UNDP ERITREA NEWSLETTER Special Edition ©Undperitrea/Mwaniki
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UNDP ERITREA NEWSLETTER Special Edition ©UNDPEritrea/Mwaniki UNDP Staff in Asmara, Eritrea In this Issue 3. New UN Secretary General Cooperation Framework 10. Ground breaking 6. Eritrean Students receive 2017-2015. International Conference 708 bicycles from Qhubeka 8. International Day for the on Eritrean Studies held in Asmara 7. Government of the Eradication of Poaverty State of Eritrea and the marked in Eritrea 11. Fifty years of development, United Nations launch 9. International Youth Day Eritrea celebrates UNDP’s the Strategic Partnership celebration in Eritrea 50th anniversary Message from the Resident Representative elcome to our special edition of the UNDP Eritrea annual newsletter. In this special edition, we shareW with our partners and the public some of our stories from Eritrea. From the beginning of this year, we embarked on a new Country Programme Document (CPD) and a new Strategic Partnership Cooperation Framework (SPCF) between the UN and The Government of the State of Eritrea. Both documents will guide our work until 2021. In February 2017, we partnered with the Ministry of Education, Qhubeka, Eritrea Commission of Culture and Sports and © UNDP Eritrea/Mwaniki the 50 mile Ride for Rwanda to bring 708 bicycles to students in Eritrea. This UNDP Eritrea RR promoting the SDGs to mark the 50th Anniversary initiative is an education empowerment program in Eritrea that has been going Framework (SPCF) 2017 – 2021 between In 2017, I encourage each one of us to on for 2 years. the UN and the Government of the State reflect on our successes and lessons of Eritrea. learned in the previous years. We look Last year, UNDP celebrated its 50th forward to partnering in implementing anniversary and one of our partners, In 2016, 1060 young people graduated the new CPD and SPCF. the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from the Youth employment turned 25. It is also the year that all development skills project, some of countries started the implementation who have gone ahead to start their own of the Sustainable Development Goals businesses. In line with our work to (SDGs). In Eritrea, UNDP’s birthday was support gender equality and women celebrated in Anseba region, where we empowerment, UNDP supported the The Strategic Partnership Cooperation Framework (SPCF) visited some of our projects. This special National Union of Eritrean Women Between The Government of the State of Eritrea and edition presents a detailed coverage of (NUEW) to conduct trainings on The United Nations the UNDP at 50 celebrations in Eritrea. leadership. The climate change adaptation programme in Anseba region, 2017-2021 UNDP Eritrea supported both yielded many results. Together with “Delivering as One for SDGs” international and national events. some of our partners, we visited Gebsi One of the international event was the and Fiza villages to witness the impact of International Conference on Eritrean the grassroots interventions in Anseba January 2017 Studies (ICES) held in Asmara in region. Using solar powered irrigation, SPCF Launch Asmara, Eritrea on 20-22 July 2016. communities have been able to grow In collaboration with the National crops and breed dairy cattle. Union of Eritrean Youth and Students (NUEYS), we observed the International From our success stories, you will Youth Day (IYD) in Asmara on the 15th connect with Eritrean people as we of July. In October we jointly marked partner to spearhead soil and water the International Day for Eradication conservation initiatives, mitigate and of Poverty and the World Food Day in adapt to climate change, adopt the ©UNDPEritrea/Abraham Hamelmalo college of agriculture. We use of renewable energy and embrace culminated the year by launching the sustainable land management practices Strategic Partnership Cooperation and enhance improved livelihoods. 2 UNDP Eritrea Newsletter – Special Edition New UN Secretary General Biography António Guterres, the ninth Secretary- General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017. Having witnessed the suffering of the most vulnerable people on earth, in refugee camps and in war zones, the Secretary-General is determined to make human dignity the core of his work, and to serve as a peace broker, a bridge- builder and a promoter of reform and innovation. Prior to his appointment as Secretary- General, Mr. Guterres served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015, heading one of the world’s foremost humanitarian organizations during some of the most serious displacement crises in decades. