New York 3 febbraio 2026
Thank you Mister Chair,
Mister Administrator
In congratulating you for your appointment, Italy reiterates its firm commitment to the long-standing partnership with UNDP, embedded in a common strategic vision to respond to a changing development landscape.
This partnership is increasingly reflected in joint initiatives aligned with UNDP Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and aimed at delivering at scale and carrying real impact on the ground – covering digital transformation, sustainable finance, climate and energy.
In this context, the UNDP Rome Centre for Sustainable Development is emerging as a global hub for dialogue and innovation. As a valuable knowledge partner, also in the framework of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, the UNDP Rome Center supports and complements our bilateral action aimed at building bridges of trust and cooperation across different actors and different regions.
Digital transformation, based on an inclusive, human-centered and equitable use of artificial intelligence, and public-private partnerships, aimed at mobilizing private sector capital and engagement, are two cases in point of this collaboration. We also deeply value our cooperation with UNDP in crisis response and post-conflict recovery and stabilization.
In the context of the UN80 initiative, Mister Administrator, Italy remains firmly committed to supporting UNDP as a cornerstone of multilateral development cooperation and is proud to have continued its strong support with overall project funding exceeding 30 million euros, in 2025.
The UN80 initiative is meant to be a bold reform of the very architecture of the United Nations, delivering a transformative change for a more efficient multilateral system, anchored in the 2030 Agenda and its underlying values, and closer to the needs of our peoples and to realities on the field.
We look forward to continuing working in this spirit.
Thank you.
