UNCDF Joins 15 Other UN Agencies to Promote "One UN" Approach in Rwanda
KIGALI, Rwanda, 20 November 2007: The United Nations Capital Development Fund today joined the Government of Rwanda and 15 other UN organizations in signing a “One UN” Programme initiative. The event was held at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (Minecofin) headquarters.
By the signing the pact, all agencies operating in Rwanda will commit to the effective implementation of the reform in the country.
The agencies that will sign the pact include FAO, IFAD, ILO, ITC, ITU, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNCDF, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNECA, UNEP. Others are UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNIFEM, WFP and WHO.
“We are excited to be joining together with our sister organizations in promoting a more coherent approach to development in Rwanda,” said Kadmiel Wekwete, UNCDF Director of Local Development. “By joining forces and coordinating our efforts, we should be able to improve our effectiveness in supporting the Govenrment to confront the MDG challenges head on.”
In January this year, Rwanda was selected as one of eight pilot countries for the “One UN - Delivering as One” reform on the request of government. One important aim of the reform is to create a more efficient and cost effective UN to speed up the work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and improve the lives of all Rwandans.
The programme is based on the national priorities in Vision 2020 and the Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) and focuses on five key areas; governance, health (HIV, nutrition and population), education, environment and sustainable growth and social protection.
UNCDF’s support to MDG achievement in Rwanda includes an initiative launched in late 2004 that is promoting sustainable local development and is improving access to basic infrastructure and services. The $7.25 million programme, called Support to Community Development Project in Byumba, also is financed by the Belgian Ministry for Cooperation and Development, the UN Development Programme and the Government of Rwanda. The five-year project will benefit a population of about 700,000 people in the eight rural districts and urban municipality of Byumba Province.
Through the project, grass-roots organizations at the level of 'cells' (groups of close families) and of 'sectors' (groups of cells) participate in the planning, co-financing, implementing, and monitoring specific initiatives that deliver needed infrastructure and services. These initiatives are then financed by local governments, through the use of a 'local development fund' provided by the project.
