Assistance to the Palestinian people – UNDP – Administrator report/Addendum (excerpts)

UNITED NATIONS DP

Executive Board of Distr.

the United Nations GENERAL

Development Programme

and of the United Nations DP/1996/18/Add.1

Population Fund 18 March 1996

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

__________________________________________________________________________

Annual session 1996

6-17 May 1996, Geneva

Item 2 of the provisional agenda

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATOR 1995

Addendum

MAIN PROGRAMME RECORD

CONTENTS

Paragraphs Page

  I. PROGRAMME RESOURCES   1 – 5  4

 II. COUNTRY AND INTERCOUNTRY PROGRAMMES   6 – 215  4

A. Regional Bureau for Africa   6 – 35  4

B. Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific  36 – 87 10

C. Regional Bureau for Arab States  88 – 117 20

D. Regional Bureau for Europe and the

Commonwealth of Independent States 118 – 134 25

E. Regional Bureau for Latin America

and the Caribbean 135 – 177 29

F. Global and interregional programmes 178 – 215 37

III. SPECIAL PROGRAMME RESOURCES 216 – 236 42

IV. FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE UNITED NATIONS

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 237 – 303 46

A. United Nations Capital Development Fund 237 – 243 46

B. United Nations Revolving Fund for

Natural Resources Exploration 244 – 245 48

C. United Nations Fund for Science

and Technology 246 – 248 48

D. United Nations Fund for Women 249 – 258 49

E. United Nations Volunteers 259 – 275 51

F. Sustainable development funds 276 – 303 54

1. Office to Combat Desertification

and Drought 277 – 283 54

2. Global Environmental Facility 284 – 289 56

3. Trust Fund for the Interim Multilateral

Fund under the Montreal Protocol 290 – 295 57

4. CAPACITY 21 296 – 303 58

V. OTHER MAJOR FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES 304 – 325 60

A. Technical Cooperation among

Developing Countries 304 – 318 60

B. Programme of Assistance to the

Palestinian People 319 – 325 63

B.  Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP)

319. In an effort to give tangible expression and immediate impact to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) has been enlarged and has evolved considerably in 1995 in direct response to the continuing historic peace process between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

320. Because of its long-standing working relationships with all parties in the area, and in close collaboration with the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, PAPP has developed fully transparent and reliable financial mechanisms that are rapidly made available to donors to facilitate the necessary social and economic development upon which peace and stability depend.

321. Within this context, PAPP activities in 1995 had three overriding objectives: (a) to support the capacity-building process upon which the Palestinian Authority has embarked since its establishment in the Territories in May 1994; (b) to launch a new generation of projects where the PAPP role is increasingly confined to technical, supervision and facilitation; and (c) to focus on poverty eradication by helping to create employment opportunities, especially in Gaza.  PAPP undertook a programming exercise in 1995 to formulate, within these three main objectives, a comprehensive strategic framework that will guide its programme activities in the west Bank and Gaza Strip over the three-year period.

322. One of the operational highlights of PAPP is best characterized by the leadership role it has taken in the employment-generation programme.  While improving the physical appearance of the Gaza Strip, this ongoing programme generated approximately 75,000 working day opportunities in the Gaza Strip and largely contributed to the improvement of the private sector since PAPP projects are executed through local contractors.

323. As part of its capacity-development efforts, PAPP responded to the most urgent needs of the Palestinian Authority by providing emergency start-up support to more than 20 of its main institutions, primarily the ministries.  This large-scale programme, which included procurement of vehicles, office equipment and computers amounted to over $10 million of support throughout 1995.

324. The total expenditures for PAPP in 1995 are estimated to amount to $34 million, an increase of more than 50 per cent over 1994 expenditure.  Such level of expenditures was made possible almost entirely through large-scale bilateral contributions to PAPP, including trust funds and Management Service Agreements.

325. In order to deliver this greatly expanded programme, PAPP operational capacity was significantly reinforced during 1995, primarily through the recruitment of highly skilled Palestinian technical, engineering and programming professionals.  Two new technical sections were added, one in public administration and one in rural development.  The Gaza office was given a large degree of delegated responsibility and was reinforced by the addition of more than 20 staff members, including engineers, programme staff and UNV specialists.