Summary on
progress towards UNDAF outcomes
Lesotho's UNDAF cycle is ending, and the new
UNDAF will be in place in 2008. No text on this
section
Summary on
progress in UN Reform
Delivering as One
The Country
Team initiated the Common Country Programming
Process (CCPP), engaging the UN Heads of
Agencies, Representatives of the Non-Resident
Agencies (NRAs), key Development Partners in
Lesotho and the Government in strategic
discussions to plan and prioritise the UN
Lesotho’s support to the national development
aspirations within the next UN Development
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Lesotho for the
2008-2012 programme cycle. The preparation of
the draft UNDAF coincided with the country
strategy planning periods for Lesotho’s other
major Development Partners. Like the UN System,
the country cooperation programming cycles for
DfID, European Commission, GTZ, Irish Aid and
the World Bank also commence in 2008. Their
participation at the November 2006 Strategic
Planning Retreat provided a unique opportunity
for exploring prospects for joint and/or
collaborative programming, within the context of
the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the
November 2006 Report of the High Level Panel on
System-wide Coherence, entitled “Delivering as
One”.
Throughout the
year, the Country Team made efforts to instill
the notion of “One UN” in the programme and
operational activities of the UN system. Several
joint programmes and projects have been
developed between and among the various
Agencies. These include:
A Joint
FAO-UNICEF-WFP Programme on Orphans and other
Vulnerable Children; A Joint UNDP-ILO Programme
on Youth Employment; A Joint FAO-WFP Programme
to Implement the Food Security Policy and Action
Plan; and, A Joint UN Programme on Greater
Involvement and Empowerment of People Living
with HIV/AIDS (GIEPA); A Joint UNDP-GEF-World
Bank-Government of Lesotho Renewable Energy
Programme.
The UN System
has, over the years, implemented the Common
Service/Common Premise function under the
leadership of the interagency Operations
Management Team (OMT). At present, the UN House
accommodates seven out of eight resident UN
agencies, namely: UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, UNFPA,
UNAIDS and the World Bank. WFP is housed in a
precinct adjoining the UN House. However,
discussions are underway to accommodate WFP in
the UN House.
All the
Agencies except FAO and WFP contribute to the
Common Service/Common Premise Budget, including
the UN Dispensary and the V-Sat Connectivity
Budgets. Other shared services include cleaning,
electricity, security, electrical and plumbing
services, lifts and the back-up generator.
The Common
Service/Common Premise function has contributed
immensely to reducing the cost of ‘doing
business’. There is potential, still, to further
streamline the function and make it more
effective if all the Agencies could merge
certain aspects of their operational activities,
and pool their resources for services such as
transport, procurement and financial management
systems. It is in this connection that the
Common Service/Common Premise function was
brought under expert review in November 2006. A
UNDG Common Service Adviser undertook a review
mission and prepared a Report. The
recommendations will be reviewed by the UNCT and
implemented as part of the joint Common Service
Work Plan in 2007.
These steps
have put the Lesotho team in a favourable
position for the implementation of the
now-imminent Joint Office Initiative, which the
Country Team recommended should be introduced in
Lesotho as part of the roll-out programme.
Support to
National Development Plans and Strategies
The UN System
has played a significant role in enhancing the
policy, legislative and strategic planning
environment to level the ground for greater
progress in implementing the MDGs. During the
year under review, the UN System supported
formulation and implementation of key policies,
plans and laws. These include: the National AIDS
Policy, the National AIDS Strategic Plan and
Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) Framework; the
Know Your Status Action Plan; the Food Security
Action Plan; the Legal Capacity of Married
Persons Act; the Child Protection and Welfare
Bill; the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children
Policy; the National Action Plan on Women, Girls
and HIV/AIDS; the Roadmap to Reduce Maternal and
Neo-Natal Morbidity and Mortality; the HIV
Testing and Counselling Policy Guidelines; and,
the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT)
Guidelines. The National AIDS Policy, Strategic
Plan and M & E Framework were launched by His
Majesty the King, as part of the commemoration
of the World AIDS Day 2006.
