UNDAF renewed with $1.2 billion for Bangladesh

The United Nations has renewed its framework for the development assistance to Bangladesh for the next four years with a pledge for $1.2 billion in grants.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 Nov 2016, 09:15 AM
Updated : 3 Nov 2016, 11:50 AM

The agreement was generally prepared for five years. This time it was designed for four years as the UN wants to align it with Bangladesh’s development plan.

The funding was little less than the $1.7 billion given during the last five years.

Economic Relations Division Senior Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin and UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Robert Watkins signed the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2017 – 2020 on Thursday in Dhaka.

It reaffirms the UN’s stance on promoting progress that “influences people centric development, especially for those who are the most vulnerable; protection and sustainable management of environment as well as combating the impacts of climate change; and economic and social prosperity that is inclusive to all people of Bangladesh”.

The UN Resident Coordinator, at the signing, said that the UNDAF represents the “commitment of the UN System to assist the government of Bangladesh in achieving its national development priorities presented in the 7th Five Year Plan, 2021 Vision, and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Senior Secretary pointed to the “little less” in the funding and said the government would mobilise more funds in implementing the development priorities with some “parallel” financing mechanisms.

He, however, welcomed UN Country team's continued contribution in enhancing development of Bangladesh through technical and programmatic support.

The UN coordinator, however, said: "UN has some special niche and comparative advantage and we can help you in a very nimble way by adopting changes”.

“We can add the value that they (international financiers) cannot do. We can adapt to your needs and when you come to us and say you like to do something new and then we can do that”.

“We have a very wide international network of experts and people that we can bring to Bangladesh to help respond to your changing needs,” he said.

After the signing, the UN in a statement said new UNDAF is also strategically planned to carry forward the legacy of the achievements of the MDGs.

The UNDAF facilitates partnerships among UN System's agencies, drawing on their comparative advantages, to support national development priorities.

“It further advances the UN System’s long history of aligning its support to the national development priorities with an added emphasis on coherence and coordination,” according to a statement.

The UN System will implement the new UNDAF through the provision of policy and advocacy, capacity development, technical assistance and facilitation of partnership building.

“Central to this approach will be a horizontal and vertical whole-of-government approach that interacts with the UN’s quality assurance system for programming around the normative agenda”.