Issue: Exclusive Issue/December 2009
Dear readers! I am happy to be able to conclude that 2009 was a busy year for UNDP Turkey with more than 30 new projects and another 10 in the pipeline until the end of the year. Looking to 2010, it already looks as though it will be even more hectic.
In 2009, we have continued programmes in our three focus areas; poverty reduction, democratic governance and environment and sustainable development. In close cooperation with a broad range of partners, we have helped formulate a National Climate Change Plan and launched a local climate change grants programme on adaptation, advanced activities on cultural tourism in Kars and local tourist schemes in Coruh, prepared for second phase on local administration reform, developed new partnerships to promote gender equality and women in politics, and continued our efforts to provide support to the preparation of a youth policy - to give a few examples. We have also finalized major infrastructure works in Erzincan, Sivas, Diyarbakir, Batman, and Siirt, improving the quality of life of 1000s of villagers in poor rural areas.
Now, on the eve of 2010, we are taking part in the first ever competitive selection process for a 2nd Organized Industrial Zone in Şanlıurfa, and launching organic agriculture and renewable energy projects in southeast Anatolia. We will launch a UN joint programme on youth employment and migration in Antalya and start working on our newest UN Joint Programme “Harnessing Sustainable Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises in Turkey’s Textile Sector” to transform the Turkish textile sector into a competitive industry, providing more jobs for people in the region.
In this special edition of our monthly newsletter New Horizons, you can find more about what UNDP will do in 2010 when creating choices for men and women in Turkey.
Launched on 5 November, “Harnessing Sustainable Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises in Turkey’s Textile Sector” will concentrate specifically on SMEs located in poor and vulnerable regions such as Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Malatya, the programme and integrate them into the global and domestic value chains, providing jobs for millions residing in these regions.
Speaking at the launch event, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Ulrika Richardson-Golinski explained: “The Joint Programme will help the local business community in project areas reach a state of “responsible competitiveness” and “decent work environment”, involving both upgrading the productivity and market access of firms in poor regions, as well as benefiting local disadvantaged communities and populations, especially women who have registered labour participation rate lower than 5% in the target region of the programme.”
President of General Secretariat of the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Associations (İTKİB) Hikmet Tanriverdi drew attention to gender inequalities within the general social environment at Turkey’s SMEs. He said: “To ensure sustainable development, we will try to overcome challenges presented by gender inequality and the feudal structure.”
In order to overcome these challenges, the project will attempt to equip employees in the sector with knowledge and tools to integrate into national and international value chains through capacity building efforts on clustering, business linkage development and effective use of ICTs; as well as through activation of an innovative ICT based Value Chain Management Platform. Moroever, a wider uptake of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) amongst textile and apparel companies and in relevant government policies will be promoted through sector assessments, the development of tools, guiding materials and case studies and sector specific CSR trainings on gender sensitive, social and environmental conduct, sustainable development and MDGs.
The Programme is run jointly with the General Secretariat of the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Associations (İTKİB) and funded by Spain through the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) which was entrusted to the United Nations by the Government of Spain. UN agencies taking part in the implementation of the programme are UNDP, UNIDO and ILO. The programme is expected to begin in January 2010.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey’s textile sector are one of the major contributors to Turkish economy in terms of enriching GDP, generating employment and increasing net exports. There are approximately 40,000 companies in the sector (mostly SMEs), employing an estimated 2 million workers. Despite its potential, the sector major drawbacks in impede progress. Currently, the textile industry suffers from increased input costs and cannot compete in international markets unless a strategy is adopted towards utilization of technological tools to establish supply chain coordination and raise awareness of the impact of corporate social responsibility. To top it off, global financial crisis has also burdened the sector.
However, important improvements can be made by identifying new comparative advantages to ensure the Turkish textile sector is more productive, innovative and responsive to the requirements of consumers in developed and emerging markets so that it can reach EU standards and bring larger benefits to the economy.
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The two projects aim primarily at progressing towards the ambitious yet realistic vision of transforming southeast Anatolia into the ‘cradle of sustainable civilizations’ with a new, value-added economy. Through the renewal of the region’s cultural and economic distinctiveness, based on a dynamic mix of sustainable agriculture, productive and ‘clean tech’ manufacturing, and innovative service industries that create jobs and raise the standard of living for all people, an example for developing regions in Turkey and worldwide can be established.
Despite the global economic crisis, global demand for organic products has been increasing by over five billion USD a year, and the southeast Anatolia region is endowed with favorable factor conditions that can make it a globally competitive player in this rapidly growing industry. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Organic Agriculture Cluster project, aims at increasing the competitiveness of the organic agriculture sector in the region through activating the “regional organic agriculture cluster”, and improving the local business environment by establishing a “regional innovation and information centre” to build local capacities, and promote the region both nationally and internationally.
