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2020 Annual Narrative Progress Report

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UN MULTI-PARTNER HUMAN SECURITY TRUST FUND FOR THE ARAL SEA REGION IN UZBEKISTAN ANNUAL 20 REPORT 20 4 TABLE OF CONTENS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................6 1. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FUND .........................................................................7 - MPHSTF Outcome 3. Local community access to affordable and healthy food and clean drinking water is secured ........................................13 - MPHSTF Outcome 4. The overall health of the local population is improved, and healthy lifestyle promoted .....................................................19 2. FUND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE ............................................................24 3. FUND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE ..................................................................34 Annex 1. HUMAN INTEREST STORIES ..................................................................43 Annex 2. MPHSTF RESULTS FRAMEWORK ..........................................................47 5 LIST OF ACRONYMS AC Advisory Committee on RCO Resident Coordinator Sustainable Development Office of the Aral Sea Region RoK Republic of CFP Call for Proposals Karakalpakstan CDPs Community development RMP Resource Mobilisation plans and Partnership Strategy CPAP Continuous Positive SC Steering Committee Airway Pressure of the UN MPHSTF EIB European Investment SDGs Sustainable Bank Development Goals EmOC Emergency Obstetric Care SIC ICWC Scientific-Information EU European Union Center of the Interstate Coordination Water FAO Food and Agriculture Commission of Central Organisation Asia HMIS Health Management SMEs Small and Medium-Sized Information System Enterprises ICT Information and ToR Terms of Reference Communications Technology TRP Technical Review Panel IICAS International Innovation TS Technical Secretariat Center for the Aral Sea of the MPHSTF Basin UNESCO United Nations JP Joint Programme Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation MCH Maternal and Child Health UNFPA United Nations MIFT Ministry of Investment Population Fund and Foreign Trade UNICEF United Nations MOH Ministry of Health Children’s Fund MPHSTF UN Multi-Partner Human UNDP United Nations Security Trust Fund Development Programme for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan UNODC United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations VCC Village council of citizens NMCR Near-miss Case Review WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene PUNOs Participating UN Organisations WHO World Health Organisation LIST OF ACRONYMS 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2020,, the UN Multi-Partner Human EU contributed USD 9.1 million to the Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Trust Fund, underscoring a high level of Region in Uzbekistan (MPHSTF), a multi- international commitment to mitigate the partnership financial and development negative consequences of the Aral Sea instrument of the Government of disaster. Just as importantly, the MPHSTF Uzbekistan, the United Nations, represents a good model of international international donors and the financial partnership, in which the Government of community, consolidated and expanded its Uzbekistan, the UN, and the international work towards a people-centred response to community have pooled their respective addressing the consequences of one of the resources and expertise to jointly deliver on world’s biggest man-made environmental the Trust Fund’s strategic objectives. This disasters. model of multilateralism is a critical step forward in the face of this environmental The MPHSTF recorded a number of crisis. successes in 2020. In particular, this report presents key achievements of the Fund, Within the Second Call for Proposals, the significant milestones for 2020, and some MPHSTF Steering Committee approved of the key achievements of the two joint an additional three Joint Programmes for programmes that were approved within the funding to the amount of USD 6 million, First Call for proposals (CFP) announced in addressing such priority areas as Youth, early 2019. Innovation, and Health Security. The first joint programme (JP), Another achievement is the official launch implemented by the United Nations of the Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development Programme (UNDP) and Development of the Aral Sea Region United Nations Educational, Scientific and in Uzbekistan, which aims to support Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) continued coherent, sustainable development in the to “Address urgent human securities in the region and implement the concept of the Aral Sea region by promoting sustainable Aral Sea being a Zone of Environmental rural development” in support of MPHSTF Innovations and Technologies. Outcome 3. This resulted in improved access to clean drinking water, increased The year 2020 was marked by the COVID-19 income generation and employment pandemic which had far reaching health, opportunities, and support for climate and socio-economic consequences. As change adaptation measures through the the pandemic grew, mitigation measures, findings of scientific expeditions to the including movement restrictions, drained bed of the Aral Sea. became widespread and impacted on the performance of development interventions The second Joint Programme, implemented all over the world, including within the by the United Nations Children’s Fund MPHSTF. Nevertheless, COVID-19 also (UNICEF) and United Nations Population created some opportunities, including Fund (UNFPA), focuses on “Improving the boosting the development of online and quality of perinatal care service to the most digital instruments to tackle the negative vulnerable mothers and newborns.” This consequences of the Aral Sea crisis. contributed to the Fund’s Outcome 4 and resulted in improved access to perinatal Going forward, the MPHSTF will focus services through improved infrastructure on encouraging others to join this effort, and trainings of medical personnel. so that the goal of ensuring the human security of the population affected by the In 2020, the Governments of Uzbekistan, global Aral Sea disaster can be achieved Finland, Republic of Korea, and the together. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 I. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FUND Donors continued to actively support the MPHSTF in 2020, which included additional contributions of USD 9.1 million from the Governments of Uzbekistan, Finland, the Republic of Korea, and the European Union. On November 2020, the Steering Committee approved three joint programmes amounting to USD 6 million within the Second Call for Proposals, addressing such priority areas as Youth, Innovation, and Health Security. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic and certain restrictions imposed in the country from March 2020, the first two MPHSTF joint programmes made significant progress towards Outcomes 3 and 4, including: the provision of clean drinking water to 3,491 rural people in 5 communities in Takhtakupir district; the selection of 6 business projects for co-financing. Of these, 2 were supported (Soap production and Improvement of Dentistry services) and 8 people employed. The remaining 4 business projects are at the stage of receiving deliveries of equipment. All 6 projects provided opportunities for 35 rural people to be employed, benefiting at least 5,537 people; on the dry seabed, 2 scientific expeditions were conducted, more than 30 plant species were identified from 1,500 different points, and these were recommended for planting on the dried seabed; improved technical and financial capacity of the Takhtakupir forestry department, which helped plant saxaul on over 3,000 hectares of land on the dried bed and created a nursery on 49 hectares of land for growing seedlings from drought-resistant plants and 58 hectares of pasture areas; 8 ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FUND the renovation of 3 perinatal centres in Kungrad and Beruniy districts and Nukus city. As a result, more than 8,900 mothers and 9,000 newborns directly benefited from upgraded infrastructure and improved quality of care. This led to a 40 per cent decrease in the antenatal mortality rate at the Nukus city Perinatal Center, and a nearly 30 per cent and 17 per cent decrease in early neonatal deaths at the Beruniy and Kungrad Perinatal Centers, respectively a total of 5 medical facilities (the Regional Perinatal Center, the Karakalpak Medical Institute, and the Beruniy, Kungrad and Nukus City perinatal centers) were equipped with sets of web-conferencing equipment for face-to-face training, online learning, and coordination meetings. On December 1, 2020, the UN, in cooperation with the Government, jointly hosted the Inaugural Meeting of the Advisory Committee to support sustainable development in the Aral Sea Region. More than 120 representatives from foreign missions to Uzbekistan, international financing institutions, UN agencies, international non-government organisations (NGOs), the private sector, and civil society organisations participated in the meeting. The creation of this Advisory Committee will enable constructive dialogue between all stakeholders on various aspects of development of the Aral Sea region. 11 12 13 UNDP and UNESCO Joint Programme “Addressing the urgent human insecurities in the Aral Sea region through the promotion of sustainable rural development” The JP’s goal is to address environmental, social, and economic insecurities in the most vulnerable communities of the Aral Sea region through comprehensive solutions to cope with environmental issues, promote access to basic services, improve living standards, and develop sustainable tourism. The JP aims
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