Issue: 19
Who would have known that the hardest pronounced and hardly remembered project title of the UNDP/Turkey would be well-understood and spread from mouth to mouth in the mountains of the eastern city of Erzurum, the primary schools of western city Bursa and the households of Central Anatolian city Kayseri... While UNDP and environmentalists try to find ways to explain to the media and the public the concept of “sustainable development”; with the help of this project, they themselves are learning from the public, local municipalities and organizations how sustainable development could be explained.
In Erzurum alone, the sub-project ‘Building and Expanding Mobile Agricultural Laboratories’, originally planned for a target group of 600, actually reached 3000 people. Thanks to this project, Erzurum’s agricultural sector which previously produced only for the regional market, is now getting ready to sell to international markets. ‘Participatory Education for Sustainable Environment’ sub-project in Bursa targeted only 12 schools but reached 50. Another sub-project, entitled ‘If Edison Knew’ initially aimed only the city of Kayseri, but the success of the project has reached beyond the city limits. In the ‘Training of Local Community for Transition to Organic Agriculture in Kocaeli/Yuvacık Dam Basin’ sub-project, 83 of the total of 100 trainees were estimated to successfully complete the courses, yet the success ratio was 100%.
Last month in June, 23 project leaders from 18 provinces came together in Ankara and shared their success stories and experiences. At the UNDP meeting, Project Manager of ‘Integration of Sustainable Development into Sectoral Policies’ Atila Uras said, “Turkey, with its young and dynamic population and fast growing economy, sees the generously rich and unique nature of Anatolia not only as a consumable resource, but as the source of sustainable life itself. Turkey aims to increase the competitiveness of its economy and the life quality of its citizens, while respecting and protecting the well-being and prosperity of its future generations.”
The pilot sectors of the EU-funded projects are agriculture, energy, urbanization, environment and information technologies. The main objective of the projects is to determine Turkey’s leading strategies in the sustainable development efforts and to raise public awareness in related issues. However, each local project slightly differentiates and adds its own contributions and innovations to the overall concept. The general objectives of the ‘Integration of Sustainable Development into Sectoral Policies Project’ are increasing the existing energy potential in each of the 18 provinces in a correct and nature-compatible manner, reducing Turkey’s dependency on foreign sources for energy, correct utilization of geothermal resources, proper treatment of solid wastes and creating safe disposal facilities for industrial waste materials, training women to acquire skills that will enable them to contribute to the family economy, protection of nature, combating erosion, improving forestation, raising awareness among people, especially children, for preventing the loss of water with correct management, training and encouraging farmers to adopt organic farming, promoting eco-tourism, cleaning and capacity increasing of dam basins, and training young people in innovative entrepreneurship.
Special attention is given to the publicity of the projects in the local media and television in order to further increase awareness among local people. Conferences, seminars, symposiums and training courses are organized; posters, brochures, booklets and children’s painting books are produced; special t-shirts are handed out; essay, painting and knowledge contests are held for young people; and documentary films and CDs are released as part of the publicity campaign. Although most of the 23 projects are nearly completed, locals’ enthusiasm doesn’t seem to wane…
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.
In the context of the project, 4 agricultural engineers who visited each village in the region looking for soils appropriate for organic agriculture, were indeed unaware of the international attention the region would receive when they came across the untouched lands of Erzurum and with the establishment of Turkey’s first Soil Bank in Erzurum, local farmers started an intensive work in these lands. A mobilization was initiated to widen the range of organic products by making use of the existing potential for organic agriculture in Erzurum, to make producers and consumers conscious of organic products and to increase the production and consumption of organic products.
Erzurum is a city in North Eastern Anatolia with a 2000 metres altitude and where brutal climate conditions rule the region but the poverty and the continental climate in Erzurum and its region bring a huge advantage. Farmers can not buy chemical manure and hormones for their lands due to poverty. Moreover, the cold weather that drops down to minus 45 degrees makes it impossible for insects and pests that harm the crops to sustain their lives. As a result of this, the lands in Erzurum and North Eastern Anatolia have managed to stay intact and chemical-free. The fact that the ecological system of this region is intact creates an environment that has a high potential for organic agriculture.
