undp central african republic - annual report 2007

8/14/2019 UNDP Central African Republic - Annual Report 2007

1/32

UNDP Central Arican Republic | Annual Report 2007

Annual Report

2007

United Nations Development Programme | Central Arican Republic


2/32

United Nations Development ProgrammeAvenue Boganda, PO Box 872Bangui

Central Arican Republic

www.c.undp.org

All photo credits (unless otherwise noted)Pierre Holtz or UNICEF, UNDP, [email protected]

Questions and commentsJohn Ratclie, UNDP Public Inormation [email protected]


3/32

Central African

Republic

Annual Report 2007

United Nations Development Programme | Central African Republic


4/32

UNDP in CAR

The Central Arican RepublicBasic acts and gures

Te Central Arican Republic (CAR) is among

the worlds least-developed countries, ranking171st (o 177) on the Human DevelopmentIndex. Surrounded by unstable neighbours, thecountry is currently led by President FranoisBoziz, who, ater taking power in a coup in2003, won legitimate elections in 2005.

roubled since independence rom Francein 1960, CAR has oten aced civil unrestand violence, and discontent continues today.Salary arrears led to public sector strikes in2007, ollowed by the resignation o the gov-

ernment in early 2008. A new Prime Minister,Faustin-Archange ouadra, was named on 22January.

Te governments new development strategyemphasizes security sector reorm, good gov-ernance, economic rehabilitation and humancapital development. In addition, an inclusivenational political dialogue has been scheduledor 2008. Donors have begun to re-engage, anda recent donor round table saw pledges o $600million or development through 2010.

Long stalled, the economy has begun to re-

cover but remains dominated by subsistence

agriculture. Exports are hindered by poorinrastructure, and the World Bank estimatesthat cross-border trade is more dicult thanin any other country in sub-Saharan Arica.Despite the presence o diamonds and uranium,the country has been unable to translate theseresources into public wealth.

CAR continues to ace serious humanitarianproblems, as well. Over 1 million people are a-ected by clashes between rebels, governmenttroops and bandits in the north, and almost

300,000 people have ed their homes.

Still, in many ways CAR appears to have turneda corner. Tirty-fve international organizationsare now engaged in the country, and their pres-ence is expanding. Greater reinorcement willcome rom an EU/UN peacekeeping orce, which has begun deployments to Chad andCAR with a mandate to protect reugees andaid workers in areas adjacent to Darur.

With increased support and a democratic gov-

ernment, CAR has an historic opportunity tomove beyond conict and poverty.

DARFURCHAD

SUDAN

DEM. REPUBLIC OF THE CONGOCONGO

Wau

Lai

AtiBol

DobaSarh

Mongo

BongorMaroua

Abeche

Moundou

AmTiman

Ndjamena

El Fasher

Bangui

Obo

Nola

Bria

Sibut

Ndl

Bouar

Birao

Mobaye

Mbaki

Bozoum Bambari

Bossangoa

BerbratiBangassou

Kaga-Bandoro

UNDPprojectsite

Ke countr statistics

Area and population

Area 622,984 km2

Population in 2007 (estimate) 4.2 million

Internally displaced persons (estimate) 197,000

Reugees in Chad, Cameroon, Sudan 98,000

Econom and development

Human Development Index (HDI) 0.384

HDI Rank 171 (o 177)

Population living on less than $1 a day 67%

GDP per capita in 2007 (estimate) $380

Ease o Doing Business Rank in 2007 177 (o 178)

Health and education

Lie expectancy at birth 43 years

Maternal mortality rate 1,355

Global acute malnutrition 10.1%

HIV prevalence (15-49 year olds) 6.2%

Adult literacy rate 54% (m), 32% ( )

Primary school enrolment rate 55%

Ke oce data

UNDP in the Central Arican Republic

Programme budget in 2007 $20.3 million

National sta in 2007 110

International sta in 2007 18

Sta based outside Bangui 37

CAR is among the

ten leastdeveloped

countries in the

world.

CARs current

Human Develop-

ment Index is

lower than it was

in 985.


5/32

UNDP Central Arican Republic | Annual Report 2007 5

Wracked by instability and mired in pov-erty, the Central Arican Republic (CAR) or years appeared to embody donors worst earso working in the region. Overall assistance tothe country plummeted through the 1980s and90s, even as it was rising elsewhere in Arica,leaving CAR isolated in the centre o thecontinent, wedged among highly unstableneighbours.

Democratic elections in 2005 heralded changein CAR however, and since then the country hasshown a remarkable perseverance in addressingits most pressing challenges. UNDP is proud tohave been a part o this transition. Our workhere has ocused on building the governmentscapacity in areas that are key to consolidatingrecent gains into a oundation or meaninguldevelopment.

In many ways, 2007 was a banner year or boththe country and UNDP. Our oce has beengrowing steadily, with a 2007 programme bud-get more than twice as high as three years prior.Growing donor generosity, as demonstrated at a

landmark donor meeting in Brussels in October,is indicative o our success, as well as o risingconfdence in CARs commitment to change.

Our oce strives to achieve synergy in its work, creating complementarities both withinand across UNDP corporate practice areas.For example, our ex-combatant reintegrationproject was planned in tandem with othercrisis prevention and recovery eorts, such astargeting ex-combatant host communities withinrastructure repair and other reinorcements.

Tese projects were urther buttressed bypoverty reduction eorts, such as a pilot micro-fnance network with the potential to ease thetransition back into civilian lie. In addition, allour work strives to incorporate gender analysisinto its activities.

As the year came to an end, UNDP supportedthe government in launching ambitious initia-tives with the potential to address the countrysstructural problems. Security sector reorm-a cornerstone o CARs poverty reduction

strategy - began in 2007 and seeks to builda security sector that protects civilians andosters development. Likewise, an inclusive

From recovery to developmentA word rom the Resident Representative

political dialogue, supported by UNDP andled by the UN Peacebuilding Support Ocein the Central Arican Republic, aims to bringall the political actors in CAR to the table,oering the possibility o lasting stability. Boththese activities constitute remarkable advancesor CAR and or the region, and UNDP ispleased to play a key role in their execution.

Despite important achievements, it remainsimpossible to heal the wounds o decades oinstability and underdevelopment in only a ew years. Te Millennium Development Goals,

launched amid serious unrest here, present asignifcant challenge, and intervening years oupheaval pushed many indicators in the wrongdirection. A recent study estimated it wouldcost $5.3 billion to reach the MDGs in CARby 2015, ar outstripping available resources.

Still, the sense o possibility here is palpable.As UNDP moves into 2008, our principaltask will be to maintain recent momentumand rally greater support around the importantwork at hand. Consolidating our prior achieve-

ments will mean expanding our presence andbuilding bridges between humanitarianaction and development. Despite the challenges,recent experience has taught that we have goodreason to be optimistic.

None o UNDPs work would be possiblewithout the cooperation o the Central Aricangovernment, our partner since 1976. Te gener-osity o donors to UNDP programmes and thededication o NGO colleagues have likewisebeen instrumental - as well as heartwarming.

Lastly, the excellence o UNDP and other UNsta - both national and international, at head-quarters and in the feld - has acilitated our workat every step. Moving into the uture, I haveevery confdence that this will remain the case.

Toby LanzerResident RepresentativeResident and Humanitarian Coordinator

B strengthening

CAR, the world has

the opportunit

to oer stabilit

to the heart o a

volatile region.


6/32

UNDP in CAR

Table o Contents

Executive Summar 7

Povert Reduction 8

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 9

Resource Mobilization 10

Microfnance 11

Crisis Prevention and Recover 2

Small Arms Control 13

Reintegration o Ex-Combatants 14

Security or Development 15

Fighting HIV/AIDS

Accelerating the Fight Against HIV/AIDS 17

Children Aected by HIV/AIDS 18

People Living with HIV/AIDS 19

Fighting Malaria 20

Containing uberculosis 21

Democratic Governance 22

Local Justice 23

Local Governance 24

Energ and the Environment 25

Environment projects 26

Assisting the Aid Communit 27

Financial Overview 28

Glossar 29


7/32


Executive SummaryAnnual Report 2007

As the Central Arican Republic continued

to shore up stability in 2007, UNDP pro-gramming began to shit its ocus rom earlyrecovery to longer-run strategies or develop-ment and peacebuilding.

