2 minute read
1.6 The UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF joint office
4.1 Democratic Governance and partnerships
4.2 Public policies, partnerships and justice Total Capacity of civil society and the public administration to enhance public participation in governance and combat gender inequalities.
Mobilization of partnerships and funding for development, contributing to the SDGs. 7,198,740 3,839,000
Response of the justice system to human rights and GBV. Improved strategic planning, results-based management, statistical systems, monitoring and evaluation and coordination mechanisms. 396,688 2,042,000
Source: Joint office and UNDAF document 35,803,494 36,312,459
On 1st January 2006, Cabo Verde became the first pilot joint office of agencies of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Funds and Programmes (Ex-Com), incorporating UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and wFP. In 2010, wFP ended its operations in Cabo Verde, and the joint office now comprises three agencies – UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA – who jointly implement the 2018-2022 CCPD.
The joint office concept was established by Ex-Com in February 2004 in response to the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review and a resolution of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) which called upon the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations to further simplify their rules and procedures through the implementation of a joint office model.34 This was a step in the United Nations reform process towards the harmonization and simplification of United Nations activities in small countries. A common premise for the United Nations had existed since the early 1990s, but a call for further cost-effective and cohesive United Nations country programmes led to the initiative to operate under one common platform.
In November 2006, the Government volunteered to be part of the United Nations ‘Delivering as One’ pilot exercise, as recommended by the High-Level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence. The ‘One UN’ programme was launched in 2008. According to the 2016 Summary Brief on the Cabo Verde Joint Office Model, the joint office consists of a single United Nations office, with one organizational structure and a single programme (CCPD) encompassing the activities and mandates of all participating agencies, and is meant to use one set of business processes, rules and regulations under a “support agency” arrangement. The Cabo Verde joint office applies UNDP processes, systems and contracting arrangements, as UNDP was the administrative support agency of the office before the process of delinking the Resident Coordinator.
The joint office has operated without a signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide participating agencies with a common operating platform. In May 2018, the United Nations General Assembly approved a set of changes for “repositioning” the United Nations Development System, including reforms to the Resident Coordinator system. The changes, and an accompanying new funding scheme, aim to ensure that the Resident Coordinator system is independent from any agency, more transparent and accountable to Member States and fully dedicated to Agenda 2030. This meant a change in the joint office governance structure since, up to the delinking, the UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator also served as head of the joint office.
34 United Nations General Assembly resolution 59/250 of 17 December 2004.
