|
UNDP
is the UN's global development network, 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.
World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by
2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national
efforts to reach these Goals. Our focus is helping countries build
and share solutions to the challenges of:
UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In
all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and
the
empowerment of women.
The annual
Human
Development Report, commissioned by UNDP, focuses the
global debate on key development issues, providing new measurement
tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals.
The global Report's analytical framework and inclusive approach
carry over into regional, national and local Human Development
Reports, also supported by UNDP.
In each country office, the UNDP Resident Representative normally
also serves as the
Resident Coordinator of development activities
for the United Nations system as a whole. Through such coordination, UNDP seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international
aid resources.
UNDP in Lesotho
The
Kingdom of Lesotho faces a multiple crisis caused by the nexus of
HIV&AIDS pandemic, deep-rooted poverty and chronic food insecurity
that is undermining past gains in socio-economic and human
development, and threatens the very existence of the state and
people of Lesotho.
Food insecurity and poverty are clearly fuelling
the HIV&AIDS crisis, with hunger driving people to increasingly high
risk behaviour, greater vulnerability, and in turn, lowering their
resistance to infection. Underpinning this mix of challenges, is the
opportunity for advocating and supporting responsive governance at
all levels of society, in order to provide and enabling environment
for sustainable development.
Country Office
Achievements
In support of- and collaboration with- its partners, some of the notable accomplishments by the
Country Office in 2008 include:
-
Under the
governance portfolio, a tense post electoral inter-party situation
was mediated through amongst others, a SADC-led effort which
fostered a broad-based discussion on the allocation of Lesotho
parliament's 40 proportional representation seats. The issue has not
been brought to finality, but the process, conducted in a spirit of
mutual tolerance, has ensured stability and quiet.
-
A project with the
Lesotho Council of NGOs, has facilitated peaceful negotiation of a
transport dispute between the Government and the Maseru region
transport operators. The two parties have reached agreement on a MoU
which recognises the need for regular consultations and dialogue to
iron out differences and strengthen collaboration.
-
In a joint effort
with the development partners and the national counterpart, DevInfo
Lesotho has been made operational and training on its usage has
started (completed within UNCT). DevInfo will form the backbone for
the M&E and ultimately performance management system of the
Government.
-
UNDP played the
lead role in the implementing the Joint Programme on Youth
Employment, along with UNICEF and ILO. Main achievements of the
project include the preparation of a draft youth action plan to
create an enabling national policy framework. A core group of 19
young women and 14 young men were trained as trainers and proceeded
to, in turn, train a total of 724 trainees (233 men and 491 women)
on entrepreneurship and business development skills. Thus far 240
youth enterprises have been established, out of which 180 were
supported with micro loans from Government cost sharing. Within the
180 enterprises, 122 were set up by women and 68 were set up by men.
-
Through the Public
Private Partnerships UNDP collaborated with the Maseru City Council
(MCC) and a private sector firm to implement a waste management
programme for removal and management of solid waste in the capital
city. The successful results of the project has led to Lesotho being
selected for participation in the PPPISWM through a proposal for
implementation of a joint initiative between the MCC and a private
sector firm with technical support from HQ and WASTE NGO which has
major input from the Dutch Government.
-
In close
collaboration with the GEF sub regional office, key stakeholders
were supported to prepare a draft PIF towards a project to be funded
under GEF LDC Climate Change window for the implementation of
priority activities in various livelihood zones in Lesotho. These
activities were identified during the National Adaptation Programme
of Action (NAPA) process.
-
Under the
integrated framework, support to agro-business development resulted
in the establishment of the Laboratory Centre for Mushrooms
production which in turn led to the production of mushrooms for
domestic consumption. The same project helped invigorate the peach
tree industry and about 7000 Peach Trees have been planted. Farmers
have been trained and sensitized in issues relating to
agro-business, marketing and export promotion. The project has
managed to source funding and technical assistance from other donors
such as the Chinese Government.
-
Improved Service
Delivery - through its programme on business process re-engineering,
UNDP has supported the government in conducting a capacity
assessment which helped establish a baseline and performance
expectation for all major services delivered to the public through
the various ministries. On the basis of priority setting, UNDP
support has led to the development of internal government capacity
to diagnose the bottlenecks and design efficient processes which
have already led to a significant improvement in three key areas.
-
Finalization of
JUPSA and Delivering as One - together with its UN sister agencies,
UNDP has contributed to the development of the Joint UN Programme of
Support for AIDS (JUPSA). The current strategy is in its final
stages of approval.
Programme information
UNDP’s programme of support to the Kingdom of Lesotho for the period
2008 to 2012 ensures an integrated response to these complex and
rapidly worsening development challenges. To effectively address the
challenge posed by the HIV&AIDS pandemic, UNDP’s efforts will be
geared towards Advocacy Networks development for multi-stakeholder
transformational leadership and communication as well as
corestreaming
HIV&AIDS Interventions into development planning
instruments and activities of line ministries and local structures.
The environmental challenge will be addressed through strengthening
capacity for promoting land management and bio-diversity
conservation for sustainable livelihoods. UNDP will also support the
design and implementation of national and local strategies for
sustainable development within the framework of the Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Clean energy technologies will be
promoted to reduce emissions, through energy efficiency, renewable
energy, and technology demonstration. UNDP will enhance its emphasis
on a more comprehensive reforestation and soil conservation
strategy.
UNDP’s democratic governance programme is focused on strengthening
the internal organization of the legislature, with training for
parliamentary members and staff for better oversight roles,
strengthening national decentralisation strategies as well as
supporting public sector reform, transparency and accountability.
Under this sub-programme UNDP provides support for strengthening the
oversight role of Parliament through capacity development of Portfolio Committees and
the
Parliamentary Reform Committee. A major challenge is the process of
transformation of the public sector to help it meet the development
needs of the country and lead to profound change in the culture,
structure and decision making systems of the public service in
Lesotho.
UNDP ensures that national institutional capacities are strengthened
for coordinating more effectively the response to the combined
crises of HIV&AIDS, induced food insecurity and chronic poverty.
This includes the strengthening of national institutional capacities
for implementing activities necessary to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). As part of the organization’s
“scorekeeper” role to measure the progress towards the achievement
of the MDGs, support will continue to be provided for monitoring the
goals for the purposes of public advocacy and resource mobilization.
Resources
UNDP is funded from its own regular resources, other United
Nations sources of financing, and from bilateral and other
external donors. In 2007, of the $ 4,995,000 million allocated to UNDP-Lesotho's
projects:
10.8% from bilateral donors;
0.3% from Government cost sharing;
12.2% from the Global Environment
Facility (GEF)
60.6%
from UNDP's regular resources, BCPR and thematic trust
funds;
14.7% from other trust funds;and
1.4% from other UN agencies.
|
