UN Communication Group

(left to right) Kusali Kubwalo UNICEF, Hudson Kubwalo WHO, Victor Chinyama UNICEF & Group Chairman 2008, Villa Ezala UN-RCO, Matthews Nyirenda WFP, Sophie Jama UNAIDS, Susan Muguro UN-RCO, Muwuso Chawinga FAO, Andrew Massa UNDP and Anne Muwonge UNHCR

During the recent UN Africa Regional Coherence workshop hosted by UN Malawi, the UNCG-Malawi held a parallel learning session on Communicating as One facilitated by Michael Kovrig, UN DGO Strategic Communications Specialist.

In 2008, UNCG-Malawi has prioritised advocacy in the thematic areas of Good Governance, HIV and AIDS – Behavioural Change and Prevention, Legislation, Climate Change and MDGs.

Working together as One

March 2008 - Malawi hosted the first Regional UN Coherence meeting, as an opportunity for UN Coordination officials to share with peers their experiences, lessons and approaches in the UN reform process. Participating countries included three of the One UN Pilot countries in Africa - Rwanda, Mozambique and Tanzania – as well as other countries that have made significant strides towards Delivering as One. The meeting was also attended by officials from DGO, the Regional Directors’ Team, Malawi Government and donor representatives.

Working as One

Presentations and discussions focused on key UN reform challenges in particular related to achieving One Programme with a corresponding Single Budgetary Framework, identifying the appropriate structures, capacities and skills across the UN system so that agencies can effectively apply their unique mandates and comparative advantages at country level, Communicating as One, Resident Coordinator leadership and mutual accountability between the RC and the UNCT and Common Premises and Services. All participating countries had good practices and valuable lessons to share, and vibrant discussions identifying practical solutions.

Special sessions with the Malawi government and key donors proved essential to understand how external partners perceive the efforts towards more UN Coherence, what in particular the UN should focus on and what support and level of participation in this process UN Country Teams should expect from them.

Feedback from participants at the end of the workshop acknowledged the impact a few days of intense interactions with a small group had made on their daily conduct of coordination duties. They appreciated in particular the hands-on approach of the event which focused on real-life examples and solutions. Participating pilot countries acknowledged that there was a lot to learn from non-pilot countries and that there is a need to expand UN reform discussions to a wider network rather than ‘cocooning’ themselves to the group of eight pilots.

Contributed by Venge Nyirongo, UN Coordination Analyst

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Three cities to benefit from EC funded poverty reduction programme

UN-HABITAT will aim to help reduce urban poverty and improve living conditions through EC funded poverty reduction programme

March 2008 - UN-HABITAT will launch activities and a regional dialogue on urban development policies to kick-start a poverty reduction programme in which three Malawian cities will participate.

With funding from the European Commission, UN-HABITAT will work in Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre exploring ways to improve living conditions in a sustainable way. This is part of a 4 million Euros programme for poverty reduction in selected cities across Africa.

In the first phase of this programme, the EC funds will enable Malawi to assess her major urban challenges and to produce urban sector profiles covering seven thematic areas namely: Governance, Slums, Gender and HIV/AIDS, Urban environment, Local Economic Development, Basic Urban Services and Cultural Heritage. Through the urban sector profiling activity, residents in the three cities will identify their most urgent needs to reduce urban poverty and improve their living conditions. The profiles provide the platform for urban decision-makers and residents to determine the issues that need improving.

The second phase will build on the priorities identified through pre-feasibility studies and development of detailed capacity building and capital investment projects.

Phase three implements the projects developed during the two earlier phases, with an emphasis on skills development, institutional strengthening and replication of the lessons learned by the stakeholders during the different phases in other cities. This will contribute to national and local policy development.

The partnership between the EC and UN-HABITAT aims to accelerate programme towards the Millennium Development Goal with the target to achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020.

The participating cities/towns in Malawi will be agreed with Government but will include the capital Lilongwe, a medium sized city and a small town/municipality.

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Minister for Labour visits child labour prevention initiatives

February 2008 - As part of his orientation, the new Minister for Labour in Malawi Honourable Davis Katsonga, M.P., visited one of the ILO/IPEC’s programmes, which aims to prevent child labour in the country. Hon. Katsonga visited project sites in Mulanje and Phalombe Districts in southern region. His visited schools, vocational training apprentices where he handed over material and livestock to vulnerable families.

Hon. Katsonga applauded the efforts being made and emphasized the need for a deeper commitment for elimination of child labour as well as creating an environment that protects children. He reiterated his ministry’s commitment to elimination of the worst forms of child labour in Malawi.


Pictures:
(left) Minister talking to tailoring apprentices in Phalombe   (Right) Minister handing over pigs to IGA beneficiary

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Climate change threatens gains in human development

Women draped in chitenge’s carrying the HDR slogan performed song and dances at the HDR launching ceremony with messages on challenges climate change poses on Malawi’s development progress. (Credit © NewsPix Agency/UN Malawi 2007)

February 2008 - His Excellency the President Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika launched the 2007/2008 Human Development Report titled Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world, at a colourful ceremony in Lilongwe in February.

Climate change is considered the 21st century’s biggest threat to human development. Fighting climate change makes an urgent appeal for renewed international cooperation to tackle the effects of climate change especially in Africa, which is currently experiencing climate shocks despite its low carbon footprint. Malawi is a case in point where dry spells and flooding for example attributed to climate change have increased in frequency, intensity and magnitude over the last decade.

At the ceremony, His Excellency Dr. Mutharika launched the country’s National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA), which has been developed by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Environment. The strategy is the result of collaborative effort involving chiefs, community based organisations, scholars, local government representatives and a cross section of development stakeholders and supported by United Nations Development Programme.

Working with government departments, the United Nations in Malawi will be providing technical and financial support to help especially vulnerable communities to build their capacity to resist climate shocks.

