding to HIV/AIDS

It integrates information and communications technology for development into its work in democratic governance and poverty reduction, helping developing countries improve government accountability and service delivery. UNDP helps countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we promote the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women. Please visit our Country Office Websites for more information on what UNDP is doing worldwide.

2. When and how did UNDP come into being?

The United Nations Development Programme is the central network co-ordinating the work of the United Nations in over 160 developing countries. Based on the findings of hundreds of interviews and archives in more than two dozen countries, Craig Murphy traces the history of the UNDP's organizational structure and mission, its relationship to the multilateral financial institutions, and the development of its doctrines. Titled The United Nations Development Programme: A Better Way?, the book provides a comprehensive insight of UNDP.

3. How do I learn more about the organization?

Click here to learn more about who we are and what we do.

4. What is the Human Development Report?

The widely-cited UNDP Human Development Reports (HDRs) contain substantive data on most development indicators. The reports rank every country each year in areas such as per capita income, literacy, life expectancy and respect for women's rights. The goal is to put people back at the centre of the development process. The HDR website is at http://hdr.undp.org/

In addition, UNDP has helped more than 120 developing countries produce their own National Human Development Reports, which provides a basis for informed local debate about priorities and policies. These reports also help donor governments to measure the impact of their aid dollars, and to communicate the way in which aid is making a positive difference both to direct beneficiaries and to electorates at home.

5. Does UNDP have an annual report, or a document describing activities and financial aspects?

The UNDP annual report and major policy documents may be found here.

6. What is the policy regarding the reproduction of materials found on the web site?

Concerning copyrights and permissions to reprint: For non-profit organizations, materials found on the website or any UNDP publications (or parts thereof) may be freely reproduced, as long as due credit to the source is given. For commercial usage, please specify which publication (title, year, page/s) or part of the website will be reproduced (URL of webpage), and send your request to the office responsible for the publication. For HDR-related requests: UNDP owns the copyright to all materials in the HDR; Oxford University Press (OUP) manages it for UNDP. Please visit this webpage http://www.oup-usa.org/permissions/ for information.

7. I am looking for a former/present staff member. Could you give me his/her phone number or email address?

We are not authorized to provide email addresses of former or present staff members. You may direct your query to any of the units in UNDP at this address:

UNDP, Post Box 162
UN House
Thimphu Bhutan

8. Where is UNDP located?

UN House
Samten Lam, Thimphu

UNDP has its headquarters in New York City, but cooperates with governments and peoples largely in developing countries throughout the world. It works through its offices in more than 130 countries. Most of these offices have websites: http://www.undp.org/countries. UNDP also has liaison offices at the following locations:

European Office at Geneva
Palais des Nations CH-1211, Genève 10, Switzerland Telephone: (41-22) 917 8542
Fax: (41-22) 917 8001

UNDP Liaison Office in Brussels
United Nations Office/UNDP
14 Rue Montoyer, 1000 - Brussels, Belgium
Telephone: (32-2) 505 4620
Fax: (32-2) 505 4729

UNDP/Inter-Agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO)
Nordic Liaison Office
Midtermolen 3, PO Box 2530, Copenhagen 0, Denmark
Telephone: (45-35) 46 71 54
Fax: (45-35) 46 70 95

UNDP Tokyo Office
UNU Building, 8th Floor 5-53-70 Jingumae Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Telephone: (813) 5467 4751
Fax: (813) 5467 4753

UNDP Liaison Office in Washington DC
1775 K Street, NW, Suite 420
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Telephone: (202) 331-9130
Fax: (202) 331 9363

9. How do I apply for a job at UNDP?

Please refer to the main UNDP website http://www.undp.org and click on "Jobs". If there are vacancies in your field of expertise, follow instructions therein on how and where to apply. For expert practitioners, please visit this website: http://www.undp.org/jobs/ The page has detailed descriptions for each vacancy, online application forms as well as a comprehensive FAQ sheet.

10. How can I check on the status of a job application?

You may email this address: ohr.recruitment.hq@undp.org or you may write to:
Chief, Recruitment Section,
UNDP Office of Human Resources One United Nations Plaza,
18th Floor,
New York, NY 10017.

11. Does UNDP offer scholarships to students enrolled in graduate degrees?
Unfortunately, our mandate does not permit us to provide financial assistance to individuals, companies or private groups; we work in collaboration with governments on development programmes and projects.