UNDP sets to move its center to İstanbul

Turkish and U.N. officials have reached an agreement in principle to move the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Centre in Bratislava to Istanbul amid what many are considering an assertive step toward the creation of a U.N. hub in Istanbul. The Turkish government expressed willingness for such a move and offered attractive incentives to promote the relocation of the regional centre from the Slovakian capital to Istanbul, sources told the Hurriyet Daily News. The top U.N. official based in Ankara, approached by the Daily News on July 24, confirmed the ongoing talks between U.N. and Turkish Foreign Ministry officials for the drafting of the legal agreement which will eventually have to be ratified by Parliament. Kamal Malhotra, U.N. resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative for Turkey, said such relocation would be reasonable for the U.N. side for several reasons. A senior Turkish diplomat, speaking to the Daily News yesterday, also confirmed the proposal, while underlining that the move should be considered within the framework of Turkey’s target of turning Istanbul into a centre for international organizations given that it has already become a global financial centre. Both Malhotra and the Turkish diplomat emphasized Turkey’s rising profile as a donor country not only with its humanitarian assistance efforts but also with contribution to global development.