UNDP-CAR continued to expand in 2007,with programme expenditures o $20.3 million-over twice as high as in 2004. Over the sameperiod, our management budget declinedby more than 10 per cent, to just under $2million, demonstrating a dedication to greatereciency.

UNDP-CAR implemented projects in all fveUNDP corporate practice areas in 2007, aswell as worked to mainstream gender across allour programming. Tis annual report, the frsto its kind or UNDP-CAR, highlights majorproject activities in 2007, and is not intendedto be exhaustive. In total, the activities in thisreport represent over 90 per cent o the ocestotal programme expenditures or the year.

Povert Reduction

CARs relative calm since 2003 oers theopportunity to relaunch poverty reduc-tion programmes in earnest. UNDPs majorpoverty reduction work in 2007 was dedicated toassisting the government in fnalizing itsPoverty Reduction Strategy Paper, mobiliz-ing international support through a series olandmark donor meetings, and bolstering anearly network o microfnance centres aroundthe country. Tese activities constituted abudget o $2.8 million in 2007.

Crisis Prevention and Recover

Following the 2005 elections, CAR hasmoved considerably to consolidate the peace.In 2007, UNDP concluded an ex-combatantreintegration project, continued a small armscontrol project, and supported conict-aectedcommunities in articulating their developmentneeds and achieving them. At the end o the year, the government and UNDP launched amilestone security sector reorm eort that willbe a major ocus in 2008. Altogether, majorcrisis prevention/recovery activities in 2007

came to $2.7 million.

HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis

HIV-prevalence in CAR is estimatedto be the highest in the region. UNDPmainly works to strengthen national structures torespond to the disease. In addition, theGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, uberculosis andMalaria selected UNDP to implement a range oprojects intended to stem the spread o thesediseases and attenuate their impact. In total,UNDPs major activities budget or HIV/AIDScame to $3.5 million in 2007. Adding malariaand tuberculosis unding, the fgure rises to $8.5

million.Democratic Governance

UNDP-CAR ocused mainly on the localimpact o governance in 2007, implement-ing projects that enhanced local capacity andreinorced decentralization. In the justicesector, UNDP bolstered local justicemechanisms via physical rehabilitation, trainingand other strategies. Tis project was comple-mented by a separate project that enhanced theecacy o local governing authorities. UNDPalso supported the launch o a political dialoguethat oers the possibility o lasting reconcilia-tion in the country. In 2007, major governanceprojects received $780,000 in unding.

Energ and the Environment

Environmental questions are at an early stagein CAR, and UNDP ocused its 2007 eortson working with the government to assesswhich areas could beneft the most rom uturecapacity building. Assisting the governmentin a comprehensive sel-evaluation o environ-mental management capacity and working to

bolster the legal ramework that could impactdesertifcation, UNDPs 2007 environmentalactivities totalled $150,000.

Assisting the Aid Communit

UNDP played an important role insupporting the international aid community inCAR in 2007. Working with NGOs and otherorganizations to acilitate access to und-ing through UN mechanisms, UNDP wasinstrumental in securing over $6 million(some o which is to be disbursed in 2008) or

qualiying organizations, most o which wereNGOs.

Growing stabilit

in CAR has beenmatched b an

expanded role

or UNDP in the

countr.


8/32

UNDP Programmes: Poverty Reduction8

Ranked seventh rom the bottom o the Human Development Index, theCentral Arican Republic is home to 4.2 million people. More than 67 per cento its citizens live on less than $1 per day.

Povert Reduction

POVERTy IN CAR

67 percent live onless than $1 a day

GDP per head in2007 only $380

Incomes haverisen less than 10%since 1985

Poverty reduction is among the most

urgent challenges acing the Central AricanRepublic. Currently ranked seventh rom thebottom o the Human Development Index(HDI) and with over 67 per cent o the popu-lation living on less than $1 per day, extremepoverty has proven a stubborn hindrance to thecountrys progress.

Development indicators have remained stalledover the past 20 years - even as sub-SaharanArica has advanced as a whole. In act, CARis one o only two countries among the HDIs

bottom ten that has not meaningully progressedsince 1985. Protracted instability, particularlybetween 1996 and 2003, severely curtailedthe countrys capacity to address poverty, anddeclining international support over the sameperiod made available resources even scarcer.

UNDPs principal role in poverty reductionlies in supporting government and civil societyeorts to combat poverty and its consequences,as well as to reverse trends towards urther deg-radation. UNDP frmly believes that capacity is

key to sustainable development, and our eortsare concentrated on building capabilities withinCAR that will allow the country to manage its

own poverty solutions.

Te thrust o our work in 2007 was dedicatedto assisting the government in devising com-prehensive strategies or poverty reduction,mobilizing support or these strategies andsponsoring projects that oster sustainableincome generation. UNDP worked toensure that these strategies incorporated gender

in their analysis, recognizing that the dynamicso poverty dier widely by sex.

By helping the government publish its frstPoverty Reduction Strategy Paper, UNDPplayed a key role in encouraging inter-national re-engagement with CAR. Tegovernment, the European Commission,UNDP and the World Bank leveraged therelease o the PRSP into a landmark donorconerence that more than doubled CARs 2005annual assistance rate or the next three years.Increased resources will allow programmes toexpand, including greater access to microfnanceand strengthening CARs aid managementcapacity.

While the challenges remain ormidable -movement on the Millennium DevelopmentGoals has been consistently in the wrong direc-tion, or example - the momentum created overrecent years oers the potential or signifcantprogress in 2008 and beyond. UNDPs recentexperience in the country demonstrates the op-portunity that currently exists in CAR to movepast instability and create a society capable oaddressing its most pressing problems.

Major programme activities in 2007

Project $ million

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 1.60

Resource Mobilization 0.88

Micronance 0.32

Total budget (major activities) 2.80

Without strong

international

support, CAR risks

alling urther

behind andreturning to

confict.


9/32


STRATEGy

UNDP assisted thegovernment in

producing its rstPoverty ReductionStrategy Paper.

Donors increasingly request that partner coun-tries produce a comprehensive strategy or pov-erty reduction which can serve as a commonreerence document within the country. Tesestrategies not only inuence unding decisions,but help partner countries prioritize their needsand conceptualize the most practicable ways tomeet them.

Te Central Arican Republic presented aninterim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper(PRSP) to the international community in2000, but subsequent political upheaval pre-vented its completion. Following the accessiono Franois Boziz to the presidency in 2003,the CAR government announced its desire todrat a fnal PRSP with UNDPs assistance,drawing on our technical expertise and fnan-cial support.

Over the course o three years, UNDP workedclosely with the government and the WorldBank to convene a series o both high-leveland grassroots consultations in order to ensurethat the fnal document would be an honestreection o the countrys needs. Free and airelections in 2005 bolstered this process signif-cantly, lending added credibility in the eyes othe government, its citizens and its partners.

UNDP also worked to ensure that the PRSPintegrated the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) into its strategies, including by con-vening a working group to ensure the incorpo-ration o gender analysis. As part o the PRSPprocess, UNDP conducted an MDG needs as-

sessment in CAR, revealing an estimated costo $5.3 billion or MDG achievement by 2015.Tese data helped to galvanize attention aroundpriority areas in the country, such as health,water, education and inrastructure.

