Annual Report 2008

The UNDP-Spain MDG Achievement Fund

Established in 2006 with a contribution from the Government of Spain of close to $750 million, the Fund supports the dual goals of accelerating progress towards achieving the MDGs and bringing UN development partners closer together at the country level. Over 80 percent of approvals focus on LDCs and lower middle-income countries. To date, some 60 proposals have been approved for funding in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment, environment and climate change, economic governance, culture and development, and youth, employment and migration.

Among the initiatives approved under this Fund is a project in Costa Rica to incorporate a multicultural perspective into public policies while building capacities and improving economic development. $4.7 million will go towards strengthening multiculturalism across different governmental sectors at central, local and community levels, and to supporting the creation of a multi-purpose interactive cultural centre in the suburbs of San Jose. The project is supported by UNDP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizatio (UNESCO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Mozambique, the Fund has contributed $7 million to an environmental mainstreaming initiative supported by UNDP, FAO, UNEP, UN Habitat, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Food Programme. The project takes on the threats of climate change by supporting Government efforts to mainstream climate-proofing techniques, develop coping strategies and promote livelihoods diversification.

In Nicaragua, an economic governance initiative is being supported by eight UN partners – UNDP, ILO, UNCDF, UNESCO, UNICEF, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UNV and WHO. Through this initiative, the Fund will contribute $7.7 million to water infrastructure investments, helping to empower local governments in managing decentralized public services such as water and sanitation in response to the needs of the most disadvantaged groups.

In Viet Nam, the Fund has contributed $4.5 million to support the Government in strengthening policies and institutional arrangements for gender issues in light of recent legislation on gender equality and an imminent law on domestic violence. This initiative is supported jointly by UNDP, FAO, ILO, the International Organization for Migration, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNIFEM, WHO, UNFPA, and UNODC.