Improved
Country Level Coordination
Consistent with
the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and
the 2004 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR
2004), the Office of the Resident Coordinator
spearheaded the Country Team’s efforts to engage
with Lesotho’s other Development Partners in
strategic dialogue to strengthen the
Government’s institutional capacity for aid
coordination, resource mobilisation and
harmonisation of development assistance. The RC
acted as the Chairperson for the Development
Partners’ Consultative Forum (DPCF) since its
establishment in 2005, and coordinated the
Forum’s participation and/or support to a number
of processes and events. These include:
Support to the
processes leading to the Population and
Household Census 2006; Support to the processes
leading to the Ninth Donor Round Table
Conference; Support to the preliminary processes
leading to the general elections 2007; and
Resource mobilisation for the First Lady’s
Community-Based Workers Symposium and its
related activities; The DPCF even commissioned
UNDP to play a leading role to support capacity
development for the Ministry of Finance and
Development Planning, and to provide support
towards the preparations for the Round Table
Conference, which was held from 20th to 24th
November this year. The UN supported a special
project to enhance effective civil society
participation in local governance through
advocacy and civic education programmes. This
Project will be fundamental in supporting the
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the
preparatory activities leading to the general
elections in February 2007, as well as in the
prior and post-election conflict resolution and
transformation activities. The Irish Aid
provided counterpart financial support to the
Project.
Increased
Efforts against HIV/AIDS
Throughout the
year, the UN System participated in the national
efforts to turn the tide against the pandemic
through resource mobilisation, technical
assistance and specific individual and joint
projects. One of our most important milestones
has been accelerated implementation of the
UNAIDS’ “Three Ones”. The UN provided technical
and financial support towards the establishment
of the National AIDS Commission (NAC) and the
National AIDS Secretariat (NAS), a joint review
of the national response to HIV/AIDS, the
development of the National AIDS Policy and
Strategic Plan (2006-2010), and the
establishment of a unified HIV/AIDS Monitoring
and Evaluation System.
The Government
has demonstrated determination to make HIV
testing and counselling a national campaign, and
to increase access to the testing centres
throughout the country. The desire, which has
sprung from a series of major social
mobilisation events that continued throughout
2006, has energised the momentum for change. The
Operational Plan of the “Know Your Status”
Campaign, launched by His Majesty the King in
2005, was a culmination of this commitment to
bring about a profound and significant
transformation against HIV/AIDS. The UN rallied
behind this call, and supported the launch of
the Campaign and its Implementation Plan in
2006. With UN’s advocacy and financial and
technical support, the country has been able to
place approximately 10,000 people on Anti
Retroviral Treatment (ART). There is greater
national and district ownership, following the
launch of HIV treatment centres in 6 districts
during 2006. At present, there are 55 ART health
centres in the country, and up to 15,000 people
have benefited from the Ministry of Health
counselling services. A formative search has
shown that more than 92% of the population are
aware of HIV/AIDS and are willing to be tested
for HIV.
Partnerships on
HIV/AIDS
The UN led the
development partners’ collective support to
scale-up the response to HIV/AIDS. The Resident
Coordinator, in consultation with the Country
Team and other development partners, expanded
the co-chairmanship of the UN Theme Group on
HIV/AIDS to the European Commission and the
Embassy of the United States of America. The
Theme Group comprises UN Heads of Agencies, the
Government (through the Ministry of Health and
Social Welfare), Development Partners, the
National AIDS Secretariat, NGOs and Faith-Based
Organisations. On the Government side, the UN’s
“voice” was added to the key decisions of the
national “Know Your Status” Campaign’s Steering
Committee and the Global Fund’s Country
Coordination Mechanism.
These steps
epitomise the Government’s desire to execute an
urgent and effective response to the HIV and
AIDS pandemic. There is no doubt, nevertheless,
that even more concerted effort is required if
Lesotho is to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS,
and for this to happen, all role players should
join the national efforts to dramatically
accelerate the response and promptly scale-up
their individual and collective actions.
HIV and AIDS in
the Workplace
As part of the
efforts to lead by example, the Country Team
continued to support the implementation of the
UN HIV/AIDS Learning Strategy through selected
HIV/AIDS activities in the UN workplace. The
interagency HIV/AIDS Learning Team was
reconstituted under the leadership of UNAIDS.
