2007 Annual Report

Significant strides have been made towards a more democratic world. Still, far too many democracy deficits remain. These occur whenever too much power is concentrated in too few hands, or when basic public services fail to function or reach people in outlying areas. They arise when certain groups are denied access to the political process because they cannot vote or join political parties, or when the law is not consistently applied, impunity prevails, and access to justice is denied.

Long-term assistance has supported Timor- Leste’s Parliament in expanding its capacities to enact legislation and approve the national budget. International expert advisors provided by UNDP have aided with organizational restructuring and helped develop management skills.

When democracy deficits persist, they weaken societies by reinforcing inequities. So while it is essential to help countries put the basic mechanisms of democracy in place, such as elections, it is equally critical to support their capacity to make participation meaningful, in ways that touch the lives of citizens at large.

UNDP’s support for democratic governance is grounded in principles that reflect the organization’s core values, beginning with the basic purpose of human development being to enlarge people’s choices. Democratic governance expands people’s choices and aims at people controlling their own destinies.

To deliver the power of its potential to its people, a democracy needs institutions that work, such as a civil service that pays a decent wage; a justice system that operates independently; a parliament that stands up when those in power step out of line; power, water and other utilities that deliver services efficiently to all and a free media that gives citizens the information they need to decide how to cast their next vote. Building a strong democracy requires institutions that function. Institutions cannot be developed overnight and need to be built into each country’s development strategy.

Reaching the MDGs requires political will. Achieving the goals by 2015 is not just about technical choices. It also, and perhaps primarily, depends on whether the poor have political power and a voice in the political decisions that affect them.

UNDP has become one of the world’s leading providers of services to bolster democratic governance because it has proven it can deliver on the ground, often under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, in every region. It works with countries to strengthen the core democratic institutions of central, regional and local governments. It widens the channels for interaction between people and the state, including elections, political parties, civil society movements and the media. It helps develop the capacities of governance institutions to be more responsive to constituents, which improves accountability and representation. These contributions further the fair and consistent implementation of laws, and the equitable provision of public services.

UNDP places a special emphasis on governance capacities related to economic management because such management, informed by publicly agreed priorities, is essential for sustainable and equitable economic development. Moreover, UNDP supports democratic governance processes to help ensure they are grounded in internationally-recognized principles, including human rights.

UNDP supports an election somewhere in the world on average every two weeks. In much of its elections work, UNDP cooperates closely with the UN Department of Political Affairs, to bring together political and operational expertise.

For instance, in the 2006 election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UNDP worked closely with the UN Mission in the DRC to support the newly created Independent Electoral Commission. Together, they steered the largest and most complex UN electoral assistance mission ever undertaken, a $432 million joint effort funded by the Government, along with the European Commission and other donors. The election, with an 80 percent participation rate, was a major accomplishment in a country where up to four million people have died from the consequences of civil war, and democratic elections had not been held in more than 40 years. UNDP and the UN Mission provided vital technical and logistical support that helped the Guyana Elections Commission design and distribute 30 million ballot papers, and train 264,000 electoral workers. UNDP is providing support to this new democracy to develop the capacities to deliver basic social services to its constituents.

Preparing for an election can require months or years, and involves working on aspects from constitutional amendments to security preparations. Supporting Guyana in its efforts to hold a successful 2006 election began with a UNDP strategy first developed in 2002. The strategy targeted both the “software” and “hardware” of an election—in this case, social cohesion and electoral mechanics, respectively. Guyana has experienced violent elections since 1992, typically sparked by accusations of vote rigging, and drawing on deep distrust among different communities. The tension has dragged down Guyana’s potentially vibrant economy, keeping a full third of Guyanese in poverty. UNDP drew together national and international partners and other UN agencies around a programme working on multiple fronts. Civil society groups and political parties participated in monitoring constitutional reforms and political agreements, as the slow pace of reforms had been a major point of contention. Through a collaboration with Guyana’s Ethnic Relations Commission, 5,000 citizens joined local and regional dialogues on the historical causes of conflict and ways to promote harmony. These led up to a national conference on conflict resolution. Journalists committed to more balanced political reporting by signing a media code of conduct. With UNDP support, the Elections Commission procured electoral materials, tested the voters list and revised the system for reporting on results. This multi-pronged effort paid off during the vote. Media coverage improved and civil society groups delivered an outpouring of peace messages. For the first time in memory, the election was free of violence, and political opponents readily accepted the outcome.

