Turkmenistan and UNDP Signed a Co-Financing Agreement and Launched Three New Projects
On June 3, a landmark ceremony was held in Ashgabat, defining key areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations for the next five years. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Turkmenistan signed a Co-financing Framework Agreement, which laid the strategic and financial foundation for the implementation of the new Country Programme for 2026–2030.
The new agreement will enable more effective pooling of national and international resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and modernize key areas of the country.
"Today's signing demonstrates the strong partnership between UNDP and the Government of Turkmenistan and our shared commitment to investing in the country's sustainable future," said Narine Saakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. "The Framework Agreement creates new opportunities to expand our cooperation and adopt innovative solutions that improve people's lives."
Following up on the agreement, UNDP and national ministries signed a package of three specific project documents. All are financed by external resources raised by UNDP and are aimed at implementing far-reaching reforms:
Investing in People (Ministry of Education): A project is being launched to create a National Human Capital Strategic Planning System. This will be a modern digital platform based on big data that will help align education programs with real labor market needs and channel demographic resources toward economic growth.
Digital Justice (Supreme Court): The digital transformation project for Turkmenistan's judicial system aims to completely modernize judicial proceedings, enhance the courts' IT readiness, and align internal legal processes with advanced international standards.
Medical Sovereignty (Ministry of Health and Medical Industry): A project to gradually transition the National Tuberculosis Program from the Global Fund's grant support is underway. Successfully implemented innovations in diagnostics and treatment will now be systematically transitioned to full state funding, guaranteeing the sustainability and independence of the national healthcare system.
The signing of these important documents was accompanied by extensive expert review. A specialized seminar, organized by UNDP and the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan as part of the joint project "SDG Implementation Platform, Phase IV," was also held in Ashgabat today.
At this forum, representatives of the country's ministries and agencies, together with international experts, discussed the practical tools of the Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFF). In particular, Suren Poghosyan, Advisor to the UNDP Istanbul Regional Center, presented to his Turkmen colleagues cutting-edge steps in tax incentives and the integration of innovative financial instruments into state economic policy.
These financial mechanisms will fuel the implementation of the agreements signed today, bringing Turkmenistan closer to building an even more inclusive, digital, and sustainable economy by 2030.