Information, education and communication
materials were prepared and shared with staff.
HIV/AIDS sessions held for all staff culminated
in an HIV/AIDS family session in November 2006.
A total of 181 participants drawn from staff
members, their spouses and children participated
in this important activity.
Support to the
Strengthening of the National Systems
The UN System
continued its search for ways to alleviate the
suffering of the poor and the vulnerable, as
well as those affected by HIV/AIDS. As you well
know, in Lesotho, like anywhere else in the
developing world, HIV/AIDS places the heaviest
toll on women and children, especially Orphans
and other Vulnerable Children (OVCs). During the
year under review, the UN System supported the
establishment of a multi-sector committee for
OVCs under the leadership of the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare. The committee is
composed of Government sectors, NGOs, CSOs, the
National AIDS Commission and the Development
Partners. To date, the committee has established
linkages at district level through a similarly
constituted multi-sector District Child
Protection Team in all the 10 districts of
Lesotho. The committee will be responsible for
ensuring a more effective implementation of the
national OVC Policy and Action Plan. To this
end, the UN has supported the strengthening of
the capacity of district and community
institutions, and volunteer groups to support
the OVCs and their care-givers in the areas of
food security, social welfare, health, education
and income generation.
In a bid to
accelerate the country’s efforts at attaining
the MDGs, the UN System provided support for the
development of a comprehensive basic education
policy. Funding was provided for the
installation of water and sanitation facilities
in 16 schools in two districts. At the higher
level, the UN supported the Education Sector
Review as part of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp)
process, as well as the National Education
Dialogue held during November 2006. UNICEF
represents the UN in co-chairing the Education
Partners Forum, and has helped the Government
mobilise $7.2 million from the Fast Track
Initiative.
As part of the
strategy to ensure that children and OVCs remain
in school, the UN System has supported
implementation of the school feeding programme
under WFP’s leadership and in close
collaboration with the Government. Take-home
rations were provided for the OVCs in a bid to
keep their enrolment in school at a reasonably
high level. Other areas supported during 2006
include: the development of the life skills
framework and sensitization sessions for
principals on the latest policies and
legislative frameworks on child protection and
OVCs.
Furthermore,
the Government of Lesotho completed its first
national “Roadmap to Reduce Maternal and
Neo-natal Morbidity and Mortality”, with
technical and financial support from UNFPA,
UNICEF and WHO. The road map was launched by the
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in
November 2006. Lesotho data were used for the
Roadmap Plan. Training is currently being
provided on safe delivery and child health.
Strengthening
of the Coordination Capacity of the UNCT
In keeping with
the Reform agenda, and to ensure coordination
and collaboration in system-wide planning and
programming, the Office of the Resident
Coordinator played a key oversight role to
facilitate synergy and cooperation among agency
programmes.
Some strategic
interagency teams were established in order to
support the implementation of the Country Team
Work Plan 2006, as well as other priority
activities. These include; the Joint UN Team on
AIDS (JUNTA), the expanded DevInfo Team, the
Avian and Human Influenza Task Force, the
Operations Management Team, the Communications
Group and the Common Country Programme Strategy
Team. Through the expanded Theme Groups on
HIV/AIDS, and on Gender and Reproductive Health,
the UN continued to engage with the Government
and civil society partners to scale-up the
national response to HIV and AIDS, and to
advocate for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women respectively. A number of other teams
were also set up to support Government Thematic
Working Groups and Task Forces in the areas of:
HIV and AIDS, Health, Agriculture and Food
Security, and Environmental Management.
Owing to the
increasing need to further strengthen the human
resource aspect of the Office of the Resident
Coordinator, the Resident Coordinator has
solicited the deployment of a Human Rights
Advisor from the Action 2 Global Programme. Once
deployed, the Adviser will be responsible for
the UN Country Team’s support to governance,
elections in particular, and human rights. The
Adviser will be a long-awaited addition to my
Office which has, to date, been stretched very
thin with only one national professional
officer. With the possibility of the “Joint
Office Initiative” coming our way soon, I
anticipate a complete expansion of the Office in
order to facilitate better support to the new RC
System needs.
