RCAR 2007 - Peru

Peruvian authorities have adopted to a remarkable degree the international agenda advocated by the UN. There is constant mention of human development, the MDGs, and the need to build a more integrated society. As will be discussed below, this commitment has already been enshrined in national legislation and government programmes. Moreover, the private sector and the very active CSO community have also joined this remarkable national consensus. Peru has to make good on this historic opportunity of having both a favourable economic context and broad agreement to tackle problems of exclusion that have plagued the country for generations.

The local authorities that were elected in Peru in November 2006 took office at the beginning of the year, with local, independent candidates taking the majority of regional and municipal governments.

President Alan Garcia culminated the first year of his administration with an extensive speech in July in which he set very specific goals for his government. More precisely, the redefined objectives of the Peruvian government include increasing private and public investment, keeping inflation below 2% per year, reducing poverty from 50% to 30% (in cities from 35% to 20% and in rural areas from 70% to 45%), reducing infant and child malnutrition from 25% to 16%, and providing 90% of all Peruvian families with electricity and running water (presently 74% have access to electricity and 60% to water).

As in the last few years, 2007 continued to be very positive on the economic front, with a growth rate of around 7%, with increased activity in the exporting sector, balanced monetary and fiscal accounts, among others. Despite this very favourable economic picture, there has been little impact on reducing poverty (around 50% of the population), and most of the MDGs remain far from being achieved in a context of pervasive economic and social exclusion.

Peru had very positive macroeconomic indicators. As a result, different groups demanded a share of the benefits derived from the economic prosperity. This situation translated into protests and marches in different regions of the country with the most intense activity happening in June 2007. In that context, the government eventually reached agreements with many unions, regional presidents, and other groups as well. Nevertheless, towards the end of the year, over 70 latent conflicts have been identified.

In July, the government launched the social programme "CRECER" as an articulated strategy for fighting poverty and chronic infant and child malnutrition, with a component of economic development for the families. Its objective is to assist up to 1 million children under five and around 150,000 pregnant women in 20 districts of the poorest departments of the country. The programme is financed by budgets from the involved sectors and by the Fondo Minero de Solidaridad con el Pueblo (a fund set up by mining companies to help communities), mainly for sanitation and infrastructure projects. Also, the conditional cash transfer welfare programme called JUNTOS continued its implementation in 16,419 communities in the 9 poorest departments.

On August 15, an earthquake struck Peru’s Pacific coast severely affecting the departments of Ica, Huancavelica, and Lima. President Garcia moved the presidential office to an Air Force base in the city of Pisco for a few days and assembled his cabinet to work with him there. The UN System actively supported the relief efforts and assumed the challenge of coordinating the work of the many different actors in a common agenda and with collective goals (see below).

Foreign investors continued to perceive Peru as a market with great growth expectations and favourable to the arrival of new capital, especially after the U.S. senate approved the “United States - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement”. This agreement is expected to fuel more growth in the country’s export sectors and is likely to encourage additional foreign direct investment inflows in the short term.

Before the end of 2007, President Garcia made some changes in his cabinet to reinvigorate the government. The President also announced he would propose to congress the creation of the Ministry of the Environment, stating that this would be Peru's guarantee to the world that it is a country which protects its environment.

On the issue of 1990’s human rights violations, the government launched the National Programme of Reparations to assist communities and individuals in their struggle to overcome the effects of terrorism and excesses in the government response. In this context, former President Alberto Fujimori was extradited from Chile and is currently being tried for crimes committed in those years.

Summary on progress towards UNDAF outcomes

The production of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in Peru was a process of joint reflection and coordinated work of the UN System, in close collaboration with representatives of the government, civil society, private sector, academia, and international cooperation. The UNDAF is an approach to shared programming that establishes three areas of development assistance, based on national priorities and on strengths and comparative advantages of the UN System, which works together to improve effective delivery of development assistance.

Since 2006, several initiatives in the results matrix have completed the initial phase, in line with national priorities, and are now being executed, namely:

3.1. HIV/AIDS: After two years of chairing the Thematic Group on HIV/AIDS, UNICEF transferred those duties to UNFPA. This thematic group’s main achievements have been to encourage the preparation and approval of the Strategic Multisectoral Plan for the Control of HIV/AIDS and to design a joint support plan. Active collaboration has also been maintained with the GFAMT projects operating organizations and agreements have been signed with consortiums executing the project for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission and the consortium executing the project for the Prevention of Stigma and Discrimination among children affected by HIV/AIDS. Within the framework of the celebration of the 2007 World AIDS Day, a photographic exhibition on the history of the response to the epidemic in Peru was organized with participation from UNAIDS, UNFPA, ILO, and CARE Peru. Work relationships have been strengthened with the NGO Socios en Salud (Partners in Health) for implementing the project, which will increase access to medicines and improve diagnostic opportunities for children living with HIV/AIDS.

