UNDP Indonesia

Since decentralization was initiated several years ago, the discourse is heavily focused on the role and functions of district governments. At the same time, no one is taking the role to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the regional development. As a respond to that challenge, UNDP in collaboration with Bappenas and MoHA and fully supported by Decentralization Support Facility (DSF) designed a program to strengthen the status, roles, authorities, and responsibilities of provincial government. This program, Provincial Governance Strengthening Programme (PGSP) is launched today.

The Government of Indonesia launches three strategic projects in Nias Islands as part of its Nias Continuation of Post-tsunami Reconstruction to 2012 Programme today. The three projects worth over USD 24 million, funded by Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) are implemented by UNDP, World Bank and ILO in collaboration with Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Disadvantaged Region.

Children have the rights to be save from disasters and play important role in disaster risk reduction. This can be achieved if they are trained with appropriate knowledge and skills to save themselves during disasters. Therefore, the National Education Ministry, supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has decided to collaborate to incorporate or integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) knowledge into school curriculum. This has been stipulated in a national policy through Circular of Minister of National Education No. 70a/SE/MPN/2010 on Mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction at School. The circular is addressed to all Governors, Regents and Mayors throughout Indonesia, calling for the implementation of disaster management at school through 3 aspects, namely: empowerment of institutional role and capacity of school community; 2). DRR integration into formal educational unit curriculum, both intra as well as extra-curricular; 3). Developing Inter-stakeholder partnership and network to support DRR implementation at schools.

Anyone concerned with promoting development and reducing human suffering must make conflict prevention a priority. Violent conflict in multi-ethnic and multi-religious countries, often fought along ethnic or religious lines, is a major cause of death, destruction, poverty and underdevelopment. The incidence of such conflicts rose steeply immediately following the end of the Cold War and, despite a decline since the mid-1990s, remains a major problem in every region of the world. Violent conflict undermines hard-won gains in human development and poverty reduction. It reduces human capabilities and can prevent the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for some of the most vulnerable groups in society. Fortunately, conflict within multi-ethnic societies is not inevitable—in fact, most multi-ethnic societies are peaceful, especially those which promote political and socio-economic development policies that fully encompass different groups, taking their needs into account.

Impact mitigation steps targeted at households of people living with HIV should be integrated into national and provincial AIDS strategies and social protection schemes should be responsive to the needs of AIDS-affected families, said two large-scale studies from Asia presented at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) currently underway here. In Indonesia, the study that covered seven provinces and 2038 sample households (1019 PLHIV-households and an equal number of non-PLHIV households as the control group), found that unemployment is higher among PLHIV households and they also lost about 55 per cent of their income in caring for the sick compared to non-PLHIV households. The quality and tenure of employment also is substantially compromised. Similarly, the health expenses of PLHIV households were five times higher than that of the non-PLHIV households, which severely constrained other expenses such as on education. PLHIV households spent 36 % less on education. Dropout of children in the PLHIV households was higher, particularly among higher classes.

UNDP Indonesia and Qatar Charity are proud to be entering into partnership with the Government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) for a community development programme in an attempt to reduce poverty in the province. Agreement between Qatar Charity and UNDP to assist the people of NTB is signed in Jakarta today.

The Governor of East Nusa Tenggara (ENT), Mr. Frans Lebu Raya,along with four House of Regional Representatives members of ENT, Mr. Abraham Paul Liyanto,Mr. Emmanuel Babu Eha, Mrs. Carolina Nubatonis Kondo and Mrs. Sarah Lery, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding consisting of firstly, the acceleration of the ENT development to achieve Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and secondly, the creation of constituent offices in ENT. The event, supported by the UNDP Parliamentary Support Programme and United Nations Millenium Campaign, is held on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at Sasando Hotel, Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara.

The world is commemorating the day to Combat Desertification and Drought today. It is a significant moment as over a billion poor and vulnerable people living in the world’s drylands. In Indonesia, desertification and drought has also impeded the efforts to reduce poverty and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Biogas provides opportunity for dairy farmers to turn their cattle’s manure into better use and at the same time minimizing pollution. The Biogas unit produces methane gases that can be used as fuel for cooking and lighting. The final waste from the process is an excellent organic fertilizer and can also be used as fish food for farms in the surrounding area. “Developing a pro-poor Biogas Model for Dairy Farmers in East Java” is a project implemented in Lumajang, East Java, aimed to tackle problems in three areas: energy, environment, and economy.

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) are pleased to open nominations for the 2010 World Business and Development Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight internationally-agreed goals to alleviate poverty by 2015.

Gorontalo Province (Indonesia) and Southern Provinces (Sri Lanka) started their collaboration when their respective Governors signed a Letter of Intention in August 2008, to express their pledge to cooperate in on the sectors of agriculture, health and education. Since then, with the facilitation of UNDP ART programmes in Indonesia (AGI) and in Sri Lanka (AGSL) the cooperation between the two provinces has been particularly strengthened in the agriculture sector, mostly around corn cultivation.

UNDP ART GOLD Indonesia (AGI) is a framework programme that aims at contributing to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Indonesia by supporting those national policies that promote provincial development and decentralization. In line with the ART approach, AGI follows a multi-sectoral and territorial approach to development working simultaneously at local, national and international levels. AGI programme is currently operational in two provinces: Gorontalo (Sulawesi) and Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), under the coordination of a central office based in UNDP Jakarta.

Women leaders, political candidates, activists and representatives of women’s organizations from Indonesia are attending the launch event, which focuses on providing much needed knowledge for women entering into politics. It is designed to initiate an ongoing dialogue that will be carried out through the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics, found online at www.iknowpolitics.org.