UNFPA in the UN System
UNFPA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly. It plays a unique role within the United Nations system: to address population and development issues, with an emphasis on reproductive health and gender equality, within the context of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals.
UNFPA receives overall policy guidance fr om the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It reports to its governing body, the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board, on administrative, financial and programme matters.
UNFPA in Uzbekistan and other UN agencies, present in the country, work to assist the Government in meeting the development challenges of Uzbekistan. UN Country Team (UN CT) does so through a set of projected development results, which are reflected in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) .
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is a common strategic plan for the United Nations in Uzbekistan over the period 2010-2015. It is the result of consultative process to analyze how the United Nations can most effectively respond to Uzbekistan’s national priorities and needs. It is guided by the commitments of the Millennium Declaration as well as by the national Welfare Improvement Strategy (WIS) 2008-2010 and other national documents.
The UNDAF 2010-2015 identified four priority areas wh ere the United Nations can make a contribution. These are:
- Economic Well-being, with particular attention to vulnerable groups;
- Social services, emphasizing increased access to and use of quality services;
- Environment, encompassing integration of the principles of sustainable development into national policies and programmes;
- Governance, focused on enhances effectiveness, inclusiveness and accountability at central and local levels alike.
The UNDAF outlines the UN strategy for Uzbekistan and how the UN agencies will work together in a collaborative and mutually supporting way, also in a focused, targeted manner according to the mandate of each agency.
UNDAF is used as platform for designing of UNFPA’s programmes in Uzbekistan, along with UNFPA’s own strategic plan, key international agreements and national development policies. UNFPA works to contribute to UNDAF Outcomes 1, 2 and 4.
Almost all of the UNDAF outcomes are shared between at least two or more agencies. This not only allows for synergy between individual agencies, but also avoids possible duplication or unnecessary overlap.
UN Theme Groups were created to coordinate operations of the UN agencies in Uzbekistan. UNFPA actively participates in work of several Theme Groups, particularly Joint UN Team on AIDS, HIV/AIDS Theme Group, Economic Wellbeing Theme Group, Social Services Theme Group, and UN Communications Group.
UNFPA closely cooperates with several UN Agencies working in Uzbekistan, within and beyond Theme Groups, and below are some examples of joint work:
UNFPA and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) work on impelementation of the recently adopted National Action Plan on CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Violence and Discrimination Against Women).
UNFPA and World Health Organization (WHO) work together on introduction and implementation of Beyond The Numbers initiative in the country. Since 2009 the agencies cooperate within the framework of a joint project that targets introduction of maternal mortality audit and near miss case review methodologies in maternal hospitals. In 2010 the methodology was introduced in eight provincial maternal hospitals. Besides, the work of National Committee on Near Miss Case Review was also supported. See Joint Programme document.
UNFPA and UNESCO, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization work together since 2006 on ‘Silk Road’ radio soap-opera project aimed at educating population about reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and other development issues. Annually, an estimated number of 64 episodes of soap opera series are being aired on several FM radio stations throughout the country. See Joint Programme document.
UNFPA and UNESCO also successfully cooperate on improving the quality of teaching secondary school course “Basics of Health Generation”, which addresses adolescents’ reproductive health and HIV prevention issues.
UNFPA and UN Children Fund (UNICEF) work on improvement of the quality of maternal health care services with focus on emergency obstetric care. For the last three years the agencies partner on implementation of Effective Perinatal Care training course nationwide.
For more information on UN Uzbekistan please visit www.un.uz.
