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Welcome to the United Nations in Malawi |
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UN Vision 2016 - UN Agencies working coherently and effectively to support the government and the people of Malawi to achieve prosperity, human rights and well being.
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UN Country Team, UN Resident Corrdinator Richard Dictus and Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Mwalwanda
Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Mwalwanda
Audience at UNDAF Launch
 
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UNDAF 2012-2016 Launch
24th October 2011
Click here to view document
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 Malawi UN Country Team members, the ICT mission delegates and members of the Malawi ICT working group pose for a group photograph at the end of a successful ICT mission
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Joint UN Inter-Agency ICT Assessment Mission to Malawi
4th – 8th July 2011
In March 2009 the High Level Committee on Management mission visited Malawi, and a lot of emphasis on an integrated ICT system to enhance efficiency and effectiveness was placed. It was envisioned that through the development of country level shared ICT services, cost savings, efficiency and other benefits would be realized from establishing “a reliable and high-speed infrastructure designed for services required by the UN in Malawi to function as 'ONE UN'”.
On the 3rd July 2011, a team of three highly qualified technical specialists from the UNDG Task Team at headquarters level visited Malawi and worked with the ICT Working Group in conducting a technical ICT assessment of various UN agencies in the country and local ICT service providers between 04-08th July 2011. A summary report was presented in the mission’s exit debriefing to the UNCT, OMT and ICT WG. The team is currently working on a detailed report which will be shared with UNCT once ready. It is anticipated that a workable cost-effective and efficient integrated ICT system will be developed with the insightful guidance of the mission through their detailed report. |
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Resident Coordinator Mr. Richard Dictus presenting a gift to the guest speaker, Justice Jane Ansah
Presentation by UNFPA Resident Representative, Athanase Nzokirishaka
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UN STAFF TOWNHALL MEETING
22nd June 2011, UNICEF Conference Room
The first 2011 townhall meeting was held on 22nd June. As per tradition, the UN Malawi regularly holds these townhall meetings as a means of focusing our staff on the key challenges facing Malawi and the actions to which they can contribute to ensure meaningful progress. The theme for the townhall meeting was ‘Gender’.
The guest speaker during the June townhall meeting was Justice Jane Ansah, Supreme High Court Judge and former Attorney General. She addressed the UN staff and shared her knowledge and views on where Malawi stands in terms of attaining gender parity with respect to the protocols and conventions the country has signed, what are the impediments to progress, and what needs to be done to accelerate progress. In her presentation, she indicated that Malawi has made progress in aligning its national legislation with international human rights conventions, through the passage of laws and the ratification of several international and regional treaties.
The Resident Coordinator, Richard Dictus, made a presentation on UN Capacity Assessment. He pointed out that the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Malawi agreed in April 2010 to conduct a UN Capacity Assessment. As the UN is finalizing the formulation of the new UNDAF 2012-2016, the human resource requirement to implement the UNADF needs to be mapped against the availability of staff capacity skills.
UNFPA’s Resident Representative, Athanase Nzokirishaka, made a presentation on ‘Investing in Gender and Development-UN’s interventions in Malawi’. In his presentation, he stressed that while Malawi is on track on five out of the eight MDGs, it is notable that the three MDGs (MDG 2, 3 and 5) where expectations are not being met, have very pronounced gender connotations. |
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Audience at the Candlelight Memorial
Patrick Brenny, UNAIDS Country Coordinator giving his remarks at the Candlelight Memorial
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 UN CANDLELIGHT MEMORIAL 27TH MAY 2011
Every year the UN gathers to commemorate the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial along with other countries globally for three main objectives:
1. To honour the memory of those who have died of HIV-related illnesses
2. To show our support to those living with HIV and those affected by HIV and AIDS; encouraging people living with HIV and AIDS to come out in the open as a way of responding to stigma and discrimination; this is the most distasteful enemy invading in aspects of human rights.
3. To renew our determination to reduce the further spread of infection and mitigate the impact of the epidemic in our beautiful country.
Read Speech Given by UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Richard Dictus
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UN Resident Coordinator, Richard Dictus, Deputy Minister of Finance, Honorable Fraser Nihorya, and members of the UN Country Team addressing the media
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MGDS II AND UNDAF ALIGNMENT WORKSHOP-10TH MAY 2011
The United Nations in Malawi is in the final stages of developing its United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the period 2012-2016. The UNDAF is a five-year programme of support that encapsulates the areas of Malawi’s development that the United Nations, through its various agencies, intends to support during the five year period. The central purpose of the UNDAF is to help Malawi achieve the Millennium Development Goals as nationally articulated through the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS II).
The UNDAF brings together the work of all the UN agencies in Malawi into one strategic framework and focuses on areas where the UN has its comparative advantages. Through the UNDAF, the UN in Malawi is defining its role in terms of where and how it will support the attainment of MGDS II. Efforts are therefore being made to ensure that the UNDAF is well informed by and aligned to the MGDS, the basis for strengthening the long and deep partnership between the Government of Malawi and the UN system.
