UNDP’s Two Initiatives to Increase Employment and Investment in Developing Countries

लगानी न्यूज

२८ आश्विन २०८३, बुधबार १८:१२October 14, 2026

Kathmandu. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched two global initiatives to increase investment and create jobs in developing countries. Although 1.2 billion young people will enter the labour market in the next 15 years, 800 million of them are at risk of not being employed, according to the UNDP.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo made the announcement during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Bangkok. These initiatives aim to mobilize investment, improve the business environment, and expand employment opportunities in developing economies.TAG_OPEN_div_30

The Investment Accelerator will help the government to strengthen investment policies and legal provisions, develop a list of projects ready for investment and implement them. Similarly, the Employment for Prosperity Facility will help identify areas with the potential for job creation, develop the skills of workers according to the needs of the employers, and remove barriers to investment and employee recruitment.TAG_OPEN_div_28

According to De Cru, in the next 15 years, 1.2 billion young people will enter the labour market after education. But only 400 million of them will get jobs and the remaining 800 million will be deprived of jobs. He said that the lack of employment will not solve on its own and it requires effective policy intervention.TAG_OPEN_div_26

He said governments should adopt active labor market policies, identify industries that can create jobs despite advances in technology, and mobilize the necessary financial resources to invest in employment-generating sectors. “Job creation is the most sustainable way to lift people out of poverty,” De Croo said.TAG_OPEN_div_24

He said that although the global economy appears to be more resilient than expected, the benefits have not been shared equally in all countries. Some countries are benefiting from increased productivity due to strong economic fundamentals and artificial intelligence (AI), while many developing economies are struggling with increasing economic pressures.TAG_OPEN_div_22

He pointed to the three major challenges facing developing countries as rising energy costs, the impact of El Niño and rising interest rates. The UNDP report, “No Time for Revival: Growing Crisis, Weakening Financial Security and Impact on Developing Economies,” released this week, showed that middle-income developing countries are spending an average of 9.5 percent of government revenue on interest payments. This is increasing pressure on public finances, the report said.

De Kroo also presented the latest findings of the Multidimensional Poverty Index developed by the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative at the University of Oxford. According to the findings, the number of people living in multidimensional poverty has increased worldwide for the first time since 2010.TAG_OPEN_div_18

}”These figures should be a wake-up call for all of us,” he said.