Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Conclusion

In 2007, BCPR advanced UNDP’s strategic goals, strengthened its support to country offices, and contributed to important global initiatives and partnerships. Key achievements included:

• Established and activated a network of rapid response advisers deployable within days of a crisis; 13 countries received support in their immediate crisis response.
• Provided targeted assistance for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in 36 countries around the world.
• Strengthened women’s security in Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, advanced gender justice in Somalia and Sudan, and promoted women’s networks in Colombia, Ecuador, Sierra Leone and Timor Leste.
• Initiated the roll out of a global rule of law programme in 17 conflict and post-conflict countries, with new programmes developed in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea-Bissau.
• Increased the number of disaster reduction advisers in high-risk countries to 13.These advisers provide expert technical advice and support to national governments.
• Worked with more than 50 countries to identify communities at risk of natural disasters and collaborated closely with the affected governments to introduce simple, cost-effective interventions to reduce the impact of natural hazards and climate change.

• Systematically integrated gender equality across all areas of programming, devoted 15 percent of BCPR’s funding allocations and staff time to gender-specific projects, and created a new gender window in the Thematic Trust Fund for Crisis Prevention and Recovery to monitor resources allocated to gender equality.
• With the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy, developed a four-year action plan for 2008-2011 to reduce risks associated with climate variability and change in 35 high-risk countries.
• Incorporated gender in its methodology for analyzing and designing conflict prevention programmes.
• Increased the number of signatories of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development to more than 70.
• Provided technical support to an inter-governmental process to develop a legally binding instrument that will prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. This led to the endorsement of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Dublin in May 2008.
• Developed a global UNDP policy on early recovery.

The achievements of the past year have laid a solid foundation on which to build in the coming year. As we look ahead, BCPR has two main goals: the first is to fully realize UNDP’s lead role in early recovery on both the global and country level; and the second is to ensure the newly launched Eight Point Agenda for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention and Recovery becomes fully operational, particularly at the country level.

Having prioritized these goals, BCPR has also mapped out a path to reach them. A primary focus for the coming year will be to strengthen support to UNDP’s country offices. In addition, BCPR will:

1. Improve the predictability, quality and timeliness of services: In order to improve UNDP’s services to prevent crisis, reduce risk and facilitate recovery, BCPR needs to expand the newly launched immediate crisis response initiative and strengthen partnerships on the ground.
2. Identify key programme areas: While fostering early recovery and promoting women’s security and empowerment remain key areas of emphasis, BCPR will strengthen its support to programmes in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; disaster risk reduction; and post-conflict needs assessments and recovery planning. It will also build on existing initiatives on conflict prevention, rule of law, economic recovery and armed violence reduction.
3. Boost advocacy efforts: BCPR’s advocacy efforts will emphasize both the Eight Point Agenda as well as the crucial link between disaster risk reduction and climate risk management. It will also seek to rally support for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.