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Inter-agency collaboration
One United Nations (Ch 2, para 36)
36. The growing number of inter-agency initiatives in the development area is indicative of the UN system’s commitment to join forces in advancing the economic and social objectives of the Millennium Declaration. The following examples demonstrate the range of collective work being undertaken toward each of the MDGs, with additional detail provided in an annex to this report.
Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger
37. The first—and in many ways, over-arching—goal of the Millennium Declaration, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, has provided a core focus for the system’s collaborative efforts, at the conceptual and the operational levels.
Eradicating extreme poverty
38. The global conferences established a policy framework for an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development most conducive to poverty eradication. That frame-work and the Millennium Declaration’s vision of a “fully inclusive and equitable” globalization together have guided UN system support for progress towards eradicating poverty.
One United Nations (Box 2.5)
| Box 2.5: The Copenhagen commitments to eradicate poverty |
The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development emphasized the eradication of poverty as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative. In 2000, at the 24th Special Session of the General Assembly, Member States called for placing poverty eradication at the centre of economic and social development and for reducing by half the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. This Commitment was further embodied in the Millennium Declaration, which resolves to halve, by that same year, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and the proportion of those suffering from hunger. The Declaration adopted in 2005 at the 43rd session of the Commission for Social Development, on the 10th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development, called for the restoration of the people-centred approach to development envisioned in the Copenhagen Declaration and for the adoption of policies that link eradicating poverty to fostering social integration and promoting employment strategies. More than that, the Declaration recognized the mutually reinforcing relationship between implementing the Copenhagen commitments and attaining the MDGs; hence its call to inject the issues of employment and social integration into the MDGs, in order to broaden the concept of, and in fact to achieve, poverty eradication. The ten-year review of the Social Summit showed wide consensus that the fight against poverty requires greater coordinated global and national action, and that formulating effective poverty eradication strategies will require recognizing and understanding poverty's root and structural causes. Member States called for closer working relationships among the UN agencies, Funds and Programmes to adequately address the root causes of poverty and their relationship to employment and social integration. They also called for the integration of macroeconomic and financial policy issues with the realization of the broader social development goals.
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One United Nations (Ch 2, paras 39 - 41)
39. Decent and productive employment is key to eradicating poverty, and, in this context, the Millennium Declaration focuses especially on the needs and aspirations of young people. Identifying the most relevant demographic and other trends and achieving farsighted targeting of particularly vulnerable social groups are among the main concerns guiding inter-agency collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of the system’s work towards poverty eradication.
40. The Millennium Declaration resolved to “develop and implement strategies that give
young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work.” Inter-agency work in this field aims to promote decent work for poverty alleviation and concentrates on unemployed youth as a special group. In addition, an ad hoc inter-agency task force is coordinating the activities of UN agencies with programmes on young people. The task force aims to convey a clear and consistent message about the need to link investments in young people to achieving the MDGs. In support of the preparations for the 2005 World Summit, the task force will launch an advocacy campaign on “The youth face of the MDGs.”
41. Through tripartite consensus and in close collaboration with other UN system organizations, the International Labour Organization has developed three interlinked concepts to advance decent and productive employment as a broad strategy for eradicating poverty: the Decent Work Agenda, as a tool for development and social inclusion; productive employment for women and men, as the main route out of poverty; and the achievement of a fair globalization as a source of global stability and rising living standards.
One United Nations (Box 2.6)
| Box 2.6: Decent work and a fair globalization |
In response to the request from the General Assembly (A/RES/55/2412) to “elaborate a coherent and coordinated international strategy on employment,” ILO developed the Global Employment Agenda. This agenda aims to place employment at the heart of economic and social policy, on the basis of a tripartite strategy engaging government, business and workers’ organizations in a wide range of actions. It includes proposals for strategic alliances in pursuit of employment objectives with the Bretton Woods institutions and others, including UNESCO, UNEP and the WTO.
“Decent work” country programmes — which combine employment creation, protecting fundamental rights at work, strengthening social protection and broadening social dialogue — have become the main tool applied in ILO’s work in the field.
This approach to productive employment as the sustainable way out of poverty underpins the policy contribution of ILO to reaching the goal of reducing poverty by half by 2015. It received strong support from the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa, convened by the African Union in Ouagadougou in September 2004.
The Report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, established by ILO, highlighted the importance of decent work and fair globalization as instruments to help ensure that the global economy delivers on development objectives and people’s aspirations. The Report concluded that implementing the Millennium and the Copenhagen Declarations requires complementary action at the national and international levels. It called on ILO and other UN organizations to play a leading role in shaping a fair globalization and advanced recommendations to that end. ILO is actively following up the Commission’s recommendations in its area of competence, including through cooperation with relevant organizations on a Policy Coherence Initiative that addresses growth, investment and employment in the global economy. |
One United Nations (Ch 2, para 42)
42. Social integration, one of the core issues addressed by the Social Summit, is essential for a society that respects every individual. In many places, however, this remains a distant goal and therefore requires intensified efforts to mainstream it into the pursuit of the MDGs. As a result of the social changes brought by globalization, communities worldwide have come to bear enormous pressures. The social ills of increasing inequality, poverty and lack of opportunities have had a forceful, negative impact on community well-being. Social integration has economic, environmental, political, human rights and security dimensions: any attempt to create peaceful societies must foster social integration based on the promotion of human rights, non-discrimination, equality of opportunity and the participation of all people, taking into account not only the human rights and needs of people living today, but also the rights of future generations. Yet, in many countries, groups with special needs remain marginalized in the political process, even though their participation is critical to address their concerns effectively and, generally, to promote an equitable society. In particular, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and the older poor frequently suffer discrimination and the denial of their basic human rights:
- Indigenous peoples are often the most marginalized populations in society, deprived of their right to development, including access to education, to healthcare, to water and to participation in the policy processes that affect their lives;
- Persons with disabilities require special focus and legal instruments to protect them from discrimination and to ensure their rights and equal opportunities in society; and
- The needs of growing ageing populations are of increasing concern, for without reform of the current systems for financing pensions and long-term care, future generations of older persons may be left without adequate social protection.