In the context of the Organic Agriculture Project, an Organic Agriculture Centre was established as a first step to make use of the region. This centre supports organic agriculture in Erzurum while on the other hand it started its works to increase land efficiency in the long term using only natural means, prevent soil erosion, maintain quality and quantity of water and increasing the income levels of farmers thus ensuring their security. Soil analysis were conducted by mobile laboratories and trainings for farmers were initiated. Meanwhile, all works were given extensive coverage in the local and national media in the context of the project’s presentation studies.
Through this project, wheat flour, rye flour, corn flour, peas, lentils, wheat, white beans, meat, milk and animal feed all of which are organic are now being produced in Erzurum. Moreover, methods of agronomy, manuring, irrigation, plant protection and harvesting in organic corn production are being taught. But the project did not settle for just these.
The Organic Agriculture Project in Erzurum undersigned unprecedented successes. While the lands of 600 farmers were targeted, 3000 farmers were reached. While the city only had the capacity to sell products in its own boundaries, today Erzurum started to sell its goods to international markets. The success of the projects caught the attention of international parties as well. The project received the social initiative awards from an American NGO called ASHOKA and from the NGO called Neil Armstrong in Davos. Countries like Italy and Germany are already waiting in line to buy the organic products that are being produced in Erzurum. In the context of the project, a facility for processing and packaging organic products will also be established in Turkey.
The beneficiary of the “Establishing and Expanding of Mobile Laboratories for Scientific Production in Agriculture Project” (Organic Agriculture) is the East Anatolian Agricultural Producers and Stockfarming Union and the project budget is 104 thousand 13.70 Euro.
The aim of the project that was initiated with the sustainable development funds is to increase the education and conscience for the use of solar energy in Diyarbakır in the short term and in South Eastern Anatolia in the long term, to build capacity for the use of solar energy as well as for the designs that are compatible with natural climate conditions and to create employment in this sector... The Solar House that was built in this cotext constitutes the basis of the project and is a first in Turkey.
The importance of Diyarbakır is of great size in this project. While Turkey receives sunlight for 2609 hours a year, Diyarbakır alone, receives 3016 hours of sunlight annually; therefore the Solar House that will be built will also be used as a scientific laboratory and a research centre. In this context the Solar House will be a structure that receives all its energy from the sun and converts this into electric and hydrogen energy and will also be able to benefit from neighbouring water pits, use the wind energy from the wind mills to create and save energy. The Solar House has the attribute of being a first implementation in Turkey that is being realized by the local administration and 60% of its construction is completed. The internet system that will be planted in the house when the construction is complete, will provide information for Turkey and the whole world.
A consulting commission was established in the context of the Diyarbakır Solar House Project. Moreover, a documentary, an exhibition, booklets, cds, trainings on solar energy and alternative energy resources were prepared. A conference on Energy and Ecology was also organised in which the aim was to attract attention to the region with the participation of experts that have national and international publications and implementations. The Diyarbakır Solar House Project succeeded in making its voice heard in local channels and newspapers as well as in national channels.
After the completion of the project, the Solar House will be given over to the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Environment Protection. Other partners of the project include the Kayapınar and Yenişehir Municipalities, Dicle University South Eastern Anatolia Project Implementation and Reseach Centre, South Eastern Anatolia Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, Diyarbakır Chamber of Electrical Engineers, Diyarbakır Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, Protection and Sustenance of Natural Beings Association and Environmental Volunteers Association. The duration of the project is 12 months and its budget is 91 thousand 677.60 Euro.
Through the solid waste management and treatment project; recycling is realized, employment opporutinities are being created, environment pollution is being prevented to a great extent and the ecological system is preserved to some extent. In this context, the first aim of the project is to decrease the production of solid wastes to a minimum as well as reducing to a minimum the harmful effects that solid wastes create through a sustainable solid waste management system. Among the other objectives are reminding companies about their duties and informing them on issues of sustainable development and industry-environment relation.
