Progress in Partnerships
Introduction
The High-Level Segment of the
Economic and Social Council
in 2003 took up the theme “Promoting an integrated approach to rural
development in developing countries for poverty eradication and
sustainable development.” Building upon a key recommendation in
the related report of the Secretary-General (E/2003/51),
the Council in its Ministerial Declaration (A58/3/Rev1)
highlighted the importance of alliances among all stakeholders to achieve
the aims of rural development. As was stated:
“We
underline the importance of partnerships at the national and
international levels in order to foster collaboration in different
sectors. At the national and local levels, we will encourage local
authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities to
launch partnerships that support and promote rural development. At the
international level, we will facilitate and nurture alliances of
governments, donors, non-governmental organizations, civil society
organizations and the private sector for promoting integrated rural
development.”
The United Nations Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development
responds to this mandate, and the recognition that reducing rural
poverty is a key to achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in many developing countries,
because of their heavy dependence on agriculture and the fact that most
of their populations are rural.
The UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in cooperation with
other UN entities, most notably
IFAD,
FAO,
WFP and
UNDP, and members of civil society,
created the UNPPA, with Madagascar as the first pilot country,
owing to the interest of the Government and the leadership of its
Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
At its substantive session of 2004, the Council adopted a
resolution which specifically endorsed the UN Alliance (2004/49),
and welcomed the initiative of Madagascar, placing this statement of
support into both its c own Ministerial Declaration and of the General
Assembly resolution “Towards global partnerships” (resolution
58/129
of 19 December 2003).
At its substantive session of 2005, the Council approved a second pilot
county of the UNPPA- the Dominican Republic. Initial steps for
implementation of the resolution are being currently formulated. The
Presidential Commission on Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable
Development, the Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs, and the
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in New
York are working together as key partners.
The
first report (E/2007/61) of the Secretary General on the work of the
United Nations Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development (UNPPA)
will be presented on 23 July 2007 in the substantive session of the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva (General Segment Item (13
(a) Sustainable Development). The report points out that the work of the
Alliances in the ECOSOC pilot countries, Madagascar and Dominican
Republic has reached a critical juncture in the enhancement of
partnership initiatives. Assistance for capacity-development is required
to strengthen the effectives of the Alliance. The report recommended the
following actions to improve the effectiveness of the Alliances:
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The capacities of national
mechanisms in Madagascar and the Dominican Republic
should be enhanced through the provision of skills and
knowledge aimed at promoting and sustaining effective
vehicles for partnership development. An evaluation
should be conducted of the existing capacities and gaps
of the relevant national mechanisms to ensure that they
perform as effective platforms in the promotion and
fast-tracking of public-private partnerships;
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At the national lever,
Alliance Madagascar and the Presidential Commission
should forge closer ties with development partners to
ensure more coherent, demand-driven support. Partners
involved in Alliance projects should be encouraged to
share their success stories and best practices,
including those in the framework of the annual
ministerial review of the Economic and Social Council;
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Global advocacy should be
further strengthened to disseminate information to
promote partnerships in Madagascar and the Dominican
Republic. The partnership offices in United Nations
system organizations, such as in UNDP, UNICEF, the
United Nations Population Fund and UNESCO, should also
assist in advocacy and facilitate partnerships in their
respective thematic areas linked to rural development.
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Functions
The
UN Alliance is part of a growing family of efforts within and outside
the United Nations system that focuses on the positive role business can
play in promoting development. It promotes pro-poor business,
stimulates entrepreneurial capacity-building and encourages investments,
commerce and related activities for sustainable rural development.
Important related efforts within the UN System include initiatives such
as
the Global Compact (UN),
Growing Sustainable Business
(UNDP), and the International Alliance Against Hunger (FAO).
The mission of the
UN Alliance is to identify, highlight and promote
replication of successful business policies and practices that are both
profitable and promote social and economic advancement of poor people in
rural areas. Results of this win-win approach are brought to the
attention of the international community through the UN
Economic and Social Council.
By engaging government entities, the business sector, civil society, UN
Member State delegations, and agencies of the UN System, the UN Alliance
develops multi-stakeholder partnerships, and helps to address the
Millennium Development Goals.
The purpose of the UN Alliance is to bring together different actors and
interests, so as to accomplish more together than what can be done
separately.
The objectives of the UN Alliance are fourfold:
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To work principally as a catalyst and facilitator for
the creation of partnerships;
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To identify and promote business and commercial
relations in various identified opportunities
activities;
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To provide a platform for collaboration between the
public sector and other rural development actors; and
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To bring the results of these efforts to the attention of
the international community, especially through the UN
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
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Internationally and locally the UN
Alliance encourages networking and matchmaking. Priorities include
agribusiness, microfinance, value-added exports, rural investments,
computer technology, and protection of biodiversity through sustainable
enterprise. Innovative and collaborative efforts range from large
to small – from encouragement of market-oriented rural development plans
and investments to helping channel a company-matched personal donation
to a community business.
