The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for the Pacific, Mr Levan Bouadze, paid a farewell courtesy call to the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs, Mr Yogesh Karan, yesterday (12/12/2022).
On behalf of the Fijian Government, Mr Karan thanked Mr Bouadze for his commitment and service in the Pacific, particularly at a time when the region had encountered enormous challenges such as the climate crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.
UNDP’s support of Fiji’s national response during the pandemic, through re-programming efforts in consultation with the donors and mobilisation of new funds to the region at times of great need, was acknowledged at the meeting.
Mr Karan commended UNDP’s contributions to Fiji’s national development progress aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in building back better from the pandemic.
UNDP-Fiji cooperation notably in the areas of Rights, Empowerment and Cohesion (REACH) Project rollout for the Fijians in the rural and urban communities, Access to Justice Programme, Oceans-Blue Economy and Disaster Recovery and Resilience was also acknowledged.
The meeting highlighted that UNDP supported the Fijian Government’s development pathways to sustainable economic recovery with the establishment of the Fijian Sustainable Development Framework presented at COP27 in Egypt, with support for parametric climate insurance to enhance climate resilience in partnership with UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
In conclusion, Mr Karan took the opportunity to convey the Fijian Government’s best wishes to Mr Bouadze for his future endeavours, with assurances of the strengthened cooperation between Fiji and UNDP.
In response, Mr Bouadze extended his sincere appreciation to the Fijian Government for the support provided to him since he assumed his role as Resident Representative for the UNDP Pacific Office in 2019. He said it had been a great honour to serve the Pacific region and his stay here in Fiji is certainly memorable.
Additionally, UNDP has reaffirmed its partnership with Fiji and its people in progressing towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and leaving no one behind.
UNDP has close to 30 ongoing initiatives in Fiji in the areas of resilience and sustainable development, effective governance, and inclusive growth with gender equality mainstreamed across these three areas.
A key highlight is also the Coral Reef and Blue Economy-UNDP in partnership with UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and UN Environment Programme is working with Fiji to establish a sustainable financing and technical advisory facility. This facility will finance blue projects and business models that will provide income-generating opportunities for hundreds of women, men, and youth in climate change-vulnerable communities.
UNDP also supports the Fijian Government’s commitment to planting 30 million trees in response to the climate crisis. The initiative driven by the Fijian Government with the communities is the key to ensuring 6 major water catchments and their associated ecosystems are protected and conserved.
UNDP’s partnership also includes improving the resilience of community infrastructure and safe access to clean water, access to justice interventions to ensure a socially inclusive Fiji and increasing women’s political participation through gender-responsive law-making and promoting gender quality in public expenditure. UNDP also supports the economic empowerment of rural women through financial literacy.
The Fijian Parliament through UNDP has enhanced the capacity of parliamentarians on important aspects of Government processes. UNDP also supports the enhancement of democratic processes, such as improving community understanding of the electoral process and supports the strengthening of transparency and accountability principles in national institutions.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is the lead UN agency which strives to support the Pacific by coordinating the United Nations activities at a country level and through direct policy advice in the following areas: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acceleration, resilience and sustainable development, inclusive growth and poverty reduction, effective governance, gender equality, and environmental management, climate change and disaster risk management.