With this aim, Konya Waste Exchange that was established to provide an environment for industrialists to offer and supply their wastes and for companies to access these supplies has been idle until the project but today the exchange has 11 members. Through the exchange many wastes such as paper, wood, metal, leather, glass, plastic, rubber, constructional wastes and other wastes are expected to be recycled.
In the framework of the project, cds were prepared for all member sectors of the chamber of industry regarding regulations, environment regulations and employer safety in solid waste management. In addition trainings were given in two groups one of which was held on 14-15 February and the other on 21-22 February.
The project has a budget of 11 thousand 549.46 euros and its duration is four months.
The project aims to build corporate capacity for an effective water management, determine local water policies, economical use of water and knowledge and experince transfer from Europe’s successful implementation models.
The expected outcomes of the project are the changes in consumption behaviours, initiation of training programmes in schools, taking of appropriate measures by industries, increase in the number of farmers who perform organic agriculture, reduction of illegal water use, reduction of water loss as Düzce is a region prone to earthquakes and determining of local water policies. The project targets a wide range of audience. Some of these are decision takers and managers regarding water administration, local administrators, housewives, farmers, involved chambers, non-governmental organizations, teachers, students and industrialists.
To introduce the project to the public, press conferences were organised, billboards were hung around the city, seminars titled “Ladies you are invited to a Seminar –Protect your water resources” aimed at women and women’s associations and “Farmers you are invited to a Seminer” aimed at farmers were organised, social debates were realized and the project team visited households around the city and gave out 10 thousand brochures. In addition Cinzia Federici an expert of an Italian environment organisation called Legambiente came to Düzce and realised educational activities with students and picture contests were held. In the context of the project, trainings were given to 80 teachers during 2 days. Moreover the drinking water of Düzce was analyzed.
Through the project, which has a 92 thousand euros budget, sustainable development was introduced in many local newspapers such as Öncü (Pioneer), Düzce Manşet (Düzce Headline), Düzce Damla (Düzce Drop), Düzce’nin Sesi (Voice of Düzce) and Düzce Postası (Düzce Post).
The Diyarbakir-Batman-Siirt Rural Development Project was jointly launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Mehmet Mehdi Eker, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey, Mahmood Ayub on June 23, 2007 in Diyarbakir. The high-level event was attended by the governors of the three project provinces. The project aims to achieve real improvements in the lives of rural people in terms of assets, income, and the capacity to participate in a market-oriented rural economy, in line with Turkey’s National Rural Development Strategy. The project is nationally executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the UNDP.
Committed to reducing inter-regional economic and social disparities through sustainable rural development measures, the overall objective of the Diyarbakir-Batman-Siirt Rural Development Project is to develop innovative strategies with real impact on the ground in the three targeted provinces. The project will also undertake rural infrastructure investments, based on needs identified by villagers, in order to improve standards of living and create an enabling environment to encourage growth investment to the region.
The project partners, MARA, IFAD, and UNDP recognize the transformative impacts that will be achieved through a strengthened rural economy, which explains the project’s emphasis on identifying profitable and sustainable opportunities, and developing strategies to link people in rural communities to these opportunities—thereby connecting them to the more dynamic sectors of the market and empowering them to become active participants with a say-so in the outcome of their lives. By empowering farmers and producers in rural areas to think in terms of basic economics; responding to market demand; and accessing regional markets, lasting and meaningful impact can be achieved.
Mahmood Ayub emphasized that the success of the project hinges on engaging and involving villages in every step of the development process: “As this project will demonstrate, the relevant issue in rural development is to enhance the capacities of rural communities to contribute to the process of growth by empowering them to participate, on more equitable terms, in the dynamics of the market economy. . . Central to this project’s approach is empowerment of rural communities to participate as partners in their own development and involving them in setting results-oriented development targets based on locally-identified needs and potential for growth.”
