UNDP Pakistan is an important partner of the Government of Pakistan for achieving national development goals and international commitments. Through extensive networking within the international development community, UNDP endeavors to bring global experience to the doorstep of Pakistani policy makers at all levels. Resources for priority and innovative interventions are mobilized from a gradually diversifying group of partners, including donors, NGOs, private sector and local communities.
In Pakistan, UNDP started in February 1960 as United Nations Special Fund to promote social progress and better standards of life and advance the economic, social and technical development of Pakistan. UNDP, as we know it now, was established in 1965 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Since then UNDP has supported the successive national and provincial governments in this country in formulation of national strategies and policies, capacity building of institutions, community mobilization, early recovery from disasters and internal displacements, reduction of poverty, gender mainstreaming, environmental management, climate change management, restoration and preservation of natural habitats, income generation policies and empowerment of legislatures and parliament.
The focus areas of UNDP’s work in Pakistan are:
UNDP helps improve the living conditions of the poor and disadvantaged through policy advice and program implementation. It strengthens research capacities at the federal and provincial level to track poverty expenditures and formulate pro-poor policies and programmes. It helps the government to establish systems to monitor and report on the Millennium Development Goals. The community based programmes increase employment and livelihood opportunities through increasing the social capital of the poor to optimally utilize their physical, financial and human resources. Dedicated programs target disadvantaged women to enhance their income and employable skills to reduce gender disparity and reduce poverty.
Over the last couple of years humanitarian, relief and recovery efforts dominated the agrarian landscape of Pakistan. Amidst emerging priorities, the UNDP program realigned its support to provide immediate livelihoods support to over 4000 households through provision of agricultural inputs. With over 22,000 hacters of land brought under cultivation in both flood and non flood areas of Punjab in 2010 alone, these initiatives will serve as key platforms for the design and implementation of UNDP's early recovery efforts in Pakistan.
UNDP helps governance institutions at the federal, provincial and district levels including the Parliament become strong and credible to enable them to respond better to the needs of the Pakistani citizens. Public services at he local levels are improved by UNDP’s efforts to support devolution, police reforms, and better community access to quality public services such as health and education.
UNDP Pakistan has supported governing institutions through support to community mobilization and formation of Community Citizen Boards and participatory approaches in local development. UNDP has supported national elections through the creation of IT systems and systematic training to electrol personnel to enhance the capacities of the Election Commission of Pakistan. For the first time in history of Pakistan a Women Parliamentary Caucus has been formed to advocate for gender-related issues. This Caucus has representation from across party lines.
Environment & Climate Change
Environment & Climate Change
UNDP offers policy advice to the government on environmental issues while engaging civil society and communities to address these issues at the grass root level. Core areas of interventions include natural resources management, urban development, biodiversity and climate change. UNDP has supported the formulation of the National Climate Change Policy and initiated the first-ever UNFCC Adaptation Fund.
In the support of sustainable development in this sector, UNDP Pakistan has played key roles in the formulation of the National Policies on Climate Change, Forests and Wetlands. The agency has involved communities in environmental management and introduced energy efficient housing technologies in communities.
At the community level, UNDP has supported sustainable conservation initiatives contributing to the well being of the community such as trophy hunting where the proceeds go towards projects that are essential for the development of the area.
Crisis Prevention and Recovery
Crisis Prevention and Recovery
UNDP deals with humanitarian crisis and natural disasters. It monitors emergency situations and has undertaken recovery activities in natural disasters such as draughts, floods and earthquakes. UNDP undertook a comprehensive early recovery response to the 2005 earthquake, helping restore and strengthen governing institutions to respond to the disaster and formulate disaster risk management plans. In order to respond to the IDP crisis, UNDP is executing a program focusing on building and maintaining peace in Malakand division through various governance, livelihoods and disaster management related interventions. In response to the floods of 2010, UNDP is undertaking a programme across 29 districts of Pakistan to help people rebuild their lives. Through the Early Recovery programme UNDP will restore livelihoods, build basic and critical community infrastructure and strengthen local institutions for disaster response and recovery.
Gender is a cross-cutting theme.
In responding to these disasters and crises, UNDP works closely with the National, Provincial and District Disaster Management Authorities for strengthening, capacity building and risk reduction response systems throughout Pakistan
UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD)
The UNDP Country Programme covers a period from 2011-2012. It provides the strategic direction of UNDP’s programme in Pakistan drawing from the situation in the country and lessons learnt. The Country Programme Document has been developed in consultation with the Government of Pakistan, civil society and development partners and has been approved by the Government and UNDP’s Executive Board.
CPAP is a legal agreement between the Government of Pakistan and UNDP to implement the country programme from 2011-2012. It is signed by the Economic Affairs Division on behalf of the Government. The document provides detailed information on all the programmes and projects of UNDP.
“CPAP 2011-2012 (complete document)”
The CPAP is based on the United Nations Framework for Development (UNDAF) for 2004-2012. The UNDAF is a collective UN response to the national challenges in political, economic and social development. The current UNDAF has been extended by four years (previous was from 2004-2008) to implement the One UN Programme. The UNDAF is also aligned With the Government’s development plans known as the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF). The Human Development targets in this framework have been fixed in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
“CPAP 2011-2012 (complete document)”
The CPAP is based on the United Nations Framework for Development (UNDAF) for 2004-2012. The UNDAF is a collective UN response to the national challenges in political, economic and social development. The current UNDAF has been extended by four years (previous was from 2004-2008) to implement the One UN Programme. The UNDAF is also aligned With the Government’s development plans known as the Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF). The Human Development targets in this framework have been fixed in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
UNDP Pakistan delivers its assistance through multi-year projects in all four thematic areas. These interventions contribute to the outcomes identified in the Country Programme. In 2011, UNDP has 37 on-going projects with activities spread across Pakistan. It is also implementing a comprehensive Early Recovery Programme in the flood-affected districts. http://undp.org.pk/flood-in-pakistan.html
UNDP’s assistance to Pakistan is coordinated by the Economic Affairs Division of the Government of Pakistan. All project documents are approved and signed by the Government of Pakistan, thereby ensuring full national ownership of these projects.
A large majority of UNDP projects are implemented by national partners under National Implementation Modality (NIM), directly contributing to the overall objective of UNDP to strengthen national capacities for human development
UNDP’s assistance to Pakistan is coordinated by the Economic Affairs Division of the Government of Pakistan. All project documents are approved and signed by the Government of Pakistan, thereby ensuring full national ownership of these projects.
A large majority of UNDP projects are implemented by national partners under National Implementation Modality (NIM), directly contributing to the overall objective of UNDP to strengthen national capacities for human development
Structure of UNDP Pakistan
Currently, UNDP Pakistan’s Country Office has 86 people including 74 nationals and 12 internationals on fixed term appointments (100 & 200 series).
UNDP is administratively divided in the two divisions:
- The Development Division (DD) headed by Deputy Country Director (Development).
- Operations Division headed by Deputy Country Director (Operations).
Operations Division (OD)
The OD, is responsible for the administrative and financial operations and consists of the following units:
