Yemen, UNDP sign two USD 14.4 mln project documents
The Source: sabaanews.net - 19/08/2009
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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.
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