core sector communique

Planning Commission & United Nations in India Sign the United Nations Development Action Framework( UNDAF) 2013-2017 for India

The UN Development Action Framework (UNDAF) for India for 2013-2017 was jointly signed today by Ms. Sudha Pillai, Member Secretary, Planning Commission, and Mr. Patrice Coeur-Bizot, UN Resident Coordinator. The Foreword to the document has been signed by Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.

Twenty UN entities: APCTT, FAO, IFAD,ILO,UNAIDS,UNDP,UNEP,UNESCAP,UNESCO,UNFPA,UN-HABITAT,UNHCR,UNIC,UNICEF,UNIDO,UNODC,UNOPS,UN Women, WFP and WHO are signatories to the Document.

The signing of the Document is the culmination the formulation of the UNDAF - an eight month long exercise co-led by the Planning Commission and the UN, in partnership with the Ministries of the Government of India, International Development partners, civil society and other key development partners.

The UNDAF is the over-arching framework of that articulates the UN system’s vision, strategy and plan of action in support of the national development efforts over a five year period. UNDAF 2013-2017 is the third Development Framework between the Government of India and the United Nations in India.

At the signing ceremony held today, Dr. Pronab Sen, Principal Adviser, who led the formulation process on behalf of the Planning Commission, said “This UNDAF Document which is the third of its kind represents the evolution that has taken place in development cooperation between India and the UN System.”

Ms. Sudha Pillai, Member Secretary, Planning Commission said: “the Document articulates the right values and intentions, and it would be desirable to ensure that all actions of the UN System were measured against the intention of the Document through annual reviews.”

Mr. Patrice Coeur-Bizot, who led the exercise on behalf of the UN Country Team in India, thanked the Planning Commission for the excellent collaboration. He further stated that ‘the UNDAF 2013-2017 marks a strategic shift vis-à-vis the previous two UNDAFs. The new UNDAF will be the UN Development Action Framework rather than the assistance framework, as with the previous UNDAFs.

This recognizes India’s increasing global role and reflects the evolving partnership between the UN and the Government of India.’

The UNDAF 2013-2017 is harmonized with the XII Plan objectives of Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth, and will work towards the achievement of the following six development outcomes: Inclusive Growth, Food and Nutrition Security, Gender Equality, Equitable Access to Quality Basic Services, Governance and Sustainable Development.

The new UNDAF will focus the efforts of the UN in nine states of India, namely: Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. The selection of these states is based on the analysis of key statistical indicators related to poverty, inequality, human development, literacy and gender with disaggregation for SC and ST. Besides, the UN system will also consider selected programme interventions in the North-East, including HIV/AIDS, Human Development Index/Child Development Index, human and child rights.

The new UNDAF focuses on joint work in areas where the UN has collective comparative advantage in adding value to the national development efforts. A key aspect of the new UNDAF implementation will be annual progress reviews that will be jointly undertaken by the Government of India and the UN entities.

Also present at the signing ceremony were Ms. Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, FAO Representative a.i. & UNIC Director; Dr. Charles Gilks, Country Coordinator, UNAIDS; Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, Country Director, UNDP; Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Head, Sub regional Office, UN ESCAP; Ms. Iskra Panevska, Officer-in-Charge, UNESCO; Ms. Frederika Meijer, Representative, UNFPA; Ms. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Director, Global Division, UN-HABITAT; Ms. Karin Hulshof, Representative UNICEF; Mr. Antonios Levissianos, Senior Industrial Development Officer, UNIDO; Ms. Cristina Albertin, Representative, UNODC; Ms. Sonam Yangchen Rana, Director, UNOPS; Ms. Anne F. Stenhammer, Regional Programme Director, UN Women and Ms. Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India.

The signing of the UNDAF will also pave the way for the UN entities operating in India to finalize their respective Country Programme Documents and work plans with their respective Line Ministries.