Local authorities are now increasingly regarded as strategic actors in migration and refugee policy development at the global level. Supporting local institutions to cope with, recover and transform from shocks is at the heart of the UNDP resilience approach worldwide, and support to municipal service delivery in emergency contexts is one of UNDP’s signature products. 

In Turkey, municipalities have acted as first responders in addressing the impact of the presence of refugees, and have played an essential part in the development of more resilient capacities able to respond to the increase in demand for services.

UNDP has been among the first partners of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) to step up its support to municipal institutions and has provided the most support to date.

The direct support extended to municipalities for the delivery of services has allowed them to allocate the resources saved to other needs. Initial infrastructural support quickly generated a virtuous cycle with additional benefits not only in terms of the environment and public health but also in terms of the livelihoods of local communities.

The key to sustaining municipal resilience is to leverage the support provided to introduce transformative changes in the management of municipal services. 

UNDP’s role as a catalyst has been crucial to the successful transformation of municipal management approaches.