Issue: 28
The report, launched by the United Nations Development Programme and entitled Youth in Turkey, offers guidance on how employment, education and health policies for youth need to be reshaped to ensure that these policies are people-oriented and better prepare the country for the coming demographic challenges.
The launch at which State Minister responsible for youth and sports Murat Başesgioğlu and UNDP Resident Representative Mahmood Ayub delivered speeches was attended by a large community including public and private institutions, ambassadors, NGOs, associations, academics, parliamentarians, international organizations, representatives of the EC delegation and the media.
During his opening remarks, UNDP Resident Representative Mahmood Ayub stressed the importance of youth for a nation and said: “Turkey’s young men and women are its next generation. They have skills and ambitions, vision and energy. But they need to be given opportunities to utilize these to the fullest. If this can be achieved, the country’s future will be assured and sustainable”.
According to the 2007 Population Census, there are more than 12 million youth between the ages of 15-24 in Turkey, or 17.6 percent of the total population. Youth - which the report defines as people between 15 and 24 years of age - face a wide variety of challenges in Turkey.
The unemployment rate for young people currently stands at 17-18 percent, almost twice the national average. Nearly 40 percent of youth – almost 5 million people – are idle, neither working nor attending school. Gender discrimination, curtailing the prospects of young women, has not been tackled with sufficient strength.
Turkey started a strong process of modernization under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk after 1923 but is lagging behind countries with comparable per capita income in the area of social policy. Turkey, the fastest growing country economically in its region, with one of the largest population of youth, needs to catch up with this international progress, the report says.
A youth policy is important to ensure higher levels of human development, as defined by greater human choices. But it is also crucial in order to stave off some potentially crushing demographic challenges. The experience of East Asian countries demonstrates that a large youth cohort can help propel an economy to very high growth rates. However, the experience of other countries, for example in Latin America, has also shown that this positive outcome is by no means guaranteed. Thus it is crucial that the working-age population is indeed working in high value-adding jobs.
“The favourable ratio of young to old in the coming decades presents opportunities as well as challenges for the government,” says the report. “Turkey has a 15-year window of opportunity to prepare today’s youth for the challenges ahead. After 15 years, about 70% of Turkey’s population will be of working age and the working-age population will be increasing, though at a decreasing rate, until 2040. This demographic transition, when population growth rate is declining while the working age population keeps rising is called “the demographic window of opportunity.” Such an episode is a one-off opportunity in a country’s history. If Turkey can give the right opportunities to its youth today, to invest in their education in order to prepare them for higher value-added jobs in the future, the demographic window of opportunity can be utilized effectively. But if this opportunity is mismanaged, unemployment, poverty, and social unrest may lie ahead.”
During 2002-2006, when the average annual growth rate was 7.5 percent, the unemployment rate stubbornly remained unchanged around 10 percent. Population growth keeps outpacing employment growth and educated young people have difficulty finding jobs.
The report has used an unorthodox research approach. It is to a significant extent based on a comprehensive ‘State of Youth Survey’ which canvassed the views of 3,322 individuals aged 15-24 in 12 different regions of the country. It also included 24 focus group meetings with young people and four focus groups with adults. The focus group meetings were categorized as professionals, university students, apprentices, unemployed university graduates, house wives/girls, youth from displaced families, Roman youth, gays, prisoners, disabled youngsters, youth workers, sportsmen/women, village youth, small town youth and political party members etc. All focus group meetings were conducted under the supervision of sociologists and the results were analyzed again by sociologists.
Media representation of youth draws heavily on the image of young people as students -- single, healthy, dynamic and usually middle-class. In fact, students constitute only one-third of the age group 15-24. There are as many young people employed as unemployed. Among both the employed and unemployed, some live with their families, some are married with children, some work within the informal sector, some are busy looking for jobs and some have already lost hope of finding one.
