Lesotho RC System: Striving to Be More Than Sum of Its Parts

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Lesotho RC System Striving to Be More Than Sum
of Its Parts

• Presentation to the
• Joint Meeting of the Executive Boards
• of UNDP/UNFPA, UNICEF AND WFP
• By Mrs. Scholastica Sylvan Kimaryo,
• UNDP Resident Representative and
• Resident Coordinator of the UN System in Lesotho
• 26 January 2004

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Outline/Sequence

• Lesotho's Pressing Challenges
• RC System Contribution During 2003
• Search for Appropriate National Response to
  Pandemic
• RC System's Response to Current Food Crisis
• RC System's Contribution to Poverty Reduction
• Mechanisms for RC System Management
• Role of Regional HQ Support to RC System's
  Success
• Lessons Learned Towards Strengthening RC System
  
• Role/Contribution of Resident Donors.

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1. Lesotho's Pressing Challenges

• HIV/AIDS (ranked 4th in the world)
• Chronic Food Crisis (10 arable land)
• Structural Poverty ( 58 of Basotho Live on Less
  Than one US per day)
• Possibility For Lesotho Meeting the MDGs
  Seriously Undermined by the HIV/AIDS, Poverty and
  Food Crisis Nexus

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2. On Meeting the MDGs

• UN System Supporting GoL in Its Efforts to
  Mainstream MDGs Into Its Development Plans
• Challenge How Best to make MDGs known on the
  street in every village
• Urgent Need to create demand for change in
  service delivery from among the population
• Need for Radical Transformation in the way the
  Country does business in Public/Private Sectors,
  Civil Society
• Opportunity Government commitment to achieving
  the MDGs
• Joint GoL/UN Task Force for MDGs already produced
  first MDG report, with forward looking
  recommendations.

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3. RC System Contribution During Period Under
Review 2003

• Search for Appropriate National Response to
  HIV/AIDS Pandemic
• Response to the Food Crisis Through SADC Regional
  Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP)
• Fight Against Poverty Through the PRSP
• CCA/UNDAF Review/Programme Harmonization
• UNICEF 2002 to 2007
• UNDP 2005 to 2007
• WHO 2004 to 2007
• UNFPA 2004 to 2006
• WFP 2004 to 2007

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3.1 Search for Appropriate National Response to
HIV/AIDS Pandemic

• Expanded Theme Group on HIV/AIDS -- Comprising UN
  Agency Heads, Resident Donors, LAPCA, First
  Lady's Office, "Positive Action" "HoliLife" -- 
  the Driving Force
• Fielding of Inter-UN Agency, Multi-Disciplinary
  Missions to Buttress CO Capacity
• Broad Consultative Process Leading to Formulation
  and Adoption by Govt of Policy Document Titled
  Turning a Crisis Into an Opportunity Strategies
  for Scaling Up the National Response to the
  HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Lesotho
• Inter-Agency Transformational Leadership
  Initiative to Energise Public Sector, Civil
  Society, Business to Underpin Implementation of
  Strategic Plan
• Selection of Lesotho one of five COs globally for
  Joint UNAIDS, WB, UNDP Corporate Pilot on
  transformational leadership to address the
  HIV/AIDS crisis.

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3.2 RC System's Response to Current Food Crisis

• Inter-Agency CAP Task Force Chaired by UNDP --
  Responsible for Close Liaison with GoL for CAP
  Preparation Implementation
• Since mid-2002, CAP Task Force developed two
  annual appeals (July 2002-June 2003 and July
  2003-June 2004) and related Mid-Term Reviews
• Focus on addressing the issue of vulnerability in
  the context of UNSGs Next Steps Memo
• Response to CAP Appeals Have Yielded Far Less for
  Lesotho Than Desirable, both Food Funds.

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3.3 RC System's Contribution to Poverty Reduction
Through PRSP

• Inter-Agency -- WB, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP --Technical
  Financial Support to PRSP Process
• Support for the establishment of a National
  Poverty Monitoring System
• Establishment of Joint Poverty Fund from
  International Partners, Managed by the Ministry
  of Finance Development Planning
• Inter-Agency -- UNDP, WB, UNICEF -- Technical
  Financial Support to Vision 2020 Process.