A national campaign with posters showing Peruvian VIP’s in politics, sports, and media in the company of people living with HIV/AIDS was launched along with messages against discrimination and stigma. The campaign bought $2.5 million worth of advertising space in the main newspapers of the country through an agreement with the National Press Council. In addition, in an agreement with the Ombudswoman’s office, two studies presenting the situation of access to education and health services of people living with HIV/AIDS were prepared and results were applied for the revision of policies and preventive measures against discrimination by the national government.

3.2. Human Rights: The Technical Group met regularly and gave the necessary support to the Action 2 Global Programme. There is also a Thematic Group on Human Rights composed of representatives from FAO, IOM, ILO, UNODC, UNAIDS, PAHO/WHO, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF.

In January, the United Nations Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Exercise of the Right of Peoples to Self-determination visited Peru on request of the government. The goal of their mission was to identify, study, and discuss emerging problems as well as manifestations and tendencies in the use of mercenaries or mercenaries-related activities. Also, it was an opportunity to analyze the role of the military and private security companies and their impact on human rights. The group’s final report was sent to the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

3.3. Nutrition: The Peruvian government initiative on nutrition has been actively supported by the joint collaboration of several UN agencies (WHO/PAHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, FAO, and WB). The government’s main goal is to reduce malnutrition by at least in 5 percentage points in 5 years. Likewise, the Thematic Group on Nutrition and Food Security, which was formed in 2006, has continued its work.

3.4. Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation: A project financed by the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) was launched in 2006 with the participation of FAO, PAHO/WHO, WFP, UNDP, and UNICEF making use of the generous contribution from the Japanese government to the trust fund. A technical workshop took place in January for all members of UNETE, facilitated by OCHA and with the participation of government officials.

3.5. Gender: There is an active Gender Group, chaired by UNFPA and involving UN and other cooperation organizations (MESAGEN). The Gender Group monitors the implementation of gender-related international agreements. Likewise, the UN System works closely with the Ministry of Women and Social Development (MIMDES) and in coordination with civil society organizations (CSO’s). There is also an agreement between UNDP and UNIFEM for establishing a UNIFEM focal point on gender issues. UNCT support has brought about several significant results in terms of gender with the, namely: - In March, congress approved the Equal Opportunity Law, which was prepared with the support from the UN System. - At the launch of the Gender Group, congress also passed a law establishing an alimony registry to ensure that parents fulfil their financial obligations towards their children and former spouses. - In September, congress passed a law mandating the incorporation of a gender perspective in the national budget, as a result of advocacy and coordinated technical support of the UN System. - Congress also approved a law changing the format of birth certificates, removing a special mark that indicated if a child was born out of wedlock.

3.6. Education: Under the guidance of the RC and in an effort to better synchronize international donor agencies’ support for education initiatives in Peru and to highlight potential partnerships and synergies, a meeting with more than 16 different bilateral and multilateral agencies, the Association of the Private Entrepreneurs on Behalf of Education, and the National Council for Education was organized by UNESCO and UNICEF in cooperation with the Peruvian National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Education, and Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation. This meeting took place immediately following the installation of the UN Thematic Group on Education, chaired by UNESCO and formed by 10 UN agencies: UNICEF, UNFPA, PAHO, UNDP, IOM, UNODC, UNAIDS, WFP, UN-LIREC, and the World Bank. Assistance given to school children and teachers in the earthquake affected area included coordinated efforts among UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, IOM, and UNDP.

Joint efforts among UN agencies have taken place in support of the education sector, including assistance to the Ministry of Education by UNFPA, UNAIDS, UNESCO, and the GTZ to support the preparation and implementation of a Multi Sector Plan for Sexual Education which integrates HIV/AIDS. The program is linked to two national education initiatives which have major civil society involvement, including the private sector; they are the National Project for Education 2021 and the Education for All initiative. Also as part of this initiative, the Peruvian government has reiterated its commitment to reduce illiteracy in the country and established a National Program for Activation of Literacy Work (PRONAMA) for the mobilization of the literacy training. WFP is supporting use of materials on nutrition as part of the training programs, and UNESCO is working on evaluating competencies achieved by beneficiaries as well as the program content and methodology. The Ministry of Education has already begun to introduce changes in the program, based on the results of the initial evaluations.

3.7. Strengthening of National Capacities: A cooperation agreement between UNDP and the regional government of Callao was signed in March 2007. The programme document establishes the technical assistance framework and the main lines of intervention with a focus on human development. Particular attention was given to education line and an UNESCO supported project on “Modernization of Education”, has been identified.