Madagascar, First Pilot Country
In Madagascar, Alliance-Madagascar, a public-interest organization, has
been created
by government decree and statute. The Prime Minister chairs meetings of
the high-level participants from the four stakeholder groups --
government, business, NGO and financial/technical communities -- who
comprise the General Assembly and Board of Directors of
“Alliance-Madagascar”. Two members of the UN country team
participate in this, namely the Resident Coordinator / UNDP Resident
Representative and the FAO Representative. A management team of
stakeholders, with supporting staff, assure regular collaboration in the
implementation of an annual work plan. The work of
Alliance-Madagascar fits within priorities already enunciated in the
vision of the country’s President to stimulate economic activity and
overcome poverty.
Priority areas identified by
the government of Madagascar for its development include:
- Infrastructure
building, such as roads, bridges, etc.
- Safe
water and hygiene
- Agro-business
- Mining
- Textile, garments
and handcrafts
- Tourism
- Development
of SMEs and financial sectors
- Technology
-
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
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Some projects that are underway include:
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Mauritius-Madagascar: Development of cross-border
public-private investments for agribusiness
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Alliance Madagascar collaborated with MAEP and FAO in developing
five bankable projects for income-generation through small-scale
agribusiness
- Development of
several product lines: onions, potatoes, ginger, handicrafts, and others.
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Promotion of micro-finance
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Establish
national and regional networks among the members of AMDG (Alliance
Madagascar) for a better management of rural development
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Project for
production of honey and fruit from bee-keeping and orchid-growing
- Updated and expanded the UNPPA website for disseminating
information to the stakeholder
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Plans are constantly being
made to establish an advisory panel from the four stakeholder groups to
help to assess and shape the socio-economic and environmental impacts of
the undertaking, in order to promote maximum benefits for all through a
combined focus on profitability, poverty reduction and sustainable
development.
The UN/DESA
Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination
(OESC) has been mobilizing new support for “Alliance-Madagascar” from
several UN system entities. This includes plans for cooperation from
the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)
Office of UNDP in two key areas: (i) to help set up a web-based AFRASIA
Exchange desk to help promote business between companies in Madagascar
and Asian countries, and (ii) to facilitate participation by
entrepreneurs from Madagascar in the Asia Africa Business Forum that is
scheduled for 2006. A consultant was sent to Madagascar by UNDP in
December 2005 to prepare report for establishing AFRASIA Exchange Desk.
A team from
UNDP/Africa and UN Millennium Project visited Madagascar in June 2006 to
prepare the Needs Assessment Report for the country. The objective of
the report is to review the current PRS and a macroeconomic framework in
the context of scaling up to achieve the MDGs
Dominican Republic - Second Pilot Country
UN Alliance activities in
the Dominican Republic will be based on locally-identified priorities
and international cooperation. It receives guidance from the
Presidential Commission on the MDGs and Sustainable Development (COPDES),
and is implemented in association with that commission’s Working Group
on Hunger and other collaborative bodies in the Government, the UN
system and the private sector. The COPDES will use this UN Alliance as a
catalyst.
The COPDES and some of the Ministries and Task Forces in the Dominican
Republic will work with the UN Alliance in strengthening cooperation
with the United Nations system organizations to expand partnership with
the private sector as well as link with priorities in the ongoing
national assessment of needs for meeting MDG targets. The work mainly of
the Ministry of Agriculture is closely related to UN Alliance themes.
The aim of the COPDES Task Force on Hunger, the "Comer es Primero"
programme, is to work for poverty reduction through the implementation of
Task Force strategies and recommendations, including through
public-private partnership for rural development.
Some of the potential areas initially identified are:
infrastructure building (roads, bridges, etc.), safe water and hygiene,
agro-business, mining, textile, garments and handicrafts, tourism,
development of SMEs and financial sectors, information and communication
technology (ICT), energy and sanitation. Also, opportunities arise from
the sizeable population of Dominicans in the U.S., particularly in
attracting more remittances, foreign direct investments and foreign
trade. The key element or strategy is to promote pro-poor business
through the intersection of interests and capabilities of government,
private sector, NGOs, and the local and international financial and
technical communities, including the UN system. In this regard,
international and national cooperation among government, private sector,
NGOs, UN agencies and other organizations are important.
The
Bureau for Development Policy
(UNDP), Regional Bureau for Latin America and
the Caribbean (UNDP), and Special Unit for Technical Cooperation among Developing
Countries (UNDP) co-organized a meeting titled "Regional Consultation on
Migration, Remittances, and Development in Latin America and the
Caribbean" from 27-29 July 2006, in the Dominican Republic. The main
objectives were to discuss the impact of diasporas on the local
development process and how this development process can be made more
efficient and participatory. This consultation was held in keeping with
the aims of UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development.
The expected outcome of the consultations are as follows:
- Creation
of a knowledge-sharing network to share lessons on designing and
implementing
- Diaspora projects and replicating best
practices and mechanisms to transfer them to other countries/regions
including through South-South partnership. Identify factors that
will stimulate/impede local development.
- Identifying possible options to
involve the Diaspora in local development processes.
- Identification and creation of demand
based financial products that will catalyze the local private sector.
