March - April 2000
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UNDP United Nations Development Programme |
On April 19 the Federal Assembly ratified the
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UNDP United Nations Development Programme |
| Cooperation with Russia at a New Level
A briefing devoted to a review of the implementation of the First Country Cooperation Framework (CCF) for Russia for the period of 1997-2000 was held at Moscow’s UN Information Center on April 29. It was attended by representatives of the Russian Government, UN system agencies, donor countries, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. The independent mission led by Garry Davis, a former top-ranking UNDP official, which studied, from March 13 to 29, the results of the UNDP activity in the Russian Federation in the past three years, presented its report at the briefing with high praise and appreciation of it. On the basis of the mission’s conclusions and recommendations, the Russian Government, assisted by the UNDP representative office, will set about working out new CCF for 2001-2003. Work on a new document for the cooperation program to be submitted for approval by the UNDP Executive Board will start in the near future. Shortly before the briefing, on March 27, the mission’s report was presented to the Russian Government at a meeting of the Interministerial Commission for International Technical Assistance, held at the Economy Ministry. Ivan Materov, the Commission’s Deputy Chairman and First Deputy Minister, stressed the importance of UNDP projects under way in Russia, for ensuring stable development in the transition period. Philippe Elghouayel, UNDP Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, admitted, in his turn, that the opportunity for UNDP to operate in Russia and the new level attained had become possible solely due to the real support from, and cooperation with, the government. In the past three years the volume of UNDP program in Russia went up from $4.1 million in 1997 to $41.1 million in April 2000. This success has been scored owing to the UNDP’s creative approach combined with the competent cost-sharing management of the financial resources, raised from a large number of partners: foreign donors, private investors, federal ministries and also, most important, national investors. The mission pointed out that the line of attracting cofinancing funds had completely confirmed the right choice of the strategy, following which was a significant increase in the volumes of realized technical assistance that had allowed UNDP to become a reliable partner of the Russian Government in the implementation of economic reforms and support for the efforts to ensure sustainable human development. Start in Life Offered by SYSLAB
Six months later, she was among the best graduates and was issued an honors diploma. Her business plan for the establishment of a network of phyto-drugstores was highly appreciated at the local townhall. Anna obtained a bank loan to lease premises and buy required equipment and medicines. It was not easy at first, for hers was a family business, with her mother as the only helpmate, so they practically had no free time, what with the duties of a shop assistant, inventory stocking, marketing and purchases. Nevertheless, her mini-kiosk is operating and is quite popular among the local residents. "Probably, it won’t be so tough, if we find some partners," Anna says. "But so far life is difficult. However, it’s only the beginning. After all, we have our own business." Anna has to repay the loan in a year’s time, and if her enterprise survives, she will not have to refund the money. So far, she can hardly feel confident in her role of a businesswoman but she knows she has a flare for it. Anna Abramian is among the first 20 graduates of the SYSLAB project in the Moscow region. Soon students from Friazino will also be issued course graduate certificates. The SYSLAB teachers do their best for their students to use their creative potential, and they succeed in their goal. Even while students, many of the Pushkino residents took up jobs at the town’s leading enterprises and were too busy to attend the graduation ceremony. They are busy at work now and that is what matters most. |
"We hope that this
ratification will give a new boost to cooperation between UNDP and the Russian government
and will promote the country’s socioeconomic development. Primarily, the UNDP projects
are of interest in the Russian regions, particularly for those areas, cities and republics
where socially oriented programs can promote the development of small and medium
businesses, create new jobs, and as a result, lead to an economic revival of the Russian
provinces. Under the current conditions of industrial slump and mass unemployment priority
in cooperation should be given to such programs. The environment, which has significantly
deteriorated during the last decade, has been acquiring increasing importance for human
health. We would welcome projects on environmental protection and the preservation of
Russia’s unique wildlife reserves."
A
mere one year ago Anna Abramian of Pushkino, Moscow Region, was looking vainly for a job.
After the breakup of economic contacts and closure of defense industry enterprises it was
far from easy to find a job in this Moscow suburb. Having filed an application for
attending the SYSLAB courses, opened under the joint project of UNDP and the Norwegian
government, Anna first could hardly imagine that very soon her decision would sharply
change her destiny.