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4. Mechanisms for Sharing RC System Management

• Institution of System of Responsibility Sharing
  by Each Agency Head Serving as Acting RC Per
  Month on Rotational Basis, e.g. UNICEF Rep is
  Acting RC for Jan 2004
• Expanded Theme Group on HIV/AIDS Chair UNDP
  (2002/2003) handing over to WHO on 29 January
  2004
• Joint Government/UNCT Task Force on HIV/AIDS
  Scaling-Up Implementation
• Gender Theme Group Chair WHO Representative
  (2002/2003), handing over to UNFPA in January
  2004
• Task Force on Food Security Chair FAO
  Representative
• Task Force on Communications Chair UNICEF
  Representative
• Task Force on Orphans and Other Vulnerable
  Children Chair UNICEF Representative
• Task Force on Operations Chair UNICEF
  Operations Officer
• MDGs Task Force also responsible for
  co-ordinating the UNDAF, CCA and CAP chaired by
  UNDP, Chair Economic Advisor
• RC Office UNDP Policy Team Leader as Substantive
  Focal Point.

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5. Role of Regional HQ Policy Support to RC
System's Success

• High-Level Visits by UNSG, Special Envoys for
  Food Security for HIV/AIDS, as well as
  FAO/WFP-led Food Crop Assessments/Data Played
  Catalytic Role in Securing Donor Attention,
  Resources
• Jhb-based RIACSO a Catalytic Advocacy
  Operational Role in Galvanising Regional/SADC
  Action in Response to Food Crisis
• RIACSO Now Needs to Place Stronger Emphasis on
  Fighting HIV/AIDS, Promoting Governance
  National and Household Food Security keeping in
  mind the importance of NEPAD and the African
  Union
• Example, RIACSO Should Field Inter-Agency,
  Inter-Disciplinary Technical Mission in 2004 to
  Strengthen Lesotho CO's Contribution to
  Formulation of National Food Security Policy

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5.1 Role of Regional HQ Support to RC System's
(contd)

• Need for Formulation of ALL Emerging Corporate
  Policies, Guidelines to Always A Ensure
  Conformity to/Harmonisation With the Letter and
  Spirit of Existing Policies on UN Reform the RC
  System at Country Level
• On Programmatic Side, Policies on Management of
  HIV/AIDS Programmes and Resources Has Constituted
  the Greatest Challenge
• On RC System Management Side, Need to Give More
  Affirmative Encouragement of Each UN Agency
  Resident Representative to Play More Substantive
  Role in RC System Management and Be Recognised
  for It, Including Through Existing Performance
  Evaluation Mechanisms.

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6.    Lessons Learned Towards Strengthening RC
System

• Although Lesotho is a Small Country with Small
  Population (2.2 ml), Country Faces Complex
  Development Challenges
• However, Only Five Resident UN Agencies, Most
  With Few Staff, Some with Only One or Two
  Professionals
• All Agencies Staffed Primarily by National
  Professionals, Tending to Seriously Undermine
  Internationalism, Non-Partisanship
• Doing Smart UN Business Under These Conditions
  Very Possible BUT Requires Better Focused
  Deployment of Regionally/HQ-Based Senior Advisors
  -- as Deliberate Corporate Strategy -- and/or
  Out-Sourcing, Competence Procurement

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6.1    Lessons Learned Towards Strengthening RC
System

• UNDP Can Do Superb Job of RC System Co-ordination
  IF Better Resourced to Play Substantive as well
  as Administrative Roles
• UNCT Lesotho Warmly Welcomes Planned
  Consolidation of the UNDP Johannesburg-Based
  Advisory Services as It Augurs Well for Strategic
  Harmonisation with RIACSO, Other UN/Other
  Regional Structures e.g. WHO, UNICEF, FAO SADC,
  NEPAD, AU
• Also Clear Advantage for Planned UNDP SADC
  Sub-Regional Facility -- to forge Strong Link
  With/Make DGO Felt at SADC Regional in Support
  of UN Systems Development Mandate.

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7. Role of  Resident Donors, Their Contribution
to Lesotho

• Played Significant Role in Resolution of 1998
  General Elections Debacle, All the Way to
  Country's May 2002 World Class General Elections
  
• Also Played Significant Role in the Search for
  Appropriate Responses to the HIV/AIDS Crisis. Now
  Challenge to Give Equally Unequivocal Support to
  Implementation of the Scaling-Up Strategies
• However, Donor Support in Response to Lesotho's
  Food Crisis Far Less Affirmative
• This in Light of  Sharp Decline in ODA to Lesotho
  in Past Decade
• US 75 in mid 1980s and less than US16 per
  capita in 2003 Also Limiting Resource Flows to
  RC System
• Largest Donors to Lesotho Include Ireland,
  European Commission UK Germany
• And Yet, There Are Excellent Reasons Why One
  Should Invest in Lesotho Improved Governance,
  Zero Tolerance vis Corruption,  GoL Commitment to
  Scale Up the National Response to HIV/AIDS .

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Thank You for Your Attention

• UN Country Team
• Maseru
• 26 January 2003