Context
The
UNFPA Area Office for the Pacific has programme responsibilities for
14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs). CST technical assistance is
provided to UNFPA programmes in these countries as well as to Papua
New Guinea (PNG). Stability has returned to Fiji and the Solomon
Islands after two years of political conflict, but remains tenuous
in the latter. Economic conditions remained weak in the Pacific
during 2002 but some improvement is expected in 2003. National
poverty assessments conducted in four countries in 2002 under ADB
sponsorship have indicated that poverty is more widespread than
previously acknowledged. A proposed Pacific Fund for Strategic
Poverty Analysis is under discussion in the region and could
have significant implications for UNFPA’s work in improving MDG and
ICPD indicators.
Recent census reports confirm the continuing slow decline in
fertility in several countries as well as the persistence of rapid
population growth in the Melanesian countries of PNG, Solomon
Islands, and Vanuatu. In the atoll countries of Micronesia, internal
migration to the capitals continues at a high rate. The emigration
of skilled health and education sector professionals from Fiji has
accelerated as a result of political crisis and economic recession.
Emigration from most Polynesian countries continues to impede the
development of national capacity. Progress toward gender equality
continues to be slow throughout the region and the concept of
“empowerment of women” remains sensitive in the Pacific cultural
setting.
Institutional weakness caused by emigration, occupational mobility,
public sector reform, and inadequate government funding are
affecting several Pacific Island countries. In some PICs, overall
planning has been marginalised but sectoral plans as well as such
instruments as CCAs, UNDAFs and National Poverty Reduction
Strategies provide opportunities for integrating PDS and RH issues
into government policies.
Results Achieved
By
the end of 2002, the 1998-2002-assistance programme in the Pacific
sub-region (excluding PNG) was fully implemented. More than
three-quarters of regular resources went to the five A countries, 5
percent to the one C country (Fiji) and the balance to the eight O
countries. Major activities included participation in the CCA/UNDAF
process in six countries, an evaluation of the 1998-2002 programme,
a regional strategy meeting for the development of the 2003-2007
programme, the preparation and approval of the CPO for the next
programme, and the preparation of sub-programme documents.
The
regional strategy meeting was attended by a diverse group of
stakeholders and resulted in a sound strategic framework for the
development of the next programme. The meeting endorsed the need for
greater attention to PDS issues in the next programme, preferably
without weakening the RH component.
An
independent evaluation of five country-specific programmes concluded
that: (1) UNFPA has provided essential RH support to these
countries; (2) available health data were inadequate for measuring
RH programme performance or progress toward ICPD goals; (3)
in-country workshops are not always the best means of providing
training; (4) management of country projects requires improvement;
and (5) RH counselling services and IEC efforts need strengthening.
The
2003-2007 Country Programme Outline for the Pacific was prepared
during the first half of 2002 and approved by the Executive Board at
its September session. The programme allocates a considerable
portion of regular resources to maintaining a secure supply of
contraceptives in those Pacific countries in need of assistance.
Mobilizing additional resources to support the rest of the RH
sub-programme will be a challenge for UNFPA.
CST
advisers played a significant role in the formulation of the CPO for
the 2003-2007 programme in PNG that was approved by the Executive
Board in June. The PDS Adviser conducted three missions to PNG to
support the strategy meeting and contribute to the preparation of
the CPO and the PDS sub-programme. The RH adviser also conducted two
missions to support the strategy meeting and the formulation of the
CPO and RH sub-programme. The PDS adviser also provided technical
support to the current PDS project in PNG, as a result of which most
of the project’s five-year work plan was completed. A CST Discussion
Paper on the population situation in PNG provided background
analysis for the formulation of the CPO and also provided the basis
for PNG’s country paper for the 2002 Asia Pacific Population
Conference.
The
CCA process in the Pacific has underscored the need to improve the
supply and quality of data in the region, and CST advisers have
played a significant role in bringing this point to the attention of
the UNCT in both Fiji and PNG. The PDS adviser has worked closely
with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the IMF and
UNICEF to formulate a coordinated strategy to improve and expand the
data required to measure progress toward MDG and ICPD goals.
Partnerships and UN
Reform
UNFPA collaborated extensively with other UN
agencies, Bretton-Woods organisations and the ADB, regional
organisations, bilateral donors and NGOs throughout 2002. Project
staff and CST advisers participated actively in meetings of the UN
Country Team and UN IATF on HIV/AIDS, Gender and Common Database.
Pacific poverty assessments have laid the groundwork
for formulation of poverty reduction strategies in a number of PICs.
Advisers have worked with ADB and UNDP poverty reduction
strategists.
Partnerships with a range of agencies were substantially
strengthened during the year, laying a strong foundation for future
collaboration.
Managing for Results
The
high cost and irregularity of transportation in the region and staff
shortages exacerbated the difficulties of monitoring a widespread
multi-country programme. Two UNFPA financial software packages were
merged into a single application, providing improved capability for
financial monitoring. However, WinUNIFOS 2.0 was designed for a
single-country operation, resulting in various problems when used
for a multiple country programme. The loss of a documentalist and
IT technician, the merging of CST and Country Office e-mail in one
server, and poor ISP dial-up service all affected information
management. Several information and financial management issues
require resolution during 2003.
Extra
budgetary resources for the current programme (1998-2002) totaled
$4.76 million of which $2.8m was spent by the end of 2002. The
balance is held mainly for the continuation of the regional ARH
project and contraceptive supplies through 2003. No additional
resources were mobilised during 2002. Given the reduction in the
core budget from 2003, considerable external funding will be needed
to meet the increasing demand for contraceptive supplies and to
ensure that the planned activities for 2002-2007 will be carried
out.
Issues of Special Concern
Reported increases in STIs and HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, alcohol
and drug abuse, rape and teenage suicide in several Pacific
countries are raising serious concern among governments and
community leaders. HIV will have a devastating effect in the small
and socially cohesive Pacific countries if efforts to control it
fail. The integration of HIV/AIDS into RH programmes and primary
health care remains a high priority. The plight of the Solomon
Islands, with its on-going law and order and social problems, is a
special concern. UNFPA will be part of special UN interventions
during the next programme focusing on RH in the province of Santa
Isabel.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
A key
challenge in 2003 will be recruiting additional programme staff and
CST advisers and preparing a practical strategy for strengthening
programme management and providing technical assistance. Other
challenges include incorporating a poverty perspective into
programming, and developing a strategic partnership with other
agencies to improve the data required to measure MDG and ICPD goals.
Lessons learned during 2002 include:
· UNFPA
has been effective in addressing RH, a key area not addressed by
other agencies. The opportunity to build synergies between PD and
RH was lost in the 1998-2002 programme, underscoring the need to
re-build PD in the next programme.
· Health
Information Systems remain weak and their improvement will require a
coordinated effort by several agencies.
· Management
of country projects is generally weak. A challenge is to develop
simple, practical training that will actually improve RH management.
· Some
Pacific countries do not consider IEC and advocacy among their
concerns so UNFPA-funded efforts are often poorly supervised. A
challenge is to design approaches that are easy to implement and
monitor.
· The
roles and responsibilities and channels of communication between
various stakeholders in projects executed by WHO have been unclear.
Executing arrangements in the next programme need to be
strengthened, especially where projects will be partially or totally
nationally executed.
· Capacity
building in the Pacific is constrained by emigration and inadequate
public sector finance. The challenge of retaining trained health
service providers and teachers remains considerable.
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