Te fnal product, released in October 2007 at alandmark meeting with international donors inBrussels, is an ambitious document that iden-tifes our key pillars or development, with anestimated total price tag o $3.7 billion:

Conict prevention and peacebuildingPromotion o good governance

Economic rehabilitation

Human capital development

Te PRSP organizes CARs objectives aroundkey principles that support the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. Beyond being a simpleorganizational tool, the PRSP is invaluablein advocating on behal o the country, dem-onstrating to partners that the government isserious about moving beyond its troubled pastand taking ownership o its uture directions.

Poverty Reduction Strategy PaperOrganizing or results

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 1.60

Total .0

Total budget since2006: $1.97 million

Photo: UNDP


10/32

UNDP Programmes: Poverty Reduction0

Developed largely to complement thePoverty Reduction Strategy Paper, UNDPsresource mobilization project was born o the

understanding that even the best plans will belaid to waste without proper support - bothfnancial and technical. For years, the CentralArican Republic has been at the bottom o mostdonors lists, with chronic instability and ageneral unamiliarity with CAR serving aspowerul deterrents to partnership.

Te 2005 elections provided a key opportunityto re-engage with the international community,however, and the completion o the PRSP in2007 signalled CARs commitment to eect-

ing real change. Still, the ravages o precedingyears took a heavy toll on the countrys capacityor institutional management. UNDP designedthe resource mobilization project with twomajor objectives: (1) to strengthen the country sproject management capacity in order to (2)convince the international community to be-come more prooundly engaged.

Te major outputs were two landmark meet-ings with the international donor communityin Brussels, organized in June and October

2007 in cooperation with the World Bank andthe European Commission. Te frst meetingallowed the CAR government to re-introduce

itsel to the international community, outlineits uture objectives and gain eedback rom po-tential partners.

Four months later, the government convenedthe Development Partner Round able, whichmarked the ormal release o the PRSP and anoccasion or donors to pledge their support.Te strength o commitment on both sides wasdemonstrated by the participation o PresidentFranois Boziz and European CommissionerLouis Michel, who opened the session. Teattendance o non-ocial actors, such asHuman Rights Watch, sent a urther signal thatCAR is looking to orm partnerships that will

allow the country to build an inclusive, stableuture with international support.

Te Round able helped assure pledges omore than $600 million over three years or thecountry - an annual unding pattern thatmore than doubles CARs total developmentassistance in 2005. Looking ahead, UNDP hassponsored initial steps in developing a compre-hensive aid management system in the country.Working with the government - chiey throughthe Ministry o Planning - these eorts seek to

ensure that resource increases will be matchedwith enhanced management capabilities.

Resource MobilizationRecord aid commitments promise robust partnerships

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 0.88

Total 0.88

Total budget 2005 to2007: $1.44 million

AID PER HEAD

While rising dramat-ically, aid per capitato CAR in 2006 was

still well below theSub-Saharan aver-age o $53 per head.

$13

$32

$28

$24

$34$36

$43

$53

2003 '04 '05 '06

Joint eorts have

dramaticall

increased pledges

or the next three

ears.

Photo: UNDP

CAR

Sub-Saharan Arica


11/32

UNDP Central Arican Republic | Annual Report 2007

Microfnance is recognized to have a potentiallytransormative eect on poverty. By bringingfnancial services (chiey savings and credit) to

poor and low-income populations, microfnanceempowers them to develop - and implement -their own solutions to local challenges.

In CAR, microfnance remains in the earlystages. Starting in 2005, UNDP sponsored atwo-year pilot project that, in collaboration withthe Ministry o Finance, established a prelimi-nary network o microfnance centres aroundthe country and worked to build institutionalcapacity to manage the microfnance sector.

By operationalizing microfnance centres,training local microfnance committees andhanding responsibility to local communities,this initial network provided the oundation ora broader fnancial sector as the project movedinto an expansionary phase at the end o 2007.

UNDPs initial microfnance project representedthe frst concentrated eort in CAR to establisha national microfnance network. By 2007, theproject had enhanced national capacity to man-age the microfnance sector by training relevant

government entities and supporting (amongother groups) the Union centrafricaine des caissesdpargne et de crdit (UCACEC), a national

MicronanceEncouraging stabilit b empowering people

Fourteen pilot

centres introduced

micronance

into communi-

ties around the

countr.

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 0.30

AGFUND 0.02

Total 0.32

Total budget 2005 to2007 : $2.15 million

New phase budget:(projected) $4 million($1.2 m to be mobilized)

Bangui

Obo

Nola

Bria

Sibut

Ndl

Bouar

Birao

Mobaye

Mbaki

Bozoum

Bambari

Bossangoa

Berbrati

Bangassou

Kaga-Bandoro

0 250 500125 Kilometers

Microcredit Groups

Other

Credit Direct

FEC

UCACEC

association o microfnance centres.

In October 2007, the project moved into a new

phase, launching a $4 million programme (o which $1.2 million remains to be raised) incollaboration with the government, the UNCapital Development Fund and the GulArab Fund or UN Development Organiza-tions (AGFUND). In addition to dramaticallyexpanding access to microfnance and build-ing national management capacity, this phasewill strengthen the role o women in managingfnancial activities, particularly in rural areas.

Photo: UNDP


12/32

UNDP Programmes: Crisis Prevention and Recovery2

The Central Arican Republic has aced recurring political crises or much o itshistory. With 11 coup attempts or mutinies in the decade leading up to 2003,consolidating the countrys recent stability is a key priority.

Crisis Preventionand Recover

CRISIS IN CAR

Over 7,500 ormercombatantsreintegrated

Reported 50,000illicit small arms incirculation

25 per cent o CARcitizens requirehumanitarianassistance

A key aspect o UNDPs work in the CentralArican Republic revolves around crisis preven-tion and recovery. As the country was wrackedby instability or so many years - particularlybetween 1996 and 2003 - we recognize theneed to consolidate the relative calm o recentyears into a lasting peace that will enable devel-opment to move orward in earnest.

Much o UNDPs activity in 2007 ocusedon ensuring a smooth transition rom earlyrecovery projects into building a moredurable capacity or crisis prevention and goodgovernance.

With over 50,000 small arms reported to bein circulation in the country and a history opolitical violence, it is unquestionable thatestablishing a sense o security among thepopulation is a prerequisite to development.

UNDP achieved landmark results in this area in2007, most notably by completing a multi-yearproject that reintegrated over 7,500 ex-combat-

ants into local communities. Tese communi-ties were simultaneously targeted or prioritydevelopment projects intended to ease tensionassociated with the presence o ex-combatants,

as well as minimize the chances o recidivism.

Active in many o the same zones, UNDPalso implemented a project that assisted localcommunities in articulating their priority needsand in devising strategies or meeting them.

Finally, UNDP worked with the government todevelop a legal ramework capable o regulatingand reducing the circulation o small arms inthe country.

UNDP has prioritized security sector reorm as

a key objective or 2008. Identifed as a majorplank in the governments poverty reductionstrategy, UNDP is supporting the governmentin reorming CAR security services in order tooster accountability and a sense o responsibil-ity to the population.

UNDP remains committed to leveragingrecovery in CAR into a consolidated peace thatguarantees that all sectors o Central Aricansociety - including the government, civilsociety and the citizenry - can participate in the

development process securely and build acountry capable o peaceably meeting its ownchallenges.


Project $ million

Small Arms Control (ALCP) 0.50

Ex-Combatant Reintegration (PRAC) 1.33

Security or Development (PSPD) 0.87


Consolidating

peace in ormer

confict areas will

allow develop-

ment to moveorward across the

countr.


13/32


STRATEGy

Arms reductioneorts relied on

an earlier UNDP-nanced study osmall arms in CAR.

With over 50,000 illicit small armsreported to be circulating in the Central AricanRepublic, UNDP quickly identifed the need tocontrol - and reduce - this ow as a key step in

creating a avourable development environment.Incorporating the governments 2003 vision oglobal deence, which places the individual at thecentre o security concerns, UNDP launchedthe Small Arms Control project in 2006 withgenerous unding rom the governments oSweden and Japan.

