Issue: 11
More than 23 million people from more than 80 countries all around the world participated in the “Stand Up” initiative by collectively standing up, in the course of 24 hours from 15-16 October, to remind the leaders of rich countries their commitment to the Millenium Development Goals and to eradicate extreme poverty from the surface of the earth. This one-minute action was also an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most number of people to physically and collectively stand up for a specific purpose! A minimum of 10 thousand people was needed to break the Record, and in more than 11 thousand events around the globe, the Guinness Record was set with a staggering 23,542,614 participants.
UNDP Turkey Representation also participated in the event, organized worldwide by the UN Millenium Committee. A total of 102 people in Ankara stood up together and gave the Poverty Pledge, read by UN Turkey Representative Mr. Mahmood Ayub.
Why did we stand up?
The purpose of the campaign, realized on the eve of 17 October International Day of Poverty Eradication, was to put pressure on the leaders of developed countries to tackle with the poverty problem more directly and effectively. As is known, the world leaders have promised to halve extreme poverty by the year 2015, by signing under the Millenium Development Goals, adopted at the UN World Summit of 2000. However, believing that progress in this area cannot be achieved with individual and sporadic financial aids, unless it is supported by international cooperation and national policies, the Millenium Committee asked the international civil community to “stand up” and remind the leaders of their promise. And during 15-16 October, more than 23 million people stood up and said:
“We stand up now because we do not wish, years from now, to stand in front of the next generation and say ‘we knew that millions of people were dying unnecessarily every year – and we stood by, doing nothing.
We wish to set a record today of the number of people standing up to demand action on poverty – but the record we really want to break is the world’s record of breaking promises and just ignoring the poor.”
Hundreds of spectators at a cricket match in India, thousands of school children in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in Palestine, concert audiances in the ghettos of Zimbabwe, thousands of crowds in Times Square in New York, in football stadiums in Spain and Mexico, in churches and mosques in Africa, in schools in China and in front of the tallest hotel in Dubai gathered and stood together hand in hand to set this exceptionally meaningful world record.
Annan: “Global partnership for development remains more phrase than fact”
On 17 October ‘International Day for the Eradication of Poverty’ UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave the following message.
“The theme for this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – “Working together out of poverty”—highlights the need for a truly global anti-poverty alliance, one in which both developed and developing countries participate actively.
The world has made real but insufficient progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Thus, while extreme poverty declined significantly between 1990 and 2002—from 28% to 19% of the developing world’s population—progress has been uneven both within and between regions and countries.
In much of Asia, economic and social progress has lifted nearly a quarter of a billion people out of perpetual poverty. But poverty rates in Western Asia and Northern Africa have remained stagnant, while the transition economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia have registered increases. And sub-Saharan Africa lags the most, with the region unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
Clearly, more needs to be done to tackle poverty and underdevelopment. The Doha trade negotiations need to produce freer and fairer trade for all. Developed nations need to come through on their Official Development Assistance (ODA) and debt relief commitments. Developing nations, for their part, should prioritize the Millennium Development Goals and, if they have not yet done so, adopt national strategies to achieve them. They should utilize ODA flows to bolster national capacities in a sustainable manner, emphasizing better governance and strengthened rule of law. And countries already on track to achieve the Goals can aim higher still by adopting even more ambitious targets.
Regrettably, the “global partnership for development” remains more phrase than fact. This has to change. All key development actors – governments, the private sector, civil society and people living in poverty – must undertake a truly collective anti-poverty effort that will lift living standards and alleviating human suffering.
The campaign to make poverty history—a central moral challenge of our age—cannot remain a task for the few, it must become a calling for the many. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I urge everyone to join this struggle. Together, we can make real and sufficient progress towards the end of poverty.”
Derviş: “Working together out of poverty”
UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş gave the following message on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October 2006
"The theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2006 signals that eradicating poverty requires a collective commitment to address the diverse dimensions of poverty. The United Nations Development Programme, as the UN’s global development network, is committed to this endeavour. Our programme activities, our partnerships across the world, and our work with governments, civil society and the private sector focus on how to tackle poverty and accelerate economic growth and human development for all – as captured in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
There is real progress towards this objective. Current long-term forecasts suggest that extreme poverty would be almost eliminated by 2015 in Central Asia and Europe, and the Pacific regions. All regions are expected to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty by 50 percent from its 1990 level - with the notable exception of sub-Saharan Africa. In many parts of East Asia, the target has already been achieved.
