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KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION: UNDP’s ability to draw on a global knowledge network, and to bring in experience and good practices, especially from other parts of Europe and Central Asia, may be one of its most valuable contributions. There is a high demand for sharing innovative approaches, to which UNDP responds effectively through its network of country, regional and global offices. PARTNERSHIPS: Partnerships are critical for transformational change. Bilateral donors, multilateral funds, other UN agencies, international and regional organizations including financial institutions, and civil society groups enable the mobilization of expertise, capacities and financial resources necessary for transformational change. This publication reflects the four focus areas of UNDP’s work: poverty, inequality and social inclusion; good and effective governance; energy and environment; and crisis prevention and post-conflict recovery. Three out of its four sections are devoted specifically to these areas, while the focus on good and effective governance is reflected in all the stories. (For instance, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP support helped public employment offices more effectively provide services to youth.) Ensuring gender equality is also an objective in most of the stories. Since we often implement projects across countries, as many development challenges go beyond borders, we have included a section on regional initiatives. While serving country needs, UNDP has also taken the lead in advocating for the global development agenda. We help national counterparts understand the significance of sustainable development, and the emerging post-2015 development agenda. This responsibility is all the more urgent in view of the conclusions of the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). As the global community is pursuing a sustainable development agenda, the process will involve a two-way dialogue, as many countries of the region have become donors in their own right, contributing to global knowledge and sharing expertise with less developed nations. In this process, UNDP will play a critical role. We will not only help governments fulfil their development agendas, but also provide high-level policy advice that they can employ to help other nations.