Reintegration and recovery in the Northern Caucasus
Transition towards sustainable recoveryand development
By Kaarina Immonen, Resident Representative a.i., UNDP Russia

The North Caucasus is one of the most socially and economically vulnerable areas of the Russian Federation. Since 1991, UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations have been involved in humanitarian operations there. However, recent changes in the political, economic and social situation suggest the need to transition from humanitarian activities to support in recovery and development.

In this context, UNDP launched a three-year programme ‘Sustainable Reintegration and Recovery in the North Caucasus’ in November 2004 that tackles many of the development challenges facing the region. The main components of the programme include:
* Economic growth and employment creation through projects such as development of small and medium-size enterprises, business education and training, creation of business incubators and business centers, microfinance and leasing projects, and support to local entrepreneurs, together with the International Labor Organization.
* Support of agriculture, one of the most important sectors of the economy, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization.
* Good governance, which includes public administration reform.
* Peace building and tolerance, a critical issue for the region, which is made up of more than 300 ethnic groups and has suffered many conflicts in the past 100 years, including two military campaigns in Chechnya during the past decade.

Several results of the programme are worth highlighting:
* Achievements in improving livelihoods and fostering economic recovery, such as the establishment of Mobile Cattle Artificial Insemination Stations to contribute to the recovery of the dairy cattle sector. This initiative is being replicated in other regions.
* Promotion of the investment attractiveness of the republics of North Ossetia-Alania and Ingushetia through the publication of an investment brochure, websites and CDs, and by facilitating the participation of government officials and representatives of chambers of commerce in international investment forums.
* Mitigating the spread of avian influenza through support to specific regional government structures, as part of a broader UNDP effort to support the government of the Russian Federation.
* Supporting public administration reform through a series of seminars aimed at providing assistance to government officials in three republics. The training provided lessons learned in public administration reform and advice to adapt best practices to the specific conditions of the regions.
* Assisting peace building and tolerance efforts through the Artists’ Peace Building Project ‘Transformation: Unity in Recovery & Renewal’, which exhibited 85 works from 4 republics in Moscow in April 2005. The project helped the Artists’ Union increase its ability to fundraise, improved understanding between representatives of the republics, and provided positive media exposure for the North Caucasus and its peoples. Another project, a festival of Swedish films and books ‘Film and Children’, designed for children from North Ossetia-Alania, was organized by UNDP in coordination with the Embassy of Sweden and UNICEF. The festival will serve as a model for similar events in other republics. 

Lessons learned to date show that the success of the programme requires close cooperation and co-funding of the projects with local authorities and communities and their involvement at all stages of project development and implementation.

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