RCAR 2006 - Cape Verde

(2) The UN has facilitated donor coordination meetings to discuss future funding for Cape Verde. While these monthly meetings are often not sector specific, some sectors have merited special meetings such as tourism, environment and drugs trafficking. The two "GAT" meetings (see above) also served as a fora to discuss donors' commitment to future funding.

(3)Regarding the facilitation of Cape Verde's accession to WTO, this is an area that still requires work and where unfortunately not much progress has been made in 2006. This issue was however discussed with partners in the "GAT" meetings (see above), and the consultant's report recommend that this be pursued. Further efforts will be made in 2007.

(4)This was discussed on many occasions, most importantly during the GAT meetings together with Cape Verde's development partners. It was also discussed in the consultant's report regarding recommendations for a smooth transition/graduation (see result 1 above).

(5)Some of the areas where the UN has assisted the country in its national development plans include: i. Supporting State reform and strengthening of institutional capacities (installation of observatory of Public Administration [PA], audit of the PA institutional structures); ii. Work on decentralisation with the support of the UN include five pilot municipalities that will test the participative budget, two important studies published (on local finances and managment of decentralisation and a forum on decentralisation held in October. iii. Strengthened capacity of country to fight agains trafficking of drugs and ensuring security of citizens (UNODC installed in Praia and projects running, "Mini-Dublin" group working, training of police chiefs in HR on all islands); iv. Gender: thematic group on gender created, support to country in preparing and presenting the first implementation report on CEDAW.

(6) Due to the small size of the resident UNCT it was decided that it would be more efficient to have only three thematic groups in 2006 (HIV/AIDS, Gender, MDG and an unplanned for, temporary Task Force on Avian Flu). The creation of a thematic group on governance has therefore been postponed to the first half of 2007 (it is expected to be created during an UNDAF review in 2007).

(2) The UN HIV/AIDS Technical Group (or "task force") is functional. Concrete joint UN-wide projects are being identified and a proposed joint programme on HIV/AIDS was sent to donors for funding in November 2006. If funded, it will be the task of the Technical Group to do the monitoring and follow up of this joint project.

In addition, within the framework of UN Reform, the Resident Coordinator stressed the need to strengthen the link between the normative work and the operational activities when supporting the national counterparts in achieving the MDGs, and especially the importance of national planning based on the MDGs with a view to mobilize internal and external resources.

Work on focus area 1 (Policies and Resources for scaling up) include: Most notable is the work on MDGs; The UN supported the Government in putting together a Steering Committee for the MDGs, co-chaired by the Minister of Finance and Public Administration and the Resident Coordinator. A national meeting was held, co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the Resident Coordinator, to find consensus for an MDG-based planning. Preparations for a second MDG report started, this time the report will be presenting data broken down by municipal levels. (The report is expected to be finalised end January 2007). In October, a training workshop on evaluating costing and needs for achieving the MDGs saw the participation of a wide range of national and international stakeholders. The workshop was chaired by the Resident Coordinator. The sectors chosen where evaluations for costings would be done are education, health and water and sanitation. The education sector will be presenting its needs, costing and national strategy for education in early 2007.

Also in the area of strengthening country capacity for aid coordination and management, the UN is assisting the Government by; providing staff to a newly created Aid Coordination Cell within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; coordinating the donors' response to the OECD 2006 Survey on the Paris Declaration; organising monthly donor coordination meetings etc.

Political and Economic Governance: The UN has also during 2006 worked to strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms, most notably through the work of UNODC, promoted work on local governance, facilitated increased participation by civil society.

etc. etc.

Discussions were held with the Government, to whom information of this new initiative was provided, its advantages, and what the expected contribution of national implementing partners would be. The Government was highly receptive of this initiative.

The HACT process started with information, sensitization and training workshops addressed to CO staff and representatives of implementing institutions. The Macro assessment report, based on existing national documents, was prepared by the UN, and approved by the Government. Two national consultants were recruited for conducting the micro assessment of national implementing institutions. A total of 27 implementing institutions, based in Praia and other municipalities, were assessed.

The FACE form was tested and is currently being used with some degree of success with the implementing partners, using both the cash advance and the direct payment modalities. Cape Verde is the first country to have used the FACE.

Cape Verde's participation in the General Assembly for reviewing the 2001 declaration on HIV/AIDS was ensured by the Permanent Representation of Cape Verde to the UN.

UNODC project office established in the UN House.

Offices prepared for rental/use by visiting World Bank missions as well as those from the IMF and African Development Bank.

Training in English and in Portuguese was on-the job, and formal Portuguese training was provided to the UN Coordination Specialist before the arrival to Cape Verde.