United Nations in the world

Theme Groups

There are six existing United Nations Theme Groups in the Russian Federation, namely:

Since spring 1999, the health sector agencies (United Nations and donor-driven), projects, non-governmental-organizations (NGOs), and interested embassy-representatives have every month met and discussed their ongoing activities in the health sector. They have shared information on timely topics of Russian health and health care, which they together with their national counterparts want to make better for the people who are living in this country. This forum has brought together by WHO acting as secretariat and meeting in the premises of the Delegation of the European Commission aims to make the work of participating agencies, organizations and individuals more effective and better coordinated.

The IATG-Health/Russia aims to improve the health status and well being of the Russian people. In our work special emphasis will be on vulnerable groups, equity, and fairness.

Tasks of the IATG-Health/Russia:

The meetings are held on monthly basis (unless otherwise agreed and WHO acts as the meeting secretariat. Minutes are kept of the meetings and they are sent to all persons/organizations listed in the list of invitees.

An IATG-Health/Russia Advisory Group will be established to provide additional guidance to the secretariat on the tasks and directions that the IARG-Health/Russia should take. It will bridge the gap between the broader and less formal group of the IATG-Health/Russia properly. The advisory group will act as a “think-tank” for the IATG-Health/Russia and prepares a general annual workplan for the IATG-Health/Russia to agree upon.

"UN Thematic Group on Education was formed in early 2003 with the aim to produce an analytical report on Education in the Russian Federation as an input to the MDG national reporting process. The Group involved representatives of UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank and the RC Unit".

The Millennium Development Goals is the basic document, aimed at consolidation of all the efforts of the UN agencies in the RF in order to implement eight goals , third of which in achievement of the gender equality. The UN Gender Theme Group unites 10 agencies: UNDP, ILO UNFPA, WHO, UNODC, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNIC, World Bank, experts and national partners. The UN Gender Theme Group has defined main priority goals (5) for the Russian Federation, problems, activities, and gender indicators that should reflect the progress in achieving MDGs.

Experts of the UN Gender Theme group have prepared 2 reports:

The first report was prepared by Ms. Svetlana Aivazova. This report was dedicated to the 1st goal set up by the UN Gender Theme Group: “Equal Access to Political Institutions by both saxes”. The second report was prepared my Mr. Sergei Roshchin: “Gender Equality and Extension of Women Rights in Russia Within Millennium Development Goals in the Russian Federation”. The special attention in this report is paid to economical aspects covering all five priority goals, determined by the UN Gender Theme Group.

The UN Gender Theme Group under the Support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the RF initiated the All-Russian Seminar “International Legislation in gender equality: Millennium Declaration, goals and ways of Its Implementation” in July 2003. This seminar was organized under the financial support of the UN Resident Coordination Office in the RF. Regional seminars with the same title were organized in Saint-Petersburg (October 2003) and Syktyvkar (November 2003). The record-notes of the seminar are placed on the web-site: http://www.owl.ru/rights/seminar2003july/index.htm .

All UN agencies, present in the Russian Federation are supporting initiatives of the government and of the civil society on improving of the women status, in particular elaboration of the Gender Development Strategy of the Siberia Federal District (UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNESCO, ILO, UNOPS and etc) and Gender Strategy of the Russian Federation. The Gender Strategy of the Russian Federation will be implemented in accordance with the MDGs and in close cooperation and support of UN Development Programme in the RF.

At present the UN Theme Group on poverty is being set up. The goals, main tasks as well as work-plans are being worked out. The information on the Theme Group’s activity will be placed in the near future.

Theme group on environment was established in 2002 and was focused lately on the Millennium Development Goal # 7 “Ensure Environmental Sustainability”. There were two iterations of national report on MDG 7 development: first version was prepared by professor Victor Danilov-Danilyan, former Minister of Environment, then it was discussed at the Theme Group meeting and then the second modified version was drafted by professor Arkady Tishkov. You can see here the draft report.

Traditionally UNDP initiates and leads the meetings upon agreement with other Theme Group members. Government officials are usually invited to participate in order to meet Government’s priorities and obligations under the MDG reporting. Apart from UN Country team members leading national experts take part in the meetings.

Theme Group composition:

The last meeting was held on June 5th 2003 where participants discussed and commented the latest version of the national report on MDG 7.

The Expanded United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation is an advisory body first established in 1999 and re-affirmed in 2003. The EUNTG was created to support an expanded multisectorial response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through better coordination and joint action supporting the implementation of national policies and strategies.

The primary functions of the Expanded UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS include:

The Expanded UN Theme Group consists of representatives of UN agencies, federal bodies, civil society organisations, and international and bilateral organisations. /EUNTG Institutional Membership/

The overall framework for the activities of the UNTG on HIV/AIDS is provided by a joint plan of action, which is reviewed on a regular basis. The current two-year plan of action was developed in 2003. The priorities for action, as defined by the joint plan, include:

Advocacy and HIV prevention were identified as the top priorities for joint action for 2003. In the end of January 2004, a UN Country Team retreat took place that provided venue for review of strategies and priorities for 2004. Advocacy and Communications were agreed upon as a central priority for joint action in the field of HIV/AIDS in 2004. Through Advocacy and Communications activities, the following goals will be pursued:

Technical Working Groups established under the Expanded UNTG on HIV/AIDS constitute a mechanism that allows the Theme Group to fully perform its functions. Technical Working Groups bring together representatives of organisations and institutions interested and engaged in particular areas of the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

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