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and the crises in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Yemen, led to a huge rise in UNHCR’s activities as the number of people displaced by conflict and persecution rose from 38 million in 2005 to over 60 million in 2015. ©UN/Mark Garten Before joining UNHCR, Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to Parliamentary Committee for Territorial 1999 until mid-2005. In addition, he 2002, during which time he was heavily Administration, Municipalities and founded the Portuguese Refugee Council involved in the international effort to Environment. He was also leader of his as well as the Portuguese Consumers resolve the crisis in East Timor. party’s parliamentary group. Association DECO, and served as president of the Centro de Acção Social As president of the European Council From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Guterres was a Universitário, an association carrying in early 2000, he led the adoption of the member of the Parliamentary Assembly out social development projects in poor Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs, and of the Council of Europe, where he neighbourhoods of Lisbon, in the early co-chaired the first European Union- chaired the Committee on Demography, 1970s. Africa summit. He was a member of the Migration and Refugees. Portuguese Council of State from 1991 to Source: https://www.un.org/sg/en/ 2002. For many years Mr. Guterres was content/sg/biography active in the Socialist International, Mr. Guterres was elected to the a worldwide organization of social Portuguese Parliament in 1976 where democratic political parties. He was he served as a member for 17 years. the group’s vice-president from 1992 During that time, he chaired the to 1999, co-chairing the African Parliamentary Committee for Economy, Committee and later the Development Finance and Planning, and later the Committee. He served as President from 3 A Continent of Hope By António Guterres ar too often, the world views Africa through the prism of problems. When I look to Africa, I see a continent of hope, promise and vast Fpotential. I am committed to building on those strengths and establishing a higher platform of cooperation between the United Nations and the leaders and people of Africa. This is essential to advancing inclusive and sustainable development and deepening cooperation for peace and security. ©UN/Mark Garten That is the message I carried to the recent African Union Summit in Addis UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres and former SG. Mr. Ban Ki-Moon Ababa, Ethiopia -- my first major mission as United Nations Secretary- adopted its own complementary and asset means more investment in General. ambitious plan: Agenda 2063. education, training, decent work, and engaging young people in shaping their Above all, I came in a spirit of profound For the people of Africa to fully benefit future. solidarity and respect. I am convinced from these important efforts, these two that the world has much to gain from agendas need to be strategically aligned. We must also do our utmost to empower African wisdom, ideas and solutions. women so they can play a full role in It starts with prevention. Our world sustainable development and sustainable I also brought with me a deep sense of needs to move from managing crises to peace. I am pleased that the African gratitude. Africa provides the majority preventing them in the first place. We Union has consistently placed a special of United Nations peacekeepers around need to break the cycle of responding too focus on gender equality and women’s the world. African nations are among late and too little. empowerment. the world’s largest and most generous hosts of refugees. Africa includes some Most of today’s conflicts are internal, I have seen it again and again: When of the world’s fastest growing economies. triggered by competition for power and we empower women, we empower the resources, inequality, marginalization world. The recent resolution of the political and sectarian divides. Often, they crisis in the Gambia once again are inflamed by violent extremism or I travelled to Africa as a partner, friend demonstrated the power of African provide the fuel for it. and committed advocate for changing leadership and unity to overcome the narrative about this diverse and governance challenges and uphold The United Nations is committed to vital continent. Crises represent at democracy, human rights and the rule working hand-in-hand with partners best a partial view. But from a higher of law. wherever conflict or the threat of conflict platform of cooperation, we can see the endangers stability and well-being. whole picture – one that spotlights the I left the Summit more convinced than enormous potential and remarkable ever that all of humanity will benefit by But prevention goes far beyond focusing success stories in every corner of the listening, learning and working with the solely on conflict. The best means of African continent. people of Africa. prevention and the surest path to durable peace is inclusive and sustainable With that perspective, I have no doubt We have the plans in place to build development. we can win the battle for sustainable and a better future.