There are millions of young people who are in the category of “invisible youth” in Turkey. These include:
Young women form a majority of this invisible group. As the term “young” is mostly associated with “boys,” young women are not a focal point of youth studies. A group described as “ev kızı” (house girls) and composed of young women who stay at home and remain isolated from social activities, the labour market and education are, as a result, excluded from much of social life. Some of these women choose this way of life, and they have right to do so; but many are forced into it either before they become conscious of alternatives or when they migrate to big cities without the skills required by the urban labour market.
The report notes that national, regional and state policies need to focus more on these invisible youth, particularly young women, and explore ways to increase their opportunities and to help them gain access to education and resources necessary for their full development and full participation in social and economic life. In many respects, their needs are greater and different from those of the 8 million more visible young people. Yet there is no “magic potion” that can bring one solution to these categories of invisible young people. Their diversity needs to be better recognized and policies and action adapted to their reality and needs.
EDUCATION OR SELECTION SYSTEM?
Education is one of the most effective tools to enhance people’s achievements, freedoms and capabilities. It works as a master key opening many doors. Education is also a fundamental human right. However in Turkey despite the eight year compulsory education system, only 89% of young people complete their primary education. And only 56% of young people continue to high school after primary school and only 18% make it to university right after graduating from high school.
The State of Youth Survey which was conducted for the National Human Development Report among more than 3,000 young people showed that 30% of young people did not attend post-secondary school institutions or university because they had to go to work and earn money and 50% stated a “lack of interest or desire”, 11% were kept from going to school by their parents. Other reasons were lack of schools in a given region, lack of transport to schools or for some families simply “being a girl”. When one looks into group which state “lack of a desire for the school” more carefully, 60% of this group comes from poor families.
The report stresses that despite considerable increase in the education budget in recent years in Turkey, expenditure on education is still low compared to OECD countries. Expenditures per primary, secondary (and post-secondary non-tertiary) students increased in most countries between 1995 and 2004. The increase is 50% or more in a group of countries including Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and the Slovak Republic. Still, while OECD countries spend on average US$ 81,485 per student over the expected duration of primary and secondary education, total expenditure for each primary and secondary student is under US$ 40,000 in Turkey, similar to the amounts spent by Mexico, Poland, and the Slovak Republic. This expenditure goes up to US$ 100,000 or more in Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland and the United States.
The report “Youth in Turkey” states that “problems with access to education represents a paucity of opportunity that prevent young people from enjoying meaningful participation in the economic and social life of the country, hindering their capacity to become productive, fulfilled citizens” and reminds that expanding education is a priority. The report suggests that focusing on early childhood education and ensuring that children from different socio-economic backgrounds have access to quality early childhood education can ensure children to enter primary education at a certain level of minimum standards in each school. The report notes that reform needs to be done also on the student selection process, and that more opportunities are also needed for teachers in order to enhance their professional skills.
According to the National Human Development Report, improving the education quality at all levels is an equal priority which would also contribute to the “equal opportunities for all” dimension. Ensuring young people’s access to quality education is essential if they are to adapt to new and changing patterns of life. Each year in the University Entrance Examination, the insufficiency of the general level of knowledge and skill is exposed; for example the correct answers to mathematics and geometry questions is just above 7 out of 45 on average. Getting rid of the memorized learning method and the crammed exam agenda will, in the long term, create radical and long-lasting changes in the Turkish educational system.
Recent efforts to change the curricula for a more child-centred and constructivist approach holds potential for enhancing young people’s capacity to participate effectively in an innovative economy and a democratic society. The successful implementation of the curricula changes through effective pre and in-service teacher training and monitoring systems and the ability to make any new changes which appear necessary in this field on the basis of sound evaluation will be fundamental for the fulfilment of its potential. Although problems are expected to arise during the transition period, the educational reforms seem to hold significant potential for improving education. Obviously the pattern of their implementation will be crucial in terms of their effectiveness.
Both vocational schools and vocational school graduates need more support from government, businesses and society at large.