In order to achieve small arms reduction,UNDP recognizes the necessity o creating anenvironment in which people eel sae in theircommunities beore surrendering their weap-

ons. Te Small Arms Control project workedclosely with national authorities - chiey theNational Commission or Arms Reduction,Disarmament and Reintegration (CNPDR) - aswell as through local development committeesto devise strategies capable o re-establishingconfdence among military and civilian leadersand the general population.

Rejecting a one-time arms-or-moneyexchange as potentially unsustainable, UNDPhas engaged with CAR authorities to work

or a sense o lasting security among CentralAricans as an integral part o arms reduction.

Much o UNDPs work in this area hasconsisted o training government ocials inmanaging arms control campaigns and in work-ing with local communities to re-establish trust

and create workable alternatives to violence.Legal experts have worked with CAR ocialsand the CNPDR to drat comprehensive leg-islation regulating small arms circulation inthe country, as well as to provide or on-goingarms exchange programmes that are linked todevelopment assistance.

By 2007, thousands o weapons had been relin-quished at depots across the country, chiey inpreectures most aected by past crises. Armsregistries managed by national authorities track

the number o arms decommissioned throughthe project.

Public awareness campaigns have also playedan integral role, both in the orm o sensi-tization eorts and in the organization opublic debates with authorities. With a plannedtimeline until the end o 2008, the project hasalso pioneered a regional approach, workingto organize a workshop o Central AricanEconomic and Monetary Community(CEMAC) countries to harmonize small

arms legislation and develop a regional anti-prolieration commission.

A legac o politi-

cal instabilit has

resulted in the

wide circulation o

illicit small arms in

the Central Arican

Republic.

Small Arms ControlArms reduction as a prerequisite or development

Budget 2007

Source $ m

Sweden 0.28

Japan 0.22

Total 0.50


Photo: UNDP


14/32

UNDP Programmes: Crisis Prevention and Recovery

A three-year eort that ended in 2007, the Ex-Combatant Reintegration project assured thedisarmament, demobilization and reintegration(DDR) o 7,556 ormer fghters with major

support rom the Multi-Country Demobili-zation and Reintegration Program (MDRP).Activities in 2007 were fnanced by the WorldBank and UNDP.

UNDP worked to assure that ex-combatants were integrated into local communities thathad access to the support necessary to welcomethem. Bolstering these communities was oneo the projects core activities, demonstratingan innovative approach that recognizes thateective DDR is more than simply reducing

the number o weapons or ex-fghters.Focused on the preectures most intenselyaected by past conict, the reintegrationproject sought to create opportunities ordemobilized fghters that minimized thechances o recidivism, both through employ-ment creation and proessional or academictraining programmes.

Participation was linked to voluntary disarma-ment and an obligation to participate in theull programme, building a bridge betweenshort-term demobilization and sustainablereintegration. In total, the project sponsored

44 small-scale projects aimed at ensuringeective reintegration, including smallenterprise development, agriculture, fshing andeducational opportunities.

Host communities also received importantassistance through the project, such aswater pumps and school construction. Follow-up evaluations were conducted by UNDP andthe National Committee on Disarmament,Demobilization and Reintegration (CNDDR).

In addition to reintegrating over 7,500 ex-combatants, the project collected over 12,000pieces o ammunition, grenades and othermateriel, buttressing the goals o the Small ArmsControl project and contributing more broadlyto the consolidation o peace in the country.

Upon completion, UNDP handed over allproject equipment - more than $500,000 worth o vehicles, computers, audio-visualequipment and other supplies - to the CentralArican government in an eort to bolster itscapacity to continue to provide services andmonitor reintegration. On-going support toparticipating communities is the responsi-bility o UNDPs Security or Developmentproject, which aims to ensure the transitionrom immediate recovery to the establishmento healthy, stable communities.

Reintegration o Ex-CombatantsSupporting reormed ghters and their communities

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 0.70

World Bank 0.63

Total .33


CHOICES

Most ormer com-batants in UNDPsproject chose tostart a small busi-ness or to becomechicken armers.

Unoccupied

ormer combat-

ants have the

greatest potential

to undo progress

in post-confict

countries.


15/32


Working in tandem with other UNDPrecovery projects and with the local justice project, Security or Develop-ment was designed to provide conict-

aected communities with the means to articu-late their needs and to meet them. Te projectocuses on the preectures o Ouham, Ouham-Pend, Kmo and Nana-Grbizi, as well asthe city o Bangui - all o which were heavilyaected by past violence.

Demobilizing ormer fghters is o paramountimportance, but a holistic approach to recoveryrequires strengthening conict-aected com-munities beyond ex-combatants. Establishingdevelopment as a gateway to permanent recon-

ciliation is an important strategy or doing so.

Launched in 2006 with generous support romthe French government, the project worksclosely with the National Commission orArms Control, Disarmament and Reintegra-tion (CNPDR) in helping local communitiesidentiy their priorities and devise strategies toachieve them. By working with the CNPDR,UNDP is building the capacity o a key institu-tion, as well as helping to associate the govern-ment with recovery - a key actor in establishing

trust between authorities and citizens.

Public awareness plays an essential part in the

success o these programmes, and the projectsupported the establishment o local radio sta-tions that could reliably communicate develop-ment messages and mobilize the population to

engage in the process.

Participation also comes through local consul-tations that devise, review and approve prioritymonographs or their immediate area. UNDPsupports these consultations and will use themonographs to assist communities in imple-menting their solutions in 2008.

Moving rom the quick-impact assistanceoered to these communities through UNDPrecovery projects, Security or Developmenttakes a longer view o community needs. Bythe end o 2007, the project had ensured publicunderstanding o its objectives by broadcastingon rural radio stations in the target areas, hadconducted publicity campaigns and assisted inthe completion o two priority monographs.

welve additional monographs are in variousstages o completion, with fve awaiting fnallocal approval. UNDP has been quick to aidcommunities in realizing the strategies that theyset out, and our monograph-based projects arealready underway, targeting local needs or clean

water and inrastructure improvement.

Long-term

stabilization can

oster

development.

Security or DevelopmentTranslating earl recover into development

Budget 2007

Source $ m

France 0.87

Total 0.87


CHAD

CAMEROON

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

NIGERIA

CONGO

CONGO

Ouham

Kmo

Ouham Pend

Nana-Gribizi

Bangui

Obo

Nola

Bria

Sibut

Ndl

Bouar

Birao

Mobaye

Mbaki

Bozoum

Bambari

Bossangoa

Berbrati

Bangassou

Kaga-Bandoro


Town

Projectarea

Road

Prefecture

DARFUR


16/32

UNDP Programmes: Fighting HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS inection in the Central Arican Republic is estimated to be thehighest in the region and the tenth highest in the world. A highly degradedpublic health sector urther complicates the challenge.

Fighting HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS IN CAR

6.2 per centprevalence rate(15-49 years)

Prevalence inurban areas twiceas high as in ruralareas

Estimated 140,000children orphanedby AIDS

HIV/AIDS continues to ravage the Central

Arican Republic at an alarming pace. Tecountrys prior instability deprived many citi-zens o meaningul action on the disease, andprevalence rates climbed accordingly. As o2007, an estimated 6.2 per cent o the adultpopulation was estimated to be inected-giving CAR the highest inection rate in theregion and the tenth highest in the world.

HIV/AIDS has the potential to destabilizethe social abric o ragile countries, as wellas to undermine the ecacy o development

projects. UNDP works to build CARscapacity to conront this spectre by cooperat-ing with the government to design practicablestrategies. Our eorts have embraced the threeones principle, emphasizing the need or onenational action plan, one national coordinatingauthority and one monitoring and evaluationmechanism.

UN agencies are active in the fght againstHIV/AIDS at dierent levels in CAR, withsignifcant support coming rom UNAIDS

and the World Health Organization (WHO),among others. In 2007, UNDP concentrated onpromoting a single national coordinating

authority, the National Committee to FightAIDS (CNLS), by bolstering its capacity toguide national eorts to combat the disease.

