escap TC Yearbook Technical Cooperation New York, 2007

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2 TC Yearbook 2006 Technical Cooperation un escap New York, 2007 i

3 Technical Cooperation Yearbook 2006 The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication has been issued without formal editing. ii

4 FOREWORD This issue of the ESCAP Technical Cooperation Yearbook, the third of its kind, is intended to highlight the progress achieved in the Secretariat s continued efforts to refine the nature of technical cooperation activities and their contribution to the ESCAP programme of work. Ultimately, the impact of this work in meeting the specific needs of countries in Asia and the Pacific is the true measure of the Secretariat s success. As in previous years, the Technical Cooperation Yearbook for 2006 reports on the contribution of ESCAP in assisting countries in Asia and the Pacific to attain the Millennium Development Goals. This remains a challenge for some countries in the region, one that will be difficult to undertake in isolation. It is for this reason that the theme of the 2006 Yearbook is partnership. From the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness to the outcome of the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence, a massive effort is being made to align the work of the United Nations system and its development partners towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by member States. I have continued to focus the technical cooperation work of ESCAP on the core strengths of the Secretariat and to work with key partners in pursuit of development results. At the regional level, where ESCAP chairs the Regional Coordination Meeting, and the country level, where ESCAP is continuing to strengthen partnerships with United Nations country teams, we have made great progress. We continue to focus our work on capacity development for member States, on transboundary issues and on areas where ESCAP, as the largest United Nations regional body dedicated to serving Asia and the Pacific, possesses a comparative advantage. As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of ESCAP in 2007, we will continue to strive to meet the economic and social development needs of our member States, and facilitate collaboration and coherence at all levels of our work. I would like to thank donor Governments and United Nations and other partners for their support of the technical cooperation work of ESCAP. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP iii

5 About United Nations ESCAP iv United Nations Building, Bangkok The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1947, ESCAP s headquarters are located in Bangkok, Thailand. With a membership of 62 Governments, 58 of which are in the region, and a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south, ESCAP is the most comprehensive of the United Nations five regional commissions. It is also the largest United Nations body serving the Asia- Pacific region with over 600 staff. ESCAP counts among its member States 14 least developed countries, 17 small island developing States, 13 countries with economies in transition and 3 developed countries. The great diversity of ESCAP s member States reflects a wide range of economic, social and environmental challenges. As such, significant intercountry and intracountry variation in progress towards meeting the MDGs is observed. How ESCAP works ESCAP works to foster regional cooperation to promote economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. Its technical cooperation work, which is focused on helping member countries achieve the MDGs, is intended to add value to its normative and analytical work. ESCAP focuses on regional issues that: Are shared by all or a group of countries in the region; Would benefit from regional or multi-country involvement; Are transboundary in nature, or benefit from collaborative intercountry approaches; Are of a sensitive or emerging nature and require further advocacy and negotiation. ESCAP s TC work comprises three core functions: Policy advocacy and dialogue

6 Regional knowledge networking Training, advisory services and other technical assistance ESCAP s areas of comparative advantage include its regional perspective, convening authority and multidisciplinary nature. As such, particular attention is given to five of the eight MDGs (Goals 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8) where ESCAP has a comparative advantage at the regional level. Wherever possible, ESCAP s technical cooperation projects take into account the special needs of priority groups of countries within the ESCAP region, including least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), Pacific island developing countries and countries with economies in transition. ESCAP s work is currently organized under three main thematic areas: Poverty reduction Managing globalization Tackling emerging social issues For the biennium ESCAP works through eight subprogrammes: Poverty and development Statistics Development of Pacific island countries and territories Trade and investment Transport and tourism Environment and sustainable development Information, communication and space technology Social development, including emerging social issues v