In the context of a joint programme with UNOPS, a technical cooperation agreement was signed with the regional government of Lambayeque in August 2007. Planned interventions will focus on supporting development of a health infrastructure.

Risk maps were elaborated for 30 cities throughout the country, in collaboration with the National Institute for Civil Defence (INDECI). Within the context of a joint programme with UNICEF, FAO, WHO, PAHO, and WFP, UNDP provided 82 training workshops for Civil Defence Committees in 30 communities in two provinces where the people live in extreme poverty and natural disasters are recurring events. The targeted communities prepared prevention plans, and basic information also has been obtained to prepare risk maps and an early warning system. In August 2007, UNDP played a central role in supporting the emergency response to the earthquake. In coordination with OCHA, UNDP established coordination and support mechanisms for the emergency and supported national authorities with the consolidation of a Flash Appeal and early recovery projects in the areas of temporary employment, earthquake construction, and technical support for the national authorities in charge of reconstruction. UNDP has established a support structure at the central and regional level in three affected provinces. The structure will provide support for the early recovery and recovery process under the responsibility of UNDP.

Summary on progress in UN Reform

Groundwork for the UNDP-funded joint project to establish a Digital Library of International Cooperation in Peru began last year. Several participating UN Agencies have already provided their documents, and software development is nearly completed. This project, implemented by Peru’s National Library and APCI, is due to become operational by Q1 2008 and will be a storehouse of studies and reports funded by international cooperation sources.

The APCI invited the Development Gateway Foundation to explore possibilities for creating a web portal to capture key information on aid management in Peru. The foundation will work with UNDP as a key partner, as it does in most of the countries where we are implementing the Aid Management Platform (AMP). Since there is a partnership between the Foundation and DevInfo to integrate the latter into the AMP, it is expected that other Agencies like UNICEF and UNFPA will eventually join the implementation efforts.

During the aftermath of the August 15th earthquake, the UN System assisted national authorities in coordinating information about the incoming flow of humanitarian aid, particularly foreign medical teams, rescuers, and supplies.

The World Bank and UNDP continued promoting the concept of the “MDG buy-down”. Objective of this mechanism is to combine loans and concessionary financing so measurable outputs related to the MDG’s are achieved, thus making it attractive to interested donors because it is results orientated and clearly shares responsibilities.

2.2. Alignment with national development processes: With regard to UN alignment with national systems and processes, the UNDAF went through its second year of implementation in 2007.

The Meeting against Child Malnutrition that took place in March and was organized by the World Bank [UNICEF, PAHO/WHO, UNFPA, and UNDP] was the stage of an interesting debate around national policies that are due to be implemented for diminishing infant and child malnutrition as well as to define the role of international cooperation in this effort. The President of the Council of Ministers presided over the event and was accompanied by ministers from different sectors and presidents from seventeen Peruvian regions. At the end of two days of intense work, the government and the regional presidents signed the Lima Declaration on Child Malnutrition, which expresses their commitment to contribute to the national goal of reducing malnutrition by 5 percentage points in next the five years (“5 in 5” initiative). The declaration included a request for the coordinated support of the UN System.

In April, the President of the Council of Ministers invited the UN System to congress for the presentation of the Annual Progress Report on Policies for Children. In his presentation, the President utilized information and materials prepared by the UNICEF and other UN agencies on the subject. The President also thanked the support provided by the UN System to the country; the President of the Congress also included his gratitude on behalf of the whole body.

In May, the government of Peru approved the Strategic Multisectoral Plan against HIV/AIDS. This plan was prepared in close collaboration with UNAIDS member organizations, both at the technical and at the policy level and due to its preparation process, it is being put forth as a model process.

Also in May, with the involvement of PAHO/WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, relevant government institutions, and other international cooperation agencies, the Peruvian congress signed the declaration of commitment “National Alliance for Healthy and Safe Maternity in Peru”, the purposes of which is the improvement of health conditions and quality of life for women and newborn children, the achievement of gender equality, and the promotion of human development within the framework of fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals.

With the support of the UN System, the National Publishing Fund of Congress presented a study on the “2003 – 2007 Equal Opportunity Plan: Balance and proposals”. The study is an analysis on the public policies for assisting Peruvians with any kind of disability. The book is comprised of a collection of studies on disability published by the Special Congressional Committee on Disability Studies (CEEDIS) along with the National Publishing Fund of Congress.