Headquarter and
Regional Support to the Country Team
The Country
Team received a high level of cooperation and
technical support from colleagues at the UNDGO,
the UN Staff College, the RDT and the
Non-Resident Agencies throughout the year. The
Country Team acknowledges OCHA’s support towards
the preparation of the “UN Lesotho Contingency
Plan on Avian Flu” and the “Emergency
Preparedness and Response Plan”. On this,
Lesotho was cited as an example of "good
practice". The UNDGO, the Staff College and the
RDT, on the other hand, helped the Country Team
to facilitate the Common Country Programming
Process, as well as the activities leading to
the formulation of the draft UNDAF 2008-2012.
Throughout
2006, the Country Team liaised with the
Non-Resident Agencies, namely: ILO, UNESCO,
UNODC and UNOHCHR, to identify strategic areas
for joint programming and project support, and
to explore opportunities for resource
mobilisation. Such strategic partnerships were
established with the relevant resident Agencies,
and joint projects in the areas of HIV/AIDS,
Youth and Employment, Education, Gender and
Human Rights were formulated and implemented.
Through this support, the Country Team has been
able to raise the UN’s profile in areas that had
otherwise not received sufficient attention
previously.
UN Lesotho’s
Preparedness and Response to Emergencies and
Disasters
At the
beginning of 2006, the UN Country Team
established an interagency team responsible for
emergencies and disasters. Through the team, and
with support from OCHA, the UN Lesotho Emergency
Preparedness and Response Plan was prepared and
disseminated. The Teams were supervised by the
WHO and the FAO Representatives under the
overall coordination of the Resident
Coordinator.
A separate UN
Lesotho Avian Flu Task Force prepared two Avian
Flu Contingency Plans, one covering Phase III to
Phase VI, and the other focusing on the
worst-case scenario. The latter plan will be
simulated in January 2007, with support from
OCHA and the WHO Regional Office. Sensitisation
sessions on Avian Flu were held for staff and
stakeholders. In addition, the UN, under the
leadership of WHO, provided technical assistance
to the preparation of the National Avian Flu
Plan 2006.
Furthermore FAO
trained the Veterinary Officers of the Ministry
of Agriculture and Food Security in sero-diagnosis
of the H5N1 virus. The Department of Livestock
Services of the same Ministry was provided with
essential field and laboratory equipment,
supplies and materials for the surveillance,
diagnosis and handling of infected birds.
Security of
Staff and Property
While the
security situation has been relatively calm for
the most part of the year, the Country Team has
been profoundly bothered by the number of
security incidents affecting the UN and other
international staff. The criminal activities
that were reported to the Department of Safety
and Security (DSS), as part of the System’s
security reporting requirements, included
murder, armed robberies, rape, livestock theft,
smuggling of drugs and firearms, vehicle theft,
and burglaries to homes and businesses. Some
staff members have been victims of street
robberies, while an international staff member
of one international Organisation working in
Lesotho has been killed in several rounds of
gunfire recently.
As the country
prepares for the next general elections on 17th
February 2007, there is a much more heightened
political activity, marked by political party
campaigns in several parts of the country. While
we do not anticipate any obvious security
problems related to the election process, the RC
has advised the entire UN System to exercise
caution and vigilance at all times. The
nationally-recruited staff members have,
accordingly, been urged to exercise their
democratic right to vote, but to stay clear of
any potential trouble spots. The RC has
considered the security of staff paramount above
all else in her responsibilities as the
Designated Official for Security, and as part of
the UN Lesotho’s Security Plan 2006, a number of
important security reinforcements were made. The
overall security management system has also been
strengthened. The Security Management Team (SMT)
met regularly to plan and oversee the
implementation of the Security Plan; a 24-hour
closed circuit surveillance system has been
installed, and window shatterproof film and a
mail-scanning x-ray machine have been ordered.
Staff training
was conducted, including the following:
Certificated Basic and Advanced “Security in the
Field” training for all staff; Fire-preparedness
training; Training for Wardens; and Training on
Defensive Driving for UN drivers. The Country
Team further established a system of weekly
security incident reporting, with a view to
ensuring that the UN was up to speed on all
security issues and security-related
developments in the country. These activities
will go a long way to ensuring that Lesotho is
MOSS compliant.