According to the youth report, an effective orientation system should be adopted in the educational network, beginning with the interaction and cooperation between the vocational/technical schools and the industrial and services related businesses in the private sector. As a result of this effort, perhaps many young people will opt for a rewarding vocational education followed by a passage to a satisfactory job and the cramming in the doorsteps of universities will lessen.
According to 2005 data, the ratio of students who chose to do vocational studies in Turkey is 36%. In the existing system, those who choose to go to vocational schools are usually the academically less inclined, who turn to vocational schools because they do not have other options. However, a new assessment system can be developed which can correctly evaluate the talents and eagerness of the young people in the fields they study.
The fact that the ratios for unemployed vocational school graduates are high means that the interrelation between vocational schools and business places should be re-considered. Chambers of industry and industrial zone administrations can help improve the quality of vocational schools by renewing and modernizing the educational equipments, materials and tools used in these schools. Business places will contribute to the reduction of the unemployment problem by offering internships and later, permanent jobs to the students and graduates of vocational schools.
New codes in society should be established and encouraged that value professionals like computer technicians, tailors, tilers, etc. who are good at their job, as important and respectable people. Young people expect this encouragement from the society, the State, the private sector and the media. Financial incentives for such vocations may also help.
JOBLESS YOUTH
The Turkish economy is now on the verge of becoming the seventeenth largest in the world with a GDP of about US$ 500 billion. However Turkey’s recent strong economic growth has not translated itself into a matching performance in employment creation. Youth employment creation is critical for development and economic stability and a failure to create employment especially for youth will lead to high levels of unemployment. According to the National Human Development Report, in Turkey in 2006, 15-24 year-olds made up 18.5% (4.6 million) of the total labour force of 24.8 million. In contrast, young unemployed make up 35% of the total number of unemployed, and 40% of this rate are first-time job seekers.
The report also argues that gender differences in participation to employment are much wider at lower levels of education. According to the report, young unskilled men are very largely dominant in the construction sector while young unskilled women are largely overrepresented in the clothing and textile industry. However these two sectors are also among those where informal employment is the most widespread. Many of these young people do not have social security coverage. “Youth in Turkey” suggests that dealing with youth unemployment within the framework of a national action plan would constitute the most adequate approach. Identifying the specific features, constraints and opportunities which matter most in terms of employment creation will be crucial. Other ways of dealing with unemployment would be to increase the average level of education and technical qualifications of young people. Informal employment would gradually ease as the EU labour standards became well established in the Turkish labour market. Finally, the report suggests, increasing the duration of compulsory schooling to eleven or twelve years and implementing new and more specific employment policies, geared towards the needs of the young.
Employment policies should include increasing qualifications of the existing labour force through vocational education and job training; modernizing a number of traditional sectors with the help of high technology; encouraging the development of agro-industries; and boosting the numbers of IT companies run by the young. Policies need to be developed in a participatory manner that builds the trust of youth in political institutions, laying the foundations for sustained human development, the report says.
The youth in Turkey do not and cannot participate in social and political life of the country at levels that would extensively and significantly contribute to national human development, 2008 National Human Development Report says. Among the most significant reasons for this phenomenon are economic, attitudinal and cultural as well as strictly political factors. All of these interact with one another to various degrees and thus render the consequences quite complex.
Several arguments are worthy of note. One is the dynamic impact that early childhood experience brings into a child’s adolescent life. If a child grows in an environment that promotes active participation in social life and where rights and responsibilities of the citizenry are clear then it is most likely that that child will grow to support the democratic system and actively participate in the development of his/her community. Another is the role that, open, responsive, responsible and accountable institutions play in advanced democracies. In the absence of such an institutional environment, active citizenry is not going to bring about the expected benefits and without the hope and confidence inspired by democratic institutions, general participation levels will continue to be undermined.
