UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. In the Pacific UNDP has an office in Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea. The Fiji Multi-Country Office serves another nine Pacific countries which include; Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru and the Solomon Islands. The Samoan based Multi-Country Office serves Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau.

World leaders pledged in 2000 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the overarching goal of by 2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national efforts to achieve these goals. After Pacific Island Countries discussed how the MDGs could be included in national strategies in March 2003, UNDP in partnership with various regional organizations, has been assisting Pacific Island Countries incorporate the MDGs as part of their national and regional development plans. In 2004, UNDP working with regional governments and organizations released the Pacific Regional Report on the MDGs, which highlights progress made to date by Pacific countries in achieving the 8 goals set out.

Like other UNDP offices around the world, the Fiji office assists the 10 countries we cover to achieve the MDGs through building resilient and inclusive societies. In the new programming cycle 2008-2012, our assistance will be based on four key inter-related outcome areas of poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals, good governance and human rights, crisis prevention and recovery, ainable management.

Outcome 1 - Poverty Reduction and the Millennium Development Goals

UNDP will assist PICs develop and implement evidence-based and inclusive National Sustainable Development Strategies to stimulate inclusive economic growth, facilitate inclusive globalization and promote sustainable livelihoods through support to: (a) formulation and implementation of national and sectoral plans and strategies aligned with MDGs, targets and indicators and clearly linked to national budgets; (b) strengthening capacity of national statistical systems to generate disaggregated poverty data and analyses; (c) Improving Aid Management systems linking to national plans and budgets; (d) facilitation of inclusive and equitable trade mechanisms, private sector partnerships, employment generation policies and enhancing financial competencies; and (e) multi-sectoral planning and leadership capacity development to enhance the engagement of communities and to take immediate action on HIV and AIDS. Country level programmatic activities will take into account intra-regional socio-economic patterns and variations, with special emphasis on the least developed countries (Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), as well as on women and other vulnerable groups across the region.

Outcome 2 - Good governance and human rights

UNDP will strengthen national policy capacities and governance systems to exercise the principles of inclusive, equitable, participatory, transparent and accountable governance and respect for human rights; and will support the role of resilient Pacific communities in decision-making at all levels. Specific programmatic activities will be geared towards: (a) countries demonstrating and upholding the Forum Principles of Good Leadership and Accountability; (b) enhancing decentralisation of governance, information and communication technology (ICT) development, and participator, decision groups; and (c) awareness of human rights and the availability of mechanisms to claim them. The focus will be on enhancing participatory democracy through civic and human rights education in all countries of the Pacific; on decentralized governance for development and participatory decision making in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu; and on parliamentary support subject to the Pacific countries evolving priorities and emerging demands.

Outcome 3 - Crisis Prevention and Recovery

UNDP will assist countries to strengthen capacity to prevent and manage crises and build resilience to the impact of tensions and disasters. This will be achieved through: (a) support to the development of an integrated approach to addressing and reducing vulnerability to tension and disaster; (b) effective recovery strategies that seek to build capacity to address the root causes of humanitarian crisis and natural disasters; and (c) addressing the long term livelihood needs of communities. UNDP will focus on formalizing for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into national development and budgetary strategies (in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu); and development and implementation of national policies and plans addressing human security through conflict-sensitive analysis and tension reduction interventions (in Fiji, Marshall Islands, Tonga and Solomon Islands).

Outcome 4 - Environment and Sustainable Management

UNDP will leverage global expertise and resources, and utilise innovative approaches to support a more resilient region with strengthened capacity for sustainable management of environment and natural resources through: (a) the mainstreaming of environmental sustainability and sustainable energy into national policies, planning frameworks and programmes (in all countries of the Pacific); and (b) strengthening institutional support, including indigenous governance systems, to contribute to sustainable environmental management and usage through appropriate p traditional knowledge and practices for enhanced sustainable livelihoods (in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). The focus will be on environmental governance, including promotion of sustainable renewable energy and adaptation to climate change into national strategies, as well as improving access to and management of Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEA's). Programmatic activities will further focus on partnerships and capacity development in order to strengthen the nexus among poverty reduction, sustainable environmental management and gender equity. The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme - NZAID Pacific Environment Fund model will be examined for the possible up-scaling of pilot projects, including the potential for further support for renewable energy and adaptation to climate change projects.

Cross-cutting themes and Joint Programmes

UNDP programming will address the linkages between these four objectives, and mainstream into country-specific priorities. This includes the promotion of human rights and protecting the dignity and integrity of all people; gender equity, guided by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Pacific Platform for Action on the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality 2005-2015; and promoting volunteerism. Joint programmes will support national development, linkages and cohesion in the areas of HIV/AIDS, young people, national planning for MDG achievement, support to civil society, and, subject to inter-agency agreement, environmental and disaster risk management.

(Vila April 30, 2008) The Prime Minister, Honourable Ham Lini Vanuaroroa today launched the new UN Joint Presence of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vanuatu.

During the launch ceremony the three agencies and the Government of Vanuatu also signed the UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP Country Programme Action Plans for 2008 -2012.

The UN agencies also announced a significant increa...

(Honiara April 23, 2008) The United Nations in Solomon Islands today launched its Joint Presence - a collaboration among the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The launch marks a new era of UN partnership with Solomon Islands. UN agencies announced a significant increase in resource allocation to the Solomon Islands. The three UN Agencies will increase their combined expenditure f...

[Suva, April 22]  Civil society members working in the area of gender, government representatives and development partners concluded a two day meeting in Suva today that discussed Pacific perspectives on gender inequality.

The discussions were part of the consultations on the process of preparing the Asia Pacific Regional Human Development report on Gender, and will feed into the report, which is being facilitated by the Human Development Report Unit of the UNDP Regional Ce...