2.3. Millennium Development Goals: Since its creation in 2006, the special Committee of the National Congress for the achievement of the MDG’s has actively worked with the support of the UNCT. In 2007, the Committee launched the national campaign, “No Excuses 2015 – Peru”, to promote awareness on the fact that we are at the midpoint between the adoption of the MDG’s and the 2015 target date. Activities included the campaign were a workshop and an essay contest in which eight Peruvian universities participated, each one representing a specific MDG. With UNDP financial support, the winning essays will be printed in a first print run of 1,000 copies.

Through advocacy from the UN System, the Coordination Committee for the Fight against Poverty, and the National Agreement, congress approved the incorporation of a clause in the national budget forbidding cuts directed towards the achievements of the MDG’s. Also, the 2008 national budget incorporated 11 priority actions in favour of children in five results-based social programmes.

Complementing the joint efforts of the UNCT and the RCO, several UN organizations in Peru have successfully organized activities around the promotion of specific MDG’s with national, regional, and local governments on issues such as nutrition and food security, universal primary education, child and maternal health, eradication of HIV/AIDS and other contagious diseases, and environmental sustainability.

Spanish MDG Achievement Fund (MDGF)

A participatory mechanism was installed within the UNCT to prepare the proposals for the Spanish MDG Fund and to identify lead agencies for each window. Five proposals were presented in 2007 involving the participation of eleven UN agencies; in three cases, there was also participation of non-resident agencies:

1. Gender equality and women's empowerment: "A woman with more opportunities, a country with more possibilities: Women and MDG Achievement in Peru" (UNFPA, UNIFEM, UNICEF, PAHO/WHO) - Not approved

2. Environment and climate change: "Integrated and adaptive management of environmental resources and climatic risks in High Andean micro-watersheds" (UNDP, PAHO/WHO, FAO, UNEP) - Approved (US$ 4,000,000)

3. Economic governance: "Human development and support for decentralized productive platforms" (UNDP,UNCTAD) - Not approved

4. Culture and development: "Culture as a Tool to Combat Poverty and Achieve Equitable and Inclusive Development" (UNESCO, ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF) - Not approved

5. Youth, employment, and migration: "Peru: Promotion of Employment and MSEs for Youth and Management of Juvenile Labour Migration" (ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, IOM) - Approved (US$ 3,024,248)

In November, the UNDP submitted for approval the Joint Programme paper for the environment and climate change window titled, “Integrated and Adaptive Management of Environmental Resources to Deal with Climate Change Vulnerabilities in Andean Micro-watersheds”.

2.4. Joint programmes:

Human Rights: The implementation of the Action 2 Global Programme in Peru as a pilot country completed its operations, and the experience has been considered among the most successful worldwide by the Action 2 Task Force.

For the last phase of the implementation plan, a consultant was hired to compile data on human rights instrument application in relation to the UN System’s programmatic agenda. The exercise was completed through two workshops covering the principles of a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) and were carried out to disseminate results and conclusions brought up by the assessment. Also, participants drafted a workshop report that will be submitted with the programme's final evaluation and report.

With the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru as partner and with support from Action 2, the RCO was able to finance the recording and distribution of a series of radio spots in Quechua with articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the Sexual and Reproductive Rights. These commercial spots are due to be aired on radio stations in Ayacucho, one of the poorest areas of the country and the one most affected by terrorism during the 80’s and 90’s.

Also with the support of Action 2, two joint programmes were carried out, namely:

A) Support for the Ombudsman’s Adjunct Office for Children and Adolescents: The goal of this project is to build the capacity of the Ombudsman’s Office in relation with rights of the child. It targets CSOs and local and regional authorities in line with the decentralization process. The participating agencies are UNICEF and UNDP. B) HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination: This joint project, with a MOU signed by UNDP, UNFPA, and UNAIDS, deals with the stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS and the most vulnerable population groups in terms of exposure to the epidemic (sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgendered individuals, and young people within these groups, among others). It is being implemented by the Office of the Ombudsperson, and funding comes from UNAIDS’ Program Accelerating Funds ($57,000), UNDP ($10,000) and the Action 2 Global Programme ($10,000).

Evaluation of Action 2 implementation will be carried out during Q1 2008 by the interagency Technical Support Group. The RCO will lead the evaluation process, working closely with the Interagency Technical Support Group and the Thematic Group on Human Rights.

Human Security: A joint programme on Human Security for Women and Children between UNICEF, PAHO/WHO, and UNFPA began operations with support of the Japanese Human Security Fund. This joint programme is being implemented in rural areas of the departments of Ayacucho and Apurimac, two of the poorest departments and hardest hit by internal conflict of the 80’s and 90’s. Executed by regional authorities and experienced NGO’s, its funding amounts to over 2 million dollars and targets 10 specific objectives, which are in line with the Millennium Development Goals and United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

Within the framework of the UN Emergency Team (UNETE), another UN Human Security Fund (UNTFHS) funded joint programme, Natural Disasters in Peru: from Damage Limitation to Risk Management, continued implementation in the southern Andean region of Peru, one of the poorest regions of the country that is constantly hit by natural disasters. This project constituted one of the first large joint projects that were undertaken by the UNCT under the pass-through funding modality and is being monitored and coordinated from the UN decentralized office en Cusco, with the participation of UNICEF, FAO, PAHO/WHO, WFP, and UNDP.

