Russia and UNDP : A New Century Starts

The year 2000 will be the year of 35th anniversary of the United Nations Development Programme. Founded in 1965, UNDP proved to be the leading UN agency providing technical assistance in the priority areas of the recipient countries` economic and social development.

In compliance with the UN mandate, UNDP concentrates in two priority areas: poverty elimination and support to the sustainable human development. These problems are being addressed taking into account the social, economic and ecological factors and the national peculiarities and characteristic features of the development process in each country.

In practical terms cooperation between UNDP and Russia started in May 1992 when the organizational structures were shaped and priorities identified. In 1995 the first Country Cooperation Framework (CCF) was adopted as a basic document for the UNDP/Russia cooperation targeted at capacity and institutional building to facilitate economic, social and democratic transition in Russia.

The opening of the UNDP Country Office in Moscow in 1997 became a new incentive for the development of cooperation with Russia and it was supported by adoption of the second CCF for Russia for 1997-99. The new CCF contained three priority areas: democracy, governance and participation (DGP), sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection.

At present there are 52 projects in the UNDP portfolio for Russia. Without going into too many details the most important activities from the point of view of their positive impact on the development of social, economic and ecological situation in Russia should be mentioned.

For some years the programme Democracy, governance and participation has been implemented in Russia. Every next year brings more and more recognition to the National Human Development Reports for the Russian Federation. It should be mentioned that Russia became the first country in the region to start a Masters Programme in Human Development at the School of Economics of the Moscow State University. There is no doubt in practical value of the whole package of ecological projects financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to protect environment, e. g. in the Volga delta and Kamchatka. There are big expectations from the UNDP Energy Efficiency Project in Vladimir, the World Bank – supported Moscow City Transport Development Strategy, project on up-grading of the public health services in Moscow, St.-Petersburg and other regions of Russia, establishment of Employment Centres and Social Partnership Centers and other projects.

Certainly in view of the scale of Russia the funds allocated look very modest. However, if we remember that during three years they grew from US$ 1,9 million up to nearly 17 million, where the share of UNDP core funds comprises only 15 percent and the rest is the result of fund-raising and contacts with donors, it becomes evident that the potential of cooperation is far from being exhausted and interest towards UNDP is growing. And the most important: the UNDP projects are targeted to play a catalytic role to support the country in its endeavour to resolve its social and economic problems basing on its own capacity, and to enhance efficiency of the international cooperation.

The UNDP projects are formulated upon request of Goverment and in accordance with the priorities of the federal social and economic development progammes and needs of the regions. Experience has proved that this approach is a key to guarantee successful implementation of the projects, and to fully utilize local administrative and entrepreneural capacity. The need for coordination between all the partners is clear: the Federal centres - UNDP - the regions. I would like to express my confidence that on the eve of the next millennium we have favourable environment for the future perspectives in co-operation between Russia and UNDP to facilitate social and economic development of the country.

Serguei Lavrov,
Permanent Representative
of the Russian Federation
to the United Nations