One United Nations (Box 2.7)
| Box 2.7: Coordinated inter-agency action in support of special social groups |
Coordinated inter-agency action is essential to improve the situation of special social groups. Inter-agency collaboration has been significant in the lead up to the adoption of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing; in the on going elaboration of the International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities; and in the continuing work of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. For example, the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues has contributed considerable substantive preparatory documentation for the Permanent Forum’s 2005 session, which focused on the MDGs, particularly the first two goals of eradication of poverty and achieving primary education for all. In relation to poverty eradication, the Forum recommended that Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers recognize rights to indigenous land, forest, marine and other natural resources; that the Commission on Sustainable Development take measures to protect water from privatization and other incursions that impoverish communities; and that the policy and practice of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks should be consistent with the internationally recognized human rights of indigenous peoples and should respect their free, prior and informed consent. |
One United Nations (Ch 2, para 43)
43. Several UN organizations, including UN-HABITAT, the World Bank and UNDP, are working together to help eradicate poverty in urban areas and to promote sustainable urbanization: that is, to promote the role of cities as engines of economic growth and social development.
One United Nations (Box 2.8)
| Box 2.8: Addressing the urbanization of poverty |
Achieving the MDGs, particularly the goal of halving poverty by 2015, requires that poverty reduction programmes give more attention to urban areas. According to UN estimates, virtually all population growth expected in the world during 2000-2015 will be concentrated in urban areas, and the urban population will rise from 2.8 billion in 2000 to 3.8 billion in 2015. The global population is expected to increase at an annual rate of less than 1 percent per annum, or 0.84 percent over the next fifteen years. Yet, in the less developed regions, where the rural population will grow at only 0.1 percent per annum, the urbanized population will increase at a rate of 2.45 percent per annum. In other words, with urban poverty growing much faster than rural poverty, poverty is being urbanized. UN-HABITAT estimates that today around 40 percent of the world's population living on less than US$2 Purchasing Power Parity-roughly 1.2 billion people-are living in urban areas. By 2030 more than half of the world's poor will be living in cities. |
Eradicating extreme hunger
44. FAO, IFAD and WFP are working together to address the immediate and long-term challenges of fighting hunger and achieving food security.
One United Nations (Box 2.9)
| Box 2.9: Combatting hunger and poverty |
The three Rome-based United Nations organizations, FAO, WFP and IFAD, are working with a common vision and complementary mandates to end hunger and poverty. FAO provides technical expertise and policy guidance. WFP provides food aid in response to emergencies and contributes to economic and social development, through such programmes as Food for Work and School Feeding. IFAD provides loans and grants to help the rural poor overcome poverty and gain the means to achieve food security.
FAO, WFP and IFAD have developed strong collaboration in both operational work and policy development. At the country level, they are assisting smallholder farmers and other rural producers to increase productivity and incomes and to reduce their vulnerability. By addressing the structural causes of food insecurity and poverty, they are helping to create the conditions for more rapid and balanced development. The agencies support an approach that combines food assistance for preventing malnutrition with longer term investments in agricultural production. Through their action, they have provided immediate access to food and improved the livelihoods of populations in need.
In the context of emergencies, FAO and WFP carry out needs assessments and help
develop a response on food security in coordination with other relief organizations. IFAD supports the efforts of affected peoples to rebuild normal lives, by assisting their transition to rehabilitation and development.
The agencies are also working together on policy issues to highlight the centrality of agricultural and rural development to achieving the MDGs. Their joint launch of the Millennium Development Project Report in Rome, in consultation with the Government of Italy, reflects their strong commitment.
Symbolizing their close collaboration, FAO, WFP and IFAD presented their views jointly at the Financing for Development Conference in Monterrey and at subsequent discussions in the General Assembly. The three agencies are also working together to support the efforts of African countries within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
The three organizations are collaborating within the framework of the International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH). Established by the World Food Summit: Five Years Later, the Alliance advocates for greater political will and practical action to rapidly reduce the incidence of hunger and rural poverty. Core membership in the Alliance also includes the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and NGO networks. A UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security-promoted by FAO, IFAD and WFP-supports the activities of National Thematic Groups within the Resident Coordinator system and enables information exchange on best practices. |
One United Nations (Ch 2, para 45)
45. In order to strengthen worldwide efforts to fight malnutrition, the UN System Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN), a partnership among UN organizations, governments and NGOs, is analyzing trends and raising awareness on nutrition issues, galvanizing global action against malnutrition and promoting cooperation among UN agencies and partner organizations in support of national efforts to end malnutrition.
One United Nations (Box 2.10)
| Box 2.10: Nutrition and the MDGs |
In its 5th Report on the World Nutrition Situation (March 2004), the Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) makes the case that reducing malnutrition is central to achieving the MDGs, citing evidence that links nutrition to a range of other development outcomes. The Report highlights how a nutrition perspective can strengthen key development mechanisms and instruments, such as poverty reduction strategies, health sector reform, the improvement of governance and human rights, and trade liberalization. The report also advances specific suggestions for including nutrition in programme and policy development and calls on the nutrition community to lead this effort. |
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