A successful experience in Benin used elections as an opening to improve the ethics and transparency of political parties. Leading up to the 2006 elections, UNDP worked with a spectrum of political party leaders, private sector representatives and civil society groups on developing a code of conduct with 12 basic ethical principles. All 26 presidential candidates and the leaders of the 10 main political parties eventually signed on to the code. Some even began using it as part of their campaigns. The elections went peacefully, and the exercise was repeated for the 2007 legislative elections, becoming an opportunity for political parties and candidates to promote understanding of democracy again by promising their constituents they would uphold the code.

Globally, women’s lack of participation in politics remains one of the most significant democracy deficits. UNDP stands firmly behind the expansion of women’s participation as voters, candidates and political leaders. In 2006, it assisted Kuwait as women for the first time ever participated in parliamentary elections. Before and during the poll, UNDP partnered with civil society organizations to help prepare women running as candidates and to disseminate information about voting so that all women who wanted to vote could do so. Billboards, posters on buses and advertisements on television urged women to let their voices be heard. A leading expert on Islamic law came from Morocco to hold a series of seminars on Islam and women's political participation. In the end, no women candidates won seats in the new Parliament, but 35 percent of eligible women voted, a participation rate higher than in some long-established democracies.

In Mauritania, UNDP worked with three other UN agencies to foster national discussion on implementing quotas for women in politics, given a low participation rate of only 3.5 percent in Parliament and local town councils. The project prepared a study on the legal issues of quotas, trained potential women candidates, and with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) carried out a public awareness campaign on women’s political rights. After the Mauritanian Government adopted a 20 percent quota for electoral ballots in 2005, the 2006 elections brought about a transformation: 30 percent of elected local officials and 17 percent of parliamentarians are now women.

UNDP strongly advocates the need for statistical systems to disaggregate data by gender. Development policies can affect men and women differently, with women often coming out on the short end due to discrimination. Without data disaggregated by gender, these differences cannot be recognized or addressed. In Tunisia, UNDP has worked with national policy makers to develop specific indicators for measuring the impact of public policies on gender equality; these have been adopted by the Prime Minister’s Office; the Ministry of Women, Family, Children and Elders; and the National Council for Statistics. In Cambodia, new indicators used by donors and the Government guide policies related to domestic violence, girls’ education and maternal and child mortality. Much of UNDP’s work on governance indicators has been supported by its Oslo Governance Centre, which partners with leading thinkers from top research and policy institutions from around the world.

UNDP supports one in four parliaments globally. Parliamentarians can be powerful agents of change, particularly during and after times of crisis. Whether they are asking the tough questions, overseeing how resources are spent, or ensuring a newly-elected government lives up to its promises, they are key to making democratic governance deliver. For instance, the training and technical analysis UNDP has provided to the Parliament of Benin is helping improve oversight of the executive branch, ensure on-time budget approvals and speed the passage of legislation.
Training for women parliamentarians in the United Arab Emirates has increased their capacity to lobby and frame legislation, and led to specific policies benefiting women, including provisions for increased paid maternity leave, the introduction of paternity leave and compulsory nurseries within federal buildings. In Sri Lanka, where Parliament has only 13 women out of 225 members, UNDP first backed the formation of a women’s caucus, and then in 2006 sent 11 members of the caucus on a study tour to South Africa, where women have become a powerful political force. The Sri Lankan legislators learned about methods South African women have used to gain political influence, including positive action quotas. They returned home determined to begin advocating for new legislation to improve women’s participation. Through a collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Development, the caucus is already supporting steps to improve women’s leadership skills and to raise awareness, including within political parties, of women’s political rights.

Healthy democracies require fair and efficient public administrations. Support for public sector reform remains another major component of UNDP’s democratic governance portfolio, spanning civil service reform, policy development, sound statistical methods, improved social service delivery and well-functioning justice systems. In Liberia, for example, UNDP helped shepherd a peaceful election in 2005, following 14 years of war, and is now assisting with the rebuilding of its shattered public institutions. With UNDP support, the Government is revising the mandates of its 20 ministries. It is revamping its civil service regulations, creating a code of conduct for public servants and overhauling financial management procedures. An assessment of local governments, which are often on the frontline of public social service delivery, has produced recommendations geared toward defining their role in Liberia’s recovery and re-development. Already, in each of Liberia’s 15 counties, newly created District Development Committees supported by officials from the UN Country Team have been trained on skills related to basic social mobilization, conflict identification and resolution, and project management. They are now consulting with local community members to identify priority development projects. Other assistance is aiding the Ministry of Justice in raising the prosecution rates for sexual and gender-based crimes, including rape.