7 vi Figure 1. Map of ESCAP members and associate members

8 CONTENTS Foreword... About ESCAP... List of acronyms... Theme Chapter: Partnerships for Development Effectiveness Technical Cooperation Highlights Monitoring the MDGs... 5 MDG 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger... 9 Sustainable Livelihoods Tackling Rural Poverty ICT for Poverty Reduction MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Promoting Gender Equality Protecting the Vulnerable MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases Health and Mobility Focus on Youth MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability Working towards Environmental Sustainability Improving the Urban Environment Natural Disaster Preparedness and Prevention MDG 8: Develop a Global Partnership Trade Transport Trade and Transport Facilitation Information Communication and Space Technology UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia Page iii iv viii Annexes I. Facts and Figures II. Technical Cooperation Expenditures in III. ESCAP Facts at a glance and organogram vii

9 List of ACRONYMS ADB ADPC APA APCICT APCTT APTA APTIAD ARTNeT ASEAN BTA CAPSA CCA CSEC DFID DIRRC DRM ECLAC ECE EPOC ESCWA ESCAP EURASEC FAO GMS ICG ICST ICT ILO IOC IOM IOCTWS ISDR IWRM JPOI LDC LLDC MARKeHUB MCED MCT MDGs Asian Development Bank Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre Almaty Programme of Action Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Agreement Database Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade Association of Southeast Asian Nations Bilateral Trade Agreement Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Secondary Crops Development in Asia and the Pacific Common Country Assessment commercial sexual exploitation of children Department for International Development (UK) Decentralized integrated resource recovery centre disaster risk management Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Commission for Europe ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Eurasian Economic Community Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Greater Mekong Subregion Intergovernmental Coordination Group information, communication and space technology information and communication technology International Labour Organization Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission International Organization for Migration Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System International Strategy for Disaster Reduction integrated water resources management Johannesburg Plan of Implementation least developed country land-locked developing country Macao Regional Knowledge Hub Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development Ministerial Conference on Transport Millennium Development Goals viii

10 NEASPEC NDMO NGO NSO OCHA OECD ODA PARIS21 PDR-SEA PICTA PLUS PPP PRSP RCM RTA SAFTA SCO SIAP SINGG SIS SME SPECA SPM SSC SU/SSC TEWS TAR TC TCDC TWG UNAPCAEM UNAIDS UN/CEFACT UNCT UNCTAD UNDAF UNDG UNDP UNEP UNESCO UNFPA UNICEF UNIS UNODC UNSD WHO WMO WSIS WTO North-East Asia Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation national disaster management organization non-governmental organization national statistical organization United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development official development assistance Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century Partnerships for Disaster Reduction South-East Asia Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement Pacific Leaders United Nations ESCAP Special Session public-private partnership Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Regional Coordination Meeting Regional Trade Agreement South Asian Free Trade Area Shanghai Cooperation Organization Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific Seoul Initiative on Green Growth subnational innovation system small and medium-sized enterprise UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia strategic planning and management South-South cooperation Special Unit for South-South Cooperation Tsunami Early Warning System Trans-Asian Railway technical cooperation technical cooperation among developing countries thematic working group United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business United Nations country team United Nations Conference on Trade and Development United Nations Development Assistance Framework United Nations Development Group United Nations Development Programme United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations Population Fund United Nations Children s Fund United Nations Information Service United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime United Nations Statistics Division World Health Organization World Meterological Organization World Summit on the Information Society World Trade Organization ix

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12 Partnerships for Development EFFECTIVENESS The Millennium Declaration provides the global community with a picture of where we want to be in the year However, the question of how remains a challenge to many countries and the development community. In response to this, and following the outcome of the 2005 World Summit, in 2006 the Secretary-General, commissioned a High-level Panel on System-Wide Coherence. The report of the High-level Panel, Delivering as One, contains a large number of recommendations that have implications for the entire United Nations system at the global and national levels, almost all in support of the concept of One-UN. The report emphasizes greater national ownership and people-centred approaches to development, increased focus on United Nations comparative advantages and maximizing effectiveness and accountability. At the regional level, it proposes reorganizing United Nations analytical, normative and trans-boundary work with the regional commissions as catalysts. It also recommends a standardized definition of region among United Nations entities. In parallel to the United Nations initiative, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) facilitated the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which started to make a significant impact in 2006 on the behaviour of donors and partner countries, and contributed to the call for a more coherent and effective United Nations system. The Paris Declaration lays down an actionoriented roadmap to improve the quality of aid and development effectiveness through 56 partnership commitments organized around five key principles. These are ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability. ESCAP AND PARTNERSHIP As a regional commission that undertakes normative and analytical work, with supporting technical cooperation activities, ESCAP focuses on issues of transboundary concern and supports regional public goods (such as public health and green growth). Regional or transboundary development issues, such as HIV/AIDS, water resource management or informal migration, require national policy responses. National planning processes, such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) often focus on national Key Principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness OWNERSHIP. Partner countries exercise effective leadership over their development policies, and strategies and co-ordinate development actions. ALIGNMENT. Donors base their overall support on partner countries national development strategies, institutions and procedures. HARMONIZATION. Donors actions are more harmonized, transparent and collectively effective. Donors implement common arrangements and simplify procedures. MANAGING FOR RESULTS. Managing resources and improving decisionmaking for results. MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY. Donors and partners are accountable for development results. 1