According to the report, one of the most important means for the youth to become responsible citizens is political participation. In Turkey citizens can now run for parliament from the age of 25, they already vote in the elections from the age of 18. However, this does not mean that political participation prospects of youth have progressed in the same degree. Unless they are complemented by financially based incentive structures in this field and genuinely encouraged in practice, youth participation in political parties will remain restricted. Equally important is that via these incentive systems the financial transparency of the parties can be established more solidly and their links to clientelism can be reduced. Any oligarchic control of a party’s leadership can also be prevented by more active participation of different citizen groups in these parties.
Youth not interested in getting into politics
Youth foster feelings of cynicism and distrust towards political mechanisms. They believe that “politics isn’t honest and just” and that “people who deserve are not where they should be”. The same distrust is felt towards politicians as well. “Those who protect only themselves and their relatives”, “those who don’t do much for the people” and “they are not telling the truth” are statements often used by youth when describing politicians... According to the State of Youth Survey the rate of youth who are currently active in a political party is 4.7%. Three-fourths of the remaining 95.3% are not considering taking part in any political party in the future.
While the youths’ distrust towards politics seems to be rather widespread, civil society can offer some adequate participation tools for the youth.
Many foundations and associations in Turkey allow youth to participate through volunteerism and to learn and create something. As the active citizenship literature suggests, volunteerism and youth services that young people provide boost their self-esteem. Research shows that involving young people in activities serving the greater community has a positive impact on their personal development, sense of civic and social responsibility, knowledge and academic skills and career aspirations.
However, among those who participated in the State of Youth Survey the rate of young people who are members of a non-governmental organization is only 4% in Turkey. About 46% of these are either university students or graduates. Universities play an important role in providing opportunities that enable youth to learn participation by actually practicing and experiencing it.
[BAGLANTILAR]
The two-day Youth Knowledge Fair organized in Ankara formed the introduction phase of the 2008 National Human Development Report prepared by UNDP on “Youth in Turkey” to youth and NGOs. The report was initially launched on 21 March 2008 in Ankara and was presented to state agencies and decision-takers.
The Youth Knowledge Fair carries great importance in the decision of individuals and institutions - that came together in the meetings and workshops that were organized - to strengthen their communication networks by establishing a youth platform for the first time. With the youth platform envisaged to be established and of which signatures have already been collected for participation, civil society organizations working in the field of youth, individuals and state agencies will be informed of each others’ works and will be able to provide support and exchange of ideas to each other. Most importantly, through the platform, institutions will not only develop new projects but will ensure the visibility of their joint works and work to transform these studies into policies.
In the context of the Youth Knowledge Fair attended by hundreds of people and more than 90 institutions including NGOs, student groups of universities, youth centres, youth assemblies, sports federations and representatives of state agencies working in the field of youth, 9 workshops participated by 280 people were organized along with theather shows, plays, concerts, dance and rhythm shows and folk dances. Project owners whose projects were awarded – in the context of the preparation process of the National Human Development Report - as “best practices in youth work” on 4 October 2007 had the opportunity of coming together at the Youth Knowledge Fair and introducing their projects. Some of the participating agencies were Turkey Environmental Protection and Greening Organization (TÜRÇEK), Alternative Life Association, Youth for Habitat Association, Arı Movement, GSM-Youth Services Centre, AEGEE Ankara, Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG), Turkish Youth Federation, Turkish Educational Volunteers Foundation, Turkish Democracy Foundation, Economic Policy Reasearch Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), Turkish Red Crescent Association, World Wildlife Foundation, Regional Rotaract Clubs, National Youth Assembly, Amnesty International, Life Plus Youth Programme and European Union Information Centre.
The Youth Knowledge Fair, created an environment where young people can receive information on how they can actively participate into community life and to meet NGOs working in this field. This environment also gave the opportunity for NGOs to seek young volunteers and to enhance their communication with other NGOs working in the same field and developing new joint projects.