Also, the UN Emergency Team (UNETE) gave support to the Peruvian government in the shipment of 100 tons of humanitarian aid and undertook an evaluation mission in order to assess the damages and to identify the main necessities of the population affected by the floods in northern Peru, which caused 16 deaths and affected 46,000 people.

2.5. Joint Initiatives:

DevInfo: As indicated above, DevInfo is being promoted in Peru for MDG’s monitoring and evaluation under the leadership of UNICEF. At the government’s request, it was successfully presented and transferred in 2006 to the Ministry of Women and Social Development (MIMDES) and the national program "SEMBRANDO".

Last year, 24 members of the Multisectoral Commission of the National Plan of Action for Children and Adolescents (PNAIA) were trained to be users of DevInfo. As well, 27 civil employees from the Ministries of Education, Health, Women and Social Development as well as from the social programmes “JUNTOS” and “CRECER” were trained to be administers of DevInfo, with the objective of establishing a task force within governmental organizations so that they can apply the software according to their institutional requirements. Other government sectors that showed interest were the Secretariat of the Presidency, the National Online Government Office, and the National Institute of Statistics and Information (INEI).

Nutrition and Food Security: At the interagency level, activities have been coordinated in order to reduce chronic infant and child malnutrition through the signing of the Lima Declaration on Child Malnutrition by 21 regional governments, through participation in the Initiative Against Chronic Malnutrition, and through the formation of the Thematic Group on Food Security and Nutrition (FAO, UNICEF, PAHO/WHO, WFP, WB and UNDP)

There are several projects on regional government technical assistance for preparing regional strategies on food security and nutrition (Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Junin, Tacna, Apurimac, and Lima), each of which bears in mind the main objective of the present administration in reducing infant and child malnutrition (“5 in 5” initiative). Programming, management, monitoring, and evaluation capacity building for programmes linked to nutrition has been accomplished in regional and local authorities.

HIV Prevention: The Thematic Group on HIV/AIDS promoted a project that implements a system of sustainable condom procurement and workplace distribution that includes educational and advocacy actions as part of the UN Learning Strategy on HIV/AIDS. There will be a baseline survey taken on staff knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours with relation to HIV and STI prevention, purchase of male and/or female condoms, production and printing of educational materials related to condom use and sexual behaviour, adaptation of existing educational guidelines, implementation of educational workshops, and results evaluation..

Information and Knowledge Management: The Technical Work Group for Information and Knowledge Management was formally established in May 2007. This group is in charge of defining strategies to create an institutional memory for each UN agency in order to preserve and to spread lessons learned on development cooperation in Peru, making it accessible to the Peruvian people and the rest of the world. The Library of International Cooperation mentioned above is part of the process.

2.6. Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers: The Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) process has been led by the HACT Technical Group (HACT TG) composed of Operation Officers from UNICEF (lead Agency), UNFPA, UNDP, and WFP and with support from one RCO member.

In order to ensure full ownership by the government, the HACT TG recommended a delay in its implementation until January 2008. However, due to the situation generated by August 15th earthquake and the fact that the government of Peru is undergoing changes in its budgetary and treasury procedures, which will influence the eventual legal and operational framework under which HACT would be implemented, the TG sent a letter to the Development Group Regional Directors requesting a 180-day extension to implement the HACT in Peru.

2.7. Coordination on security issues: Throughout the year, the Security Management Team (SMT) met on a monthly basis, in compliance with the guidelines of a Security Phase I country. As in previous years, the SMT prepared a Security Plan that all agencies implemented. In addition, the UNDSS organized many training programmes for UN staff on issues ranging from safe driving to first aid and fire control.

The Security Plan has been constantly updated and approved by UNDSS New York office, yet it also awarded it very positive comments. Within this context, the MOSS and MORSS were also updated. Moreover, the UNDSS implemented a plan to ensure business continuity of the security system in Peru in case of a relevant crisis in the country. Response to security incidents was adequate and coordinated with other UN organizations, when necessary.

A communications workshop on the response to a possible human influenza pandemic due to avian influenza in the Sub-Andean region took place in April. The event assembled national representatives responsible for the response to a possible pandemic and national spokespeople from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru. Also attending the workshop were ANDI Network journalists and experts from UNICEF, FAO, PAHO/WHO, and OXFAM as well as two representatives from the Johns Hopkins University.

