UNDP is the United Nations global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively, and in all our activities we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.
At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders placed development at the heart of the global agenda by adopting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which set clear targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015. UNDP uses its global network to help the UN system and its partners raise awareness and track progress, while it connects countries to the knowledge and resources needed to achieve these goals. Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of Democratic Governance, Poverty Reduction, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, Energy and Environment and HIV/AIDS.
UNDP’s flagship publication for advocacy is the annual Human Development Report (HDR). The report is commissioned by UNDP and focuses the global debate on key development issues, providing new measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. The global HDR’s analytical framework and inclusive approach carries over into regional, national and local HDRs, also supported by UNDP.
UNDP in the Islamic Republic of Iran
UNDP has had a representative office in Iran since 1966 and has worked closely with its major development partners the Government, local councils, civil society, academic institutions, and the private sector to promote sustainable human development in rural and urban communities. Since 1966, dozens of UNDP-funded projects in such diverse areas as governance, management, environment, health, trade, agriculture, and education have been implemented successfully.
UNDP is assisting the Government to incorporate best practices on poverty alleviation into a national poverty reduction strategy. To complement this, UNDP has piloted a poverty alleviation initiative in Sistan-Baluchestan, the poorest province in Iran, and is introducing the results of this experience into future community empowerment activities at provincial level.
UNDP is promoting public awareness on human rights as set out in international norms and standards and Islamic law. UNDP has helped establish a resource centre in Tehran to promote knowledge sharing and networking among local civil society organizations, it is facilitating NGO contribution to national development objectives, cooperating with the judiciary on improving public access to justice, and supports the Majles on parliamentary strengthening and capacity building.
UNDP helps Iran meet its commitments to international environmental conventions on combating desertification, protecting biodiversity, reducing green-house gases, reducing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and eliminating ozone depleting substances. It is also working closely with the government on reducing the impact of natural disasters on economic and social development.
The UNDP Small Grants Programme (SGP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), works to conserve the global environment through local action. SGP projects promote environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods through local participation. They build partnerships and foster dialogue with a view to empowering and encouraging local communities, particularly women, to protect regions of universal environmental significance.
UNDP’s Role in the UN Country Team
The Resident Coordinator System
As in most countries, the UNDP Resident Representative also serves as the Resident Coordinator of the UN Country Team. As the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General, the Resident Coordinator assumes overall responsibility for, and coordination of, UN operational activities at the country level. Under the aegis of the Resident Coordinator, the currently 17 UN agencies and programmes represented in Iran compose the UN Country Team, working together in identifying areas for UN System interventions, work and collaboration.
Under the Resident Coordinator’s supervision, the Resident Coordinator Support Unit works to ensure coordination among the agencies and programmes that are present in the country through regular Inter-Agency meetings and follow up on joint and collaborative activities. Additionally, the unit ensures a coordinated follow up to global UN Conferences; works to ensure common approaches to cross-cutting issues such as the harmonization of programme cycles, common premises and common services; coordinates the inter-agency theme groups and taskforces; and follows up with the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Activities under the Resident Coordinator System are accounted for in the Annual Report of the Resident Coordinator.
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the planning framework for the development operations of the UN at country level. It provides a collective, coherent and integrated UN system response to key national priorities and needs, as set out in the Country Capacity Assessment (CCA), and within the framework of the MDGs and the Millennium Declaration. The Framework consists of common objectives and strategies of co-operation, a programme resources framework, and proposals for follow-up, monitoring and evaluation.
The UNDAF in Iran covers the years 2005 – 2009 and was developed in consultation among UN agencies and the Government and civil society representatives. It emphasizes inter-agency cooperation in the following areas:
· Strengthening national capacities and capabilities for achieving the MDGs
· Enhancing good governance
· Sustainable development, disaster management and energy efficiency
· Improving economic performance and management, and increasing employment
· Facilitating transfer of science and new technology in all areas of cooperation
Together with the rest of the UN Country Team, UNDP actively participates in the five UNDAF Theme Groups that are addressing the areas of cooperation, aiming to increase and improve inter-agency programming, cooperation and information sharing. UNDP is chairing the theme groups for enhancing good governance and for sustainable development, disaster management and energy efficiency. The five Theme Groups produce independent annual reports on joint activities and best practices that are integrated in Annual Reports of the Resident Coordinator.
