Issue: 15
The workshop was supported by UNDP, through its TCDC (Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries) programme, as well as the Embassy of Norway, and had a specific focus on Black Sea countries, with a wide range of participation from Albania to Azerbaijan.
TCDC is an initiative developed by UNDP at the global level to promote South-South cooperation and cross-border partnerships. Turkey’s TCDC is executed by the State Planning Organization, working on strengthening cooperation between academia and government organizations in a wide range of areas, including technology and human development.
The Workshop aimed at promoting dialogue on how cross-border cultural heritage programmes can trigger regional economic development and build political stability along border regions of the Black Sea Region. It focused on three main themes:
UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Mahmood Ayub delivered the keynote speech in the session for Cultural Assets and Regional Economic Development. The main point he emphasized was the role of culture-based tourism in economic development of disadvantaged regions and how a cultural identity can help promote a region to the world. Specific examples in this aspect were how Konya province benefited from its history with Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi and how this central Anatolian city attracted many tourists from different parts of the world. Similarly, he mentioned Mardin and Van and how their cultural heritage presents potential for economic development through tourism. Ayub specifically emphasized human development approach and that making these places liveable for their own communities is critical to increase the economic benefit derived through tourism.
In this session, UNDP also presented its tourism development initiatives in Eastern Anatolian Region, and complemented other presentations with a human development approach, focusing on the needs and availabilities of the communities at the local level.
The workshop was concluded with a Declaration prepared and presented at the end of the meetings. The declaration highlighted the importance of cross-border or trans-boundary programmes for heritage monuments and sites in the Black Sea region; and the challenges to be addressed such as inefficient bureaucracy, overlapping legislation, visas and other access documents that prevent experts, scholars and students to work in these regions.
The Declaration recommended that improved training and education of all parties within the representative nations to BSEC is essential for all stages of conservation, as well as public awareness at both regional and local level. The Declaration also emphasized the need for creating a defined regional image for Black Sea countries.
A new nature observation sanctuary in Turkey, expected to attract bird-watchers from all around the world, will soon be open to visitors. Financed by the ‘Small Investments Fund’ of UNDP and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Company (BTC) and conducted by the Nature Association, the project will promote bird watching tourism at Kırmıtlı Wetlands in Osmaniye province of southern Turkey. One of the many local projects supported by SIF (Small Investments Fund) that offer alternative solutions for the development of poor communities who live in the areas through which BTC Pipeline passes and who are heavily dependent on natural resources for their livelihood, the Kırmıtlı project aims to create a Bird Paradise in the region and generate tourism income for the locals, while also contributing to the protection of natural life.
With the completion of various lookouts, tracks and footpaths and a bird- watching tower, ‘Kırmıtlı Bird Paradise’ will open its doors to the public at the end of March 2007. Kırmıtlı Wetlands shelter more than 100 indigenous bird species, including Little Owl, Scops Owl and Barn Owl. However, the starsight of the sanctuary is the famous Kingfisher bird with its three distinctive breeds that can be observed together only at this specific location. Kırmıtlı locals, many of whom are veteran game hunters, now cherish their birds, as they prepare to share their beauty with visitors and earn tourism income. The Project has been training the local youth in nature guidance, bird watching techniques and photography to help them actively participate in the new tourism activities.
Kırmıtlı Bird Paradise is easy to reach: it is only a 15-minute walk from Kırmıtlı village, or a 20-minute bus ride from the central town of Osmaniye to Kadirli where the santuary is located.
With a budget of $ 67,460 the “Development of Kırmıtlı Wetlands Project”, aims to protect and promote the wild life of the area in national and international platforms, while also creating alternative income sources for the local people.
For more information on ‘Small Investments Fund’ provided by UNDP and BTC, click here.
ILO Director-General Juan Somavia and UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş signed the joint agreement here today in a public ceremony. It is designed to promote inclusive economic growth with social development to benefit the bottom 20 to 40 per cent of the population, and bolster UN efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
“We urgently need much more inclusive growth”, the joint letter signed by the two agency heads said. “Although we live at a time of unprecedented prosperity; it is also one of exploding inequalities that hamper poverty reduction. Alongside democratic participation, we need economic empowerment, which means decent work for all.”