2.8. Common Services: The Operations Management Team (OMT), coordinated by PAHO/WHO, took important steps in implementing common services for the UN System in Peru. As a result of those significant efforts, two new common services were implemented during 2007: Training and Mobile Phones.

The OMT identified the following services for improvement, with each service assigned to a task force. The status as of December 2007 is as follows: ? Fuel – Implemented. ? Postal Services (international & local) – Implemented. (national) The supplier refused to sign the contract. It has been agreed that the agencies will go on independently. ? Training – Implemented for Foreign Language and Information Technology. ? Mobile phones – Implemented ? Paper – Final phase of the bidding process. ? Travel Agencies & Airlines – Due to the different requirements from the agencies, it has been agreed that this common service will be implemented after the consolidation of the common house. ? Local Transport – Because of the low economic impact of this common service, it has been agreed that agencies will not sign an MoU. Nevertheless, with the support of UNDSS, two taxi companies, meeting the highest security standards, have been identified for the benefit of the UN System.

2.9. Common House: The RC took a very proactive role to move forward on a UN House for Peru. Contacts and negotiations were initiated with various governmental sectors, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Municipality of Lima, Peruvian Agency of International Cooperation, Lima Welfare Society, etc. Discussions will continue this year with the view to achieving results sometime during 2008.

Meanwhile, decentralized premises, like the UNICEF offices in Cusco with the UNETE team, and Ayacucho (UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP), continue to function as common premises. In other cases, the UNDP has established new decentralized premises in La Libertad, Arequipa, and Tumbes in the framework of the agreements signed with the respective regional governments and has invited the rest of the UN System to utilize those premises as needed.

2.10. Advocacy Activities: The UN Communications Group/Peru is very active. In April 2007, it held their Second UNCG/Peru Workshop to comply with the UN reform mandate in the field of communications and to prepare the Annual Inter-agency Communications Plan. The priority themes identified were UN Reform, MDG’s, Peace and Security, Human Rights, and Climate Change. The workshop had the active participation of 25 staff members from 18 agencies, funds and programs. The Annual Plan was prepared and groups organized to work on each aspect chosen.

In August, due to the emergency caused by the August 15th earthquake, UNIC organized the immediate response of the UN Communications Group, which established 24 hour-a day shifts to cover information needs, gave support to UNETE, UNDAC and OCHA, supervised the specially created, post earthquake web site, liaised with national and international media to provide information, produced press releases, and provided timely information to the UNCT.

Two main products were obtained as part of the 2007 UN Communications Plan: an Institutional Video and an Information Kit. After an approval process by the UNCT, the UN System video was finalized in November 2007, and its script is about the achievement of the MDG’s in Peru. As for the Information Kit, the initial 500 copy print run has been distributed.

In addition, the UNCG and the Resident Coordinator approved the new format for the UN System web page (www.onu.org.pe). The new format introduces an innovative structure with features that meet UN standards for internet publishing in terms of institutional identity and content. The new version will be launched during Q1 2008.

The UNDP also jointly supported a national TV series on human development with other donors. This 7 episode series named “Avanza Peru” highlights opportunities and challenges for achievement of the MDG’s. The series was first broadcast on national television in July, 2007.

Additionally, the UNCT has supported a series of advocacy events related to the UN’s work in the country. These activities had the goal of projecting to the outside what the UN is doing daily and to reinforce the idea of “Delivering as One”. The following is a list of some of the many joint activities carried out so far: (i) UN Day, with a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ii) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, where 170 UN staff members took part in the Stand Up Against Poverty campaign (iii) World Food Day (iv) International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (v) Walk Against Hunger (vi) International Women’s Day, in which for the first time in years, the government, the civil society and international cooperation coordinated all their activities for this date (vii) World Environment Day (viii) International Water Day, in which FAO led the process that resulted in the signature by national authorities of a Social Pact for the Sustainable Use of Water

2.11. Alignment with the UN Humanitarian Reform: In the early evening of August 15th, 2007, a 7.9 degree earthquake struck the coast of Peru, causing extensive damage to the department of Ica. The earthquake and subsequent aftershocks devastated homes, hospitals, schools, churches, government buildings, and infrastructure in the cities of Pisco, Chincha, Ica and Cañete in the southern region of the department of Lima. The official death toll stands at 540, with 1,291 injured, and around 90,000 houses were either destroyed or severely damaged. Damage to the infrastructure was widespread and included roads, bridges, and basic services like power and water. Out of the 112 hospitals that were affected, 14 were destroyed, and in terms of schools, official figures cite 1,595 classrooms that were utterly destroyed and more than 1,300 partially destroyed, making them unsafe for students.