Key aspects of
the proposed 2007 workplan
Result Area 1: Coordination for Results
1.1
Contribution to national development plans and
strategies 1.1.1 Poverty Reduction Strategy
reviewed, costed, MDG-ised and rolled over into
the next phase; PRS will be revised; 1.1.2
Country MDG Progress Report will be updated.
1.1.3 Country human rights obligations met in
accordance with the ratified human rights
conventions. 1.1.4 National statistical system
strengthened and used to evaluate progress
towards achieving the MDGs. 1.1.5 Capacity of
key ministries and partners on the use of
DevInfo developed 1.1.6 Post census analysis,
reports and dissemination
1.2. Aid
Coordination and Management /Paris Declaration
1.2.1 Capacity of the Ministry of Finance and
Development Planning strengthened for enhanced
aid coordination and management
1.3 Enhanced
aid coordination systems within the Ministry
1.3.1 UNDAF/Common Country Programming Common
Country Programming Process completed through a
consultative process and submitted to the
Executive Boards. 1.3.2 Country Programme
Documents and Annual Work Plans prepared
1.4.
Coordination Support to UNCT in Implementing and
Monitoring the 2002-2007 UNDAF 1.4.1 Working
Groups (MDG, Food Security and Nutrition, OVC)
are operational 1.5 Joint programmes 1.5.1 Joint
Programmes developed, implemented and evaluated
1.6 Harmonised
Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT). 1.6.1
Advocacy, training and roll-out of HACT for UN,
government and other implementing partners
1.7 Gender
Equality 1.7.1 Mechanisms for women’s
empowerment and protection of the rights of
women and girls established. 1.7.2 Advocacy
activities to popularise the law on the equality
of married persons implemented. 1.7.3 National
Action Plan on Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS
implemented
1.8 Road Map to
Accelerate Reduction of Maternal & Newborn
Mortality 1.8.1 Maternal & Newborn morbidity &
Mortality reduced at all levels.
1.9 HIV and
AIDS. 1.9.1 Joint UN Programme on AIDS prepared
and implemented 1.9.2 Technical and financial
support provided to the implementation of the
National AIDS Policy and Plan 1.9.3 Scaled-up
resonse to HIV and AIDS accelerated through
implementation of the "Know Your Status
Campaign".
1.10
Coordination of Humanitarian and Natural
Disaster Operations 1.10.1 Capacity developed
for disaster management and response 1.10.2
Joint UNCT Plans on (1) Emergency Preparedness
and (2) Avian and Human Influenza implemented
1.10.3 Alternatives for implementing the Joint
Office Initiative for Lesotho explored, and
recommendations made
1.11 Human
Rights and Good Governance 1.11.1 Mechanisms for
the promotion and protection of human rights
established and/or strengthened 1.11.2
Partnerships for the deepening of democracy,
elections, civic education and conflict
resolution, involving Government, IEC, political
parties and development partners strengthened
1.12 Food
security and Nutrition 1.12.1 National Nutrition
Policy prepared 1.12.2 National Food Security
Action Plan implemented
1.13 Common
Services/Premises 1.13.1 Joint UNCT Plan to
simplify, harmonise and streamline operational
processes, standards and disbursement of funds
to government and partners prepared
Result Area 2:
UN Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation
2.1 Joint UNCT
Advocacy and Communications 2.1.1 Joint UNCT
Communications and Advocacy Strategy prepared
and implemented in line with the 2002 Reform
Proposals
2.2 Joint UNCT
Resource Mobilisation Strategy 2.2.1 Joint UNCT
Resource Mobilisation Strategy developed and
implemented
Result Area 3:
Non-Resident UN Agencies
3.1 Special
measures to integrate non-resident UN agencies
in UNCT processes 3.1.1 Greater involvement of
the Non-Resident Agencies in the national
strategic planning processes and Common Country
Programming Process
Result Area 4:
Coordination Capacity of the UNCT
4.1
Strengthening UNCT Coordination Capacity 4.1.1
Human, technical and material resources provided
4.2 Training
4.2.1 HIV/AIDS Learning Strategy implemented
4.2.2 Security in the field training conducted
Recommendations
No recommendations from the Country Team
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