The agreement is a direct follow-up to the 2006 UN Economic and Social Council Ministerial Declaration on decent work and full employment and a practical step towards the implementation of UN system efforts to “deliver as one”.
The two agencies have already identified a number of countries which offer the greatest opportunities for combined support from UNDP and the ILO to work together towards making decent work a central element in UN country programmes. The agreement is open to other UN agencies, funds and programmes and will contribute to ongoing UN reform efforts.
The new partnership will give concrete expression to the requirements of UN Resident Coordinators leading UN country teams in more than 130 countries, to be strong and effective advocates of the entire UN agenda. It could also serve as a model for expanded inter-agency work, in particular for the role and participation of specialized agencies in the framework of the new Resident Coordinator system.
Given UNDP’s coordination role, the agreement will be instrumental in advancing the Decent Work Agenda in UN member States and will provide a boost to the current level of participation by the ILO in UN country programmes.
The ILO will conduct a training programme for UN Resident Coordinators in selected countries and their ILO counterparts at its Turin Centre to broaden understanding of the Decent Work Agenda and map strategies to link decent work country programmes with UN country programmes and national frameworks for coordination and programming.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the UN agency devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues.
UNDP is the UN's global network to help people meet their development needs and build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working as a trusted partner with governments, civil society and the private sector to help them build their own solutions to global and national development challenges.
The 90-minute film focuses on the complex relationship between “blood” diamonds, conflict, the influence of Hip-Hop music and culture, and community development. Produced by VH1 Rock Docs, Article 19 Films and UNDP, the film features the participation of Hip-Hop artists from the US and Sierra Leone.
The objective of BLING is not to shame people into boycotting diamonds. Instead, it is to raise a voice on behalf of the millions of diamond diggers and to help disadvantaged communities and entrepreneurs reach their full economic potential. Promoting conscious consumerism and using the power and influence of the hip-hop music, BLING tries to encourage buying "clean" diamonds.
Since the official end of the Sierra Leone conflict in January 2002, an international effort has aimed to curb the illicit trade and smuggling of diamonds, giving way to a number of initiatives such as the Kimberley Certification Scheme and the UNDP Diamonds for Development Initiative (D4D).
Understanding and tackling the illegal exploitation of diamonds in Sierra Leone is an integral part of addressing the root-causes of violence and of stopping it from errupting again. The diamond trade in Sierra Leone has both funded the recent war and perpetuated it as all sides battled for control of lucrative mineral wealth.
The center of the BLING story from Sierra Leone is UNDP's "Diamonds for Development" initiative (D4D) that aims to accelerate development at the local level (firstly in the diamonds production zones) by supporting the local governance reform and proposing a new organizational scheme for diamonds production (including both small artisanal and international mining).
BLING also aims to keep Sierra Leone in the global spotlight as a successful UN peace story. The incurred attention coincides with the country’s preparation for the presidential elections of 2007, where UNDP will be playing a major role.
During the filming in Sierra Leone in July 2006, hip-hop artists Pall Wall and Raekown from the Wu-Tang Clan and reggaeton idol Tego Calderon visited diamond mines, refugee and amputee camps, as well as meeting with children who were victims of the war. The artists also met with top government officials, as well as local hip-hop artists. From the conversations with representatives of UNDP, UNAIDS, the EU and NGOs they learned about the history of the blood diamonds trade and its role in wars across Africa. The artists were introduced to all the new initiatives such as the Kimberley Process, D4D and the Diamonds Development Initiative (DDI - launched by Partnership Africa Canada, Global Witness and De Beers), the goal of which is to stabilize and regulate the clean diamond trade and enforce its role in development.
The experiences of the artists/unconscious consumers exposed a vulnerable side of hip-hop, which is rarely seen. The trip also affected the artists profoundly.
BLING has a unique style and tone, which aims to catch the attention of young viewers, encourage them to become responsible consumers and show that hip-hop has the potential to be a coalescing force of our generation.
