UNDP works in Myanmar under a mandate from the Executive Board which focuses activities at programmes with grassroots level impact in the areas of basic health, training and education, HIV/AIDS, the environment and food security. In response to this mandate, UNDP delivers its assistance through what is known as the Human Development Initiative, or HDI.

The HDI is a set of projects which is currently providing assistance to poor rural communities in 60 townships in 11 different regions of the country. The HDI focuses on helping communities to meet their basic social and food security needs, on promoting participation by all segments of the community in collective decision-making, and on building capacity so that communities can plan and implement their own self-help activities.
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