The UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the strategic programme framework that describes the collective response of the UN system to the national development priorities in a country or territory.

An UNDAF can take many forms, from a more traditional UNDAF framework, which provides a basic coordinated UN assistance to the country, to the new Delivering as One (DaO) approach, which brings the UN together as "One" in its interactions with the host Government, as well as other versions that are more of a partnership or cooperation framework. In 2014, preparation will begin for the roll out of 42 new UNDAF cycles around the world, with eleven countries as well as Kosovo (as defined under UN Security Council Resolution 1244) being in Europe and Central Asia. Three countries will roll-out a UNDAF cycle in South-East Europe: Serbia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. In addition an UNDAF-like cycle will also be rolled-out in Kosovo*.

The UNDAF roll-outs happen at a critical juncture as Member States are shaping the post-2015 global development agenda. It is therefore imperative that the UN system is positioned to deliver coherently a high-quality and high-value support to its national partners. To do this, efforts are being taken to ensure alignment with key UN Frameworks and Programmes, such as the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) beyond 2014, the Beijing+20 Review Process on the Status of Women and the recently developed Health 2020 Strategy. These Frameworks and Programmes illustrate the wealth of evidence, data and direction that will help UN Country Teams to inform UNDAFs, and the need to align strategic documents with these and other relevant frameworks.

The roll-out process will also be guided by the key programming principles of the UNDAF – results-based management; human rights based approach; gender equality; environmental sustainability, and capacity development – as well as undertaken in the spirit of "Delivering as One", taking advantage of the lessons learnt with an increased focus on delivering results.

In the region of Europe and Central Asia, more countries have started the shift from recipients of development assistance to becoming development partners and donors contributing financial resources, technical expertise, south-south cooperation, and other resources. However, there remain significant pockets of inequality, vulnerability, and poverty in parts of the region that the UN family together with its regional and national partners must address on a priority basis through its programmes. This represents the added-value of continuing the UNDAF rollout process in the region.

UNESCO, through its Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe based in Venice, Italy, has been involved in rolling out UNDAFs in the region for over 10 years. In particular, this Bureau has contributed to the enactment of the UNDAF programmes in seven countries in its mandated region, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, and Ukraine, and of a UN Kosovo Team Common Development Plan (UNKT-CDP). Following the success and achievements of previous implemented programmes, in 2013 a UNDAF rollout process started in Bosnia and Herzegovina which the Regional Bureau actively contributed to, led by its Antenna Office in Sarajevo. This UNDAF, as well as the other 2014 rollouts, will build upon the results and lessons learned from previous implemented UNDAF cycles to outline the concluding actions of the UN assistance activities.

note: *as defined under UN Security Council Resolution 1244