REPRESENTATIVES OF UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM BASED IN MALAWI HOLD INFORMAL DIALOGUE WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
Press Release
ECOSOC/5661
REPRESENTATIVES OF UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM BASED IN MALAWI HOLD INFORMAL DIALOGUE WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
19960709 The advent of a popularly elected government in Malawi, in 1994, had allowed for ambitious cooperation among United Nations agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions and national partners in that country, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malawi, Terence T. Jones, told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon as it continued its operational activities for development segment.The Council is discussing the follow-up to policy recommendations of the General Assembly and the coordination of system-wide development activities. This afternoon, the Council held an informal dialogue with representatives of United Nations agencies in Malawi. In addition to Mr. Jones, who is also the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in that country, representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) also took part in the dialogue.
Mr. Jones said that the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs, the Centre for Human Rights and specialized agencies had provided technical support for Malawi's first multi- party elections. Since the election, the Government had formed an interministerial committee supported by donors. United Nations agencies were engaged in a wide variety of programmes which were closely coordinated with the World Bank.
The United Nations country coordination committee met weekly for consultations and met annually to review and prepare work plans, he continued. The Committee had reviewed in detail new programmes of the UNFPA, UNICEF and the WFP; programmes of the UNDP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) would be reviewed in September along with programmes of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Joint programming, consistent with the country-strategy note, would be developed on poverty monitoring and analysis, as well as on matters concerning the Joint and Co-sponsored United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and issues related to gender, food security and nutrition, community development and youth.
Mr. Jones said cooperation with the World Bank had not been extensive prior to 1994 due to the freeze on international aid. Since 1995, consultative group meetings were being held and agreement had been reached to use poverty indicators and goals as a means of measuring the impact of development cooperation. Bank staff were participating in theme group meetings on gender issues, the HIV/AIDS Programme and water supply and sanitation, as was UNICEF, which was also cooperating on matters related to nutrition and primary education. In addition, the WFP was cooperating in public works, UNFPA in population matters and the WHO on health issues.
The UNDP was cooperating in public sector reform, decentralization, economic and financial management, and environmental matters, he said. The UNDP continued to provide financial and personnel services to UNFPA, WFP, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Volunteers, the UNCDF and the HIV/AIDS Programme. It was hoped that by late 1997 construction would have begun on a facility for common premises and common services.
Natalie Hahn, a representative of UNICEF, said that Malawi was the tenth poorest country in the world, in which per capita income was $200 per year and in which one third of rural households were headed by women. Noting that the Government was now moving to provide free universal primary education, she said that since that commitment had been made, the number of people attending primary school had jumped from 1.9 million to 3.2 million. Often, parents and children attended school simultaneously. The United Nations had worked hard to facilitate internal changes in Malawi consistent with the principle of national ownership of development.
Else Larsen, a representative of the WFP, said that many Malawi households faced difficulties in food security as early as three months after the end of harvests. United Nations agencies and the World Bank were developing "vulnerability analysis and monitoring systems" which had permitted very sophisticated analysis of vulnerability patterns. New geographical information systems and analytical techniques were allowing for very detailed situation analyses. Work was now concentrating on drought prevention, improved seed stocks, soil conservation and reforestation -- particularly in areas formerly occupied by Mozambican refugees.
Lalan Mubiala, a representative of the UNFPA, said that the status of women in Malawi was lower than that of men in all aspects of life. Only 29 per cent of women were literate as compared with 48 per cent for males. Some 75 per cent of girls dropped out of school after the primary level. Only 10 per cent of girls continued to the secondary level. United Nations agencies and representatives of the World Bank were seeking to coordinate gender issues with a view to achieving a joint United Nations gender policy.
Economic and Social Council - 3 - Press Release ECOSOC/5661 27th Meeting (PM) 9 July 1996
Matthias Chuwa, a representative of the WHO, said that some 14 per cent of adults aged fifteen to forty-nine were HIV-positive. In some urban prenatal clinics, between 15 and 33 per cent of women were tested positive. In the fifteen-to-nineteen age group, women were seven times more likely to be infected than were men. Some 300,000 children had been orphaned by AIDS by the end of 1995. In response to the crisis, the Government had established a multisectoral National AIDS Committee. It was promoting condom use, youth activities, promotion of home-based care and support groups, blood safety programmes and the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The country programme of the United Nations HIV/AIDS Programme in Malawi was chaired by the representative of the WHO and was being funded at a rate of $2 million per year.
Council members asked the opinion of the Malawi-based United Nations team about decentralization. They also wanted to know how the sustainability of immunization programmes was being ensured. Members also wondered if the 50 per cent reduction in the international staff of the United Nations had been compensated by national staff. The representative of Malawi asked about the experience of the United Nations system in his country after the change of government that had occurred two years ago. She also asked how the United Nations system planned to deal with orphans in the country.
In addition, information was sought by Council members on whether there was a mechanism on the ground to achieve coordination. Further, they wondered about how the United Nations programmes had been harmonized with poverty- eradication programmes. Questions were also asked about coordination at the subregional level and its effectiveness, and about the possibility of organizing medium-term joint evaluations. If United Nations agencies were coordinating their programming and funding cycles, would it not be possible for them to also coordinate their reviews?
Mr. Jones said decentralization was crucial because when it took months for the grant of funds, it impinged on effectiveness. He stressed that the capacity of national non-governmental organizations was limited, and a balance in the role of the Government and those organizations had to be worked through in Malawi. He said that there had been no compensations for staff reductions. In fact, six posts had been lost at the national level. He reiterated that the agencies' experience with the change of government had been positive. The Minister for Planning held monthly meetings with agency representatives, and discussions had also been held with the Speaker of the Parliament. He welcomed the government efforts to establish new human rights organization.
Addressing the issue of subregional coordination, he said there was ad hoc coordination, and the agencies were working with the Government to improve networking. Responding to other questions, he said the Government had appointed a 60-member body which had approved a poverty-alleviation framework.
Economic and Social Council - 4 - Press Release ECOSOC/5661 27th Meeting (PM) 9 July 1996
The United Nations was planning a joint mid-term review of the agencies' work in Malawi for 1999, he said. At the country level, the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa had been welcomed. As the mechanisms of the Initiative became clearer, he hoped that they would infuse the donor coordination groups with new energy. In southern Africa, resident coordinators had attempted to learn from each other's experiences, he added.
The representative of UNICEF said the strategy to ensure sustainability of the immunization campaign was fourfold. The Government would be advised to increase funding for immunization, and education would be provided to mothers. New channels of distribution, such as school teachers and traditional healers, would be used. Moreover, communication channels were being strengthened through the use of vernacular languages and radio.
The representative of the WFP said poverty-eradication programmes did exist in Malawi, and the Programme, jointly with the United States Agency for International Development, had used various indicators to identify poverty. However, food aid was not the answer to solving the poverty problem.
The WHO representative said that the fight against AIDS in Malawi needed additional funding. The office of the United Nations HIV/AIDS Programme in Malawi was not yet installed and operating at full strength. The country lacked drugs for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and equipment for the processing of blood supplies.
The representative of the UNFPA said that until 1994 the term "family planning" was a taboo in Malawi. But today, with the improved political situation, everyone in the country, including the President, were endorsing the principle. Recently, the national parliament had adopted a separate budget section for population activities.
The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 10 July, to begin its consideration of the reports of the executive boards of the UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the WFP.
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