Aside from accommodating organic agriculture, southeast Anatolia is also equipped with sufficient renewable energy resources which make it an excellent location for the first phase of the Utilization of Renewable Energy Resources and Increasing Energy Efficiency in Southeast Anatolia Region project. Not only is renewable energy is one of main pillars of the Competitiveness Agenda, but the project also presents itself as one of the first endeavors towards the operationalisation of national strategies on renewable energy and energy efficiency at the regional level. The project will initially identify investment and business potential of the region, which will lead to development of a Regional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Strategy. The project further builds on the partnership that was established between UC Berkeley and GAP RDA.
Complementing each other, these two projects demonstrate how the GAP Region can provide a new value proposition to international and national markets: organic production & renewable energy, a “package deal” only a handful of regions in the world can offer. This value proposition has been validated by UNDP and GAP RDA through consultations with world’s leading textile and clothing manufacturers and retailers, including Levi’s, Patagonia, Marks and Spencer, executives of which have demonstrated clear interest in engaging in the promising partnership between GAP RDA and UNDP.
The Competitiveness Agenda Project is based on the conception that increased “regional competitiveness” effectively brings about increased “regional wealth”. Thus, regional development strategies that are informed by a competitiveness perspective can also be an effective means for alleviating poverty and eradicating regional disparities. In the scope of the Competitiveness Agenda, UNDP provides technical assistance to the GAP RDA to establish two main strategies and three “cross-cutting” and supporting “sectoral” action lines.
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The application period will continue until 26 February 2010. Young people from 15 to 26 years of age are invited to submit project proposals in cooperation with public offices, civil society organizations and youth centers in their cities.
Starting on 1 December, grant proposals in cooperation with corporate partners will be prepared by young women and men where youth centres in three cities will act as potential corporate partners for all youth groups during application.Projects will receive funding up to USD 20,000.
Following the first term of grant applications, the S-UN Fund has been supporting 20 youth initiatives in Konya, Muğla and Kocaeli since May 2009. A total amount of USD 303,000 is being transferred to these projects. Aside from being used for project execution, the funds also contribute to young project owners personal development who receive trainings and consultancy in project development and management.
Swiss-UNDP Fund for Youth is a grant and technical assistance programme that has been implemented by the General Directorate of Youth and Sports, and UNDP. As a direct response to support Turkish Government’s efforts to support social integration of young people, the Fund was entrusted to UNDP by the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency.
The S-UN Fund for Youth supports initiatives of young women and men, which aim social integration of young migrant populations, youth employment in culture and tourism sectors and effective utilization of information and communication technologies.
The application process for investors on the 2nd Organized Industrial Region as a part of the The “Industrial Restructuring of Şanlıurfa” project, sponsored by the European Union and Pre-Participation Economic Cooperation Project of Turkey, has begun on the 16th of November and will continue until 15 January 2010.
A city built upon the lands where agriculture originated, Şanlıurfa is on its way to becoming an important trade center for local and foreign investors through the 2008-2012 GAP Action Plan as well as the 2nd Organized Industrial Region (OIZ) initiative. Thanks to GAP, Şanlıurfa will double its irrigatable land by 2012 and will produce more agricultural variety. With this progress more investments are expected. Parallel to the development and spreading of agriculture in the region, it is expected that food and other sectors based on agriculture will also improve through newly created opportunities for investment and employment.
Alongside agriculture, 30% of Turkey’s cotton is produced in Şanlıurfa, presenting new opportunities for employment in the textile sector. With newly increased irrigation capabilities, the region will also become a hotspot for investors interested in renewable energy sources.
The OIZ will also provide easy access to markets within Syria and Iraq because of its close proximity. Through the Mersin and Iskenderun Bays investors will have access to the rest of Turkey, which will results in easy and direct access from OIZ to the Şanlıurfa GAP International Cargo Airport.
The “Industrial Restructuring of Şanlıurfa” project is run by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and sponsored by the EU as well as the ministry in cooperation with Central Finance and Contract Unit (MFIB) and Project Construction Works and Technical Assistance. The Construction works will be providing the foundational construction and treatment plants for 1st and 2nd OIZ’s. The project’s technical assistance component run by the UNDP aims to provide the 2nd OIZ with information on establishing strategic sectors and to make sure that the facilities promote and utilize a fair competitive environment.
In this context, a Technical Assistance team composed of local and international experts has been active in Şanlıurfa since the beginning of 2009. The team of experts are continuing to conduct their studies in cooperation with Municipality of Şanlıurfa, Şanlıurfa Trade and Industry Union, OIZ Management, Harran University, GAP Regional Development Administration, Ministry of Trade and Industry and KOSGEB/IGEM.
