Created programmes to reinforce private sector accountability, including by implementing the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ensuring the effective regulation of businesses by governments, conducting social, environmental and human rights impact assessments and implementing due diligence safeguards to prevent negative impacts.
Outcome 4.1
Supported measures to protect vulnerable, marginalized and excluded communities in prevention and mitigation of the impacts of and building resilience to, climate, natural disasters, desertification, land degradation and humanitarian crises.
Outcome 2
2.6.3 COVID-19 response Finding 23. The joint office was effective in adapting to the COVID-19 context and supporting the Government to implement initiatives particularly relevant for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, sustaining livelihoods, ensuring the continuity of basic health and educational services, and providing financial assistance to the most vulnerable. There is less evidence of clear strategies to adapt to the post COVID-19 country context, as the crisis is still ongoing and there are operational challenges within the office. According to the COVID-19 Bulletin published by the United Nations office in Cabo Verde in December 2020, the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes reprogrammed $8 million and raised an additional $3 million to assist with the COVID-19 crisis. Table 13 shows the key actions and results supported by the joint office during COVID-19, especially during 2020 (see section 2.5 for related financial data).
Source: Own elaboration
A key differential value of United Nations work is to support the availability of data and evidence so that public policies and programmes do not leave anyone behind. Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator’s Office, a national LNOB partnership was formed.67 An important milestone was the presentation of the results of a study on LNOB carried out by the United Nations in the country.68 All CCP portfolio managers were invited to comment on the report in its various areas, especially in human rights and gender. The CCP provided a very significant contribution through its support to INE. All surveys produced by INE disaggregate data by sex. Every two years, INE produces a publication on women and men in Cabo Verde in partnership with IGE, and strongly supported by the CCP. INE has a common platform with IGE, which is a gender observatory where data on women is published, and in 2018, INE conducted a survey on SRH and human rights. The CCP also helped INE to conduct the national census, building bridges with new partners to mobilize resources, and provided technical assistance to help conclude the data collection. In addition, Cabo Verde is leading the production of a Governance Statistics Handbook, which other countries should follow. INE is working to develop capacity in data production in other sectoral organizations, but this is work in progress, and a possible future collaboration agenda between INE and the joint office.
TABLE 13. Joint office support during the COVID-19 pandemic Agency
Provision of cash transfers for 1,000 families for three months Provision of transfers to 30,000 workers from the informal sector following exceptional help decided by the Government to compensate for income loss due to the State of Emergency Delivery of an essential basket of goods to 1,500 families for four months Income payment for caregivers for four months, to take care of elderly and isolated people in their own homes, who don’t benefit from support from their city, community, or families UNDP
Advocacy and mobilization of funds for the operationalization of the National Education Response Plan for COVID-19 prepared by the Government and with the technical assistance of UNICEF Collaboration with the World Education Partnership in the Programme ´Study and Learn at home´ launched by the Ministry of Education to respond to the suspension of lessons for 100,000 pre-school, elementary and high school students: UNICEF
68
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Preparation of day-care centres and care centres for the elderly with a view to reopening (cleaning, hygiene, measures, equipment)
Support to the development of the Comvida Platform and mobile app and COVID-19 website (UNDP Accelerator Lab), the official platform for information and communication, monitoring and management of the pandemic
Cabo Verdean experts attended an international training in Senegal on the demographic dividend. UNFPA has been supporting South-South cooperation between Cabo Verde and other countries in the region and beyond, and there has been active cooperation with Angola, Djibouti, Senegal and South Africa and Brazil. For example, with Senegal, there was an exchange on economic statistics and a loan of technical equipment, and Brazil provided Cabo Verde with electronic devices for data collection.
The partnership included the Ministry of the Family, Inclusion and Social Development, MoF, IGE, INE, National Commission for Human Rights and Citizenship, University of Cabo Verde Research and Training Centre for Gender and the Family, NGO Platform and GHRWG. Government of Cabo Verde and United Nations (2021). Avaliação Não Deixar Ninguém para Trás em Cabo Verde.
Provision of hot meals and basic food baskets to 30,000 students (22,500 most vulnerable families, 14,467 girls and 15,533 through the School Canteens Programme)
Support to job creation with $700,000 through the Decentralization Fund (4,470,000) and other core funds mobilized at a global level ($230,000), to help face the socioeconomic impact of this crisis and prepare for recovery in all islands
The joint office support INE to produce the country’s Voluntary National Review report, after Cabo Verde had already presented two reports to the HLPF. The CCP produced articles, and supported various capacity-building and networking opportunities for INE experts, in the areas of governance, poverty, social statistics and gender.
67
Support given
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Production of 620 TV and audio classes from preschool to high school education
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Reproduction of study sheets to support children in situations of personal and social vulnerability and who do not have access to tele and audio classes in some locations
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Translation into Braille and other adaptations for children with special educational needs
Reinforcement of hygiene in kindergartens and day-care centres, distributing 100 hygiene kits (hand washing, cleaning materials) establishments, serving 3,547 pupils of which 1,831 are girls and dissemination of a guide for the organization and sanitation at education facilities
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