UNDP is supporting implementation of priority issues identified by NAPA and will support advocacy efforts to increase local understanding of the impact of climate change and aim to engage a wider population in tackling adaptation efforts.

Increased irrigation enables farmers to cultivate during dry spells. (Chitsukwa Irrigation Programme - © Annika Strate/WFP Malawi)

FAO has set climate change as one of its top priorities in 2008 and is working with the government and communities to explore crop diversification, irrigation and introduction of drought resistant seeds.

World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.

The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever-growing threats to global public health security. Through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide. Examples of such collaborative actions include strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.

(Follow this link for the press release)
President Mutharika launches 2007/2008 Human Development Report and unveils the national climate change adaptation plan

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Accelerating efforts to improve child health

January 2008 - The WHO hosted an inter-country workshop on strenghthening newborn and child health programmes, for health professionals from Eritrea, Siera Leone, Swaziland, Kenya, Malawi and Lesotho.

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of key policy and programme managers to effectively plan for and improve newborn health as part of maternal and child health programmes in Africa.

Every year, 4 million babies die during the neonatal period. More than a quarter of these fatalities happen in Africa, which has a neonatal mortalityrate of 45 per 100 live births and the highest in the world. Currently there are interventions, which aim to prevent 72% of these deaths, but coverage in Africa is very low.

WHO hosts maternal mortality workshop

The Millennium Development Goal on child mortality aims to reduce by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate by 2015. Achievement of this goal will not be achieved unless accelerated efforts are made. However, there are promising opportunities in Africa.

Some African countries have developed Road Maps for accelerated reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and new child survival strategies. There is also improved cooperation between key partners on maternal and child health globally. There has been increased demand in Africa for technical support to improve newborn care, which for years has tended to fall between the cracks of maternal and child health strategies.

The Minister of Health, Honourable Marjorie Ngaunje MP, presided over the opening ceremony of the workshop

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Malawi’s housing and population census in 2008

Residents of Kasungu marking a recent World Population Day

January 2008 - The Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Planning and Development and the National Statistical Office (NSO) are working diligently towards conducting the country’s housing and population census in June. Planning and investment for development can only respond more efficiently to the real needs with recent socio economic data or classification of population.

UNFPA is supporting the government prepare for this enormous task as one of the key results planned within the good governance cluster of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). UNFPA as a donor and significant partner is working with NSO to implement a civic education campaign. UNFPA has also recruited a technical advisor to strengthen NSO’s capacity. NSO will also benefit from technical assistance from the USA Census Bureau. Other donors are DFID, Ireland and Germany (GTZ). UNFPA and other UN agencies will also provide technical and financial resourcesd after the census for analysis and dissemination of the data.

The government of Malawi is currently procuring a census questionnaire scanning technology to expedite the rigorous process of compiling and processing data.

Last July, the National Statistical Office launched MASEDA 3.0, a comprehensive database on human development. Malawi Socio-Economic Database (MASEDA) is designed as a fundamental tool to promote evidence-based planning of development efforts and is a key component of a Joint Programme on Monitoring and Evaluation supported by the UN and other development partners.

The 2007 State of the World Population, UNFPA’s flagship publication states that in 2008, half of the global population or 3.3 million people will live in urban areas. The biggest challenge for planners is managing high poverty levels concentrated in slums, the associated inadequate social services including clean water, sanitation and health facilities and the serious environmental damage now posed.

The report states this presents an opportunity for policymakers to involve urban poor to plan and properly map out strategic decisions to tackle this ‘inevitable growth.

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Introducing the New WHO Resident Representative

Dr. Felicitas Zawaira (left) after presenting her credential to the Malawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Joyce Banda

January 2008 - Dr Felicitas Zawaira assumed her duties as the new World Health Organization Representative. Presenting her credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Joyce Banda, Dr. Zawaira acknowledged that while Malawi is making great strides to address its health challenges, there are major issues that require accelerated attention.

Honourable Banda explained that a top priority for the government tackling the high maternal mortality rates of almost 1,000 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The Minister said the government places great importance to WHO's work in Malawi especially in the provision of technical support and acknowledges the leadership WHO provides in health matters.

“High maternal mortality rate is of major concern within the WHO Africa Region. The causes of maternal mortality are quite complex. What we need to do is to rally together around the problem and start doing things differently to achieve positive results,’ said Dr. Zawaira and recognised that the political will demonstrated by Malawi’s leaders is fundamental from the community to national level.

Dr. Zawaira takes over Dr. Matshidiso Moeti who is now heading the non-communicable diseases division in WHO’s Africa Regional office.

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UN Country Team at planning and strategising retreat

January 2008 - The UN Malawi Country Team held the annual planning retreat in Lilongwe. Every year, the team meets to assess the achievements of the previous year and articulate the vision and priorities in the new year.

United Nations Country Team and other participants at UNCT Retreat

The Country Team is confident that the meticulous ground work prepared in 2007 is well suited to effectively deliver on UNDAF 2008 – 2011. Michael Keating, RC has emphasised that 2008 will be a year of accelerated implementation to respond efficiently to country needs. He noted that the real challenge faced is to translate the gains made in 2007 into sustained benefits for the Malawian population. In addition, there is a renewed effort to nurture national ownership and government leadership as core for the success of Malawi’s development ambitions.

The Regional Director’s Team has recognised that Malawi’s has made remarkable advances in Delivering as One.

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You can contribute to the journal by submitting your articles or suggestions to a member of UNCG. For subscription, article contribution or printing request, please contact, The Editor, nkhani.zathu@undp.org.

United Nations Office of the UN Resident Coordinator – MALAWI Tel: (265 1 773-500             Fax: (265) 1 773-637 www.unmalawi.org

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