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Eker, added that a rural development project of this scope and depth is a first for Turkey, and will channel much-needed resources, attention, and importantly, capacity to the region.
With the launch of the Diyarbakir Batman Siirt Rural Development Project, UNDP is now implementing all internationally funded rural development projects in Turkey. The project has a budget of over 30 million USD and will be implemented over a period of 5 years, until 2012.
Globally, UNDP is committed to designing and implementing innovative solutions to addressing rural development challenges.
Specifically, the Project will improve economic efficiencies and the quality of life in rural villages in the Project area; diversify income sources and increase employment opportunities, mainly through measures to improve supply-chain management; and optimize employability of the target group through individual and community capacity-building and skills training. UNDP and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are main partners to SERDP, which is nationally executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Importantly, by adopting a holistic approach to rural development, the Project ensures that local-level activities and investments are relevant to the situation and needs of rural people.
The joint IFAD and UNDP mission to the Sivas and Erzincan Rural Development Project area in May 2007 resulted in key adjustments to the project design and approach that will become effective in the coming weeks, and will optimize the overall impact of the project on the social-economic standing of rural communities in the provinces of Sivas and Erzincan.
Rural development is a cornerstone of Turkey's overall reform and development agenda; with far-reaching and cross-cutting impacts on issues such as outward migration from villages; employment; sustainable use of natural resources; and engagement of local-level actors in development planning—all directly linked with UNDP's overarching objective of promoting sustainable human development. In line with Government priorities, UNDP's goal is to enable people in under-developed rural areas to improve their living conditions and welfare.
Both Sivas and Erzincan are classified among the least developed provinces in Turkey, which is why action to mitigate rural development challenges is a part of UNDP's in-country strategy. UNDP's Country Programme Document for Turkey references our commitment to strengthening rural development and productivity models in less developed regions. Similarly, the Country Programme Action Plan for 2006-2010 signed between the Goverment of Turkey and UNDP reiterates UNDP's commitment to supporting the Government's Rural Development Strategy, in particular, programmes aimed at promoting agro-based enterprises and increasing rural productivity. One of the ways UNDP will do this is by helping to introduce innovations for enhancing rural productivity in the East and Southeast Anatolia regions.
Primary among the adjustments to SERDP's current design include an added emphasis on supporting activities that will enable the emergence of a more competitive and market-oriented rural economy. Stagnated economic growth in rural areas have adverse impacts on income levels and employment and trigger migration away from villages. SERDP takes on an innovative supply-chain-management approach, where the entire process of production from beginning to end is assessed to identify local commodities and sub-sectors that have a comparative advantage and hold potential for maximizing farmers' earnings. This process will trigger increased profitability and marketability of rural economic activities; foster farm-to-market linkages; and expand job opportunities. This in turn not only improves farm-level productivity levels; but will improve entire household income and welfare, which are key UNDP development priorities.
Other improvements to Project structure involve UNDP's expanded role at the local-level through direct field presence in Sivas and Erzincan. Complementary to this, the Project will be realigned to strengthen provincial level ownership and overall flow of decision-making to the local level. This is in line with UNDP's goal to encourage local-level participation and target-setting by local stakeholders, whereby farmers and villagers are engaged in the process of development. Gender concerns will be dealt with during the analysis and planning of eligible SERDP investments to ensure that income and employment opportunities for women are optimized.
As a main partner to this project, UNDP is committed to identifying local priorities and areas of potential in rural areas, and fostering action to achieve meaningful impact.
The current Sivas-Erzincan Regional Development Project which was launched in 2005, will be extended until 2012 to reflect the above changes and will have a budget of approximately USD 32 million.
Photo: Meral Çatak
Turkish Economic Bank, United Nations Development Programme and Young Managers and Businessmen’s Association have come together to lay the foundation of “micro credit” that will be granted to Turkish youth in the 18-35 age group - a model that will be implemented for the first time. Young entrepreneurs who wish to start their own businesses or grow the existing ones will be supported through this project.
In the context of the implementation, among those who apply to start or grow their businesses, priority will be given to graduates of vocational high-schools, vocational colleges and women entrepreneurs.
