UNDP Syria

UNDP is a partner in the vast initiative supporting the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2007-2011) outlines the collective efforts of this initiative by responding to Syria’s national priorities, as well as international objectives.  This master document, as well as the Common Country Assessment (CCA), were developed in collaboration with UNDP and the UN Country Team (UNCT).  These two agendas serve as the framework for increased cooperation between UN agencies for joint programming.

 

As score-keeper and chief facilitator of the MDGs, UNDP has produced tangible results with the Syrian Government and resident UN agencies. These positive outcomes are reflected through the formulation of the National Tenth Five-Year Plan, an initiative put together by the Syrian Government in an attempt to streamline the country towards achieving MDGs.  Furthermore, UNDP and UNCT co-published the “MDG +5” report.

 

UNDP Syria has also expanded its pivotal role in key areas of the national reform process through proactively forming strategic partners.  Likewise, it has exerted its efforts towards maximizing the role of the private sector in the socio-economic process.  Joint programming remains high on the agenda for UNDP Syria, throughout the current UNDAF 2007-2011 cycle.  In particular UNDP continues to focus its efforts towards strengthening multi-agency collaboration in areas of interest, as outlined in UNDAF.

 

New funding opportunities which facilitate joint-programming between UN resident agencies and the Syrian Government are currently being made available through the UNDP-MDG Fund. Upon the signing of the first joint-programme in 2005, UNDP contributed to the statistical development strategy for DevInfo at the World Bank, a project which stores and monitors the progress of Syria’s MDGs.  Similarly, the Social Welfare Fund project was established in 2007.  UNDP Syria also aided in the formulation of the Global Fund Tuberculosis Project, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, the Syrian Government, and NGOs.

 

As a result of UNDP and UNCT joint-efforts, the Syrian Government successfully endorsed the “Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness,” in July 2007. UNDP continues to directly support the efforts of the Government, and particularly, the State Planning Commission in strengthening the dialogue with the donor community.  Similarly, UNDP aims towards improving the national aid management system to enable better integration of external aid into development planning.

 

In 2006, UNDP Syria began hosting the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on its premises. This close partnership promotes joint-programmes and initiatives, specifically, in targeting issues such as gender equality, women’s empowerment, and gender-based violence.  Likewise, UNDP hosted a “Gender Sensitive Budgeting” workshop for participants from all UN agencies, including partner government entities.

 

Furthermore, partnership with the United Nations Volunteer Programme (UNV) allows UNDP to address the growing need for civil-society capacity building, especially in the face of the large population of displaced Iraqis in the country. UNDP Syria currently has one fully-funded UNV Coordinator, while there are sixty national UN volunteers from UNDP, UNHCR, and UNICEF.

 

Many new initiatives of UNDP Syria directly benefit from the collaboration with UN agencies such as ESCWA, HABITAT, ICAO, UNCTAD, IMO, UNIDO, UNOSAT, UPU, UNESCO, UNEP, UNOPS, UNIFEM, and UNICEF. This cooperation is at the core of UNDP Syria’s strategic approach to maximizing the UN’s knowledge based support to the Syrian Government and its partners, and ultimately, achieving the MDGs.