Introduction
Democratic Governance projects aim to increase accountability and transparency, as a means for enhanced and more inclusive economic and social development that leads to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Samoa-based UNDP Multi-Country Office (MCO) supports several vibrant democratic governance initiatives.
Information & Communications Technology For Development (ICT4D)
The geographic isolation of Pacific Island nations poses an excellent opportunity to employ the latest technologies for overcoming vast distances. Through e-governance and e-government initiatives, UNDP is continuing its work on strengthening democratic governance in the Cook Islands outer-islands, Tokelau, Niue and Samoa. E-government projects implemented in the Cook Islands and Niue aim to enhance efficiencies in government public services, e-tourism to boost Niue's tourist marketing strategy, and e-learning to increase the accessibility of rural villages and outer islands to information through ICT4D.
Aid Coordination
The MCO has invested heavily in the application of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and harmonization of donor assistance to the four countries under its parish (Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau). Strong leadership support to the development of the one regional United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), 2008-2012, has resulted in significant changes in the delivery mechanisms now adopted for the implementation of the Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD), 2008-2012, with particular emphasis on achievement of the MDGs through increased joint programming amongst UN Agencies. Greater and more targeted assistance will be provided to the governments to improve their aid coordination systems to support the roll-out of their National Sustainable Development Plans (NSDPs) / National Development Plans (NDPs), and achievement of the MDGs.
National Human Development Reports
The annual publication of the global UNDP Human Development Report provides an excellent platform for broadening people’s appreciation of internationally recognised issues. National Human Development Reports (NHDR) for Samoa, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue will be updated and/or newly published during the new cycle, aiming to provide holistic analyses and policy recommendations to national authorities (government and civil society) on a range of issues affecting the achievement of the MDGs and sustainable human development (SHD).
The key findings of the Samoa NHDR (2006) have been integrated into the current Multi-Country Programme Document, 2008-2012. The issue of rapid out-migration is a key constraint to SHD in Niue, and the outer-islands of the Cook Islands and will be researched thoroughly in the process together with UNFPA and other partners to unravel causal factors and propose practical, innovative and cost-effective ways of addressing this problem. Niue has acknowledged the significance of this issue in their addition of a ninth Goal to the MDGs: population retention. The Cook Islands have also added a ninth Goal centring on good governance. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques will be widely used in the production of NHDRs in an attempt to focus on the realities of small and isolated communities and practical solutions to their unique social and economic constraints.
Gender Mainstreaming And Human Rights
The mainstreaming of gender in all UNDP development programmes is one of the major objectives of the Country Programme. Recognising gender as a cross-cutting issue will ensure that the human rights of every citizen (men, women, boys and girls) are met through equal participation in production as well as benefits, and will also improve the efficacy of projects and lead to the achievement of better development results. For more information on gender mainstreaming in the MCO, click here.
Raising public awareness on justice and human rights issues is critical to the enabling environment for democratic governance. A rights-based approach to development programming is currently being applied by UNDP to all its development work. The UNDP MCO will continue to work with the UNDP Pacific Centre in the dissemination of human rights small grants for civil society organisations in the four countries covered by the MCO.
Democratic Governance
UNDP has supported Tokelau' s public sector reform process through policy development and capacity building, aimed at preparing the country for eventual decolonisation. Nation-building activities such as the drafting of the Tokelau Constitution, strengthening of the justice system, holding a national competition for its national flag and anthem, as well as wide consultations with its people on the meaning of self-determination and decolonisation were some of the activities supported by the governance programme.
Support for the national Referendum on the Treaty of Free Association with New Zealand conducted in Tokelau in October 2007, resulted in sixty two percent of the voters saying YES, but for the second time (the first being in February 2006) this was not sufficient to meet the required two-thirds majority to win the vote.
The MCO in 2008 was successful in applying for funds through the Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund, and so the Sub-Regional Youth Parliamentarians for Niue and Tokelau Project was developed. The project aims to give young people the opportunity to learn how government and government systems operate through training, and build capacity of young people to engage meaningfully in their communities to influence policy decision-making. It also aims to provide young people with an opportunity to discuss and advocate on relevant issues affecting youth; and will promote the active and equal participation of both young women and men in the training that will be conducted and the selection of the National Youth Officers.
Urban Governance
Urban governance initiatives in Samoa will focus on the emergence of non-traditional villages, beginning with the Vaitele area on the periphery of Apia. A programme will be undertaken with technical assistance from the Regional GOVPAC programme to develop a suitable rights-based governing system for such an area and will be implemented by the Samoa Planning and Urban Management Agency (PUMA), as a pilot project for the region.