International Development - UNDP Weighs In On Syrian Project

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UNDP Weighs In On Syrian Project

By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 29 April 2011

Syrian women protest against the government. Photo by: Photo by: syriana2011 / CC BY

Amid the violent crackdown on protesters in Syria, the United Nations Development Program is mulling over whether to approve a $38 million program for the Arab country.

The U.N. agency’s executive board is expected to tackle the approval of the Syrian project in its meeting on June 6.

The program urges UNDP to “continue to work closely with the government of Syria,” and bolster its cooperation with “NGOs [non-governmental organizations], the private sector, the donor community and local authorities,” according to George Russell, executive editor of Fox News.

Approval of the project “is currently under discussion,” a UNDP spokesman told Fox News. The U.N.’s country team in Syria, led by UNDP, “will revert to us on their recommendations soon,” the spokesman added.

The European Union and United Kingdom have threatened to sanction the Syrian government due to its actions against pro-democracy demonstrations.

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Ma. Rizza Leonzon
As a staff writer, Rizza focuses mainly on business coverage, including key donors such as the Asian Development Bank and AusAID. She covers breaking business news particularly at the ADB and has conducted interviews with specialists from the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank and other top players in international development. Rizza also contributes to the daily Development Newswire and other Devex publications.