Ambassador Lagumdžija Highlights Commitment of BiH to UNDP Strategic Vision at Executive Board
New York, 25 August 2025
At today’s session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Permanent Representative to the UN, H.E. Dr. Zlatko Lagumdžija, delivered a strong statement of support for the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and the Country Programme Document for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026–2030.
Ambassador Lagumdžija underlined Bosnia and Herzegovina’s readiness to fully align its future actions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stressing that the country’s national strategies and UNDP’s programmatic priorities are converging at a critical moment. He emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s development path will be guided by the principles set out in the Secretary-General’s landmark July 2025 report, “Seizing the Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the new era of energy, efficiency, and electrification.”
“Our actions will be fully aligned with the SDG guidelines elaborated in this report,” Lagumdžija stated. “We see the acceleration of renewables, energy efficiency, and electrification not only as climate imperatives but as engines of inclusive growth, social equity, and EU integration.”
During his intervention, the Permanent Representative highlighted the tangible achievements of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cooperation with UNDP: retrofitting thousands of public buildings to improve energy efficiency, empowering young women through the IT Girls initiative, supporting entrepreneurs with SME accelerators, and continuing mine action and arms control efforts to make communities safer.
Looking ahead, Ambassador Lagumdžija reaffirmed that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s new Country Programme Document will concentrate on inclusive green growth, human capital development, and accountable institutions with strong social cohesion. These pillars, he noted, directly reflect both the UNDP Strategic Plan’s global objectives and the SDG acceleration pathways identified by the Secretary-General.
The Ambassador concluded by stressing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s determination to work hand in hand with UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, and the broader UN system, as well as with the European Union and other partners, to “seize this moment of opportunity and deliver development that is just, green, and inclusive – leaving no one behind.”
STATEMENT
by
H.E. Mr. Zlatko Lagumdžija
Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United Nations
at
EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS
SECOND REGULAR SESSION 2025
INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE UNDP ADMINISTRATOR
New York
25 August 2025
Mr. President,
Mr. Acting Administrator Xu,
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,
It is an honor to address you today as we reflect on the new UNDP Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and also the new Country Programme Document for Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026–2030.
First, let me extend appreciation to UNDP for its long-standing partnership with my country. Together, we have achieved measurable results: from energy efficiency upgrades in over 7,000 public buildings generating millions in savings, to STEM and IT Girls initiatives empowering young women, to vital mine action and arms control work that continues to make communities safer. These are not abstract projects – they directly improve lives across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Our new Country Programme Document is fully aligned with the UNDP Strategic Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. It sets out three priorities:
advancing inclusive green growth and a just energy transition,
strengthening human capital, especially youth, women, and vulnerable groups, and
building accountable institutions and reinforcing social cohesion.
These priorities correspond directly with UNDP’s four global objectives – prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and a healthy planet – while leveraging the accelerators of digital transformation, gender equality, and sustainable finance.
Excellencies,
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this means supporting circular economy and renewable energy solutions, equipping youth with future skills, expanding opportunities for women’s economic participation, and strengthening democratic governance. We want to emphasize that our actions will be fully aligned with the SDG guidelines outlined in the United Nations Seizing the Moment of Opportunity – „Supercharging the new era of renuwables, efficency and electrification“document, presented by the Secretary-General in July 2025.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to work closely with UNDP and our international partners to ensure that these commitments translate into tangible progress for our citizens and advance our path toward Agenda 2030 and European Union membership.
Together, through solidarity and partnership, we can deliver on our shared vision of development that leaves no one behind.
Thank you.