However, significant challenges remain. Notwithstanding the inroads that are expected, projections suggest that by 2015 about one-third of the world’s population would still be living at or below US$2 per day. And in sub-Saharan Africa, some 38 percent of the population is projected to still be living in extreme poverty by 2015, with the absolute number of people living in poverty anticipated to increase by 30 million. And, because per capita incomes elsewhere are projected to grow faster, the continent will continue to fall farther behind the rest of the world.
Thus, it is important to greatly improve economic growth, especially in Africa. But growth alone will not eradicate poverty. The pattern and sources of growth, as well as the manner in which its benefits are distributed, are vitally important for poverty reduction. Income distribution affects the effectiveness of growth in being able to lift people out of poverty. And broader economic performance considerations, such as the ability to generate productive and remunerative employment, also determine the extent to which economic growth can be pro-poor.
This complex process, involving many actors, is what makes working in partnership so crucial for poverty reduction. Governments in developing and developed countries, working together and with the private sector and civil society, all bear some responsibility not only in promoting economic growth, but in ensuring that growth is pro-poor. As seen at the 2005 World Summit, world leaders recognize the importance of supporting countries in producing MDG-based national development strategies. UNDP is working together with our development partners in all regions to help build the capacity needed at the country level to develop and implement effective development strategies for poverty reduction and achieving the MDGs.
Today we are all reminded of our common humanity and our common commitment, as encapsulated in the MDGs, to continue the fight against poverty and promote equitable global development. "
If the developed, wealthy international community does not make significant progress in the poverty challenge by the year 2015, 41 million more children are expected to die by then. 210 million more people will not have access to clean water. 380 million more people will go on living on less than 1 dollar every day. 47 million children (19 million in Africa) will not be able to go to school.Worldwide poverty has declined by one fifth in the past decade, compared to the previous 10 years. But in spite of the overall progress, some countries suffer unprecedented reversals. For example, in sub-Saharan countries in Africa, the number of people living on less than 1 dollar per day was 100 million more in 2001, than it was in 1990. Another declining region is Central and South European countries and the republics of the former Soviet Union.
The ratio of the populations in these countries living on less than 2 dollars per day was 2% in 1990; it increased to 20% in 2001. Life expectancy in both sub-Saharan Africa and in the former Eastern Bloc countries also declined, contrary to the global trend. Children in the sub-Saharan regions of African are born with the risk of living 33 years less than children born in rich countries. Average life expectancy in Russia in mid-1980s was 70 years, as opposed to today’s 59 years.
Inequities in income distribution is also extremely high: Total annual income of the richest 500 people of the world is greater than the total annual income of the poorest 416 million. The cost of eliminating absolute poverty, on the other hand, is around 300 billion dollars, which is approximately 2% of the total yearly income of the richest 10% population of the world.
Turkey’s situation in Human Development Index
Turkey ranks medium in human development indicators. (It ranked 94th among 177 countries in the Human Development Index of the previous year.) However, it is steadily increasing its scores. With its per capita annual income of 6,772 dollars (in the 2005 Human Development Report), Turkey ranks 75th. Average life expectancy is 68.7 years (100th among 177 countries) and school enrollment ratio is 68% in Turkey.
Although extreme povery in Turkey (i.e. living on less than 1 dollar a day) does not strike as remarkably high, the ratio of the population living on 4.5 dollars and less constitues 24%.
The fact known as “new poverty” is also in ascend in Turkey. Especially after the economic crisis of 2001, the number of permanently poor people has increased to a level which has become difficult to cope with methods of traditional social aid. The ratio of child mortality is also alarmingly high (37% according to the data of the period 1998-2003).
Inequalities between regions and between women and men are significantly large, as well. In the area of women’s participation in social life, Turkey ranks 76th among 140 countries. Turkish women are represented in the parliament by a mere 4.4%. Women occupy 30% of professional and technical jobs, and only 6% of administrative and managerial posts.
