Russia allocated $30 million to the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund for Development including to tackling the pandemic
On May 21, 2020, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner signed a Memorandum on replenishment of the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund for Development for the sum of $30 mln during an online ceremony. The signing was in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation issued on April 24, 2020.
In his welcoming remarks Sergey Lavrov noted the dynamic development of the partnership between Russia and UNDP, the widening of the thematic and geographical scope of the work of the Trust Fund and the results-oriented character of the projects& The Minister emphasized that the Trust Fund is a unique tool that ensures the effectiveness and sustainability of Russian assistance to international development in the framework of Russia-UNDP Partnership. The Minister also spoke about plans to replenish the Youth Window and open a new "Women's" window within the Trust Fund to implement projects in developing countries aimed at strengthening economic opportunities for women and girls. Sergey Lavrov commended the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, as well as the personnel of the Moscow UNDP Partnership Support Office in the Russian Federation.
Achim Steiner expressed gratitude to the Government of the Russian Federation for the replenishment of the Trust Fund and stressed that the funds provided by Russia would, inter alia, support the overcoming of the pandemic-caused crisis and the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
Presumably, the first replenishment installment will be used to support priority countries in overcoming the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recording of the online ceremony is available via the link.
You may find the full text of the introductory speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on the website of the MFA of the Russian Federation.