Apart rom capacity building, UNDP wasretained by the Global Fund to fght AIDS,uberculosis and Malaria to implement GlobalFund projects in CAR. Under these multi-yearprogrammes, 80,000 Central Aricans havebeen tested or HIV, and nearly 18,000 inectedchildren have received medical care.

Global Fund-fnanced programmes also ocuson malaria and tuberculosis, with UNDP sup-plying health centres around the country withmedication and oering crucial training olocal health personnel and the general popula-tion, particularly outside Bangui.

UNDP is positioned to remain a keystrategic partner as the country escalates itsfght against HIV/AIDS, and our success isreected by the Global Funds decision torenew our partnership. Working with the gov-ernment, other UN agencies and NGO part-ners, UNDP has helped to mobilize bothresources and strategies around an issue withcritical implications. UNDP has continued toocus on building government capacity through-out these eorts, aiming to empower CAR

authorities to assume direct projectmanagement as quickly as possible.


Project $ million

Accelerating the Fight Against HIV/AIDS 0.06

Caring or AIDS Orphans* 1.40

Caring or People Living with HIV* 1.66

Fighting Tuberculosis* 0.36

Fighting Malaria* 5.04

Total budget 8.52

* Global Fund to ght HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

UNDPs main role

in HIV/AIDS is to

build government

capacit to

conront the

spectre o HIV/AIDS over the

longer term.


17/32


STRATEGy

A 2005 UNDP studysupports much

o UNDPs currentwork on HIV/AIDSin CAR.

Local initiatives to conront HIV/AIDShave prolierated in recent years in CAR,particularly since the elections o 2005 thatbrought relative stability to the country. As theinternational presence in CAR has increased,greater resources have also become available tocombat HIV/AIDS, putting added pressure onthe government to develop a coherent strategyto stem the spread o the disease and addressthe needs o aected people.

Past UNDP projects have supported thegovernment in organizing the NationalCommittee to Fight AIDS to coordinate thefght against the disease. UNDP also assisted inpast public awareness campaigns in CAR andrecognizes the need to accelerate this fght in away that ensures the coherence o national andinternational eorts.

UNDP activities in 2007 sought to oster thisacceleration, chiey by assisting governmenteorts to scale up its programmes, both in

terms o their scope and their reach. UNDP worked with the government to organize auture general assembly on HIV, based on the

perceived need to rally awareness and engage-ment through a broad-based meeting betweenauthorities and civil society groups.

UNDP also provided technical andfnancial assistance to the NationalCommittee to Fight AIDS (CNLS). In 2007,UNDP supported the CNLS in drating acomprehensive national coordination strategyor HIV response. Tis strategy resulted in acoordination manual that will be distributed

to all the relevant actors, outlining nationalpriorities in fghting AIDS.

By the end o 2007, the coordination manual wasawaiting fnal government approval, expected in2008. Follow-up activities will include the drat-ing o companion guides that will set out similarstrategies or programme planning andmonitoring and evaluation.

UNDP-unded activities also worked to orgeinternational support or the governmentsAIDS strategy, including by contributing toeorts to create a common UN action plan orthe strategys implementation.

UNDP supports

the governments

eorts to

coordinate action

on HIV/AIDS

in the countr.

Accelerating the Fight Against HIV/AIDSSupporting CAR in leading the charge against AIDS

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 0.06*

Total 0.0

Total budget since2006: $275,000* $40,000 o 2007 budgetspent through DemocraticGovernance programmes.


18/32

UNDP Programmes: Fighting HIV/AIDS8

One o the more silent - though no lessdevastating - consequences o AIDS are thechildren who are aected by the disease. In theCentral Arican Republic, as prevalence rates

have climbed to become the highest in theregion, children are increasingly aected, bothas direct victims and as orphans let behind byparents who have succumbed to the illness.

Caring or these children presents a unique seto challenges, as it requires a mix o legal, socialand medical advocacy. Te project on childrenaected by HIV/AIDS, fnanced by the Glob-al Fund, seeks to support children aected byAIDS, particularly by aording them medicalcare and social opportunity.

In addition to providing medication, the projectlobbies or legal protection and social integra-tion o AIDS-aected children, as well as worksto bolster the capacity o national institutionsthat care or them. Collaborating with morethan fteen NGOs and associations, the projectoered important training to local partners,thus strengthening the capacity o CentralArican civil society to meet these needs.

Te multi-year project fxed three priorityareas or its work, ocusing on medical, legaland social care. Each o these areas had seenimportant achievements by the end o 2007.

Medical care

Since 2005, the project has assured themedical care o 17,891 children (165 per cent othe anticipated fgure) who have been orphaned

or otherwise made vulnerable by AIDS. Othese children, 736 were HIV-positive and re-ceived antiretroviral treatment. In addition, 189health proessionals and 310 social workers hadreceived training by the end o 2007.

Legal protection

Working to enhance legal protection orchildren made vulnerable by AIDS is a keyobjective. By the end o 2007, the project hadtrained 143 experts in the legal implications orthese children, including 78 employees o the

Ministry o Justice and 65 rom the Ministryo Social Aairs. Te project also conductedtraining or 195 NGO and community leaders.

Social reintegration

Finding sustainable homes or aected childrenconstitutes one o the projects most importantchallenges. Since 2005, 10,819 children havebeen integrated into local amilies. Teseamilies benefted rom ood assistance inorder to ease any diculties associated with thetransition. In addition, 12,297 children wereput back in school by the end o 2007, a keystep towards their social reintegration.

Children Aected by HIV/AIDSCaring or the most vulnerable

Budget 2007

Source $ m

Global Fund 1.4

Total .


HIV/AIDS can

aect children

not onl through

inection, but

through severe

social disruption.

CHILDREN & AIDS

Estimated 140,000children orphanedby AIDS in CAR

Nearly 18,000aected childrenreceived medicalcare

Over 12,000aected childrenreturned to school


19/32


Te Global Fund, in addition to looking outor the interests o children aected by AIDS,has sought to address the needs o people livingwith the disease. UNDP was selected to imple-

ment a multi-year project to respond to theseneeds at both practical and institutional levels.Because an estimated 6.2 per cent o CentralAricans are living with HIV or AIDS, thereis an urgent need to advocate on these peoplesbehal and to provide direct care.

Working chiey with the government and theNetwork o Central Aricans Living with HIV/AIDS, the project identifed two primary goals:establish testing centres around the country andprovide treatment to people living with HIV.

UNDP worked to achieve these goals in 2007,the frst year o a two-year eort, within theramework previously set out by the NationalCommittee to Fight AIDS.

A network o eight testing centres wasoperational by the end o 2007. Tesecentres also target people living with HIV orthe distribution o antiretroviral (ARV) andother drugs. A urther eight centres had beenconstructed and slated or opening in 2008.

By the end o the year, the project was able to

cover the costs o medical exams or over 11,000HIV-positive patients, increasing the likeli-

hood that related inections would be caughtearlier and treated successully. Tese exams eddirectly into treatment or over 90 per cent opatients in whom tests identifed opportunistic

inections. In total, more than 77,000 peoplehad been tested by the end o the year.

Te project also ocused eorts onHIV-positive pregnant women, working tominimize the chances that they pass inection totheir newborns. As a result, the project providedARV treatments to over 2,000 pregnant womenwho tested positive or HIV. ARV treatmentduring pregnancy can reduce the chance otransmission by up to two-thirds, constitutingan important plank o the strategy to contain

urther spread o the disease. In addition, 219health workers were trained in the preventiono mother-to-child transmission.

UNDP and the Global Fund remaincommitted to assisting Central Aricansliving with HIV/AIDS as a critical part oour objective to address the epidemic and itsconsequences or development. With undingassured through the end o 2008, the projectwill continue to expand its activities in the yearto come.