How can we break the vicious circle of poverty?
Human Development Reports underline the fact that the world has the technology, financial resources and accumulated knowledge to overcome extreme poverty and in order to break the vicious circle of poverty the only thing needed is the political will to do so.
UNDP Human Development Report has some specific suggestions in three areas to overcome poverty and reach the global development targets, which were promised by the world leaders at the UN summit in 2000 to reduce poverty by 50% by 2015. These areas are aid, trade and security.
First, on aid, it calls for more and better assistance for the poor countries. It also calls for an end to tied aid and excessive policy conditionality and better coordination among the donor countries. Secondly, reform of the current trade system, deep cuts in barriers to developing country exports, deep cuts in government support for agriculture and an immediate prohibition on direct and indirect export subsidies are needed. High international barriers, agricultural and export subsidies in rich countries damage the economies in developing countries. These countries loose about 24 billion US dollars a year from agriculture protectionism and subsidies. Together with reduced employment and investment, this cost gets as big as 72 billion US dollars in developing countries, an amount equivalent to all official aid extended in 2003. Thirdly, it calls for more aid for conflict prone countries, integrated approach to collective security, greater transparency in managing natural resources, which can easily be causes of war, and an end to small arms sales to areas of violent conflict.
The Fund, which has set out with the motto “Youth Produce for Youth”, encourages young people of Turkey to actively participate in social life and assume responsibility to solve societal issues on one hand; and on the other hand aims to contribute to the training of young leaders who can address the issues of the community they live in. The Fund aims to pave the way for projects prepared by young people in the fields of education, sports, environment, culture and arts that can enhance the quality of social life in their communities.
In the first phase of the ‘Life Plus Programme’ in 2005, 10 projects from 10 different provinces of Turkey were selected by the Selection Board as worthy of receving grants, and these projects were duly implemented.
In the second phase of the “Life Plus” Youth Fund in 2006, a total of 12 projects from 10 different provinces in Turkey, including Hakkari, Çankırı, Kahramanmaraş and Izmir, received support from the Fund, and they are currently being implemented. The winning projects are community-sensitive, sustainable, participatory, innovative, have a social impact wherever they are implemented, envisage cooperation with civil society organizations and public institutions, and reflect the dynamic energy of the youth.
Life Plus in the international platform
“Life Plus” Youth Fund was announced as a “successful practice model” during the session entitled “Localization of the World Programme of Action for Youth” of the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth Summit held in New York on 3-7 October 2005, in which 180 countries participated. Moreover, it was chosen as a “model project” within the context of the following events: European Commission Youth Programme for the Management of Water in Jordan, European Commission Youth Programme Workshop in Hungary, Turkish-German Partners Meeting in Germany, European Countries National Youth Councils Meeting in Strasbourg and United Nations European Youth Leadership Summit in Australia.
New Horizons took a closer look at the 12 projects selected from all around Turkey in 2006:
A Hope for the Faded Faces of Flower Buds
This project aims to minimize the disaccord experienced by young girls in Batman – a city where internally displaced people have flocked in, between the traditions and customs of their internally displaced families and the conditions of the new life they have adopted in Batman. The project’s goal is to create a change in the families’ handling of their children regarding their psychological problems, by showing ways of improving the communication between the young girls and their families. It involves information activities among 2000 people in 5 districts and providing psychological support to 100 young girls.
Pen Reaching Out to Dialogue, Wall Reaching Out to Peace in the City of the Silk Road
The projects aims to transform the town of Bitlis, where young people from different cultural backgrounds are increasingly becoming biased against each other, into a community where diversity is welcomed, as it once was. Three workshops on “The Role of Youth in the Dialogue of Civilizations”, “The Language of Art in Peace” and “The Second Concrete Step in the Initiative: What, Where, When, With Whom?” will be conducted as part of the activities of this project.
Past Time Station
Within the framework of this project that aims to protect the traditional cultural values of Anatolian societies, young people will be trained in the field of documenting verbal history. The youth will hold interviews with their elders aged 70 years or older, and will consequently prepare a documentary film to disseminate the awareness regarding the historical and cultural heritage of Çankırı and its environs.
