Driving Governance and Change for 2025
Photo: UN Partnerships/Caroline Cristie
Driving Governance and Change for 2025
13 November 2024
The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) held its second board meeting of the year, bringing together distinguished members to set priorities for 2025. The focus? Strengthening civil society projects that improve governance, and protect and promote civic space.
Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of UN Office for Partnerships and head of UNDEF thanked the board members for championing this vital work.
“By working so closely with our project partners, we can adapt to their needs,” said Ms. Hou. “In expanding civic space, our work often intersects with challenges like the climate crisis and conflict, requiring agility and resilience.”
Photo: UN Partnerships/Caroline Cristie
Spotlight on Moldova
While examining the fund’s global work, the Board Members heard stories of transformative change from UNDEF programme managers and civil society partners. UNDEF’s Dieter Wagner and Viorica Ursachi from the Women’s Law Centre tuned in live from Moldova where they had been visiting projects to share insights.
“We visited Palanca, a village near the Ukrainian border,” Wagner recounted. “There, a local team launched the ‘Choose Your Career Wisely!’ initiative, engaging girls and young women, including Ukrainian refugees, to shape their futures.”
The initiative, championed by Women’s Law Centre, promotes gender equality and women’s leadership in Moldova, encouraging youth to pursue careers based on their aspirations, free from gender stereotypes.
“With the right guidance, young people can make informed and autonomous choices that align with their dreams—not society’s limitations,” said Ms. Ursachi.
With thanks to its dedicated Board Members, key stakeholders and implementing partners, UNDEF can make transformative change a reality by identifying local solutions to local needs. Find out more about the fund’s projects, click here.
Photo: UN Partnerships /Dieter Wagner
