UNDP helping region 'build back better'
|
|
Debris and waste removal, short-term employment and community infrastructure rehabilitation are now ongoing in Caribbean nations impacted by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Support for this work has come from UNDP offices in the English speaking Caribbean which joined forces on a Regional Recovery Strategy. “Whatever challenges lie ahead, the nations of the Caribbean do not stand alone,” UNDP Resident Representative Bruno Pouezat said shortly after the storm systems struck. The UNDP CO based in Jamaica is also assigned to Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas, and Cayman Islands. Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas were impacted by the recent hurricanes.
|
|
Devastation in Turks and Caicos & The Bahamas
|
|
Photos taken by UN first responder teams
shortly after hurricanes Irma and Maria hit Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas .
|
|
Climate smart technologies put to work in Jamaica under Japan-funded project
|
|
|
|
Students pay keen attention
|
|
Lt. Col Oral Khan, & Yoko Ebisawa
|
|
Solar powered irrigation systems, cutting edge water harvesting systems and other climate smart technologies and techniques have being deployed in select rural communities and schools in Jamaica to illustrate their power to mitigate some impacts of climate change. This follows the launch of pilot projects under the UNDP-implemented Japan Caribbean Climate Change Project on 13th September.
JCCCP National Project Focal Point for Jamaica, Eltha Brown says the pilots will: introduce solar powered irrigation to select farming communities in Cascade, St Ann impacted by drought; refurbish tanks and water harvesting technology in Victoria and Richmond Park in Clarendon; and introduce model and sustainable climate smart school gardens in select Jamaica 4H Club-operated school gardens.
PHOTO CAPTION
:
Lt. Col Oral Khan is Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and Yoko Ebisawa, is Project manager, JCCCP Project Management Unit.
|
|
Getting climate smart to climate change
|
|
Three new pilot projects are proving the capabilities of climate smart technologies and techniques to mitigate climate change in Jamaica. Click on the video for an overview of the pilots.
|
|
|
Nearly 500 Human rights abuses reported since capacity building exercise
|
|
Some 114 cases of human rights abuses have been reported into the Human Rights Observatory and some 383 cases into the Sidney Database following a capacity building exercise under the CVC/COIN Caribbean Grant on HIV. The Grant, implemented by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) and the Centre d’Orientacion e Investigacion Integrale, (COIN) and administered by the UNDP, strengthened the capacity of Civil Society Organizations to report on Human rights violations. The capacity building exercise focused on strengthening CSO governance mechanisms, partnerships and networking capabilities while ensuring that the equipment and spaces required were expanded.
|
|
|
New baseline study on Development Minerals provides insights for strengthening sector
|
|
A Baseline Assessment of Development Minerals in Jamaica, (
including industrial minerals; construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones
) has been completed by the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme. The assessment provides a profile of the sector, including its current contribution to GDP, jobs and the country's social support systems. The report explores the market potential of the sector in Jamaica and also provides recommendations for strengthening the Legal and Policy Framework, Institutional & Technical Operating Context, Environmental, Health & Safety, among other areas. Fifty four quarries extracting Development Minerals were visited and assessed for the Baseline, or 45% of operating quarries in 2017. The ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme is a 3-year, €13.1 million capacity building program that aims to build the profile, and improve the management, of Development Minerals. The program is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, financed by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and implemented by UNDP.
|
|
Regional Civil Society Forum shares best practices in addressing gaps in HIV response
|
|
Civil Society Forum in progress
|
|
Working Group discusses strategy
|
|
Another working group in session
|
|
Civil Society Organizations across the region participated in a four-day Regional Civil Society Forum in Kingston Jamaica, September 28, to share best practices in addressing major gaps in HIV responses. The forum was organized by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities ( CVC) and the Centre d’Orientacion e Investigacion Integrale, (COIN) under the Global Fund for HIV managed by the UNDP. The main objectives of the Forum were:
- Creating deeper understanding of the legal situation facing key populations and developing appropriate strategies;
- Understanding and addressing stigma and discrimination
- Learning new models for strengthening health systems and how to involve communities
- Advocacy Training to scale up communications actions in support of legal reform
The forum also initiated work on a regional advocacy plan linked to the “Do you dare campaign” which will be calling on individuals and groups across the region to increase efforts at HIV, Prevention and Treatment in order to achieve the target of 90-90-90.
|
|
Solicitor General of Belize, Nigel Hawke confers with Planning Institute of Jamaica Director General Dr Wayne Henry.
|
The Belize delegation listens keenly to a presentation in UNDP Conference Room
|
|
BELIZE officials learn from Jamaica's anti corruption successes
|
A high level Belizean delegation including Belize’s Solicitor General, Director of Public Prosecutions and civil society partners participated in a Study Tour of Jamaica, 25 to 27 September, to learn from Jamaica’s successes and challenges in implementing the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Jamaica was chosen as the destination for this high level technical exchange on the recommendation of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as a country that has made significant progress on the implementation of the UNCAC. The convention has been signed, ratified or acceded to by 182 States parties. Belize acceded to the UNCAC in December 2016, but now must take additional steps towards compliance with the Convention. This is supported by UNDP Belize through the project “Strengthening National Systems to Support UNCAC Implementation in Belize”.
PHOTO CAPTION
:
Belizean
Senator Osmany Salas left, Elishah St. Luce, Programme Associate UNDP Belize, Hubert Enriquez, Treasurer for the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, Odwin Trenton, interim Project Coordinator for the Strengthening National Systems, Solicitor General Nigel Hawke and Auditor General, Dorothy Bradley
|
|
CLIMATE & DISASTER RESILIENCE
|
|
|
|
UNDP Signs Cooperation Agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank
|
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement that provides a framework to execute projects financed by CDB aimed at reducing poverty and gaining access to energy, water and sanitation services and improvement of social infrastructure services. There is also expected to be an exchange of knowledge and information relating to the achievement of the SDGs.
|
|
JCCCP project takes climate change campaign to local Town Squares
|
Browns Town and May Pen town squares came alive with Climate Change talks, face painting and fun activities with children and adults under the UNDP-implemented Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) in August. Jamaica's national JCCCP team visited the community town squares in Brown's Town and May Pen to share climate change knowledge and interact with community members. Adults and children had fun with the interactive games, puzzles and colouring books.
|
|
|
INNOVATION FOR POVERTY ERADICATION
|
|
Social Good Summit 2017 implemented in partnership with UTECH
|
Focusing on the theme, “We can unlock technology’s potential to make Jamaica a better place,” the UNDP's Social Good Summit 2017, through speeches, exhibitions and discussions sought to explore and initiate ways to increase awareness on the Social Development Goals among Jamaicans and on the impact of technology in development. UNDP Resident Representative, Bruno Pouezat in his opening address said, “UNDP urges governments to encourage innovation by allocating more financial resources and establishing enabling environments through policy, legislation and programmes.”
|
|
|
United Nations Development Programme | Jamaica | 876 978 2390| undpnews.jm@undp.org | www.jm.undp.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