No Barriers to Basketball
A group of disabled basketball players have developed this project to deal with the problems of the disabled in Hakkari, where financial infrastructure and sports facilities are inadequate. The project aims to create an opportunity for disabled people to participate in social life as equal and active individuals, by reaching out to 40 orthopedically disabled young people, who are otherwise confined to their homes. A Wheelchair Basketball Tournament entitled “No Barriers to Basketball” will be organized with the participation of these 40 disabled young people.
We Are Holding a Mirror to Our Life
The project aims to create opportunities for young people who come from internally displaced families with limited income and who have difficulty adapting to their new environment to socialize, as well as to find jobs, by providing employment-oriented trainings. Within this framework, 20 young people aged 16-26, living in Beyoğlu-Istanbul with limited economic means, will receive job-oriented English language and computerized accounting courses. In order to contribute further to the social lives of these young people, the project will offer courses on modern photography and encourage the participants to take photographs of the Beyoğlu district. Their pictures will later be exhibited at Beyoğlu Art Gallery.
The Youth Braille Network Project
The project aims to help lift the obstacles hindering visually disabled youth from entering university and to increase the number of visually disabled university students. To this end, a website will be designed to address the needs of the visually disabled university candidates, aged 16-26. 100 volunteers will read and record selected sources on university preparation on CDs; and representatives from NGOs working for the visually disabled will be arranged to distribute these CDs to those in need.
5th Sense Arts
The project aims to enable the disabled youth to hold on to life and to prove that disabled people can actively add “a plus to life” if and when they are given the opportunity and that they are not all-dependent individuals. To prove this, 26 disabled young people and 19 volunteers from Izmir will form a 45-member dance group. The group will receive training on tango, salsa, and improvised modern dancing, rhythm and percussion playing. The project plans to organize three performances by this group, to reach an audience of 750 people.
Barrier-Free Vocational Training Project
According to the Survey on Disabled People in Turkey, jointly carried out in 2006 by the Administration for Disabled People and TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), 78% of the disabled people in Turkey are not trained to take part in any work force, and only 20% of the 22% who are trained and educated are employed. This project aims to give employment-oriented training to 10 disabled young people from Izmir, so that they become qualified individuals whose services are sought for. In the first phase of the project, 10 orthopedically-disabled young people, aged 18-26, who are high school or vocational school graduates and are computer-literate, will be trained to acquire the skills to find jobs in the market.
Give Life to Orchids
The goal of this project is to protect the orchid species that grow in the province of Kahramanmaraş, which is one of the important plant preservation areas in Turkey, and to raise awareness among the local people in this issue. Within this framework, the project aims to train 270 local orchid producers and to pass information about the preservation of orchids to at least 60 villagers in the region, under the leadership of young people trained in this field.
First Step to Aviation
A group of volunteers have developed this project to create publicity in the field of civil aviation. The project aims to inform young people living in Mersin on aviation and to establish a civil society organization to popularize aviation activities, depending on the interest and willingness of the locals. Aviation activities will be promoted at schools, and 100 young people will receive training on building model planes. An “airplane contest” will be held among the young people who are awarded certificates following the trainings.
New Born Future
The project aims to inform the local community in Şırnak on family planning, child and mother health, and how to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. 90 young couples, aged 18-26, will receive family planning and sexual health education. Booklets, posters and CDs will be produced to raise awareness among the local community, with the cooperation of the local Health Directorate. Educational meetings and other similar activities will be held jointly with the village headmen.
Their aim is to introduce the fencing sport to high school students (at 7 high schools in Ankara) and 13-18 year-old youngsters living in protection houses for unclaimed children. The project aims to contribute new sportspeople to the Turkish society. The project team of five fencers also aspire to be a role model for their peers.
The young fencers from Ankara tell us about their project:
Before giving their presentation on fencing to the students of Kocatepe Mimar Kemal High School, New Horizons talked to Canan Göksu, Selen Kızıltaş and Sertaç Sümer from the project team. First, they told us how they came up with this project idea.
