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UN United Nations |
On October 29, a briefing dedicated to Millennium Development Goals was held at the UN Information Center in Moscow.
Mr
Frederick Lyons, UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the
UN Development Programme in the Russian Federation, reminded those assembled
that the UN’s Development Goals on the threshold of the new millennium were
formulated on the basis of the Millennium Declaration. This document was the
key product of the Millennium Summit, at which delegates from 191 different
nations, including 147 heads of State and Government, gathered in New York in
the year 2000. The eight Development Goals of the UN include halving extreme
poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education and gender equity;
reducing under-five and maternal mortality by two-thirds and three-fourths,
respectively; reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS; halving the proportion of people
without access to safe drinking water and ensuring environmental sustainability.
They also include the goal of developing a global partnership for development,
with targets for aid, trade and debt relief.
Humanity has set itself concrete goals, with concrete numbers and a concrete deadline for their realization – the year 2015. Mr Lyons stressed that these reference points are now one basis for the UN’s work. He also pointed out the quite serious level of responsibilities assumed by the members of the UN: all member governments have emphasized their adherence to these goals, and will inform of the progress in reaching them.
In
the Russian Federation, noted the UN Resident Coordinator, our collaboration
with the government is just beginning. We can soon expect a dialogue on the
order of priority among these goals. In addition, a mechanism of accountability
must be set into motion. We would like the government to prepare its own initial
report on the progress toward the Development Goals by November 2003, said Mr
Lyons.
If we do not know how and from where the poor come, we will be unable to properly allocate our funds, said Julian Schweitzer, World Bank Country Director for Russia. However, Russia still has no agreed-upon understanding of what may considered poverty, or any instrument for determining this. In order to make this task easier, Mr Schweitzer reported, we have begun a joint project in cooperation with the State Committee for Statistics and the Ministry of Labor, with the help of our colleagues from the United Kingdom.
Health
means human capital, said Dr Mikko Vienonen, the Special Representative of the
WHO Director General in Russia. In order to care for it, it is very important
that Russia reduce its number of early deaths due to smoking, alcohol abuse,
and accidents. The key problem now, however, is the fight against HIV/AIDS.
These goals are fully realizable by 2015, but they will not be met by themselves.
In noting Russia’s achievements in the area of education, Rosemary McCreery, the UNICEF Representative in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, emphasized that the task now is to preserve what there already is, and a great deal must be done to achieve this. Above all, what has been accomplished must be recognized, and ways thought of to keep this while moving ahead.
Those participating in the briefing answered in detail questions from journalists and representatives of the scientific community.
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United Nations Development Programme |
Mr. Farid Garakhanov, UNDP Programme Coordinator, and Mr. Rachid Alouach, Project Manager of the UNDP project "Support to the Implementation of a Juvenile Justice System" visited Saratov 10–13 September. The purpose of this visit was to evaluate the project results after one year of implementation (September 2001 – September 2002), discuss with all involved stakeholders the functioning of the coordination mechanism established, as well as evaluate concrete steps taken for ensuring the sustainability of the project.
Based on activities reports, interviews, statistical analysis of judicial practices and reviews/comments of different involved institutions, the following subsequent objectives have been achieved:
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Effective application of the principle of specialization of judges as essential
element in ensuring impartial and efficient juvenile justice administration:
8 specialized judges have been assigned to juvenile cases in 8 tribunals: accordingly
6 tribunals in Saratov and 2 tribunals in Engels;
– Introduction and development of social and educational services network at court: 8 social workers specially trained in juvenile issues have been appointed in all tribunals of Saratov and Engels for ensuring the educational and rehabilitative follow-up of the young during judicial proceeding. 138 young offenders have been assisted by the social workers;
– Improvement of the knowledge of the main principles of the CRC and relevant UN rules and guidelines as well as the sharing of practical juvenile justice experiences from other countries: workshops, training in the judicial and educational fields have been conducted with the participation of the specialists from France;
– Effective application of educational measures and alternative sentences to custodial sentences via the development of consistent sentencing practices;
– Development of strong partnership between judiciary, law enforcement professionals and social services (governmental and non-governmental) in the field of the prevention of young delinquency in conjunction with the elaboration of action plan at the local level.
