Outline of Statement for Panel Discussion by Ronny Lindstrom

Outline of Statement for Panel Discussion by Ronny Lindstrom

• I have been asked to speak here on behalf of the UNDG and I am speaking from the perspective of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) process, not from the perspective of Disabilities as a rights issue.
• Let me take you through the UNDAF process quickly as it is critical for the understanding of UN programming at the country level
• Before the UNDAF is prepared a Common Country Assessment is done. This analyzes the development situation in a country. Drawing on this analysis, the UNDAF is prepared.
• The UNDAF is the overarching tool for planning and implementation at the country level. It outlines what the UN will do in a five year (usually) cycle in a programme country. It is a document that is agreed to by the UN and the government jointly and its development is supposed to include all stakeholders, including donors, NGOs and other partners.
• The UNDAF is the foundation for the Country Programmes of organizations that go to their governing bodies for approval and for funding. In the months following the approval, other documents to provide operational detail for the UNDAF are prepared prior to programmes being launched.
• This is the UN programming process in a nutshell
• The UN system and the UNDAF have repeatedly been criticized for not being focused by being too fragmented. Organizations have had a history of putting everything in their mandate into UNDAFs and then it becomes unclear and un-implementable. We have to recognize that the UN cannot do everything with its limited resources. This is the message given to us by the Member States and this is the focus of delivering as one, a way to have greater development impact by working closer together.
• To this backdrop, how do we work to incorporate important topics?
• All UNCTs are trained in the Human Rights Based Approach to programming. This identifies the most vulnerable and marginalized as a key priority and focuses on obstacles for these groups to enjoy their rights. This is a basic principle of programming and is also reflected in the UNDAF.
• UNCTs must also review the Comparative Advantage of the UN, National Priorities in the specific setting, and the alignment of key stakeholders for work in different areas. Where these overlap, the UN has an obvious role. Where they don’t, it is a more complicated discussion. Hence, these concepts must be kept in mind when one designs a strategy for how to incorporate topics into UN development work.
• To assist UNCTs in doing this related to disabilities, the UNDG is preparing a guidance not on “Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Country Analysis and the UNDAF” that is soon to be rolled out to UNCTs. This was developed by the UNDG with key stakeholder participation. This strategy identifies key entry points to the UNDAF process and should be the very tool needed for UNCTs to work effectively on this topic.