UNDP oversaw the

construction o

voluntar HIV

testing centres

around the

countr.

People Living with HIV/AIDSAdvocating or Central Aricans living with HIV/AIDS

Budget 2007

Source $ m

Global Fund 1.7

Total .7

Total budget through2008 : $18.6 million

CHAD

CAMEROON

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

NIGERIA

CONGO

CONGO

Bangui

Obo

Nola

Bria

Sibut

Ndl

Bouar

Birao

Mobaye

Bozoum

Bambari

Bossangoa

Berbrati

Bangassou

Kaga-Bandoro


Testingcentre

Road

Prefecture

DARFUR

RESPONSE TO HIV

77,236 peopletested or HIV bythe end o 2007

2,156 pregnantHIV-positivewomen givenARVs

11,246 HIV-positive peoplegiven medicalexams


20/32

UNDP Programmes: Fighting HIV/AIDS20

Although UNDP eorts concentrate mainlyon combatting HIV/AIDS, we also recognizethe grave consequences that other diseases -particularly malaria and tuberculosis - can have

on the countrys development. Te CentralArican Republic sits in the middle o Aricasmalaria belt, meaning that its citizens arehighly aected by the disease, with nearly100,000 reported cases in 2003.

UNDP was selected by the Global Fund toimplement a multi-year project seeking to rollback malaria in CAR. Tis project includedboth building institutional capacity, wherebyUNDP worked with government ocialsto crat anti-malaria strategies, as well as a

direct implementation role. In 2007, the projectcontinued to supply malaria preventiontools and treatment to the population, with aparticular ocus on pregnant women andchildren under fve.

Te project had three principal ocuses:encouraging the proper care o malaria-inectedCentral Aricans, bolstering prevention activi-ties and building the capacity o relevant orga-nizations and the Ministry o Public Health.

Caring or malaria patients

Between 2005 and the end o 2007, theproject treated over 130,000 children under

fve in health acilities around the country.Seeking to build capacity, the project traineddoctors, health workers and laboratorytechnicians, as well as ensured that more than

500 health centres had an unbroken supply omedication. Recognizing that many patients donot visit health centres, the project also trainednearly 2,500 community health workers toprovide home-based malaria care.

Bolstering prevention

Prevention is currently the most cost-eectivestrategy to combat malaria. UNDP ocusedstrongly on making prevention tools avail-able in CAR, distributing over hal a milliontreated mosquito nets by the end o 2007. Te

project also trained over 500 service providers intreating mosquito nets with insect repellent,thus ensuring uture sustainability. Looking toattack vulnerability, the project also adminis-tered intermittent preventive treatment (IP)to over 60,000 pregnant women.

Institutional capacit

Working principally with the Ministry oPublic Health, UNDPs malaria projectcollaborated with CAR ocials on the dratingo a national malaria strategy. Tis strategy willcreate a national ramework or malaria action,providing a road map or both domestic andinternational actors.

Fighting MalariaRolling back a major threat to public health

Budget 2007

Source $ m

Global Fund 5.0

Total 5.0


Malaria is

estimated to kill

over one million

people ever ear

around the world.

MALARIA IN CAR

Nearly 100,000cases reported

132,474 childrenunder ve treated

66,174 pregnantwomen given IPT

563,128 treatedmosquito netsdistributed


21/32


TB IN CAR

CAR is one o 22countries that

account or over 80per cent o globaltuberculosis cases.

uberculosis (B) requently aects peoplewith HIV/AIDS, and the Global Fund awardedmulti-year unding to UNDP to mount a cam-paign against the disease in the Central Arican

Republic. With a prevalence rate o 483 peopleper 100,000 citizens in 2005, CAR is one o22 countries in the world that account or 80per cent o global tuberculosis cases. Inectioncontinues to spread owing to the rapidevolution o HIV/AIDS in the country, as wellas the severe degradation o health inrastruc-ture ater years o political instability.

Although tuberculosis aects the broaderpopulation, people suering rom HIV/AIDSare particularly at risk, and the project recog-

nizes the link between these two struggles. womajor goals guided our work on tuberculosis in2007: reducing the direct impact on the popu-lation through testing and treatment, as well asstrengthening national capacity to conront thedisease.

Testing

Since 2005, the project has identifed over 6,000new cases o tuberculosis in CAR, providing aclearer image o the scope o the disease in thecountry. UNDP also worked to enhance the

capacity o testing centres around the coun-try, training essential technicians, including 80microscopists and other specialists.

Treatment

esting centres previously established by theproject continued to distribute ree treatment in2007. Medication was largely acquired through

the IDA Foundation, a non-proft pharma-ceutical organization that provides low-cost,high-quality products to developing countries.By the end o 2007, the project had treated atotal o 4,300 new B cases, and 56 testingand treatment centres had been equipped withmedication. Free treatment also led to apronounced increase in the number o peoplevisiting testing centres, yielding a clearer pictureo the disease and allowing treatment to reachmore people.

Strengthening national capacitBuilding CARs capacity to manage thefght against tuberculosis is a critical priority.UNDPs tuberculosis work systematicallysought to strengthen national capabilitieswhile achieving direct-impact results. Workingclosely with the National Programme to Fight uberculosis (PNL) throughout theproject cycle, Containing uberculosis trained137 health workers and more than 150 social workers in directly observed therapy (DO)and raising public awareness, respectively.

For ever 00,000

CAR citizens, 83

are estimated to

have tuberculosis.

Containing TuberculosisFighting a requent companion o HIV

Budget 2007

Source $ m

Global Fund 0.36

Total 0.3



22/32

UNDP Programmes: Democratic Governance22

Following ree and air elections in 2005, the Central Arican Republic turned itsback on years o political instability. UNDP has played a key role in supportingthis process and strengthening democracy in the country.

Democratic Governance

DEMOCRATIC CAR

2003

Franois Boziztakes power

2004

Nationalreerendumapproves new

constitution

2005

Franois Bozizelected presidentin second round

2005Parliamentaryelections

2010Next scheduled

presidential andparliamentaryelections

Recurring political crises severely reduced

capacity or public administration in CAR,leaving many state institutions eectivelypowerless, particularly outside the capital.

UNDP seeks to promote a robust democracyin CAR that will reinorce responsible institu-tions across the country. Free and air electionsin 2005 signifcantly bolstered this mandate,demonstrating the governments commitmentto democratic reorm.

Moving reorms rom theory intopractice remains challenging, however, andUNDPs main role is to assist the governmentthrough training, resource mobilization andcapacity reinorcement.

In 2007, UNDP emphasized the need tostrengthen local governing capacity as a meanso re-establishing trust between authorities andthe population, as well as to maximize grass-roots-level participation in government.

oward this end, UNDP implemented aproject ocused on the rehabilitation o local

justice mechanisms, emphasizing areas mostaected by previous strie.

UNDP also implemented a pilot local gov-ernance project as part o a programme thatis slated or expansion in 2008. Tis projectocused on enhancing the capacity olocal leaders to govern democratically andsupported decentralization as a means oempowering local communities.

UNDP also worked to integrate gender equal-ity into governance eorts, ocusing on the roleo women in decision-making. rainings wereoered to members o the Central AricanNational Assembly on negotiation, as well as onUN Security Council Resolution 1325, whichrequires parties to conict to respect womens rights. UNDP and other UNagencies also examined how CARamily law could be brought into line withthe Convention on the Elimination o AllForms o Discrimination Against Women.

Looking ahead to 2008, UNDP has beeninstrumental in securing over $800,000 romthe UN Peacebuilding Fund to support anational political dialogue aimed at bringing allo CARs political actors to the table.

In partnership with the UN PeacebuildingSupport Oce in the Central Arican Republic(BONUCA), UNDP will leverage the experi-ence o previous democratic governance projectsinto a national eort, scaling-up prior democra-tization and good governance campaigns into amajor exercise that oers the possibility o lasting

reconciliation and stability.