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The outcome of the
consultations was forwarded to President of the General Assembly as a
General Assembly document for the Secretary General's High Level
Dialogue (HLD) on Migration and Development from 14-15 September 2006, in New
York.
The Permanent
Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN in cooperation with the
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce co-organized a meeting on 12
September 2006, in New York, to sensitize members of the business
community about the importance of the UN Global Compact, social
responsibility, public-private partnerships and the achievement of the MDGs. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the UN Global
Compact, Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN, UNDP and
DESA/OESC. A major focus was on promoting social engagement and
public-private partnerships in the Dominican Republic.
Partnership
with NGOs/Civil Society
Non-governmental
organizations/civil society organizations are becoming
important international development partners in many developing
countries, including Madagascar. Some of the areas in which
NGOs/civil society have cooperated include poverty eradication,
health, ICT, human resource development, trade development and
investment promotion.
Some
programmes/activities initiatives were as follows:
Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual
Communication (OCCAM),
in cooperation with Italy, developed the
V Infopoverty
World Conference, which took place at the UN Headquarters
from 12-13 May 2005. The
Conference in its Declaration decided ‘to enhance support for global
partnerships and in this context take special efforts to promote the UN
Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development’. A significant outcome of
the conference was the proposal by the organizers to establish an Infopoverty IT Village in Madagascar. In fact, it was re-enforced in the
Infopoverty 2006 Initiatives which said that the ICT Model Village must be
replicated in Madagascar and Dominican Republic.
[For more information, click here] An OCCAM team visited
Madagascar in December 2005 and discussed with officials the proposal
for the establishment of an ICT Village in Madagascar. Subsequently, Sambina
Village was chosen as the ICT Model Village. In June 2006, the ICT
Village was launched in Madagascar in the presence of the President of
Madagascar,
Mark Ravalomanana, and Prof.
Jeffrey Sachs, director of UN Millennium Project.
The ECOSOC NGO Forum and OCCAM co-organized the VI Infopoverty World
Conference in New York on 20-21 April 2006.
[For more information, click here].
The
usage of videoconferencing and teleconferencing by the NGO Forum allowed
for participation, contributions and recommendations from parallel
sessions held in 8 cities including Sambaina in Madagascar. Two of the
prominent projects that were presented included OCCAM's initiative on "ICT
Village" and the ODFD initiative on "One Dollar for Development." The
outcome of the conference was the adoption of the Declaration:
Fighting Poverty to Create Prosperity for All.
The
Infopoverty Institute and the Public Service Institute of the University
of Oklahoma held a fish farming workshop from 15-19 May 2006 in Rosaryville, Louisiana, USA. The ECOSOC pilot countries were invited to
participate in the workshop. The training program included issues such
as farm location, financial resources, site preparation, environmental
conditions, governmental regulation, transportation and market demands.
Participants received hands-on experience and learned many technical
requirements of breeding and raising fish for market such as water
quality, aeration, water movement and transfer, and environmental
conditions necessary to raise healthy fish. The overall objective of the
workshop was to contribute to achieving the MDGs of reducing world's
poverty and hunger rate by the year of 2015.
A follow
up of the training program was held at UN headquarters on 9 August
2006. The workshop focused on introducing fish farming as a sustainable
development enterprise in low income countries such as Madagascar and
the Dominican Republic. Ambassador Francis Lorenzo of the Dominican
Republic and Ms. Lila Andrianantoandro, Counselor, representing the
Ambassador of Madagascar to the UN, discussed the importance of fish
farming in their economies and in particularly tackling rural poverty.
They offered vivid examples of how fish farming can raise the standard
of living and improve nutrition in many villages in their countries. Mr.
Abraham Joseph, focal point of the UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural
Development (Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UN Department
of Economic and Social Affairs), briefed the ECOSOC initiative on the
UNPPA. He explained the importance of fish farming in rural
development as an immense contribution towards Goal 1 of the
Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Dominique Burgeon representing the New
York Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), made a
well-documented presentation demonstrating the critical need for
aquaculture to complement capture fishing to supplement diets in
low-income communities in the coming years. Mr. Richard Thomson of
Caribbean Fish Farms conducted the workshop.
The New York based Non-Profit Computing Inc. has donated more than 400
computers to Madagascar in 2005. It was in partnership with Rotary Club
and Antananarivo province. The mission of the Non-Computing Inc. is
to provide computers to non-profit and public sector organizations
worldwide to promote education, training in health, disabilities,
employment and entrepreneurship. It has helped to improve the village
administration and schools in the province of Antananarivo for
sustainable development.
DESA/OESC
held discussions with Franciscan International regarding their
programmes in Madagascar. Discussions were also held with the
International Movement ATD Fourth World, an international NGO, to
strengthen its current work in-country through cooperation with
“Alliance-Madagascar”.
New possibilities
New perspectives
and initiatives are being formulated for the UNPPA in order to make
participation in the Alliance advantageous for all involved parties.
Additionally, more projects and cooperation from international partners
are expected in the two pilot countries of Madagascar and Dominican
Republic, in order to achieve sustainable rural development. Recently,
more member
states have also expressed interests in participating in UNPPA.
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