13 Yearbook or domestic development issues. While progress is being made in many countries in the region in anchoring national development strategies to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (as promoted through the aid effectiveness agenda), incorporation of the regional dimension of development in national policy processes remains a challenge in many countries. ESCAP is working with the United Nations system at the global, regional and national levels to ensure that programme planning and the implementation of its development work are coherent and effective. This is an ongoing process, but one that has already delivered better results for member States. GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT GROUP The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) is an instrument for United Nations reform, created by the Secretary- General in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of United Nations development activities through analysis, strengthened planning processes and support strategies, and by monitoring results and advocating for change. These initiatives all contribute to increasing United Nations impact in helping countries achieve the MDGs. The five United Nations regional commissions are represented in New York through the Regional Commissions New York Office. This office is a member of a number of working groups of the UNDG, and actively promotes the role of regional commissions in a more coherent United Nations. One of these working groups, the Working Group on Non-Resident Agencies (NRAs), is establishing global policy on the role of United Nations agencies without resident offices in United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs). REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS While the UNDG has made significant progress in improving collaboration of United Nations agencies at the national level, a number of challenges remain at the regional level. These include the different geographic mandates (or the geographic footprint ) of United Nations regional entities, lack of clear regional or subregional partners and policy frameworks, and capacity gaps at the national level in addressing regional issues. ESCAP chairs the United Nations Regional Coordination Meeting (RCM) as a platform for regional United Nations agencies, Bretton Woods institutions and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). RCM members work together on examining United Nations mandates and measures that promote programme alignment and harmonization, to enhance collective impact at the regional level. The RCM contributes to system-wide coherence, especially regarding the regional dimension of development coordination. 2

14 Under the RCM, five operational Inter-agency Thematic Working Groups (TWGs), assist in facilitating inter-agency cooperation and coordination of regional programmes. These TWGs are: 1. Poverty and food security (Co-chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ESCAP) 2. Environment and disaster management (Co-chaired by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and ESCAP) 3. Migration including human trafficking (Co-chaired by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and ESCAP) 4. Education for All (Co-chaired by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)) 5. Health (Co-chaired by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)) NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Recognizing that regional development issues require national policy responses, and as a non-resident member of many UNCTs, ESCAP contributes to and utilizes the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) processes of the UNCT in programme planning and implementation. The CCA represents the collective analysis by the UNCT, and government partners of the development concerns facing a particular country, including assessment of where the United Nations system is best placed to assist. The UNDAF provides a rights and results-based framework for the collective work of the UNCT for a three to five year period. ESCAP participates in CCA/UNDAF formulation and review exercises through the regional peer review mechanism, and in many cases, through direct involvement in CCA/UNDAF development and prioritization exercises. Due to the regional nature of ESCAP s work, some issues are not captured by the CCA/UNDAF process, which are by nature nationally focused and MDG based. In these cases, ESCAP endeavours to work with the Offices of the Resident Coordinators (UNRC) as a two-way window promoting the concept of One-UN. ADVANCING SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT ESCAP is partnering with the United Nations Special Unit on South-South Cooperation (SU/SSC) to promote the new agenda for South-South cooperation (SSC) in the region. The opportunities for SSC are evident in the 3

