News Archive

12 December 2005: Promoting Local Service Delivery in Asia for the Millennium Development Goals: UNCDF and UNDP organize regional workshop in New Delhi

7 December 2005: Richard Weingarten, UNCDF Executive Secretary, Statement at the launch of State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2005 Delivered at the United Nations Secretariat on Wednesday, 7 December, at the launch of the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2005.

14 November 2005: UNCDF Bangladesh in the spotlight as World Bank, Australia, United Kingdom and Others Analyze Best Practices World Bank and other Major Development Partners to Provide Support for Expansion of Experience

9 November 2005: International Year of Microcredit Brings Celebrities, Politicians, Economists and Microentrepreneurs Together for Culminating Event The United Nations Capital Development Fund hosts a star-studded gala event and a three-day forum to promote inclusive financial services for the world's poor. The event caps off a year of activities as part of the International Year of Microcredit.

7 October 2005: New Book Published on the Development of Microfinance in Malawi The United Nations Capital Development Fund launches a new report that assesses the achievements and challenges for microfinance service delivery in Malawi, with particular attention to rural and agricultural markets. The report was produced through a collaborative partnership with the US Agency for International Development and the UN Development Programme.

3 October 2005: UNCDF Expands Local Development Programme in Haiti with Financial Support from Canada Haitian Prime Minister, Gérard Latortue and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Adama Guindo last week launched a new initiative to extend a local development programme, managed and primarily financed by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

29 September 2005: UNCDF Advocates for More Effective Performance Budgeting in Local Governments. UNCDF recently held an international forum to explore the challenges of implementing performance budgeting in local governments in the developing world.

4 August 2005: Richard Weingarten to Lead UN Capital Development Fund as New Executive Secretary. The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) this week announced the appointment of Mr. Richard Weingarten as Executive Secretary of the organization.

04 August 2005: UN Capital Development Fund appoints new Executive Secretary. Richard Weingarten brings extensive experience from the private and non-profit sectors to the UN's LDC organization.

The next UNCDF and CGAP microfinance donor training is open for registration. It will be held in Jordan from 11 - 15 December 2005 (new course dates). More than 200 people have participated in the previous courses that offer a state-of-the-art curriculum on sound microfinance practices for donors, socially responsible investors and policy makers.

*** Register now to benefit from the early registration bonus!

15 July 2005 :UNCDF Approves New Initiative to Contribute to the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals at the Local Level in Mali The United Nations Capital Development Fund has approved a new project in Mali that will draw key lessons learned from previous projects/programmes supporting decentralization in Mali that have been supported by UNCDF and by other donors.

12 July 2005: UNCDF Launches a New Local Development Project in Ethiopia Targeted at the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with the Government of Ethiopia and United Nation Development Programme have launched a new $1.8 million project that is expected to contribute to improve rural income and living conditions of approximately 300,000 people living in 3 districts (woredas) in the North Gonder Zone of Ethiopia.

22 June 2005: Ministerial Conference On Leadership Capacity Building For Decentralized Governance And Poverty Reduction For Sub-Saharan Africa. Exchange of knowledge, information and experiences to contribute to the enhancement of the leadership capacity of the participants to initiate, promote, and manage local governance systems. In a concerted effort to better address the needs of the poor, and bring the Millennium Development Goals to the local level, 150 government representatives from across Africa recently gathered in the heart of the continent in Kigali, Rwanda. The authorities and stakeholders came from all levels of government, from the districts to ministries, indicating a concerted effort to both empower local authorities to take action in addressing their challenges, and increase synergies with and support from central authorities.

15 June 2005: UNCDF's Business Plan for 2005-2007: Investing in Least Developed Countries to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals The UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board, to which UNCDF also reports, approved UNCDF's Business Plan for 2005-2007 (Investing in Least Developed Countries to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals), and its annual report from the past year. The Business Plan is an integral part of the wider United Nations and UNDP efforts in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Building on the UNCDF niche and comparative advantages, it foresees an expansion of UNCDF investments in and technical support to least developed countries (LDCs) in the areas of local development and microfinance, thus supporting an increased number of LDCs to achieve the MDGs by 2015.
[ pdf English ] [ pdf French ] [ pdf Spanish ] [ pdf Arabic ] [ pdf Russian ] [ pdf Chinese ]

14 June 2005: United Nations Launches New Online Distance-Learning Initiative to Promote Awareness of Microfinance. Based on the experience and success of its popular CD-Rom and textbook-based microfinance course, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has launched a new web-based distance-learning tool to make basic knowledge of microfinance globally accessible. The only difference between the online and offline courses is that the web version is available everywhere immediately - and without cost.

