UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced Monday that it will relocate a substantial share of its New York-based positions to Europe.
The move will affect almost 400 posts, with approximately three-quarters transferring to Bonn, Germany, and about a quarter to Madrid, Spain, said the UNDP in a press release.
"The move is part of an ongoing effort to adapt to an evolving financial and development landscape, strengthen partnerships, and maximize the UNDP's ability to support the world's most vulnerable people," it said.
The UNDP's overall footprint in Bonn will now exceed 400 positions, as the city is already home to the UN Volunteers programme, part of the UNDP family, it added.
The UNDP operates in some 170 countries and territories with a workforce of approximately 22,000, the vast majority of whom -- more than 19,000 -- serve in country offices and regional hubs, while fewer than 7 percent are based in New York, with the remainder in other locations.
New York will remain the UNDP's global headquarters.
At the start of 2026, the UNDP also relocated 30 positions from New York to its regional offices in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab states, Central Europe, and the Asia-Pacific to position personnel closer to the communities they serve. ■