Canan Göksu (C.G.): Currently there are about 750 licensed fencers in Turkey. This number, when compared to the population of the country, is very small. Yet, fencing is a fairly popular sport in Europe. Fencing enables people to acquire many skills. Particularly it enables one to attain the skills and the faculty, such as balance, coordination, fast decision making and good judgement. At the same time, it allows you to use your intelligence. Due to its capacity-building characteristics, fencing is a compulsory subject taught at Air Force Cadet Schools and in opera, ballet and drama departments of Conservatories in our country.
However, fencing is neither a well-known, nor a widely-practised sport in Turkey. When we tell people that we are fencers, they ask, “What is fencing?” Many people do not even have the simplest idea about fencing. It is not at all popular like football. You know, even if you only have a pair of shorts and sports shoes, you can easily play football on the street in your neighbourhood. But for us fencers, a fencing hall, special outfits and technical equipment are absolute necessities; therefore, it does not sound too attractive to the majority of young people. What’s more, because of the equipment we use, many people regard fencing as a dangerous sport. Our goal in this project is to increase the number of fencers in our country.
UNDP Turkey: Is fencing an expensive sport for a young person? Can anybody who wants to take up fencing easily afford it ?
C.G.: Unfortunately, fencing requires rather costly technical equipment. We use special fencing outfits which are not cheap. That is why we provide all the equipment for our trainees, and we give the training courses free of charge. Our only expectation is that they set their hearts on fencing just like we did, and carry on training and exercising.
UNDP Turkey: What is your budget?
C.G.: We have a budget of $11,200. The “Life Plus” Youth Fund extends $10,000, and the Fencing Federation $1,200. We have 10 sets of equipment ready at hand. We want to train at least 10 young people, more the better. We will be happier if the number of young trainees grows. Fencing added a lot to our lives, and we want the same thing to happen to our young friends. There is something I would particularly like to emphasize. If our trainees keep on fencing and be successful, they can enter sports and physical education schools from these schools’ designated quotas in the future, and become physical education teachers. We have many friends who trained in fencing and later became P.E. teachers. Thus, we may contribute to our trainees in acquiring a profession, too. In addition, they can also give courses on refereeing and coaching and make it a profession.
UNDP Turkey: That means, you are going to teach them to acquire discipline, a different perspective and a profession as well?
C.G.: Certainly, they can eventually become sports teachers. We are introducing fencing to 7 high schools and 2 houses for the protection of unclaimed children in Ankara within the context of this project. Kocatepe Mimar Kemal High School here today is our second presentation. We gave our first presentation at Ataturk High School.
UNDP Turkey: Did you recruit any trainee fencing candidates from Atatürk High School?
C.G.: Yes, with the encouragement of their P.E. teachers, 20 students have signed up to participate in the fencing training courses. I do not know what the outcome will be in the long run, or how many of them will keep it up, but they seem keenly interested at the moment.
UNDP Turkey: How did you find out about the “Life Plus” Youth Fund? How did you apply to it? Do you have a partner in this project?
C.G.: Being members of the Yenişehir Youth and Sports Association, we prepared this project jointly with Ankara Governorship Youth and Sports Directorate, and the Turkish Fencing Federation supported us. We had always wanted to develop such a project, but we did not know how to put it into practice. Thanks to a friend from the “Life Plus” Fund, we learned about it, and obtained the essential information from the Fund’s website. Then a difficult application process began.
UNDP Turkey: The underlying aim of the “Life Plus” Youth Fund is to encourage the youth to assume responsibility in social development, to support them in implementing projects that their peers could benefit from. Is your project going to contribute to the youth other than envolving them in fencing and helping them acquire a profession?
C.G.: Our basic goal is to increase the number of sportspeople in our society. One of Atatürk’s maxims was, “I like sportspeople who are intelligent and agile and who exhibit good moral character.” We hope to be exemplary role models for our peers. Moreover, we will also organize educational seminars for young people. In other words, our aim is more than just fencing training.
UNDP Turkey: What kind of seminars will you organize?
C.G.: We will carry out six seminars concerning sports diet for athletes, sports physiology and first aid in injuries, fighting substance addiction, health in sports, relations between sports-clubs-schools-parents, media and sports relations, youth psychology, as well as of course, fencing and refereeing education. Professional experts and academics will conduct these seminars.