Investors seeking to apply to the industrial region should submit their applications to the help desk at the Şanlıurfa Trade and Industry Union before 15th of January 2010.
The application process
All applications will be evaluated through scientific criteria pre-established by independent sectoral and financial experts who will submit a list of elligible companies to an executive committee. Taking the situation of the parcels into account, the executive committee will then share the results publicly. The main goal of this process is to ensure that investments with the greatest potential of contributing to the development of Şanlıurfa and improving the city’s competitiveness are selected.
For more information on the application process and procedures please visit websites of Şanlıurfa Trade and Industry Union and Şanlıurfa Organized Industrial Region Directorate.
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There are 35 million young people under the age of 28 in Turkey today. Taking employment and income figures into account, the youth, particularly in less developed regions, faces challenges in benefitting from financial opportunities and information resources. Tackling financial difficulties and unemployment, young people rarely make plans to secure their financial future. Through developing financial awareness among young people in Turkey, “I Can Manage My Money” project launched to contribute to sustainable economies, was introduced to the press in early December.
In her opening speech, Visa Europe Regional General Manager, Berna Ülman explained that by developing the financial awareness of young people, with resource utilization, budget and debt management, attitudes and preferences such as preferences in financial tools, the ‘I Can Manage My Money’ project not only aims to contribute to individual or family economies, but also to economic and social stability. Ülman further said: “By supporting healthy development of investments towards young people, we hope that our project will contribute to economic and social progress. Our goal is to provide the project’s results generating social effects and project outcomes to the public as a policy suggestion, which will be included in the formal education curriculum developed by the Ministry of Education.
UNDP Turkey Resident Representative a.i. Ulrika Richardson-Golinski pointed out that this financial awareness project has enabled the collaboration of the government, private sector and civil society for the first time in Turkey.Expressing that the project will serve the Millennium Development Goals to be reached by 2015 Golinski said: “We express at every opportunity that UNDP highly appreciates the private sector’s involvement for reaching these goals. The ’I Can Manage My Money’ project, will play an important role in Turkey’s development. In this sense I believe that Visa Europe sets a good example for other organizations.
The project based on the curriculum on budgeting and financial management that uses the peer education model, will be expanded via young educators in the context of youth councils in 15 cities noted Youth Association for Habitat President, Sezai Hazır and explained “The education process of 60 volunteers from various cities in Turkey has commenced. These young volunteers will educate 6 thousand young people. We expect that at the end of one year, the project will benefit 60 thousand young people indirectly".
In November 2009 pilot operations were conducted in 15 cities from 7 different regions including İstanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Denizli, İzmir, Ankara, Eskişehir, Antalya, Samsun, Adana, Malatya, Gaziantep, Trabzon, Erzurum and Diyarbakir as a part of the “I Can Manage My Money” project. High school and university students and members of youth NGO’s of 15 -30 years of age will be teaching their peers and other representatives. The project will start out with 60 volunteer peer educators teaching six thousand young men and women, and will attempt to reach the 60 thousand mark by the end of the year using peer education models and e-learning tools.
Interest for proposals under the project’s rural economic growth component have been considerable in the new term. A total of 968 applications in the provinces of Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt were submitted. Out of the total number of submissions made by both individuals and legal entities, 107 in Diyarbakır, 58 in Batman and 82 in Siirt qualified. Currently, market analyses, proposal and procurement procedures with project owners are continuing.
Grants have been issued for training programmes,plot installations and the dissemination of agricultural machines and technologies, among others. Individuals could be considered for a contributory grant of up to USD 17 500 – being equivalent to up to 50% of the overall cost of investment. Second, private corporate/business entities and established farmers’ organisations could be considered for a contributory grant award of up to USD 125 000, again being equivalent to up to 50% of the overall cost of investment.
The Diyarbakır-Batman-Siirt Development Project led by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs aims to increase agricultural productivity and income levels in the less-developed regions of Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt in southeastern Anatolia, develop innovative strategies with real impact on the ground in these three provinces, expand rural employment opportunities and encourage individual and group initiatives of smallholders. The project also aims to improve social infrastructure, build and strengthen self-sustaining institutions and in general improve the living conditions of the rural men and women.
The project aims to achieve its goals through three integrated components. The Village Improvement Programme aims at mitigating poverty at the village level by raising awareness, educating and training farmers and investmenting in small-scale social and economic village infrastructure initiatives. The Rural Economic Growth component aims to create a transparent, efficient and sustainable market economy in the project area. This component does not only cover participating villages but all rural areas in Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt by providing services on rural supply chain management, business intermediation and staff capacity building. Rural finance and contributory grants are also provided. The final component, Capacity Building for Employment, ensures access to better-paid employment in the emerging local economy.