02 May 2005: Global Gathering in Geneva to Address Improving Access to Financial Services for Development. A global meeting of microfinance industry stakeholders is taking place in Geneva this week as part of a global effort to address the chasm that separates millions of otherwise “bankable” people in the world from the financial services they need to improve their lives and livelihoods.

21 April 2005: Ministerial Conference Organized to Build Leadership Capacity for Decentralized Governance and Poverty Reduction in Eastern and Southern Africa. Dozens of ministers from across Africa are expected to attend this event, to review and exchange experiences of leadership with respect to decentralized governance, poverty reduction, and the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

21 March 2005: UNCDF-Supported Microfinance Institution in Malawi Wins Prestigious CGAP Award. UNCDF-supported Microfinance Institution in Malawi has been awarded with the one of the most prestigious awards in the industry – the CGAP 2004 Financial Transparency Award.

1 March 2005: UNCDF returns to Mauritania after an absence of more than three years. Within the context of a new partnership between UNCDF and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the new ‘Support to the Assaba Communes Project’ was launched in Kiffa, Mauritania, on 20 February 2005. The project is designed to create conditions favouring sustainable development in Assaba, the Mauritanian province with the highest concentration of people living in poverty.

22 February 2005: UNCDF Extends its Long History of Support to the Government of Viet Nam in the area of Local Governance and Local Development. Building on its long experience in supporting development efforts in Viet Nam, UNCDF will provide technical services to design a major multi-donor programme in support of pro-poor local planning and service delivery reforms throughout Viet Nam.

10 February 2005: UNCDF Gets Green Light from Executive Board for Enhanced Vision in Serving Least Developed Countries. UNCDF recently met with its Executive Board — the public sector equivalent of a board of directors — to refine and define its work in supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At its biannual meeting in January 2005, the Board endorsed the mandate and functions of UNCDF after an extensive year-long evaluation, which included a review of its operations and impact on the ground.

10 December 2004: The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Capital Development Fund have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a new programme supporting decentralization and local development.

18 November 2004: UN Launches International Year of Microcredit 2005
The United Nations launches the International Year of Microcredit today in an effort to build support for making financial services more accessible to poor and low-income people. It will aim to raise public awareness about microcredit and microfinance, and promote innovative partnerships among governments, donors, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia and microfinance clients.

12 November 2004: UNCDF Launches $7 Million Project to Support Community Development in Rwanda
The United Nations Capital Development Fund has launched a new programme in Rwanda to promote sustainable local development and improve access to basic infrastructure and services. The $7.25 million programme, called Support to Community Development Project in Byumba, is supported by the Belgian Ministry for Cooperation and Development, the UN Development Programme and the Government of Rwanda.

11 November 2004: Exploring the Role of Local Governance in Conflict Prevention and Recovery
As conflicts continue to undermine development efforts around the world, and as countries emerge from debilitating wars, the United Nations is looking at how governments recover from wars and how they can help prevent conflicts from erupting in the future. The UN Capital Development Fund is contributing to this approach to Conflict Prevention and Recovery (CPR) through its work with local governments.

Building Financial Systems for the Poor: How Donors Can Make a Difference
The training course series for donors, socially responsible investors and policy makers will continue with four 5-day courses in 2005! The first course will be held in French in Cotonou (7-11 February 2005). [ doc ]

XacBank in Mongolia, a former UNCDF/UNDP microfinance project, receives a rating of A- from Planet Finance for outostanding performance
[ summary ] [ pdf ]

2003 UNCDF Results-oriented Annual Report [June 2004]
[ pdf English ] [ pdf French ] [ pdf Spanish ] [ pdf Arabic ] [ pdf Russian ] [ pdf Chinese ]

Using ICT to strengthen Local Governance in Developing Countries [14 June 2004]

UNCDF Concept Paper for the International Year of Microcredit 2005
[ English ] [ French ] [ Spanish ]

2004 Independent Impact Assessment of UNCDF was conducted in response to a request from the Executive Board to carry out an independent evaluation of the impact of UNCDF programmes and projects, and to inform Board members and UNCDF donors on the concrete outcomes of the ambitious undertakings of the Fund since 1995.