15 Yearbook diversity of the South today. It is the diversity between countries in the South that offers such rich opportunities for sharing of lessons and experiences for more equitable and sustainable economic growth and social progress across the global South. Lessons are evident in experiences in overcoming challenges faced in human resource development, economic and social policy, and scientific research and innovation capacities. Developing countries, and LDCs in particular, need collective assistance from developed and developing countries. Relations between countries in the South must be seen as a subset of a broader range of global interactions encompassing all countries from the most developed to the least developed. SSC is complementary to all other kinds of cooperation, including the old pattern of North-South interactions. 4

16 Monitoring the MDGs The achievement of the eight MDGs by 2015 is monitored through 18 quantified targets and 48 specific indicators. While internationally comparable data are available for many indicators, the base data for developing counties remains patchy. Moreover, the quality of existing estimates may not be consistent over time (e.g. maternal mortality) or internationally comparable (e.g. rural-urban definition). Further discrepancies exist between national and international data collection methodologies. Apart from the changes in individual indicators, policymakers need to know the overall progress towards each goal and the impact of their policy interventions or development assistance received. The importance of international comparability of key indicators for evidence-based policymaking cannot be overemphasized. Indicators provide an objective yardstick for citizens to hold policymakers accountable for their decisions and use of public resources. Moreover, in the globalizing world, people, goods and services are crossing borders in ever increasing numbers. The exploitation of natural resources and improved transport links can also have far-reaching impacts that are important to measure in a consistent manner countrywide. COOPERATION WITH OECD/PARIS 21 ON NATIONAL STATISTICAL DEVELOPMENT Continuing its collaboration with OECD/PARIS21, (Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century) ESCAP organized and conducted three subregional high-level forums on national strategic planning for statistical development: in Bishkek for Central Asian countries, in Bangkok for South-East Asian countries and in Ulaanbaatar for East/North-East Asian countries. These forums drew both national statistical experts and policymakers as well as international and bilateral donors who are engaged in statistical capacity-building in the region. The project, designed under the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics, aimed to advocate for the importance of national strategic planning for statistical development and help countries to build their capacity and develop an action plan to make it happen. STATISTICAL LITERACY In September 2006 ESCAP started implementing the global UNDPfunded Statistical Literacy Project in Asia and the Pacific Region with the 5

17 Yearbook participation of three countries: Cambodia, Pakistan and Viet Nam. The project aims to enhance statistical capacity, particularly among data users, through statistical literacy training (using MDG and other development indicators for policymaking) and data dissemination in the participating countries. In December 2006 the Statistical Literacy Project trained three national teams of trainers in educating key data users in interpreting and presenting MDG and other development indicators for policymaking and advocacy. Another important result was that the global workshop materials were tested in the ESCAP region. The teams prepared draft plans for national roll-out of the training of the ultimate target groups in early DEVINFO Continuing its strategic partnership with UNICEF and UNDP, in January 2006, ESCAP hosted a Regional DevInfo Workshop for strengthening the capacity of UNCTs and Government partners in the use of data for strategic planning. ESCAP co-organized another regional DevInfo training (Training of Trainers) with UNICEF in October 2006, which introduced the new version 5.0 of the DevInfo software. STATISTICAL INSTITUTE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (SIAP) ESCAP provides capacity-building support to national statistical offices through the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), a subsidiary body of ESCAP located in Chiba, Japan. SIAP provides training courses to improve the capability of government statisticians in the collection, analysis and dissemination of high-quality statistics that can be utilized for economic and social development planning. In 2006, SIAP continued to develop partnership cooperation with other organizations from within and outside the United Nations System in carrying out its training activities. In addition, in collaboration with ESCAP s Statistics Division and other partner organizations, SIAP assisted with coordinating international forums including the Workshop on Statistics for Monitoring the Achievement of the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific. SIAP organized a sub-regional training course and a country course on statistical capability for MDGs in Lao PDR, with resource persons joining from ESCAP in Bangkok. Many other SIAP training courses (20 different courses in 2006) had modules of MDG monitoring integrated in them. SIAP conducted four Tokyo-based training courses, 12 regional and subregional courses and four country courses under its Outreach Programme, in The SIAP training programme focused on ESCAP priority themes and international commitments, particularly the commitment to monitor the MDGs. MEASURING THE INFORMAL SECTOR In close consultation with national and international partners, including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and ILO, ESCAP developed the project: Interregional Cooperation on the Measurement of the Informal Sector and Informal Employment in 2006 funded from the United Nations Development Account to lead the project. The project aims to strengthen national technical capacity in the collection and analysis of informal sector and informal employment statistics through dissemination of international standards, methodologies and best practices, and by providing technical assistance to countries and facilitating knowledge-sharing. The initial work included literature reviews, staff trainings and situation analyses for the region to develop an in-house base of knowledge and technical capacity on informal sector and informal employment measurement. 6

