UNDP to Relocate Hundreds of Headquarters Roles From New York in Strategic Shift Toward Decentralised Global Development

Madrid will also emerge as a key operational centre, strengthening UNDP’s engagement with European partners and institutions.

 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced a major operational shift, confirming plans to relocate a substantial number of positions currently based at its New York headquarters as part of a broader effort to adapt to changing financial realities and strengthen its impact on the ground.

The move will affect nearly 400 posts, with approximately 75 percent relocating to Bonn, Germany, and around 25 percent moving to Madrid, Spain. New York will remain UNDP’s global headquarters.

UNDP says the relocation is designed to bring capabilities closer to partners, improve operational efficiency, and ensure the organization remains fit for purpose in an evolving global development landscape marked by rising humanitarian needs and constrained resources.

Expanding UNDP’s European operational hubs

The shift will significantly expand UNDP’s presence in Bonn, where the organization already hosts the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, part of the UNDP family. Once complete, UNDP’s footprint in Bonn will exceed 400 positions, reinforcing the city’s role as a major UN development hub.

Madrid will also emerge as a key operational centre, strengthening UNDP’s engagement with European partners and institutions.

UNDP expressed gratitude to both Germany and Spain for hosting the relocated teams, noting that the agreements deepen long-standing partnerships and support the organization’s core mission.

A broader push to bring staff closer to communities

The relocation builds on earlier decentralisation efforts. At the start of 2026, UNDP transferred 30 additional positions from New York to regional offices across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Arab States, Central Europe, and Asia and the Pacific, positioning staff closer to the communities they serve.

UNDP currently operates in around 170 countries and territories, employing approximately 22,000 people worldwide. More than 19,000 staff members are based in country offices and regional hubs, while fewer than 7 percent remain in New York, with the remainder spread across other global locations.

Reinforcing UNDP’s core development mandate

UNDP says the changes will strengthen its ability to deliver on its core mandate: eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, protecting the environment, and supporting crisis prevention, stabilization, and recovery.

By decentralising headquarters functions and reinforcing regional capacity, the organization aims to remain agile and responsive as global development challenges intensify—from climate shocks and conflict to economic instability and inequality.

The relocation marks one of UNDP’s most significant internal restructurings in recent years, reflecting a broader shift across the UN system toward leaner headquarters operations and stronger field presence.