http://www.english.hadhramaut.info Yemen, UNDP sign two USD 14.4 mln project documents [The Source: sabaanews.net - 19/08/2009] Yemen and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed on Wednesday two USD 14.4 million project documents for the Economic Diversification Support Programme and for the support in Labour Market Information and Employment Policy Programme. In its press release, UNDP said that the first project document is a USD 13 million Economic Diversification Support Programme (EDSP). Through its various ministries, Yemen will contribute USD 2.4 million, UNDP will contribute USD 8 million from its regular sources, and will help mobilize an additional USD 2.5 million."The newly launched programme will address one of the most crucial concerns of Yemen’s Strategic Vision 2025, as well as the Third Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan for Poverty Reduction (2006-2010), which is the call for economic diversification by promoting equitable job-creating growth in four promising sectors: agriculture, fisheries, industry& trade, and tourism. The programme is expected to lay the foundation for an increase in employment opportunities by supporting public and private investments in these four sectors", said the UNDP.The EDSP is aligned with the national priorities, as reflected in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNDP County Programme Action Plan (2007-2011), which focus on diversifying the economy in the country.It will support the Yemeni government’ efforts to create an enabling business environment that will strengthen the private sector and result in expanded income earning opportunities for the population at large, with a particular focus on women and youth.The programme will facilitate the formulation and implementation of relevant policies and strategies in each of the four sectors (trade and industry, fisheries, agriculture and tourism), with the aim of increasing job opportunities in a sustainable manner. Moreover, inter-sectoral linkages will be promoted through the formulation of a Non-Oil Based Development Strategy and the facilitation of policy dialogue on multi-sectoral issues between relevant line ministries and the Ministries of Finance and Planning.The second one is a USD 1.4 million Joint Programme, between UNDP and ILO, to provide Support to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MoSAL) in labour market information and employment policy. The programme aims at strengthening the capacity of the Labour Market Information Analysis Unit within MoSAL.UNDP will contribute half a million dollars, the Government of Yemen will contribute more than USD 307 thousands, the International Labour Organization (ILO) will contribute close to USD 300 thousands, and Silatech will contribute USD 300 thousands.Through this Joint Programme, UNDP and ILO express their bilateral commitments to provide technical assistance to the MoSAL/ Labour Market Information and Analysis Unit. The programme will support the unit’s objectives in the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the National Employment Strategy.By strengthening MoSAL’s capacity to collect, process, analyze and disseminate updated quality labour market data, this Joint Programme will enable GoY, at the central and decentralized levels, to better allocate scarce resources for diversification and revitalisation of the local economy.In addition, the programme will contribute to: maintain, promote and monitor of the implementation of the National Employment Strategy Action Plan, conduct policy-oriented studies on the employment impact of critical economic developments, analyse and publish the results of surveys and studies, and, last but not least, establish a functioning coordination mechanism between major stakeholders.In view of their crucial statistical and national planning functions, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and Central Statistical Organisation are key implementation partners of this Joint Programme. The Ministries of Technical Education and Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Industry and Trade are also major Labour Market Information and Analysis Unit stakeholders.The signing ceremony was attended by Mansour al-Hawshabi Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mohmmad Shamlan Minister of Fish Wealth, Nabil Al-Faqih Minister of Tourism, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah Vice Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Abdullah al-Shater Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Ms. Pratibha Mehta UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Selva Ramachandran UNDP Country Director and Mohammad Naciri UNDP Deputy Country Director.