18 DISABILITY STATISTICS To promote and facilitate the development and implementation of international statistical standards while incorporating regional perspectives and policy needs, ESCAP focused on implementing the joint ESCAP/WHO disability statistics project in Following regional workshops and country pilot tests in 2005, ESCAP worked with WHO on the analyses of the pilot study results, and organized a fourth regional workshop to review the test results and to begin formulating standard question sets on disability for census and surveys. ESCAP contributed to the development of global recommendations on census disability data collection with the Washington Group on Disability Statistics through serving on its Steering Committee, sharing project results and participating in the Washington Group s 2006 annual meeting. ESCAP also coordinated the finalization of the Training Manual on Disability Statistics, which was used as a main reference at the first SIAP regional training workshop on this issue. MDGs: PROGRESS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC IN 2006 The partnership between the ADB, UNDP and ESCAP in promoting the achievement of the MDGs in Asia and the Pacific continued to deepen in The partnership contributed to the enhancement of the quality of MDG data, increased the availability of robust analysis on the MDGs in the region, and strengthened advocacy for MDG achievement with a wide range of partners including ESCAP member States, civil society, the media and global MDG initiatives. In order to assess the progress towards the MDGs in the region, ESCAP undertook several analytical and methodological studies. The outputs included published reports Achieving the MDGs in Asia: A Case for More Aid? which was presented to the Department for International Development (DFID) meeting Asia 2020: Promoting Growth, Ending Poverty which was organized in association with ESCAP in London in March Further analytical reports developed under the ADB/UNDP/ ESCAP partnership include the Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2006 and draft technical background papers on (i) disparities between the countries, (ii) imputation methodologies for calculating regional aggregates, and (iii) MDG indicator data availability and stability. The regional database on MDG indicators was updated at We now have the power through trade to lift millions out of poverty. But global trade talks are logjammed. We can t afford to let them fail. We must all redouble our efforts to ensure we achieve an ambitious pro-development outcome. Failure would not only be a blow to global growth and poverty reduction but also a blow to a more open multilateral world order. - Rt. Hon Tony Blair MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at Asia 2015 organized in association with ESCAP in London in March

19 Table 1. MDG Progress in Asian and Pacific countries and areas Goal $1/day poverty Underweight children Primary enrolment Reaching grade 5 Primary completion rate Gender primary Gender secondary Gender tertiary Under-5 mortality Infant mortality HIV prevalence TBC prevalence TBC death rate Forest cover Protected area CO 2 emissions ODP CFC consumption Water urban Water rural Sanitation urban Sanitation rural Afghanistan American Samoa Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Darussalam Cambodia China Cook Islands Democratic People s Republic of Korea Fiji French Polynesia Georgia Guam Hong Kong, China India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Kazakhstan Kiribati Kyrgyzstan Lao People s Democratic Republic Macao, China Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Micronesia (Federated States of) Mongolia Myanmar Nauru Nepal New Caledonia Niue Northern Mariana Islands Pakistan Palau Papua New Guinea Philippines Republic of Korea Russian Federation Samoa Singapore Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Tonga Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uzbekistan Vanuatu Viet Nam Asia-Pacific LDCs South Asia (excluding India) CIS in Asia Pacific Islands Key: early achiever; on track; slow; regressing. Source: The Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2006; ESCAP, UNDP, ADB 8

20 MDG 1 ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER Target 1: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day Target 2: Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger 9