3 June 2004: Lands of the Poor: Local Environmental Governance and the Decentralization of Natural Resources. This new publication from UNCDF has overlapping and complementary objectives: to review the lessons learned so far from past and ongoing UNCDF projects; to better understand current thinking and debate on environmental issues; to position UNCDF in the context of the environmental policies adopted by major funding institutions and define its niche; and, finally, to provide directions for further action-oriented exchange and debate.

2 June 2004: UNCDF Expands programme to build inclusive financial sectors. This financial sector development approach is based upon the premise that microfinance services will over time become an integrated part of the financial system. Sector development programmes are designed to seize untapped opportunities, and to address the constraints that keep a financial sector exclusive. The central aim is to deepen the financial system in a given country to ensure sustainable access to financial services by poor and low-income people. [ Read more ]

1 June 2004: UNCDF is now working closely with UNDP in Timor-Leste to support the priorities of the Government and people of the country. [Read more]

May 2004: Recapitalising Liberia: principles for providing grants and loans for microenterprise development. An article from the May 2004 edition of Forced Migration.

25 March 2004 | News Feature: Success begets success for UNCDF in Mozambique - Earning donor support with thriving local initiatives.

20 March 2004: UNCDF and CGAP Announce a Joint Workshop for Donors on "Building Financial Systems for the Poor: How Donors Can Make a Difference" in Antigua, Guatemala from 31 May to 4 June 2004. [ en español solamente ]

10 February 2004: Local Government Initiative: Pro-Poor Infrastructure and Service Delivery in Asia. UNCDF, the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank Institute jointly host a workshop in Manila to encourage responsive and accountable local government. [ Press Release ] [ Full Reports ]

09 February 2004: UNCDF, CGAP and IFAD to Offer Workshop for Donors on "Building Financial Systems for the Poor: How Donors Can Make a Difference" in Montepulciano, Italy, from 26 – 30 April 2004.

09 February 2004: UNCDF and CGAP Announce 2004 Course Schedule for "Building FInancial Systems for the Poor: How Donors can Make a Difference."

7 January 2004: UNCDF participated in the Third Africities Summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon in December 2003, and presented a study that is considered an important contribution to the policy debate on the linkage between improving local governance and poverty reduction. The full synthesis and the accompanying case studies are now available.

30 December 2003: UN General Assembly Launches Programme for the 2005 International Year of Microcredit. UNCDF and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs appointed as focal points.

30 December 2003: UNCDF Launches Microfinance MATTERS, a new bi-monthly web publication in concert with the 2005 International Year of Microfinance. The newsletter will take advantage of this exciting opportunity to promote innovative partnerships, raise public awareness, and share effective practices and expertise on building inclusive financial sectors.Read the first issue.

05 December 2003: Yaoundé 2003 – the Africities Summit: The Local Governance Unit of the United Nations Capital Development Fund has taken an active role in this year’s Africities Summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

20 November 2003: UNCDF / SUM announces plans for extensive microfinance training throughout 2004.

15 October 2003: Partners support decentralization in Mali's Timbuktu region
UNCDF and several partners are working with the Government and rural communities in Mali's northern Timbuktu region to help people gain skills in planning and managing development activities.

14 October 2003: UNCDF Launches New Book on the Links Between Governance and Poverty

11 September 2003: Statement to the Executive Board
Normand Lauzon, Executive Secretary

15 July 2003: United Nations Economic and Social Council — Geneva
Statement of Normand Lauzon, UNCDF Executive Secretary, on UNCDF and the Implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the LDCs

08 July 2003: Launch of 2003 Human Development Report
Statement of Normand Lauzon, UNCDF Executive Secretary, in Ottawa, Canada.

11 June 2003: Statement to the Executive Board
Normand Lauzon, Executive Secretary

11 June 2003: Zépherin Diabré, UNDP Associate Administrator, Statement to the Executive Board regarding UNCDF [ pdf ]