Photo Report

UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine Francis M.O’Donnell visited the Autonomous Republic of Crimea 1-2 March 2005. During his visit, Mr. O’Donnell met the Vice-Prime Minister of Crimea Vitalina Dzoz, the First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Crimea Vasiliy Kiselev and Vice-Speaker Ilmi Umerov, Head of the State Committee of Ukraine for Nationalities and Migration of the ARC Server Saliev and Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Remzi Ilyasov. The participants discussed further cooperation between the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Crimea in the framework of the United Nations Crimea Integration and Development Programme (CIDP) and beyond.

Mr. O’Donnell introduced the Blue Ribbon Commission Report, Proposals to the President – A New Wave of Reform . The report, initiated by Assistant Secretary General Kalman Mizsei, UNDP Regional Director for Europe and CIS, presented to President Viktor Yushchenko and his team in January by Mr. Mizsei, provides more than a hundred specific policy recommendations on social, economic, judicial and administrative reforms. Some concrete steps have now been taken towards their implementation. UNDP and other UN agencies in Ukraine are supporting the country’s new leadership in promoting reform with a human face, building national capacities, developing the private sector and corporate social responsibility, and fostering dialogue and partnership between citizen and State. The government programme ’Towards the People’ contains a substantial body of objectives identical to the BRC recomendations.

Mr. O’Donnell discussed with representatives of Crimean Parliament and civil society four proposed priority directions for the UN System’s work in Ukraine, conmprising the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) which will soon be co-signed with the Government of Ukraine. The four directions are: institutional reforms that enhance outreach to enable all people to fullfill their human rights; empowerment of civil society to enable all people to access public services and enjoy their rights; special focus on raising quality of health and social services (HIV/AIDS, TB, MCH, etc.); reducing poverty through balances local development and expanded entrepreneurship.Vitalina Dzoz noticed that the directions stated in the UNDAF resemble those defined by the Government of Crimea including the maintenance of social peace and continued stability in Crimea, regaining the people’s trust in authority, and poverty reduction.

On the initiative of UNDP, a round table on ’Development of Crimea: Developing the Potential of Entrepreneurship’, took place on March 1. Representatives of the regional branch of public organizations and business associations of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers in Crimea attended the meeting. In the presence of representatives of the Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regional bodies of local self-governments, and the district state administration, recommendations from two reports, ’Unleashing Entrepreneurship’, prepared by the Commission initiated by UNDP, and the Blue Ribbon Commission Report ’Recommendations to the President: A New Wave of Reforms’, were introduced at the meeting. Entrepreneurs shared their ideas on the possibility of creating a partnership at the national and local level with government bodies and civil society to solve problems relating to the socio-economic development of Crimea. Local authorities expressed their interest in cooperating with entrepreneurs and employers of small and medium-sized businesses to create conditions for speedy and effective development, as this will consequently help improve lives of the Crimean people. Mr. O’Donnell expressed the willingness of the UN to facilitate this process and provide methodical and technical support to the initiatives of these social partnerships in the region. He noted that "the main resources of development, based on the experience of other countries, are located not outside, but within the State. Ukraine, which has rich human and natural resources and is ready for serious democratic changes, has all the chances to become one of Europe’s flourishing and democratic countries in a very short period of time".

Mr. O’Donnell also discussed the possibility for partnership in education for tolerance and gender equality as well as the promotion of participatory policy formulation through public dialogue and enhancing the ability to scrutinise public institutions through greater freedom of information, a free media and citizens’ engagement. The parties discussed the events planned in Ukraine devoted to the 60th anniversary of the UN and ways to implement them. Mr. O’Donnell noted that despite some difficulties, Crimea’s experience in maintaining social peace and stability may set an example for the whole world in resolving national and inter-ethnic problems and expressed willingness on behalf of the UN to promote and assist the development of Crimea.

The United Nations Crimea Integration and Development Programme (CIDP) is the largest UNDP programme is Ukraine. CIDP aims to consolidate stability by promoting sustainable development, human security and good governance, as well as encouraging self-help initiatives in communities where large numbers of formerly deported people live. The programme is supported by donors including the British and Swedish governments and its current phase lasts until 2007. Five key goals include promoting peace and stability through human security monitoring, policy development and management; supporting local self-governance through dialogue, consensus building, participatory development and promoting self-help initiatives; reducing poverty through promotion of income and employment opportunities, small and medium enterprise development and agriculture; improving living conditions through the provision and sustainable management of basic social and economic infrastructure and services, and increasing tolerance and social cohesion through education, information and culture.