UNDP Turkey: Is there a quota limit regarding participation in these seminars? Can any young person attend your seminars?
C.G.: Young people from other sport clubs, or people who are not involved with sports but are willing to learn a thing or two, are all welcomed to our seminars. We would be delighted if the turnout were huge. These projects are implemented voluntarily; so the more people we can reach, the better it gets.
UNDP Turkey: How can young people contribute to your project other than being participants? How do you envisage your future after the completion of this project?
C.G.: Fencing has a distinctive characteristic; once you start this sport, you cannot part with it easily. Therefore, these young people will continue fencing and this will be of great support to us. Our project team members are either studying at the university or university graduates. That means the young participants will follow in our footsteps. It is an important phase in life for especially those in their adolescence as high school students.
UNDP Turkey: You set up a schedule of ten months for this project. After the project is completed, will you still be carrying on with the trainings and seminars? Have you made plans to continue?
C.G.: We are hoping the media will continue to support as, as we will establish a fairly good publicity through our presentations and press meetings. We expect private companies to support us as well, because we have a good cause and try to achieve positive things. And this goes not only for our own project; all the project teams of the “Life Plus” Fund are doing good things.
UNDP Turkey: What kind of activities will you carry out within the scope of this project?
C.G.: Currently, we are introducing fencing and trying to attract young people to take up this sport. Then we’ll start the trainings. As I said before, we’ll have seminars. Finally, we will conclude the project with the “One Touch Plus to Life” Contest. Our trainees will themselves be the referees at this tournament!
UNDP Turkey: How does this project affect you, the project team, personally?
C.G.: The truth is that we have learned a lot, thanks to the “Life Plus” Programme. This project will not only contribute to sportspeople; we, team members, have also gained a lot from it already. For instance, we learned how to deal with crisis situations, about taking initiative, and sharing our knowledge with other people. While adding “a Plus to Life”, we are also adding precious experiences to our personal lives.
In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and a toilet. Beyond the household, competition for water for production intensifies, while the environment and the rural poor lose out. Debunking the myth that the global water crisis is the result of scarcity, the 2006 Human Development Report argues that poverty, power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.
The Report offers fresh new data on how many poor people go without water and sanitation, the inequality of access within and between nations, and on what clean water really means for child survival rates. It argues for a concerted drive to achieve water and sanitation for all, through national strategies; and proposes models of cooperation to resolve cross-border tensions in water management.
The Human Development Report continues to frame debates on some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. Kevin Watkins is the Lead Author of the 2006 report, which includes special contributions from Gordon Brown (UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (former Finance Minister of Nigeria), President Lula of Brazil, Jimmy Carter (former President of U.S.A.) and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
About Human Development Reports: The Human Development Report (HDR) is an independent report commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Report is translated into more than a dozen languages and launched in more than 100 countries annually.
Within this framework, policy-makers are working together with public institutions and related NGOs to integrate social and environmental elements into economic development and maintain a sustainable and stabilized development pace.
The total budget of the project, which is financed by the EU and conducted by UNDP under the coordination of State Planning Organization, is 3 million Euros.
A significant step in the EU Alignment Process
An important component of the EU membership process, sustainable development aims to improve the living standards of people and the welfare of countries, while preserving and protecting the natural environment which nourishes life on earth.
Specific goals pertaining to the integration of global environmental factors into economic and social development were identified at the 1992 United Nations Environment and Development Conference in Rio de Janerio, in the “Agenda 21” Declaration. European Union’s 5th Framework Action Programme was a very significant contribution to the Rio Earth Summit, which was followed by a 6th Framework Action Programme along the same lines. Establishing a mechanism which would integrate all fundamental policy areas with sustainable development principles was the main target of the Action Programme.
Sustainable development is an effective tool in achieving progressive, stable, balanced and long-term growth in countries such as Turkey, that are rich in natural resources and bio-diversity, but also endure poverty and poverty-related social outcomes like internal migration and haphazard urbanization.
“Integration of Sustainable Development Into Sectoral Policies” project provides an important opportunity for Turkey to integrate policies in all sectors of economic life into sustainable development, which is one of the medium-term criteria for joining the EU.