Both the agricultural and fishing industries reported significant negative impacts as a result of the disaster, citing severely damaged irrigation systems for the former and changes in marine ecosystems and the destruction of boats and tools for the latter.

The government’s response was led by National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) with the involvement of several other government sectors, such as Health, Housing and Sanitation, Women and Social Development, Interior, Defence, and Education, as well as volunteer organizations. Likewise, the government agreed to the deployment of a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to the disaster area, and the Resident Coordinator installed a 24-hour Emergency Operations Centre and regularly convened rolling meetings of the UN Disaster Management Team in order to coordinate the numerous requests for aid that UN agencies were independently receiving.

In order to build capacities of the logistics resources, the OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) regional office in Panama added their support, not only to the UN System, but also to local authorities, to ensure the delivery of relief items and to establish and manage camps for those made homeless by the emergency.

Given the scale of the disaster in relation to government capacity, the UN Country Team identified 11 action areas for which working groups were formed: Shelter and Camp Management (IOM), Food Security (WFP, FAO), Health (PAHO/WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA), Water and Sanitation (PAHO/WHO, UNICEF), Education (UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP), Protection of Children and other at Risk Groups (UNICEF, UNFPA), Early Recovery (UNDP, UN-HABITAT, UNV, ILO), Emergency Telecommunications Services (WFP, UNFPA), Temporary Employment (ILO, UNDP), Safety and Security (UNDSS, UN-LiREC), and Coordination (UNDP, UNDSS).

The Flash Appeal process helped to unite UN agencies, the government of Peru, and humanitarian aid organizations around a common agenda, facilitating the management of the initial response. By the time of this Report, the state of emergency will have moved into a transitional phase, one in which many of the humanitarian needs are still present, making it imperative to revise and refocus the appeal document so that it remains relevant to the enduring humanitarian situation. The aim of the revised Flash Appeal is both to highlight critical emergency needs that have not yet been met due to lack of funding and to catalyze early recovery efforts in certain key areas in order to transform the situation of the most vulnerable affected people. The Resident Coordinator and the UN System will also assist the government of Peru formulate strategies that will move the response beyond the transitional phase.

The government of Peru and donors present in the country have formally expressed their satisfaction with the coordinated response of the UN System.

In December, Peru’s Coordination Specialist flew to Panama to attend a regional workshop on the use of the United Nations financial instruments to respond to emergencies: the Central Emergency Response Fund and the Flash Appeal. It is worth noting that, along with the workshop, procedures carried out during the Peruvian earthquake response exemplified best practices in an emergency situation.

2.12. Strengthening UN Related Associations:

The Peruvian Chapter of the Local Expatriate Spouse Association (LESA) strengthened its activities during 2007, placing more emphasis on training. The LESA Chair offered the World Bank online course, Household Budgeting, to LESA members and was granted full authorization from the WB to adapt and translate the materials as needed. Furthermore, Kate Epperson, an American specialist, provided training on Transition Families during a session where not only LESA members attended, but UN staff and other family members as well.

During 2007, the UN System posted several job openings, and LESA members were able to fill them very successfully through transparent and fair recruitment processes.

The Kofi Annan Business School project (KABS) requested RCO assistance in the selection of the first batch of students for admission to the Hogeschool Utrecht (HU) and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School (Vlerick) to pursue a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degrees respectively. The RCO acted as the focal point, recruiting candidates from the most prestigious universities in Lima (Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, University of Lima, University of Applied Sciences, and University of the Pacific). Nine candidates (5 female and 4 male) were evaluated for the MBA programme by the members of the selection committee, who chose one of them. He is now in his second semester in Belgium studying for his MBA.

In November, the UN Women’s Guild (ADNU), composed mainly of retired female staff and spouses of retired UN officials, held its annual fund raising bazaar for its social welfare projects. This event was supported by the RCO.

Finally, the RCO assigned the UN Retired Staff Association (AEFNUP/AFICS) an e-mail address with a UNDP domain and provided it space on the UNDP premises for their meetings.

2.13. Strengthening the RC Office: In March, the Coordination Officers of fourteen Latin America and the Caribbean countries met in Havana to examine ways to improve inter-agency coordination, efficiency in the way their support is provided, and their respective Country Coordination Offices.

The Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, and Venezuelan Coordination Officers conceived of and designed the meeting, which was led by the officers themselves. Other participants included a representative of UNDGO and two staff members of the UNDP Sub-regional Resource Facility System (SURF).

Workshop results included: ? Creation of a regional network for exchanging information and experiences ? Examination of different organizational models and support of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and interagency groups’ work ? Production of a catalogue on lessons learned in Latin America and the Caribbean to be shared with other Coordination Officers.