Director: Raquel Cepeda,
Co-producers: Djali Rancher Productions, VH1, Article 19 Films
“UNDP works around the world making a positive difference in people’s lives, and I am proud to add my personal commitment to its work,” said Sharapova, who will serve in her new role to rally support for the global campaign against poverty. “UNDP’s efforts in the fight against poverty are crucial for young people everywhere to achieve their potential. I am looking forward to working with UNDP.”
Sharapova’s work with UNDP will include promoting international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Adopted by 189 countries in 2000, the Goals are clear, time-bound targets for achieving measurable improvements in the lives of the world’s poorest people. They aim at eradicating poverty, putting children in schools, promoting women’s rights, fighting killer diseases, and providing access to safe drinking water. UNDP is working to help countries around the world achieve these goals by 2015.
“UNDP is very proud to welcome Ms. Sharapova as our Goodwill Ambassador,” said Ad Melkert, UNDP’s Associate Administrator and UN’s Under-Secretary-General. “She is a role model for young people who face challenging conditions in life. She is already building on her success as a top athlete to create concrete opportunities for disadvantaged young people to improve their lives.”
At the ceremony, Sharapova announced a $100,000 contribution to eight youth-oriented projects in rural communities in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine that still suffer the after-effects of the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.
Sharapova’s donation from the newly created Maria Sharapova Foundation will fund projects aimed at improving computer access, promoting ecological awareness, and restoring sports facilities and hospitals in the three countries most affected by Chernobyl. These projects complement a broad portfolio of UN work helping Chernobyl-affected communities regain a sense of self-sufficiency, build new livelihoods, and bring a once-blighted region back to life.
“My first step is to focus on the Chernobyl-affected region, where my family has roots,” said Sharapova. “Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threats for young people in the Chernobyl region.”
“UNDP is especially pleased that Ms. Sharapova is targeting a region that is often overlooked by donors,” concluded Melkert. “We know that community-recovery projects of the sort that she has targeted for her generous donation hold great promise.”
Maria Sharapova joins an elite group of UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes soccer stars Ronaldo of Brazil, Zinédine Zidane of France, and newly appointed Didier Drogba of Cote d’Ivoire; Japanese actress Misako Konno; and Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway.
She was born on 19 April, 1987 in Nyagan, Siberia, after her family fled the city of Gomel in Belarus in the wake of the Chernobyl accident. The family lived in Nyagan for 2 years and then moved to the Black Sea town of Sochi, where Sharapova’s parents had been born and raised. In 1995, Sharapova left Russia and became a full-time student at IMG’s Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy. She made her first WTA tournament appearance in 2002. In 2004 she won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and was named WTA player of the year. In 2006 she won the U.S. Open. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.
UNDP is the UN's global network to help people meet their development needs and build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working as a trusted partner with governments, civil society and the private sector to help them build their own solutions to global and national development challenges.
“Kori Udovicki is bringing to UNDP an impressive blend of work experience from the non-governmental sector, government institutions, and from the International Monetary Fund,” said Kemal Derviş, UNDP Administrator.
Udovicki has held several senior management positions in the Government of the Republic of Serbia. From July 2003 to March 2004 she served as Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. Before that, from June 2002 to July 2003, she was the country’s Minister of Energy and Mines. Prior to those appointments, from 2001, Udovicki worked as a Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance and Economy.
Udovicki also has strong international experience, including work as an International Monetary Fund economist focusing on the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
“I cherish the challenge of joining the United Nations system at a time when the organization is working to re-craft and realign itself to a new and evolving global order," said Udovicki of her appointment. "UNDP in Europe and the CIS is well positioned to help the less advanced countries learn from the complex experiences of the ones more advanced in the transition process. Our aim is to put the lessons we learn in the region to use in enhancing the world's capacity to accelerate development."
Most recently, Udovicki has been serving as President of the Center for Advanced Economic Studies, a Belgrade-based non-governmental organization working to advance economic knowledge in Southeast Europe.
Udovicki holds a Ph.D. and a M.Phil. in Economics, both from Yale University. In her new position, she succeeds Kalman Mizsei, who served as the Regional Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS between 2001 and 2006.