In the context of the project that will be initiated in November with the partnership of TEB Business Banking, UNDP and GYİAD, credits will not be given in the form of grants. The project will contribute to pave the way to a production based investment and entrepreneurship in Turkey by bringing together 3 respectable and well-known institutions in their fields. The project is also the first example in the world in a way that it only aims at youth and due to the quality of the parties brought together.
The credit applications that will be made to TEB branches will be evaluated by a “credit commission” consisting TEB, UNDP, GYİAD, representatives of universities and representatives of local trade and industry chambers. Trainings will be given by businessmen who are members of GYİAD to those whose credits have been approved thus supporting them in achieving success. In the context of the consultancy and support services that will be provided by GYİAD, trainings will also be given on business administration, business development and finance where necessary.Young entrepreneurs will be able to consult GYİAD in every step of their businesses and will be able to contact the company owners and managers by accessing the GYİAD members’ database.
In the context of the project that aims to support approximately 500 entrepreneurs a year, 15 million YTL worth of credit is being expected to be given in 3 years.
Youth will be able to start and grow their own businesses
The signing ceremony organised by TEB, UNDP and GYİAD for the Entrepreneur’s Credit was attended by Chairman of TEB Executive Board Yavuz Canevi, TEB General Director Varol Civil, UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş and President of GYİAD Pınar Eczacıbaşı.
TEB General Director Varol Civil who touched on employment of the young population in Turkey and unemployment issues said “According to the February 2007 data in Turkey, there is a total of 4 million 324 thousand 282 people worth of work force. This figure means 17% of the total work force. However according to the February 2007 data 21.7% of this work force is unemployed. This is a large rate when compared to the European data and needs to be reflected on.” Civil who said “with this project, we will give these young people the opportunity to start their own businesses” stressed that there is no other microfinance project in the world that aims youth. TEB General Director Varol Civil said “this means that we have signed a project that will facilitate the lives of youth not only in Turkey but in the whole world with the support of our project partner UNDP that will expand the project”.
Reminding that credits will not be given in the form of grants in this project, Civil, said “Different from previous implementations in Turkey, TEB aims to build an infrastructure that is sustainable and that has access to a wide range. The credit that we give should not be perceived as a one time donation. As TEB, we believe that it is essential for sustainable development to communicate the micro credit system to bigger crowds in a more corporate way in Turkey”.
Varol Civil stated that TEB is not a remote bank for entrepreneurs and that more than 90 thousand small businesses and owners of small businesses received service from TEB that was formed in 2005 in the context of Business Banking and that they know the needs of small businesses very well.
It will contribute to the country’s development
In the speech he made at the signing ceremony, UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş stressed that the project mission is to support young entrepreneurs as well as proving that it is possible for them to gain profit in their own sectors taking into account the country development with the “Sustainable Business development Model” initiated by UNDP and with other studies by commercial institutions.
Derviş stated that as UNDP, they will give their support to the management of the project, carry their international expertise on micro credit to this project, help in the cooperation with local administrations, and contribute to trainings that will be organised in TEB by bringing international experts to Turkey thus engaging TEB in a line of business.
UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş thanked TEB and GYİAD for their support in developing a strong micro credit system for the youth in Turkey and stated that TEB had contributed to the formation of a banking sytem in Turkey with international standards by providing a microfinance service especially to the marginal groups of the society.
Not knowing where to start is the biggest problem for the young entrepreneur
President of GYİAD Pınar Eczacıbaşı said “I would like to express my gratitude for the UNDP and TEB BNP Paribas officials for giving their support to this project and for carrying the project to this phase. As GYİAD, I believe that we are cooperating with the best partners in this field both in Turkey and in an international level and that we are creating a major opening for Turkey’s young population. I believe that the Micro Credit Project that was initiated in order to encourage youth into production and entrepreneurship will be successful and wish the best of luck for Turkey”.