The UNDGO carried out a study in 20 countries to evaluate the benefits and efficiency of country level coordination, as well as its transaction costs. Information gathered by this study was included as a case study and will form part of a global report that synthesizes best practices, lessons learned, and main recommendations. In Peru, Special Assistant of the UNDGO Director conducted the study through meetings with the RC, UNCT representatives, technical and thematic groups, key government counterparts, international cooperation, and the civil society.

2.14. Mobilization of Funds for the UN System: The Resident Coordinator assisted UNFPA to secure congressional approval for extending their agreement with the National Institute of Statistics and Information (INEI), a move that mobilized several millions of dollars. Similarly, the RC advocated for the government to request the use of WFP services to purchase food..

The Resident Coordinator assisted in the mobilization of more than $200 million for UNOPS in areas of construction, complex procurement, and infrastructure, all within in the context of UNDP’s exit strategy in these areas.

OCHA and UNDP mobilized $75,000 as part of coordinated assistance for the government of Peru during the floods that affected the central part of the country between January and March 2007.

In July, UNDP provided funding and support for organizing a National Artisans Award, an initiative sponsored by UNIDO in the context of its cooperation programme with the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism.

Key aspects of the proposed 2008 workplan

4.1 Harmonized programming: The UNDAF cycle started on January 2006, so the UNCT had planned an ad hoc meeting in 2007 to review its initial scope, strengths, and weaknesses found during the second six month period. However, because of the August earthquake, the UN System was forced to focus on immediate relief actions for the affected population, catalyzing early recovery efforts in certain key areas and helping the government in formulating recovery strategies. These very important activities required a significant amount of energy and commitment on the part of the UN agencies. Therefore, the UNDAF review meeting has been rescheduled for 2008.

Additionally, the establishment of the new Child and Maternal Health Thematic Groups is planned for 2008 (the chair yet to be determined).

4.2. Alignment with national development processes: Within the framework of joint activities, the UN System in Peru will support the government’s initiatives on poverty reduction and the fight against infant and child malnutrition. Also, the coordinated support of the UNCT for the recovery and reconstruction of the earthquake affected areas will continue in accordance with the country’s requirements.

4.3. Common Services and Common Premises: The Operations Management Team has implemented two common services during 2007 (Mobile Phone and Training), agreed that two others are unsuitable (Local Transport and National Courier), and decided to postpone Travel Agency. The process for implementing the common services of Paper and Surveillance is targeted to be completely achieved in 2008. Negotiations for implementing a UN House in Lima will also continue.

4.5. UN Advocacy: For the 2008 Inter-agency Communications Plan, we are mainly considering the following: updating web site structure and content, reproducing and broadcasting institutional video, distributing information kit and activities related to the International Year of the Potato. These communication tasks will not only focus on external advocacy but will put important emphasis on internal advocacy as well.

Furthermore, the elaboration of the 2008 MDG Report is one of the central aspects of the work plan. This process will also include decentralized versions of the study to emphasize geographic differences within the country.

4.6. Aid effectiveness: The UNCT’s work on aid effectiveness will focus on the challenge of the middle income countries, following a favourable international trend with conferences in Spain, El Salvador, Jordan, etc. Another task will be supporting the government in the follow-up to the Paris Declaration implementation.

Recommendations

A cost-sharing mechanism to support the activities of the RC Office has become utterly necessary. Funding for joint activities is very difficult due to limited available funds for the different organizations, with the only exception being UNDP. It is imperative to start sharing costs among agencies for specific system activities that will result in visibility as a whole.

A deeper analysis is necessary on the transaction costs of processes such as Common Services, which tend to be rather time consuming for the OMT members, and the final results do not seem to be as significant as expected. The cost-benefit ratio should be factored in the continuation of such processes.

The implementation of joint programmes has been difficult mainly due to two administrative constraints: (i) different cost recovery policies between the organizations and (ii) different trends of HQ clearances for the participating organizations.

Processes such as HACT need to be reconceived in order to correctly achieve the goals. Presently, HACT appears to be an attempt to establish a unified disbursement procedure at the country level before there is clarity at the corporate level on the principles of these disbursements. Without clearer guidelines, it is difficult (not to say impossible) to transmit the message of its added value.

Clearer guidelines for the role of the RC as UNIC Director were recommended last year. In August 2007, the RC held a meeting with DPI representatives and was told that those guidelines would be arriving shortly. Nevertheless, the answer is still pending.

Despite some prevailing limitations, which we highlight here in the most constructive spirit, the UNCT Peru is very proud with its achievements and remains fully committed to make the best coordinated contribution to the government and the people of Peru, bringing the comparative advantages each and every organization has to offer to this process.