Project $ million

Local Justice 0.58

Local Governance 0.20


Photo: UNDP


23/32


LOCAL JUSTICE

Building justiceat the local levelallows the govern-

ment to have apositive impact onthe people.

Launched in 2006 with signifcant supportrom the government o France, UNDPs localjustice project - implemented by the Ministry o Justice - ocuses on the rehabilitation o the

local justice sector, particularly in areas thatwere severely aected by past instability.

Now in its second year, the project seeks toimprove Central Aricans access to justice bystrengthening the countrys judicial inrastruc-ture - ocusing on both ormal and traditionalsystems. Te project also promotes traditionalapproaches to conict management and therecognition o human rights more generally.

In order to be truly operational, a justice

system requires a physical inrastructure thatcan acilitate law enorcement and allowtraining to move into practice. UNDPprioritized the rehabilitation o local-levelinrastructure in 2007, recognizing the needto build a solid oundation or the systemsrenewal, particularly in ex-conict zones.

Courthouses in our cities - Sibut, Kaga-Bandoro, Bozoum and Bossangoa - weretargeted or rehabilitation, including recon-struction and the provision o oce supplies

and computer equipment. Municipal oces were provided with record books and storageacilities to allow them to keep better public

records. By supporting a core network o locally-responsive institutions, UNDP helped to createa stronger commitment to justice in zones thathad previously been wracked by violence.

Te project also remained aware o theneed to oer training on legal practice andhuman rights. 360 village and neighbourhoodchies were trained in 2007, many o whomwere subsequently equipped with basic suppliesto carry out their role. In addition, the proj-ect organized a series o workshops dedicatedto raising public awareness o human rights,mostly targeting rural womens groups.

Although the main ocus was local justice, the

project also participated in several key nationalexercises, including the Special Assembly onJustice - a national orum organized to identiyneeds and prioritize action within the justicesector. Tese discussions represented a key steptowards expanding the rule o law across thecountry.

Finally, the project played an importantpart in building the capacity o the CentralArican Womens Legal Association (AFJC)and in establishing AFJC liaisons in project

target areas, thereby linking local initiatives to thestrengthening o the national justice system andwomens empowerment.

Renovation o

inrastructure is a

precondition to

renewing the

justice sector in

CAR.

Local JusticeStrengthening democrac b restoring justice

Budget 2007

Source $ m

France 0.42

UNDP 0.14

Ireland 0.02

Total 0.58

Photo: UNDP


24/32

UNDP Programmes: Democratic Governance2

An historical tendency towards centralizedgovernance ostered a legacy o local neglectin the Central Arican Republic. Te currentgovernments desire to pursue decentralization

is a signifcant break rom this tradition, andit oers CARs partners a key opportunity topromote democratic gains in the country.

Under current Central Arican law, thecountry is divided into administrativecommunes. However, years o politicalinstability have resulted in many local insti-tutions that are highly ineective, and manylocal authorities lack the training to ulfl theirresponsibilities adequately.

In 2007, UNDPs local governance projectsought to reinorce the quality o local gover-nance as a means o making democracy directlyrelevant to target communities. Working withlocal authorities, the project organized a serieso trainings and workshops intended to encour-age a better understanding o the managementand planning o public administration, as wellas a more thorough engagement in civic lie onthe part o the population.

UNDP also worked to identiy institutionalpartners capable o promoting good governanceat the local level. Te project sought to enhancethe capacity o the national High Commission

on Decentralization and that o the CentralArican Association o Mayors by providingoce supplies, computer equipment andtraining to both groups.

wo subsequent workshops in Bambari andBangui ocused on the importance o localgovernance in development or over 100 localauthorities. Te High Commission on Decen-tralization and six local-level mayors were alsoinvited to participate in a regional training onlocal governance in Burkina Faso, exposingthem to experiences rom outside the country.

Tese meetings constituted an importantopportunity to create networks with each otherand with counterparts abroad, thus temperingtheir dependence on the political centre. Teseactivities sought to convey to local authoritiestheir crucial role in the development process, aswell as to encourage urther progress on decen-tralization at the national level.

More globally, the local governance proj-ect sought to increase the positive impact ogovernment on local peoples lives. For thisreason, UNDP also ocused its eorts onlocal radio stations in Bambari, Berbrati andBouar, bolstering their role in inorming citi-zens on the activities o their governments inorder to encourage greater local participation.

Local GovernanceBuilding grassroots participation

Budget 2007

Source $ m

UNDP 0.2

Total 0.2

Total (2007): $200,000

Decentralization is

ke to entrenching

democrac across

the countr.

EMPOWERMENT

Over 100 localauthoritiesparticipated intwo workshops

Regional trainingin Burkina Faso ormayors and HighCommission onDecentralization

Capabilities olocal radio stationsstrengthened inthree cities


25/32


Relatively unpolluted, the Central Arican Republic aces the prospect oenvironmental degradation due to growing energy needs and poor oversight.Major threats include deorestation, desertication and water pollution.

Energ andthe Environment

Meeting energy needs while maintaining asustainable approach to environmental man-

agement remains a key objective or develop-ing countries, including the Central AricanRepublic. In CAR, the use o wood as a uelsource (whether consumed directly or turnedinto charcoal) could threaten the environmentalbalance in some places, especially as areasaround urban centres become deorested.

Te mainstreaming o environmental issuesand their potential impact has seen signifcantglobal UNDP eorts, not the least o which wasdesignating climate change as the theme o the

2007-08 Human Development Report.

ranslating this corporate ocus to the locallevel, UNDPs role in CAR is to support thedevelopment o a sustainable energy sector inthe country. Currently, this objective takes theorm o assisting the government in buildingthe institutional capacity to create and enorceappropriate environmental protection.

Collaboration between the government andUNDP in 2007 was chiey at the ministeriallevel and sought to empower the governmentto survey its needs in order to ulfl its envi-ronmental mandate. CAR national participa-tion at the December 2007 UN-led talks onclimate change in Bali indicates the seriousness with which the government views the issue,

and UNDP works to integrate environmentalconcerns into development planning on a largerscale within the country.

wo projects marked UNDP activities inCAR on the environment in 2007. Withunding rom the Global EnvironmentFacility (GEF), a pilot project was completedthat sought to bolster the countrys ability tomanage desertifcation by developing a legalramework. GEF support was also instrumentalin acilitating a project that examined govern-

ment capacity or environmental management,which will result in a national action plan to bepublished in 2008.


Project $ thousand

Environmental Management 138

Controlling Desertication 11

Total budget (major activities) 9

Deorestation

is a serious con-

sequence o the

populations

dependence oncharcoal as an

energ source.

Given the heavy toll o preceding years insta-bility, many institutions in CAR - includingthose charged with environmental regulation- saw their capacity signifcantly diminished.UNDP has ocused on re-building this capac-

ity, both through awareness campaigns meantto raise the profle o environmental issues andby studying what capacity already exists.


26/32

UNDP Programmes: Energy and Environment2

Environmental Management ()

As the Central Arican Republic begins toace possible consequences o environmentaldegradation, UNDP has assisted the country

in evaluating its environmental managementcapacities. Although at little risk rom internalpollution, many Central Aricans rely on woodas a main uel source, resulting in a concerningtrend towards deorestation, particularly aroundurban centres.

Beyond the possible long-termconsequences o deorestation, CAR citizensace immediate challenges owing to environ-mental mismanagement, including low levelso access to clean water - indicating a need to

manage the countrys natural resources moreeectively.

Te frst step in this process is a comprehensiveevaluation o what capacities exist in CAR tomanage environmental issues. Tis study, ledby the government, allowed ocials to identiypriority areas in need o urther support. Teevaluation ocused not only on the need or thegovernment to manage domestic environmentalconcerns, but on its ability to adhere to interna-tional standards as well.