The United Nations Development Programme and the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) signed an Agreement on Cooperation on June 28, 2007, at the BSEC Headquarters, in Istanbul. The Agreement was signed by the Administrator of UNDP, Kemal Derviş and Secretary General of BSEC, Ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos.
The Agreement will built on the existing ongoing partnership between UNDP and BSEC, under the Black Sea Trade and Investment Promotion Programme (BSTIP). The BSTIP is expected to promote regional economic development, develop trade and investment linkages between BSEC Member States with positive impact on the reduction of poverty and offer improved political dialogue among the twelve BSEC countries. Increased trade and investment links will be generated with the private sector of the region and new partnerships will be developed with business support organizations. The beneficiaries of the programme will be small and medium enterprises, and special emphasis will be given to enterprises managed by young and women entrepreneurs. The BSTIP is co-financed by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance, UNDP and BSEC.
The signing of this Agreement will contribute to a more enabling environment for UNDP and BSEC, in partnership with other organisations, to further pursue the promotion and implementation of regional projects as a means for regional cooperation and development. In particular, further cooperation will be pursued in areas of common interests to both organisations, in line with the following main areas identified in the Agreement on Cooperation: Poverty Reduction, Regional Integration, Capacity Building, Good Governance, Gender Equality, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Information and Communication Technology for Development, and Energy and Environment. The UNDP Liaison Unit, based in the BSEC Secretariat, and established within the framework of the BSTIP, will play a crucial role in facilitating this process.
UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş stated that UNDP is very proud of and attaches great importance to the present cooperation with BSEC under the Black Sea Trade and Investment Promotion Programme and sees this cooperation as a first step towards further cooperation in other areas of common interests to each organization.
The signing of the Agreement on Cooperation between UNDP and BSEC could not have come at a more opportune moment, considering the growing importance that is being attached to the Black Sea Region by the international community and the enormous potential of economic cooperation that is yet to be realized within the region. The signing of this Agreement also comes just after the 15th Anniversary Summit (BSEC Heads of State) of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation which took place on June 25, 2007 in Istanbul.
This year’s awards went to Costa Rica, India, China, Guinea-Bissau and Asia-Pasific. Authors of the award-winning reports were honoured at a ceremony at the U.N. Headquarters in New York on 20 June 2007.
The Judging Panel also gave “Special Recognition” to Guatemala for its report on Ethnic and Cultural Diversity, to Brazil for Human Development Atlas of Recife City, to Afghanistan for Security with a Human Face,and to Liberia for Mobilizing Capacity for Reconstruction and Development.
Costa Rica
2007 Human Development Awards’ winner in the category of ‘Human Development Innovations-Concepts’ was the Costa Rican report entitled Overcoming Fear: Insecurity and Human Development. The report (dated 2005) clearly articulated the fears suffered by Costa Ricans in the face of rising numbers of robberies, rapes and drug-related offenses, addressing the common crime misconceptions of Costa Rican people who overwhelmingly blamed foreigners from other Latin American countries. Yet, the report said, conviction statistics showed young Costa Rican men as primarily responsible. The report’s findings have reshaped national debate on better anti-crime strategies and ushered in new proposals to regulate firearms and reduce violence against women; and have helped decrease xenophobia in Costa Rica. “This report urges Costa Ricans to stand up to their fears and work together to create safer communities,” said UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis.
India
The winner in the category of ‘Participation and Capacity Building Process’ was India’s, Chhattisgarh Sub-National Human Development Report, which investigated the quality of life in one of India’s youngest states. Also published in 2005, the Chhattisgarg Report recounts the voices of more than 19 thousand villagers from across a rural landscape of 135,000-square-kilometres with poor infrastructure. Villagers provided detailed information about their experiences, concerns and aspirations, speaking out against inequality in education and health and sharing their local insight – which often contrasted with state views - on such topics as the use of water, forests and land. The voluminous data collected by the Report is now being used by the Indian Government to better chart Chhattisgarh's future. “This will help us in evolving a development model for inclusive growth that factors local needs, and at the same time help retain the state's culture and traditional wisdom while restoring the ecological balance”, said Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. “Meaningful participation at the grassroots level is fundamental to good policy-making, democracy and human development, and the Chhattisgarh report embodies all these ideals,” added Kevin Watkins, Director of the Human Development Report Office in New York.