“The eight pilot countries reflect a broad spectrum, both in terms of size and level of income, and all host a wide range of UN activities,” said Derviş. “We look forward to assessing the success of these pilots to learn valuable practical lessons which can inform the broader debate on strengthening the UN’s development activities.”
The “One UN” pilots will test how the UN family can deliver in a more coordinated way at the country level. The objective is to ensure faster and more effective development operations and accelerate progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by establishing a consolidated UN presence - with one programme and one budgetary framework and an enhanced role of the UN Resident Coordinator - while building on the strengths and comparative advantages of the different members of the UN family.
The creation of these pilots was recommended by the High-Level Panel on UN System wide Coherence, a group of heads of state and policy makers tasked to examine ways to strengthen the UN’s ability to respond to the challenges of the 21st Century.
The aim of this initiative is to reduce duplication and transaction costs so that the UN can use resources more effectively to support partner countries to achieve their development goals. There are indications from some donors that they will pursue a more coherent and coordinated approach by pooling funds at the country level to support the UN’s work.
“These pilots show the UN’s commitment to bring together the expertise, experience and capacities of the entire UN family to support national development strategies,” said Derviş. “The specialized agencies have a wealth of knowledge and commitment to offer, and much closer cooperation between the Funds and Programmes and our wider family can yield great benefits.”
Over the next year, the UNDG and Member States will evaluate the pilot programmes and discuss the possible extension of the approaches to a larger number of countries.
The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) is an instrument for UN reform, created by the Secretary General in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of UN development at the country level. The UNDG brings together the operational agencies working on development. The Group is chaired by the administrator of UNDP on behalf of the Secretary General.
The UNDG develops policies and procedures that allow member agencies to work together and analyse country issues, plan support strategies, implement support programmes, monitor results and advocate for change. These initiatives increase UN impact in helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including poverty reduction.
The Facility, one of the first tangible examples of UN reform in action, is designed to help developing countries integrate sound environment management into their poverty reduction and growth policies. It will play a central role in expanding the UN’s environmental work around the world, with an emphasis on Africa and Asia.
“Eliminating poverty and hunger and protecting the environment are inseparable,” said UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş, speaking in Nairobi. “That is why the environment has to be the concern of the whole UN family,” he said.
Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive Director, said: “This announcement sends a further clear and unequivocal message that underlines UNEP and UNDP’s determination to work together not just in the spirit of UN reform but in concrete, action-oriented ways to support our member states.”
The strengthened relationship between the two UN bodies will be practically applied across a wide range of issues. In a few months’ time, for example, under the UNDP-UNEP Climate Partnership, five nations in Africa will claim a greater stake in their environmental futures with the help of a new joint project designed to help poorer countries navigate the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM is a market-based mechanism that allows developed countries to earn emissions credits by financing projects in developing countries that contribute to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
The new CDM project, supported by the governments of Spain and Sweden, is set to begin work in the next few months in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and a fifth African country yet to be determined. Though it will initially operate on a small scale, it has the potential to expand to include more countries and regions.
The need for more cooperation on climate change is heightened in the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment that changes in the atmosphere, oceans, glaciers and ice caps show unequivocally that the world is warming, according to UNDP and UNEP.
“The IPCC report released on Friday paints a stark, scientific reality of climate change. This is not just about protecting the future of our children, because for the poor -- who are the most exposed to the elements and most directly dependent on the natural world -- the future has already arrived,” said Derviş.
“If we do not work together to help developing countries to protect their environment and adapt to climate change then we are, quite literally, leaving them to sink or swim,” he said.
Steiner added: “The CDM is set to generate billions of dollars of investment in clean and green energy technologies. Currently the lion’s share of these investments is being secured by the rapidly developing countries. It is vital that other developing countries get a fair share, which is the primary goal of this new initiative.”
The Climate Partnership and the new Poverty and Environment Facility are complementary ventures under the umbrella of strengthened cooperation between UNDP and UNEP. The Poverty and Environment Facility will focus on improving environmental management and attracting more investment in the environment, while the Climate Partnership will endeavour to equip developing countries with better capacity to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.