Te fnal report, which will be completed in2008, represents a national diagnostic o what is

needed in the years ahead. Te document repre-sents collaboration across the government andwill be the basis or the subsequent drating o anational environmental action plan.

Controlling Desertication (2)

Focusing specifcally on the threat o desertifca-tion and associated soil degradation, which canlead to serious declines in agricultural produc-tivity, UNDP has worked with the CAR gov-ernment to reinorce the countrys legal capac-ity to meet these challenges. By strengtheningthe legal ramework regulating land use, CARwill be able to develop a regulatory mechanismthat can more eectively balance uel needs andenvironmental concerns.

As a pilot exercise, this projects main objectivewas to assist the government in identiying itsneeds and priorities or regulating desertifca-tion and managing its consequences. Imple-mented entirely by the Central Arican govern-ment, UNDPs role was to assist in preparinga resource mobilization strategy and in trans-lating the results o initial investigations into aormal project proposal or uture ollow-up.

Tis exercise has led to the ormulation o amedium-sized project that will design a

national strategy to combat desertifcation andsoil degradation.

Environment projectsPilot projects la the oundation or uture eorts

Budget 2007 ()

Source $ k

GEF 149

UNDP 26

Total 75

Total since 2005:$250,000

Establishing a

baseline o CARs

environmental

capacities is the

rst step towards

building eective

management.

Budget 2007 (2)

Source $ k

GEF 11

Total

Total since 2005:$31,000


27/32


UNDP has added value to humanitarian action and early recovery in CAR,not only within the UN System, but across non-governmental organizations,donors and the government.

Assisting the AidCommunit

UNDP is committed to improving collabora-tion across UN agencies, ocial actors andnon-governmental organizations to improvethe impact o development and humanitarianassistance in the Central Arican Republic.

In 2007, UNDP worked with NGOs

and other agencies to acilitate access tohumanitarian unding through the UN CentralEmergency Response Fund (CERF), andthrough the CAR-specifc EmergencyResponse Fund (ERF) mechanisms.

Approved partner unding in 2007

Funding mechanism $ million

CAR Emergency Response Fund (ERF) 5.2

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) 1.4Total unding approved or partners .

Designated as the custodian o ERF unds,UNDP raised a total o $5.78 million indonor pledges or the ERF. Ater establishingan emergency reserve and covering administra-tive and auditing expenses, UNDP secured $5.2million or 21 NGOs and other UN partners.

Te separate UN Central Emergency ResponseFund (CERF) is a UN unding mechanism thatallows agencies to access additional money inurgent cases. Tough limited to United Nationsorganizations, UN agencies may apply on behalo qualifed NGO partners and transer undingor the implementation o specifc projects. In2007, UNDP secured $1.4 million in undingor seven NGOs through this process.

Ensuring more adequate resources or partnersworking in relie indicates a wider commitment

to collaboration that will strengthen the overallimpact o assistance in CAR.

UNDP was

instrumental in

securing $.

million in

unding or 2

partners working

mainl in

humanitarian

relie.

Ouaka

Haute-Kotto

Ouham

Mbomou

Vakaga

Lobaye

Haut-Mbomou

Bamingui-Bangoran

Kmo

Ouham Pend

Ombella M'Poko

Mambr-Kad

Nana-Mambr

Nana-Gribizi

Basse-Kotto

Sangha-Mbar

Bangui

Obo

Nola

Bria

Sibut

Ndl

Bouar

Birao

Mobaye

Mbaki

Bozoum

Bambari

Bossangoa

Berbrati

Bangassou

Kaga-Bandoro


UNHAS UNDSS

Projects unded by the ERF since 2007

ERF Donors 2007

Ireland 0.37

Netherlands 2.32

Norway 0.50

Sweden 1.49

UK 1.10

Total 5.78


28/32

UNDP in CAR28

Financial OverviewGeneral Countr Oce budget inormation

Country oce resources are largely divided between pro-

gramme and management expenses. Programme reers tobudgets and expenditures directly related to specifc projects.Management budgets and expenditures are made to ensureproper unctioning o the oce and sound administration.

Comparing the programme-management ratio gives anindication o how much o UNDPs money goes directlyinto programming versus administrative expenses.

Delivery indicates the degree to which projects individu-ally consume their budgets. ypically, targets are set belowthe approved budget as a saeguard against overspending in

one project pushing the entire country oce over budget.Programme delivery reers to the degree to which projectsspent against their budgets and targets, aggregated acrossthe country oce.

Major activities reer to the projects described in thisreport. In terms o expenditure and visibility, these projectsconstitute the largest activities within each practice areaand include unding through the CERF and ERF mecha-nisms. Major activities represented over 90 per cent o totalUNDP-CAR programme expenditure in 2007.

Historical trendsTe CAR country oce has expanded signifcantly in thelast several years, increasing programme spending by 13per cent over 2005 levels - and by more than 120 per centover 2004 levels. Despite a slight decrease in programmespending rom 2006 to 2007, there is a clear trend towardsgreater activity at UNDP-CAR, a trend that the oceintends to sustain in 2008 and beyond.

Basic nancial indicators (2007)Countr Oce budget

Programme budget $22,497,000

Management budget $1,997,000

Country Ofce budget $24,494,000

Countr Oce expenditure

Programme expenditures $20,261,508

Management expenditures $1,948,000

Country Ofce expenditures $22,209,508

Programme-management ratio

Management as % o programme expenditure 9.6%

Global UNDP Country Ofce average 18.8%

Programme deliver

Programme budget $22,497,000

Programme target $20,832,000

Programme delivery $20,262,000

Programme delivery as % o target 97.3%

Total programme expenditures (all ac tivities b practice area)

Poverty reduction $3,207,917

Crisis prevention and recovery $3,372,138

HIV/AIDS (including all Global Fund projects) $8,479,347

Democratic governance $1,023,021

Energy and the environment $160,030

Assisting the aid community $3,952,461

Other (coordination, etc.) $66,594

Total programme expenditure $20,261,508

Major programme activities expenditure $18,901,000

Major activities as % o total programme budget 93.3%

Total programme expenditures (b practice area)

Historical trends

Total programme expenditure over time

$9.1m

$17.9m

$22.5m

$20.3m

2004 2005 2006 2007

Poverty

Reduction

16%

Fighting

HIV/AIDS

41%

Democratic

Governance

5%

Crisis

Prevention and

Recovery

17%

Assisting the

Aid

Community

20%

Energy and

Environment

1%


29/32


GlossaryDenition o acronms

AFJC Central A rican Womens Legal Association

AIDS Acquired Immunodefciency Syndrome

ALCP Small Arms Control (UNDP-CAR project)

ARV Antiretroviral drug (against AIDS)

BCPR UNDP Bureau or Crisis Prevention and Recovery

BONUCA UN Peacebuilding Support Oce in the Central Arican Republic

CAR Central Arican Republic

CEMAC Central Arican Economic and Monetary Community

CERF Central Emergency Response FundCNDDR National Committee on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration

CNLS National Committee to Fight AIDS

CNPDR National Commission or Arms Reduction, Disarmament and Reintegration

DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration

DOT Directly Observed Terapy

EC European Commission

ERF Emergency Response Fund

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GEF Global Environment Facility

HDI Human Development Index

HIV Human Immunodefciency Virus

IDA International Dispensary Association

IPT Intermittent Preventive reatment (against malaria)

MDRP Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program

MDGs Millennium Development GoalsNGO Non-governmental organization

OCHA UN Oce or the Coordination o Humanitarian Aairs

PNLT National Programme to Fight uberculosis

PRAC Ex-Combatant Reintegration (UNDP-CAR project)

PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

PSPD Security or Development (UNDP-CAR project)

UCACEC Union centrafricaine des caisses d pargne et de crdit

UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS

WHO World Health Organization


30/32

UNDP in CAR30


31/32


32/32

United Nations Development Programme

Avenue Boganda, PO Box 872Bangui

undp central african republic - annual report 2007

Documents