An MGDS II – UNDAF Alignment Workshop was held on Tuesday, 10 May 2011at 8:00am atCapital Hotel in Lilongwe. It brought together government officials, UN staff, development partners and civil society representatives. The objectives of the workshop were:
1. To valaidate the UNDAF's outcomes and its strategic alignment to the MGDS II
2. To agree on the UN's comparative advantage and division of labour within the UN system, and
3. To agree on an arrangement for implementation of the UNDAF
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UNFPA Resident Representative, Athanase Nzokirishaka, delivering his speech during the 2011 International Women's Day
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2011
On 8th March, 2011, Malawi joined the world in commemorating International women’s day. The Theme for the commemoration in Malawi was ‘Equal access to Education, Training, Science and Technology: Assurance to safe Motherhood and Total Empowerment to Women and the Girl Child”. The United Nations in Malawi through UNFPA provided technical and financial support towards the commemoration of this day.
In his speech UNFPA’s Resident Representative, Athanase Nzokirishaka, reminded the gathering that education is key to development and indicated that if all the girls had access to education and opportunities there would be a lot of benefits to the country. He further appealed to all stakeholders to step up their efforts on access to education as this is a key to safe motherhood and women empowerment.
He pledged UN’s support to government and other stakeholders in the quest towards promotion of women empowerment through young people programmes especially adolescent girls’ friendly activities.
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UN Resident Coordinator and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Etta Banda
Audience at the Launch
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LAUNCH OF A UN PUBLICATION
THE UNITED ACTION: THE UNITED NATIONS IN MALAWI
The United Action: The United Nations in Malawi 2008 -2011, is a publication by the United Nations in Malawi, of which the main objective is to raise awareness about the UN assistance programme in Malawi. The publication also highlights how the UN aligns i'ts development assistance, through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, to the national development strategy – the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy.
The book was launched by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Etta Banda, on 3rd December 2010 at UNDP in Lilongwe.The book demonstrates how the United Nations will continue supporting ordinary Malawians in their effort to improve their lives.
There was also a photo display highlighting the important work being supported in the five areas: sustainable economic development and food security, social protection and disaster risk reduction, social development, HIV and AIDS, and good governance.
The United Nations is committed to continue supporting the government to improve the wellbeing of all Malawians.
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First Lady, Madam Callista Mutharika, addressing UN staff
UN Resident Coordinator, Richard Dictus, Delivering his speech
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UN TOWNHALL MEETING -20th November 2010
The townhall meeting is one of several such meetings that the UN in Malawi holds regularly in a year to try and focus our attention on achieving results for the people of Malawi. The UN has made it a custom to invite external guest speakers as a way of enriching the discussions during the townhall meetings.
The United Nations in Malawi is committed to helping the government of Malawi to reduce maternal deaths. During its November 2010 Townhall Meeting under the theme of maternal health, the UN invited the First Lady Mrs.Callista Mutharika, in her capacity as Coordinator and Director of safe motherhood to address UN members of Staff and inspire them as they work together towards making motherhood both safe and enjoyable.
Maternal Health is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days after termination of pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. But there is a substantial benefit of action in that Maternal Deaths can be prevented through simple and cost effective measures.
Malawi’s maternal mortality is currently at 807 per 100,000 births. While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women, it is associated with suffering, ill health and even death.
In her speech, she commended the good work that the United Nations in Malawi is doing in helping the government of Malawi uplift the standards of the poor. She further reminded the gathering that Malawi has been a beneficiary of the United Nations support since 1964 and a lot has been achieved in the area of economic and social development. She said that through the United Nations, universal respect for human rights and non-discrimination based on race, sex, language, or religion has been promoted.
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Rural Malawi Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis
March 2010
Experts from different organizations have contributed to the drafting of this report, including from WFP:
Mr Lazarus Gonani, Ms Grace Matewere, Ms Dorothy Tembo, Mr Victor Mhango, Ms Chiara Brunelli, Mr Eric
Kenefick, Mr Andrea Berardo and Mr Maliki Amadou Mahamane; from the Government: Mr Ishmael Gondwe,
Mr Richard Kajombo, Mr Frederick Msiska, Mr Benjamin Banda and Mr Andrew Jamali; and from the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr Samson Kankhande.
The report has been reviewed and cleared by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) under
the coordination of Dr Hannock Kumwenda, Director of the Ministry of Development Planning and
Cooperation, and the CFSVA task force, chaired by Mr Ishmael Gondwe from the National Statistical Office.
Other task force members include Mr Richard Kajombo from Ministry of evelopment Planning and
Cooperation, Mr Frederick Msiska from Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Benjamin Banda and Mr
Andrew Jamali from the National Statistical Office, Mr Samson Kankhande from FAO and Mr Lazarus Gonani,
Ms Grace Matewere, and Ms Dorothy Tembo from WFP.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is pleased to announce the arrival of the new Representative and Country Director, Mr. Abdoulaye Diop.
A Malian citizen, Diop presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Etta Banda, and MP on 5 March 2010.
Prior to this appointment, Diop served on several diplomatic missions as the Malian Ambassador to the United States, accredited to Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay and Peru with residence in Washington DC, World Bank and IMF.
Diop has also served as a vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, a non-governmental organization based in Washington DC. Diop has also been a Senior Adviser to the President of the Republic of Mali and member of the Steering Committee of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) |
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PRESS RELEASE - MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER ARE VICTIMS OF HUNGER
Food and Agriculture Organisation of The United Nations, FAO |
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Read about these events and other news in the Media Centre »
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Malawi and the MDGs