In the preparation process of the 2008 National Human Development Report on “Youth in Turkey”, a call for project proposals was made in August 2007 in order to identify the best practices in youth work. The projects were evaluated and selected by youth and development experts as well as officials from UNDP and the European Union Information Centre. Twenty projects that were selected as “best practices” were awarded at the “Best Practices in Youth Work” Award Ceremony organized by UNDP Turkey with the support of the British Council, in Ankara on 4 October 2007 with the participation of State Minister responsible for youth and sports Murat Başesgioğlu.
In order to shed more light on these “best practices” and to share them with institutions working in the field of youth, the awarded projects were collected in a brochure to be distributed along with the 2008 National Human Development Report.
This brochure therefore honours these youth groups and NGOs in their work to increase youth’s capabilities thus transforming them into active citizens, arm them for current and future challenges, and in their efforts to combat poverty, lack of quality in education, intolerance towards differences, unemployment, lack of participation and environmental degradation.
In the context of the “Life Plus” Youth Programme established by Coca-Cola Turkey and UNDP, only projects that focus on “environmental” issues will be realized as of this year.
In the context of the studies conducted under the ‘Life Plus’ Youth Programme that has supported 31 projects in 23 cities for the past three years, implementations that produce community-sensitive solutions or solution recommendations to ‘environmental’ problems, awareness increasing activities, enhancing the competency of a target group, organizing events and conducting researches will be focused on. The projects that are being supported are being selected among applications received from all around Turkey every year and consultancy and project management support is being provided to the project team along with financial aid.
Following the evaluation of project ideas according to technical criteria, two representatives from project teams that are regarded as successful are being invited to a ‘Life Plus’ meeting. Project teams that participate workshops and trainings organized in the context of the meeting, then make their final application. The projects that will receive support from the ‘Life Plus’ Youth Programme are being selected among the final applications by a Selective Committee.
Environment related projects among the projects that are being implemented this year, are already outweighing. In the “Clean Gediz” project, raising awareness on the pollution of the Gediz River and commencing an initiative to stop the pollution with the participation of students are being aimed. The aim of the “One Drop, Thousand Yields” - another environment project - is the introduction of drip irrigation in agriculture, the prevention of loss of water and reducing soil erosion.
Ebru Bakkaloğlu, Coca-Cola Turkey Corporate Communications Manager stated that environmental problems had become one of the most important agenda items of the world and that the cooperation of the public and private sector and NGOs in the solution of these problems had gained more importance. Bakkaloğlu said: “We decided that it would be the right thing to do to direct all resources and energy of the ‘Life Plus’ Youth Programme to environment projects. We believe that youth in Turkey can provide a great contribution to the solution of environmental problems and water issues in particular”.
5-50 thousand dollars support will be provided to environmental projects that will be realized under the “Life Plus” Youth Programme.
The application calendar for the Life Plus Youth Programme 2008-2009 term is as follows:
21 March 2008 Start of applications
16 May 2008 Deadline for applications
30 June 2008 Life Plus Istanbul meeting
14 July 2008 Submission of final applications
21 July 2008 Announcement of winners
For more information, please visit http://www.hayataarti.org/ (Turkish)
For all questions regarding the application process: info@hayataarti.org
The “Life Plus” Youth Fund Guidebook could be requested at info@hayataarti.org
Environmental Projects Supported by the “Life Plus” Youth Programme in 2008:
“Clean Gediz” Project
In the first phase of the “Clean Gediz” project that aims to raise awareness on the conditions of Gediz that has been polluted with industrial and domestic wastes and to create a light of hope towards the “it's too late” despair, information and documents were collected on pollution, photo shoots were realized and the postcards that will be sent to the Ministry of Environment were prepared. During the second phase of the project, the postcards that will be signed in mass action signature campaign will be sent to the Ministry of Environment, campaign stands will be established in the city centre, activities in secondary education institutions will be realized and workshops will be organized. With the completion of the campaign, the results of the project will be submitted to the public via a website.