China
China’s 2005 HDR entitled Development with Equity, awarded best in the ‘Policy Analysis and Influence’ category, was an assessment of the nation’s progress in confronting the destabilizing wealth gap between its urban and rural communities. This independent report, commissioned by the UNDP, was the first of its kind by China-based researchers and scholars to take a hard look at some of the most critical human development issues facing their nation, including inequality between men and women. The China study is remarkable not only for its findings but also for its frank discussion of obstacles to reform in China, such as corruption. The Report urges widespread reforms, including increasing investment in public education, providing universal access to health care, curbing corruption by making the Government more transparent, reforming the tax code, and widening access to the judicial system so victims of discrimination have a better chance of obtaining redress.
Guinea-Bissau
Local authors from Guinea-Bissau were presented the “Human Development Award” for guiding their country, one of Africa’s smallest and poorest nations, on Political Reform to Achieve the MDGs, in the category of ‘Excellence in Support of Millenium Development Goals’. Their report published in 2006, underlines the obstacles to progress—including government corruption, a weak legal system, mismanagement of public resources, and political instability—that keep two out of three people in Guinea-Bissau mired in poverty and living on two dollars or less a day. “Considerable changes are necessary to put Guinea-Bissau on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” said Célestin Tsassa, Senior Economist at Guinea-Bissau’s UNDP Office. “At the forefront is strengthening respect for laws, regulations and human rights. The country also needs much greater investments in physical, human and social capital.” As a result of the Report’s publication, the Government’s poverty reduction strategy has now been revised.
Asia-Pasific
And finally, the 2006 report entitled Trade on Human Terms: Transforming Trade for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific, won the first prize in the category of ‘Innovation across HDR Corporate Principles for Regional HDR’. This report detailed how smaller Asian countries are being out-competed and overwhelmed by exports from China. Coupled with trade imbalance pressures with China, countries including the East Asian tigers are suffering from ‘jobless growth’, said the authors. While trade in the region fuelled economic growth and alleviated poverty, it also increased inequalities and resulted in growing unemployment. Some parts of the region, especially the 14 least-developed countries as well as the Pacific Islands, did not benefit substantially—in human development terms—from increased trade. “This report seeks to demystify trade related issues, making them more accessible to a wider cross-section of people, thereby facilitating more informed debate and advocacy,” said Hafiz Pasha, Regional Director of the Bureau for Asia and the Pacific region for UNDP. “In doing so, it hopes to promote human development in the region.”
“The Asia-Pacific report identifies the policies needed to ensure that all people realize the potential benefits of trade,”added UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis. “It sends the message that success in the global marketplace brings with it social responsibilities as well.”
Created in honour of Mahbub ul Haq, founder of the Global Human Development Report, this lifetime achievement award went this year to a female Inuit community leader, Sheila Watt-Cloutier from Canada, for her tireless work against climate change. The 53-year-old political leader, representing indigenous communities in Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia and a nominee for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, received her award from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on 20 June.
“Ms. Watt-Cloutier's life work is what human development is all about: helping people live healthier lives so they can realize their full potential,” said Kevin Watkins, Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP. “Her leadership and advocacy on behalf of Arctic communities have advanced the cause of human development around the world. Her strength and dedication should inspire us all.”
Born in a small village in Canada’s frozen north, Ms. Watt-Cloutier helped launch one of the world's first international legal actions on climate change, contending that unchecked greenhouse gas emissions from the United States violated Inuit Indians’ cultural and environmental rights.
“The world must pay attention to what's happening to Arctic communities because we are the early warning system for the rest of the planet,” she said.
In addition to her work on climate change, Sheila Watt-Cloutier was an instrumental force behind a global campaign to ban industrial toxins that can cause infertility, cancer and brain damage.