seeking new solutions for local governance in post-conflict situations
Addis Ababa, 16 June 2014 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today opened a two-day joint workshop on Supporting Local Government/Local Governance in Conflict-affected States. This joint event was organized based on discussions at the Annual Consultation Meeting between UNDP and JICA that took place in Tokyo in October 2013.
The workshop brings together JICA, UNDP and local government officials from fragile States to explore experiences, perspectives, and approaches to strengthen local governance. Eight conflict-affected States and regions are participating, including four programme countries from JICA: Burundi (Gitega); Philippines (Mindanao); Sudan (Darfur); and Uganda (Northern region). Five programmes from UNDP are also taking part: Somalia; Sierra Leone; Uganda (Northern region); Yemen; and the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP).
This is the second joint workshop in which UNDP and JICA meet to focus on a particular development issue in conflict-affected areas. In 2012, UNDP and JICA co-organized a similar workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, which brought together UNDP and JICA practitioners in Africa in the area of livelihood recovery in post-conflict situations. As a result of the meeting, a Joint Community of Practice was established on the subject.
UNDP has enjoyed a long-standing organization-wide relationship with JICA, and have held periodical policy dialogues and consultations. Based on the result of these consultations, an MoU for comprehensive collaboration between the two organizations was signed between UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Sadako Ogata, former JICA President, in Tokyo in 2009. The MoU acknowledged three priority areas: TICAD/African Development; Climate Change; Crisis Prevention and Recovery and Peace-building, as well as other cross-cutting issues such as Capacity Development, South-South Cooperation, Gender and Private Sector Development.
It is expected that through this joint event, UNDP and JICA will further strengthen their partnership and build greater capacity for workshop practitioners by exchanging knowledge and seeking new solutions for local governance in post-conflict situations.
Contact Information Mr. Naoki Nihei, UNDP-JICA/Japan Collaboration Advisor, Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP Headquarters, at naoki.nihei@undp.org