“One Drop, Thousand Yields” Project
The “One Drop, Thousand Yields” project implemented in Balıkesir Paşaköy, western Turkey was initiated on the grounds that use of water could be reduced by drip irrigation and productivity could be increased. In the context of the project, a pilot implementation will be realized in order to show farmers the difference between drip irrigation and surface irrigation in terms of water consumption and productivity. The land for the pilot implementation has been determined, and has been prepared for plantation, soil and water analyses were realized, products appropriate for drip irrigation were identified and the necessary infrastructure preparations for the establishment of the system were completed. Parallel to the pilot implementation, visual materials will be prepared in order to expand the implementation, field visits will be organized and a harvest festival will be organized in the final phase of the project. The partners of the project implemented by the Balıkesir University bioçev (bio-environment) group are Paşaköy Agriculture and Credit Cooperative and Pamukçu-Aslıhan Tepecik Ovaları (prairie) Irrigation Union. The project is also being supported by the Balıkesir Ovaları Irrigation Union, Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, General Directorate of Agriculture and Credit Central Union of Turkey, Public Waterwoks Administration and the Balıkesir University.
“Sustainable Development Days” were attended by the State Minister and Deputy and Prime Minister Nazım Ekren, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Mahmood Ayub, State Planning Organization Undersecretary Dr. Ahmet Tıktık, European Commission Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Marc Pierini, representatives of various ministeries, high level Turkish officials and public institutions as well NGOs, the private sector, international experts and the academics.
During the meeting, panels were held on the sustainable development concept in Turkey, international experiences and lessons learned in sustainable development were shared and the gala of the TV documentary “Possible to Sustain” (Sürdürmek Mümkün) was held. Outcomes of projects in the five sectors identified as energy, urbanization, science and technology, forestry and fisheries were shared. Other issues taken up at the meeting were integration studies and the future of sustainable development in Turkey. The short movies that were awarded in the Sustainable Development Short Movie and Documentary Competition were also shown to the participants. The “Sustainable Development Days” with all its panels and discussions will contribute to inspire new ideas, a new vision as well as new projects, academic studies and international cooperation at the local, national and international levels.
Speaking at the meeting, UNDP Resident Representative Mahmood Ayub stressed that “progress in achieving sustainable development is only possible through close partnership and cooperation among the various stakeholders”.
The main objective of the projects realized under the “Integration of Sustainable Development into Sectoral Policies” project implemented by UNDP and the State Planning Organizations in five pilot sectos is to determine Turkey’s leading strategies in sustainable development efforts and to raise public awareness in related issues. Other contributors of the projects include the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement, TUBITAK, the private sector, NGOs and the academia.
The concept of “sustainable development” was first introduced at the World Sustainable Development Summit in Rio in 1992, then in Johannesburg in 2002. In Turkey, efforts in this area started in 2006. A 20-month period was foreseen for the completion of all the sub-projects within the framework of the ‘Integration of Sustainable Development into Sectoral Policies Project’, conducted jointly by UNDP Turkey and State Planning Organization. EU’s total grant for the project is 910 thousand euros. The sub-projects each have three dimensions: policy making, local implementations, and communication and information activities. All projects strongly encourage the participation of NGOs, local administrations, academics and private sector companies, as well as local individuals from children to women and the elderly.
Photo: Hakan Çınar
The workshop was co-organized by UNDP Turkey and Turkish Ministry of Justice and aimed to discuss the existing structure, tasks and interactions among different pillars of the organizational administration structure of the Turkish judicial system.
In general, the workshop rests on the judiciary reform which is considered to be one of the high priority issues for Turkey. As a candidate country for the EU, in recent years the government of Turkey has been undertaking comprehensive constitutional and legal arrangements. Turkey’s strong commitment to judicial reform is expressed in various national policy framework documents where the need for the continuation of judicial reform endeavors is stressed.