An important aspect of UNDP’s work in public sector reform involves capacity assessments, which identify gaps and priorities for improvement. In Afghanistan, the Government conducted a comprehensive review of capacities across its ministries, departments and agencies, producing a baseline assessment. UNDP is now supporting the Afghan Civil Service Commission in training officials to strengthen core governance functions. Complementary initiatives focus on developing the capacities of provincial and district administrations to improve public service delivery.

Governance that is transparent and accountable helps to ensure that development aid is channeled most effectively to those most in need. Whether it’s working with governments to stop the mismanagement of funds from natural resources like oil or helping legislators write effective laws to prevent mismanagement in the first place, UNDP is at the heart of global efforts to fight for transparency.

A 2006 UNDP report on corruption measurement in Latin America, done in partnership with Transparency International, offered more than 100 different tools for 17 countries. The report team worked closely with national partners to map the specifics of corruption patterns in each country and design indicators accordingly.

In Serbia, UNDP was able to provide assistance in the drafting and implementation of the Strategy on Public Administration, and in particular the new Civil Service Law, which promotes accountability and transparency in recruitment and promotion procedures, and discourages nepotism and corruption. Moreover, the project provided for the first time an assessment of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Agency, with recommendations and a work plan to improve the efficiency of these institutions, which are in the process of being implemented.
One example is in Mauritius, where UNDP has helped developed a National Human Rights Strategy and translated it into a national action plan. This has helped incorporate key international human rights instruments into domestic law, strengthening reporting to UN treaty bodies and implementing follow-up mechanisms to their recommendations. Moreover, the project allowed the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to coordinate an ambitious consultative process which, beyond the immediate output of generating a draft National Human Rights Strategy for Mauritius, opened up a unique space of policy dialogue and cooperation among state and non-state human rights actors. It also reinforced UNDP’s position as a partnership broker and trusted convener of complex multi-stakeholders processes in areas—democratic governance, and political, social, economic and cultural rights—that had not been at the centre of its local development agenda for quite a while.

In all of its activities, UNDP emphasizes partnerships with civil society organizations. In China, UNDP has partnered with the European Union to support the central Government’s new emphasis on civil society participation in the formulation of policies, programmes and laws. The programme includes analytical work on the contributions of civil society to China’s development, local and national consultations on laws governing these groups, pilot projects of innovative registration procedures for organizations, and pilot partnerships between the Government and civil society. Training is helping civil society representatives increase their organizational and communications skills. In 2007, UNDP began assisting several groups in expanding legal aid services in 15 provinces and strengthening women’s participation in local governance.

UNDP supports a free and informed media. Informing voters and monitoring corruption and the abuse of power, a free press is crucial to make democracy deliver for the poor. In the run-up to elections in post-conflict countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, UNDP enhances the know-how of local journalists to help them report independently and constructively on the democratic process.

During the run-up to the DRC’s 2006 election, a training session honed the skills of people managing polling stations

One example of UNDP’s work in economic governance is in Ecuador, where UNDP has collaborated with UNICEF and UNIFEM to sponsor the National Fiscal Policy Observatory, which independently monitors fiscal policies and trends in public finances. Comprising 20 civil society representatives with diverse political perspectives and economic expertise, the observatory emphasizes accountability in the use of public funds, and has helped the central Government make public accounts transparent and available for public scrutiny. Regular macroeconomic analysis, policy recommendations and monthly bulletins assessing social spending provide an invaluable resource for the public sector, trade unions, universities, and political and economic organizations. National newspapers and 30 national radio stations routinely cover observatory reports, which have also been picked up by major international investment banks such as JPMorgan and UBS. Now funded with additional support from the World Bank and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the observatory has most recently been involved in assessing fiscal policies for poverty reduction. A report on the issue was distributed to all candidates and political parties involved in the 2006 elections. It has since become the basis for ongoing debates among political organizations, civil society groups, the media and private sector interests about the protection of social investments and the need for fiscal discipline.

UNDP’s democratic governance work in individual countries both contributes to and benefits from UNDP knowledge networks. In 2006, in partnership with six leading providers of electoral assistance, UNDP launched the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (www.aceproject.org). A comparative data service covers 11 aspects of elections and 180 countries, while an electoral advice option fields questions on subjects from photographs on ballot papers to compulsory voting.

A new network, iKnow Politics (www.iknowpolitics.org), debuted in 2007, becoming the first virtual network linking women in politics throughout the world. Designed by women in politics, the network features an online library and a virtual forum where women can exchange ideas and advice about strengthening women’s political participation. It stems from a partnership between UNDP, UNIFEM and three other international organizations closely involved with democratic governance.