Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 3.1 Under the 2003-2007 Country Programme for Niue and the Multi-Country Programme for the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau, UNDP supported the implementation of national development plans in all four countries. National and community-based programmes were developed and implemented in three related areas: MDG achievement and human poverty reduction, democratic governance, and environment and energy for sustainable development. UNDP demonstrated responsiveness and flexibility in times of natural disasters, when projects were revised to meet new and demanding priorities while ensuring that the planned impact of the country programme was achieved. As a trusted and neutral partner, UNDP played a strategic role in decolonization in Tokelau and decentralization in the Cook Islands. UNDP plans on continued work in this political arena, particularly to strengthen national parliaments. UNDP also supported the development of national sustainable development strategies, national MDG advocacy programmes and MDG reports in the Cook Islands, Niue and Samoa which highlights that progress towards the achievement of MDG 6 is mixed between the 4 countries and will need further attention, particularly in data collection. Strengthening national systems for MDG-based planning, data collection, monitoring and evaluation will deepen this work.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 3.1 During the implementation of the previous Country Program, the creation of National Directors at the Deputy Ministerial level, who were entrusted with the overall guidance and coordination of UNDP projects and programs, yielded stronger ownership of UNDP programs. Assigning such functions at the highest pos- sible level secured alignment with national development priorities and policies. A proactive effort was made to avoid fragmentation in projects and use of resources, and the program was streamlined to ensure consistency and impact around the two main development priorities for the period: to ensure participation and to address inequalities. Further effort will need to be made in 2010-2015 to better mainstream the emerging challenge of climate change into all development planning and policy making, and to continue mainstreaming gender is- sues. Efforts to promote human rights and to strengthen the Human Rights Defender's Office were successful, setting a sound basis for integrating a rights-based approach into all UNDP programs during the next cycle.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 3.1 UNDP assistance and programme support via its SPD 2005-2009 (extended to 2011 to facilitate UNDP corporate strategic plan and UNDAF alignment)) prioritised four thematic areas: governance reform and institutional development; poverty reduction and social sector development in support of the MDGs and other national and international developmental goals; capacity building for environmental and natural resources management; and risk reduction and disaster management.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 3.1 The three themes of the previous CPD (2007-2011) were HIV/AIDS; Environment and Poverty; and Justice, Peace and Security. Significant achievements were made in policy-level interventions and in leveraging limited resources to great effect. As such UNDP’s smaller but highly strategic interventions unlocked large amounts of funding and technical support. The ADR conducted in 2010 described the CO programme as ‘flexible, facilitating, cooperative, supportive, efficient and in-tune with Government needs. The funding flexibility at critical junctures was highly valued by both state and non-state partners’. Such flexibility made it possible to support the development of the Jamaica Debt Exchange programme, regarded as a successful model in a middle income country resulting in the equivalent of 3.5 % of GDP (USD 527.5 million) being released as interest saving in 2010 and 2011. Credible action on reducing Jamaica’s short term debt servicing costs was a requirement for the signing of the IMF Standby Agreement (SBA). The JDX’s success facilitated access to the much needed IMF support as well as to other low-cost funding from the several development partners. While they have helped to ease some of the immediate pressure on the Governments fiscal position, portents for the future are still worrying, and more work needs to be done. Conditionalities set by the IMF and other donors that will have significant impact on the macro-economy, have not yet been fully implemented and their impact on the population has not yet been assessed or planned for. Building on the past success the CO will continue to leverage its identified ability to be flexible and responsive to urgent initiatives as recommended in the ADR.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. Key results achieved
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 3.1. The 2005-2009 programme focused on three thematic areas: a) capacity-building for good governance and the rule of law; b) promotion of an enabling economic environment for poverty reduction and c) sustainable development, environmental protection and management of natural resources. However, with the strategic review of UN activities in light of the country‟s EU accession undertaken in 2006, the areas of programme focus were narrowed down from poverty reduction and governance to social inclusion and decentralization respectively.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 20. UNFPA began its assistance to the Unified Republic of Yemen in 1992. The Third Country Programme (2002 – 2006) focused on two core programme areas: Reproductive Health and Population and Development Strategies. Gender equity and equality were mainstreamed throughout the programme. The Fourth Country Programme 2007 – 2011 had three components: Reproductive Health, Population Development and Gender. Both the Reproductive Health and Population and Development components contributed to the same outcome: Effective implementation of the National Population and Reproductive Health Strategy. The outputs under RH were: 1) Increased availability of reproductive health services, with a focus on the poor, including young people in programme areas, and 2) Increased demand for reproductive health services, including information, educational services and awareness relating to reproductive rights, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS, in targeted programme areas. 9 OCHA, Yemen Humanitarian Snapshot, 10 August 2011 The outputs under P&D were: 1) Priority components of the national population and reproductive health strategy are reflected in national, sectoral and local plans, taking into consideration women’s empowerment concerns, and 2) National information systems providing disaggregated population and MDG-related data are improved, data disseminated and utilised. The Gender outcome was: Improved institutional framework ensuring that women and girls have the benefit of their equal rights, with as output increased national and local support for women’s empowerment and rights, including reproductive rights. In the course of 2011, with the intensifying crisis situation in the country, the CP increased the scope of its humanitarian interventions, in particular protection of displaced women and girls and the support of RH services in humanitarian settings, through the provision of MISP.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. The achievements of the sixth country programme include: providing technical assistance for the 2004 census; improving the quality of vital statistics and strengthening the role of the media in addressing population issues. The programme also trained female health care providers in order to increase the percentage of women receiving reproductive health services in rural areas. In addition, the programme integrated population, reproductive health and gender into non-formal education activities. Community-based organizations increased awareness of reproductive health (including youth reproductive health) and women’s rights in selected communities. The midterm review of the programme acknowledged UNFPA contributions in population and development and in reproductive health. It also highlighted the need to increase the focus on gender and to establish mechanisms to ensure programme synergy and effective coordination and monitoring. The review recommended that the programme be more focused, taking into account both human and financial resources available. In addition, and as part of the preparations for the (2008-2012) cycle of cooperation, a stakeholders analysis was conducted which provided further lessons learned and recommendations building on the mid term review. The stakeholder analysis recommended further clarifying the strategic vision of the programme and strengthening the coordination mechanisms between the different partners. Finally, the stakeholders analysis recommended increased partnership with the private sector through a clear strategic and resource mobilization plan.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 18. The eighth country programme (2007-2011) was approved for $18 million. Of this amount, $12 million was designated from regular resources and $6 million from other resources. Due to 25 January Revolution, the CP was extended until Mid-2013. Regular resources provided during the whole cycle reached $20,430,487 and $2,852,432 was spent under other resources.
Past Cooperation and Lessons Learned. 25. History - The United Nations began providing assistance to Somalia before independence and unification of the former British and Italian trusteeship territories in 1960. The first agreement between Somalia and a United Nations agency after independence was signed in 1962. UNDP signed its first assistance agreement with Somalia in May 1977, but UNFPA had already assigned its first staff to work within UNDP in the early 1970’s.
