Distr.
GENERAL

DP/RCF/REC/1/EXTENSION I

15 November 1999

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

First regular session 2000

24-28 and 31 January 2000, New York

Item 3 of the provisional agenda
UNDP

UNDP: COUNTRY COOPERATION FRAMEWORKS AND RELATED MATTERS

EXTENSION OF THE FIRST REGIONAL COOPERATION FRAMEWORK FOR

EUROPE AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES

1. The first regional cooperation framework (RCF) for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, approved by the Executive Board at its second regular session 1997, was the first for a region that effectively came into being in the early 1990s. The RCF was designed to support the national programmes, country cooperation frameworks (CCFs) in a catalytic manner, in all sustainable human development (SHD) areas: poverty eradication through the development of SHD policies and indicators through national human development reports; gender equality; governance, focusing on democracy and participatory instruments and external resources management; sustainable livelihoods through the promotion of small- and medium-scale enterprises; and the environment.

2. The preliminary mid-term review conducted to ascertain whether the RCF was still in line with the demands of the region revealed that important contributions had been made by several of the regional projects, through effective support to national programmes or the enhanced advocacy of policies. It was felt, however, that the innovations marking the first RCF needed, from a programme-management perspective, better integration to enhance synergy between the themes. It was also noted that clustering the RCF projects as approved into two clusters would facilitate the dialogue between countries and the RCF by cutting through the parallel lines of the separate RCF project budgets. Consultations between UNDP, the Government and other development partners confirmed the continued relevance of the RCF areas of focus.

3. The management shift in the regional programme configuration through the programme-cluster approach thus achieves a greater identity with the most relevant issues facing the region, namely: (a) support to good governance and related activities which are part of the CCFs of the region; and (b) the adoption of SHD economic and social strategies through advocacy of policies. This is in conformity with the global UNDP development objectives of achieving human development in a regional perspective.

4. To enable the RCF to sustain these initiatives, and given that the regional development priorities have not changed, an extension of the current RCF was requested for one year to test the management-driven programme-cluster approach.

5. With this extension and a new RCF management programme structure, a comprehensive review of the RCF will be prepared during the first quarter of 2000 to focus on the substance of the RCF, as its management dimension has been dealt with. The results of such a review, to be submitted to the Executive Board at its annual session in June 2000, will help to shape and focus the next RCF to be submitted to the Executive Board in the context of the 2001-2003 cycle.

6. Against this background, the Administrator wishes to inform the Executive Board that he has approved the extension of the first RCF for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States for a period of one year beginning on 1 January 2000.

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