Held with a rich composition of attendees, during this two-day workshop Turkey’s endeavors in line with the judiciary reform, particularly the structure of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors and High Courts such as Court of Cessation and Council of State were discussed among the judicial actors such as judges and prosecutors. International experience in the field of organization administration of the judicial systems in the world especially the EU member states was also reflected.
In the first day of the workshop, following a welcome speech by Deputy Undersecretary of Ministry of Justice Mr. Sadi Güven and UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Mahmood Ayub, Head of the Strategy Development Board Mr. Hüseyin Yıldırım made a detailed presentation on the Strategic Plan, Action Plan of the Ministry covering the years of 2007 and 2012 and Judicial Reform Strategy Draft of the Ministry of Justice. At this point the main emphasis was the relevant parts of these documents regarding the possible changes in the structure of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors. Moreover, the participants were also briefed about the structure of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors referring the selection procedures of the Members and responsibilities related to appointment and promotions by the Deputy General Director of the Personnel Affairs. The second day of the workshop was devoted to the discussions mainly on the structure of the High Courts, namely the Court of Cessation and the Council of State with the high level representatives from these courts.
Notably, UNDP Bratislava Regional Center Office representatives and the international consultant Mr. Larry Taman’s participated throughout the workshop to provide their insights on the global context of judiciary reform, particularly focusing on international arrangements and practices related to the structures of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors and High Courts. In that respect, Mr. Taman made a presentation on the “Judicial Independence and Judicial Accountability: A Delicate Balance” where mainly he discussed the value systems of the judiciary.
The Fund—officially called the MDG Achievement Fund—was established in December 2006 to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to support UN reform efforts at the country level. The Spanish Government has committed approximately US $ 750 million over the three year period 2007-2010. Apart from climate change, the Fund also intervenes in other thematic areas such as economic governance, gender equality and women’s empowerment, private sector development, cultural heritage, and youth employment.
A signing ceremony to formalize the US$ 7 million awarded for the project developed by the UN Turkey Office took place at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to Turkey, Mr. Luis Felipe Fernandez de la Peña, on 3 April 2008. UN Resident Coordinator Mahmood Ayub, United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Europe Deputy Director Gaetano Leone and Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Musa Demirbaş also participated in the ceremony.
57 countries were eligible for the Fund and UN Turkey Office’s project entitled “MDG Fund Enhancing the Capacity of Turkey to Adapt to Climate Change” was one of the 18 projects to be selected and funded in the area of environmental sustainability.
The project—the first climate adaptation one in Turkey—is a joint initiative of several UN agencies, including UNDP as the leading agency and coordinator of the project, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United Nations Environment Programme. On the government side, the main beneficiary and the leading executing agency for technical components of the project is the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
The project is extremely relevant and timely for Turkey, where 85% of the land area is “highly vulnerable to desertification”. As Turkey’s First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2007 reported, Turkey is increasingly facing unstable weather patterns. The impact of climate change on Turkey’s weather patterns shows itself in the form of rising summer temperatures, loss of surface waters, greater frequency of droughts, land degradation, coastal erosion, and flooding. All of these negatively affect water availability and production.
To address the above environmental issues, the project will support Turkey’s efforts to introduce adaptive and long-term strategies into the legislation to address sustainable development issues and will serve as a catalyst to introduce community-based adaptation principles; build capacity in vulnerable rural regions and develop public-private partnerships to mobilize resources in addressing climate change risks. The project is expected to have the following components:
The torchbearers passed through many notable sights along the relay route, including the Bosphorus Bridge that connects Europe and Asia. The relay conducted under the theme “Journey of Harmony” and with the slogan “Light the Passion, Share the Dream” will pass through 19 cities outside of China mainland in 130 days. With the invitation of the Coca-Cola Company, the sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Olympiads, UNDP Programme Manager responsible for private sector affairs Hansin Doğan also participated in the relay and carried the Torch to pass the Olympic Flame to HE. Zhang Zhiliang, the Counselor-General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul.