Scaling-up the UNDP-UNEP Poverty and Environment

Initiative

January 2007

environment for the MDGs

History

UNDP Poverty and Environment Initiative Donors: UK & EC

DFID+EC+UNDP+World Bank at WSSD Establishment of the PEP UNEP Poverty and Environment Project

Donors: Norway, Belgium & Sweden

Joint UNDP/UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative

Activities to date

Jointly-supported country poverty-environment mainstreaming programmes in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania

UNDP-supported programmes in Vietnam and Nicaragua

UNEP-supported programmes in Mauritania, Mali, Uganda and Mozambique - in cooperation with UNDP Cos

Regional and global support

Some achievements to date

Facilitating country-led poverty-environment mainstreaming processes

A growing body of operational and replicable country-level experience

Significant improvement in UNDP-UNEP operational cooperation at global and country levels

Model for UN Reform - joint work plans, joint staff, pooled resources

Some key lessons Commit to facilitating a country-led process - need for adequate time and flexibility, ‘way of working’

Need for programmatic and operational approach to mainstreaming - multiple entry points at multiple levels

Thorough assessment of country situation, especially institutional setting and governance processes

Country-specific evidence of links between poverty, environment and pro-poor growth - the ‘economic’ case

Identify key entry points and related activities Link-up with and support in-country donor coordination and harmonization processes

Long-term success depends on mainstreaming into budget process and sector programmes, capacity development for implementation

Some key areas for improvement

Achieving a better balance between ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ processes - esp. ‘scaling-up’ local experience to planning and policy levels

Engagement with Parliaments/legislative bodies

More explicit focus on gender issues From ‘mainstreaming’ to ‘implementation’ Private sector engagement Supporting learning processes, knowledge management/sharing

The proposal

To significantly scale-up the PEI:

In the context of MDG 7 and the need to integrate environment and energy issues across all MDGs

In the context of UNDP and UNEP strategic mainstreaming priorities

In the context of UN reform (‘One UN’ approach)

Building on lessons learned from country experience to date (and continuing to learn!)

Implementation approach

A programmatic approach ‘Regionalizing’ PEI

Implementation through UNDP CO via UNDP and UNEP regional mechanisms

Support regional experience exchange and learning

An expanded partnership with PEP members to support country poverty-environment mainstreaming processes - PEI as ‘operational’ extension of the PEP

Implementation approach

Country programme preparation

Country programme implementation - Phase I Analytic and diagnostic work, dialogue and advocacy Mainstreaming in planning and policy processes

Country programme implementation - Phase II Sectoral planning, working at decentralized levels Capacity development Moving from budget to investments, sustainable finance Donor coordination and harmonization Monitoring poverty-environment outcomes

Specific targets2007-2011

Environment effectively integrated in national development processes (incl. MDG-based strategies and implementation) in up to 25 countries

Institutional capacity is strengthened to integrate environment in multi-sectoral strategies, plans and investment programmes in up to 15-20 countries

Funds leveraged for country operational programmes from donors

UNDP and UNEP working together

A joint UNDP/UNEP Poverty and Environment (Partnership) Facility in Nairobi Mobilizing UNDP and UNEP resources and networks to enhance capacity to support country poverty-environment mainstreaming processes, working with and through UNDP/UNEP regional centres/offices

Developing broader partnerships with PEP members and others

Developing and adapting practical approaches and tools

Knowledge management – information, good practices, knowledge-sharing

Current momentum

Strengthened cooperation between UNDP and UNEP at regional level - e.g., Asia/Pacific

Donor partners to date - Denmark, Ireland, Sweden

UNDP ‘MDG Support’ initiative - entry point for country engagement, growing country demand for support on mainstreaming environment UNDP/Spain MDG Achievement Fund

UN Reform