Within the scope of this project, activities are carried out involving national capacity building on decision-making levels for sustainable development, and civil society organizations and local governments are supported with grant programmes. Alongside these efforts, public awareness-raising activities on sustainable development are also conducted.
Assessment of the Grant Programme applications continues
Assessment of the project applications to receive funds from the Grant Programme which supports sustainable development-related projects of civil society organizations will continue throughout November 2006. The Grant Programme which is conducted by the Central Finance and Contracts Unit, with the assistance of UNDP, has a budget of 925,000 Euros. The Assessment Committee is expected to announce the grant-winning projects which are found as successful examples of sustainable development implementations and which contribute to the awareness of sustainable development concept in the public opinion.
Project Steering Committee held its first meeting on 18 October
The Project Steering Committee, consisting of high-level representatives from the State Planning Organization, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Turkey Delegation of the European Commission, Central Finance and Contracts Unit and UNDP, held its first meeting on 18 October 2006. Technical Assistance on national capacity building in the area of sustainable development, the grant programme and communication activities were among the topics discussed at the meeting.
The Steering Committee will also determine the members of those Thematic Working Groups that will be involved in each specific sector within the scope of the project.
Campaign for Sustainable Development
Preperations for a comprehensive public campaign including dissemination of the slogan “Sustainable Development: For a Common Future”, and cooperations with civil society organizations are already underway. The aim of the campaign is to increase public awareness in Turkey in the area of sustainable development. Posters, brochures, promotional materials, short films and documentaries will also be produced within the context of the campaign.
The document aims to help national climate change policy-makers and UNDP country offices understand the requirements and processes for establishing national institutional frameworks for implementing the Kyoto Protocol in Eastern Europe and the CIS. The guide is designed to assist countries that will be hosting and approving Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects in designing the necessary procedures for project review and evaluation, including criteria for assessing a project's contribution to sustainable development.
In his Forward message, Vladimir Litvak (Regional Energy and Environment Practice Manager, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS) wrote:
“Entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol* provided the countries in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with new opportunities for reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving other sustainable development objectives through participation in the Protocol's flexible mechanisms, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). The establishment of the required institutional frameworks, such as the Designated National Authorities (DNAs) and Designated Focal Points (DFPs) is one of the most important criteria to be met by the countries wishing to host CDM/JI projects.
In Eastern Europe and the CIS, progress in designing appropriate institutional frameworks for Kyoto-compatible mechanisms has been uneven. While the new EU member states and new accession countries (Bulgaria and Romania) have moved forward with creating their DFPs and mobilizing resources for capacity building, this process in the rest of the region has been rather slow, especially on the side of non-Annex 1 countries in Southeast Europe and the CIS. For most of the countries in the CIS and Southeast Europe, the absence of a fully defined DNA stems from a mix of factors, including lack of understanding of the requirements of the CDM, limited financial resources for training and allocating government personnel for project review, and an absence of significant technical assistance from the donor community.
The goal of this guide is to help national climate change policy-makers and UNDP country offices understand the requirements and processes for establishing national institutional frameworks for implementing the Kyoto Protocol and put in place transparent and efficient national governance structures for JI and CDM. It is based on the hands-on experience that has been accumulated to date by the East European and CIS countries, particularly in relation to the type of institutional structures, functions and roles that have been established and how well they have worked.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been actively involved in JI/CDM capacity development activities in over 20 countries across several different regions of the world. UNDP considers that the market instruments of the Kyoto Protocol, JI and CDM, can play a significant role in promoting sustainable development and increasing the flow of finances and sustainable technologies to the countries in transition. We believe that this Guide will help East European and CIS countries make this happen.”
* What is the Kyoto Protocol?
Adopted at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Kyoto, Japan in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol sets binding commitments for 39 signatory developed and transition countries, to reduce their GHG emissions by an average of 5.2 percent compared to 1990 levels during the first commitment period of 2008 to 2012. The Protocol came into force on 16 February 2005 following ratification by Russia in November of 2004. As of April 2006, a total of 163 countries have ratified the agreement, representing over 61.1 percent of emissions from Annex I countries.