In terms of sentencing practices we can observe the following trends in comparison with 2000:
– the reduction (70%) of the number of recidivism;
– the reduction (60%) of the number of pre-trial detention;
– the reduction (50%) of the number of deprivation of liberty.
The implementation of the project is considered as highly satisfactory. The opinion was expressed to extend the Saratov pilot project up to end 2003 with the objective to integrate the current social workers position at Judicial Department as assistant judiciary staff, and to extend the TOR of social worker to deal not only with social profile but also conflict resolution issues by conducting mediation and conciliation procedures.
The development of the project in other cities of the Saratov region should be considered if funding is available.
UNDP in co-operation with various governmental and non-governmental partners will continue its resource mobilization effort for a sustainable continuation of the project assisting to improve the juvenile justice administration in Russia.
Rachid Alouach, Project Manager
tel. +7(095) 787-21-00,
fax +7(095) 787-21-01
e-mail: rachid.alouach@undp.ru
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A press conference titled "From Equality in Government to Harmony in Life" was held in Syktyvkar on September 3. Taking part in it were leaders from grass-roots and women’s organizations, and deputies from the Komi Republic State Council, including the State Council’s Deputy Chairman, Ivan Kulakov, and the Chairperson of the Commission on Social Issues, Galina Kravchenko. The press conference was dedicated to the start of the new Equality Project’s implementation in the Komi Republic.
"The project’s main goal, which should be achieved by July 2004, is to create real conditions for the advancement of women to the decision-making level", Olga Savastiyanova, Director of the UNDP Women’s Management Center and Head of the Women’s Palace, announced at the press conference. This initiative has the support of the Komi Republic Women’s Union, the Syktyvkar Memorial Organization, and the deputies of the State Council. The work is being overseen by one of the deputies – Maria Kuzbozheva, a member of the State Council’s Commission on Social Issues.
The results of the round table discussion on the status of
women in the Komi Republic, which took place at the State 
Council
offices on May 30, 2002, served as the stimulus for developing the project.
In a report prepared by the UNDP Women’s Management Center and the Women’s Palace,
it was noted that there were too few women in positions of authority in the
Republic. According to the data from a survey conducted in three regions of
the Republic (Kortkerossk, Sysolsk, and Ust-Kulomsk), the overwhelming majority
of women responding (86.4%) believed that women must take part in politics;
54.3% of the women believe that the Republic now has "democracy without women".
In the Komi Republic State Council, the previous assembly’s ratio of women (1995–999) was 8% of all deputies. In the current assembly (1999–2003), this figure is 12%. On the whole, women account for less than half of all the deputies (33%) in the organs of local self-government across the Republic. Out of the Republic’s 20 municipal regions, only in one (Ust-Tsilemsk) is the administration headed by a woman. Twenty-one women hold the post of Deputy Director in municipal administrations, as compared to 43 men.
As part of the project, the "Partners" School for future female candidates opened its doors in October; its students were 29 women from various, mainly rural, regions and towns of the Republic. In addition, the project will include outside seminars for women’s activism in legal education, an informational campaign in the Republic’s mass media, and the creation of a women voters’ club in Syktyvar. These and other actions are intended to change the stereotypes that now exist among the public on the passive role of women in politics.
Elena Petunina,
Head of the Informational Service
of the UNDP Women’s
Management Center
tel./fax: +7 (8212) 24-94-67
e-mail: wmncentr@parma.ru
Clarification: In view of the fact that due to certain technical circumstances the English version of the article "Program of Gender Development of Siberian Federal District" published in the previous issue, did not refer to considerable technical and financial assistance provided by UNIFEM for the development of the above mentioned program, the publishing house would like to present its apologizes to UNIFEM Regional Office.
