The role of UNDP (and the UN) in Botswana is shaped by the status of the country as an upper middle income country. Botswana has reached a relatively high level of infrastructure development, is well-resourced and able to fund most of its developmental needs. However, Botswana requires best practices, high-quality policy advice on how best to respond to challenges associated with its middle-income status, including widening inequalities and disparities, persistent poverty among population groups, and climate change and natural disaster risks.

Their work in Botswana focuses on;

• Providing evidence-based policy advise and international best practices, as well help the Government to bridge the policy implementation gap. They provide policy advice aligned with the programme priorities that are relevant in Botswana as a middle-income country.
• Using their unique convening power to bring together various stakeholders and provide coordination, including on critical cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, climate change, and the rights-based approach to development.
• Providing evidence-based policy advice in line with international norms and standards, including support to integrate these norms and standards into national legislative and policy frameworks and monitor their implementation and impact on beneficiaries.
• Advocating for and helping to ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged are heard and issues of inequality are addressed in national policy processes.

They draw on the collective global assets of the organisation and global expertise and best practice to provide technical expertise, exchange of knowledge and capacity development, based on international best practice, and will support innovative approaches to human and social development issues and implementation of global normative standards.