The call for proposals made in the framework of the Rural Economic Growth component was repeated in both Diyarbakır and Batman when none of the applications submitted by legal entities qualified. While none of the applications submitted by legal entities in Siirt qualified, 19 submissions in Diyarbakır and 6 in Batman were found elligible. The project subjects prepared for the grant support to be provided during the Diyarbakır-Batman-Siirt Development Project are determined according to Strategic Investment Plans to be announced together with the announcement for grant application. No project which is not within the scope of Strategic Investment Plans are supported.
Evaluation of eligibility of applicants, if any, related institutions and Project are realized according to criteria of “Evaluation Table for Eligibility of Applicants and Project” under the criteria of DBSDP Grant. Criteria such as quality of applicant, characteristics of investment area, employment created by the investment, provincial master plans and preferred project subjects of the province are taken into consideration in pre-evaluations of project applications for economic investments.
UNDP is a key partner to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the implementation of the Diyarbakır-Batman-Siirt Development Project. It facilitates project administration in terms of flow of funds, programming, accounting and audit, procurement of goods and services and quality assurance. UNDP also provides strategic development policy advice to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs based on best practices and lessons learned during the implementation at the field level. The project that started in December 2007 will be completed by the end of 2012.
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By facilitating the expansion of the national system of marine and coastal protected areas and improving management effectiveness, the project will expand the country’s system of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas by approximately 100,000 hectares, an equivalent of 44%. This expansion will include the first significant initiative to create restricted areas for fisheries, a potentially critical tool in Turkey’s efforts to conserve marine biodiversity.
Home to 3 of the 200 most important global ecoregions Turkey has an 8,500 km coastline spanning the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea. On this relatively long coastline, a total of 3,000 plant and animal species have been identified.
Unfortunately, Turkey’s marine biodiversity has been seriously impacted by anthropogenic pressures. Among the threats against marine biodiversity are the degradation of marine habitats and ecosystems, and the overharvesting of marine resources and conversion and/or destruction of coastal habitats. Protected areas have a potentially significant, yet largely unrealized role to play in eliminating these threats to marine area biodiversity in Turkey. Currently, only about 3% of Turkey’s territorial water is protected.
Although Turkey has been active in establishing Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs) to protect its marine biodiversity from these threats, the size, shape and ecological representativeness of the MCPA network remains inadequate. Furthermore, most of the MCPAs in Turkey are multiple use areas, and have not been specifically designed to protect biodiversity or optimize ecosystem benefits. All these setbacks necessitate the establishment of a new system MCPAs.
The “Strengthening Protected Area Network of Turkey: Catalyzing Sustainability of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas” project which will be applied in Foça, Gökova, Datça-Bozburun, Köyceğiz-Dalyan, Fethiye-Göcek protected areas and Ayvalık Islands Nature Park will have a great impact on the conservation of marine biodiversity as well as strengthening marine protected area network in Turkey. With the project, it is expected to develop the capacities and internal structures needed for prioritizing the establishment of new MCPAs and for more effectively managing existing MCPAs. Also, new financial planning and management systems for MCPAs will help facilitate effective business planning to ensure adequate levels of revenue generation and cost-effective management. Inter-agency coordination mechanisms will be put in place to regulate and manage economic activities within the MCPAs. This will help and encourage inter-agency co-ordination at national and regional levels.
In addition, the project will also strengthen the management capacities of the MCPA authorities through a proposed national-level plan to guide further expansion. To address a fundamental GAP, new structures will be established for inter-agency coordination, thereby addressing an fundamental gap. As a result, agencies and other stakeholders will be able to effectively address both land-based and marine-based threats to marine biodiversity.
Following the project launch an opening workshop held in Ankara during the second week of November, the importance of the project serving as a model for other countries in both global and regional contexts was emphasized. In his opening speech, President of Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas (EPASA) Ahmet Özyanık stressed that the agency is aware of the importance of Turkey’s Marine and Coastal Protected Areas and the lack of national framework in planning, monitoring and support of marine and coastal protected areas. He further explained that this project is an important step in establishing a national system in collaboration with related agencies.
“Strengthening Protected Area Network of Turkey: Catalyzing Sustainability of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas” project is funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and executed by the Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas (EPASA) working in close cooperation with the General Directorate for Nature Conservation and National Parks (GDNCNP), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. UNDP is the implementing partner. Department of Foreign Relations, State Planning Organization, the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, the Turkish Coast Guard Command, the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, the Ministry of Transportation, the Culture and Tourism, governors of districts and villages headmen, marine and coastal management faculties and research institutes, national and local NGOs, and local representatives are the stakeholders and beneficiaries of the project which will begin in 2009 and end in 2013.
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Editor: Aygen Aytaç
Assistant: Ece Ergen
Interns: Begüm Kalemdaroğlu, Ersev Özer
© 2009 UNDP Turkey
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