OneUN
in the Maldives Newsletter
Issue 11
April - June 2013
Message from the Resident Coordinator a.i Ms Zeba Tanvir Bukhari The second quarter of 2013 is going to be crucial for the UN in the Maldives with the inception of two very important activities. The first is the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) which outlines the UN support to the Maldives from 2011-2015. Developed jointly by the Government of the Maldives and the UN, in consultation with a wide array of stakeholders, the UNDAF focuses on coordinated development assistance in areas in which the UN has comparative advantages. The MTR will be used to assess the achievements and progress made against planned results, while highlighting challenges and lessons learnt over the first two and a half years of the UNDAF. The MTR will also address a number of significant changes that have taken place in the programming environment since the inception of the UNDAF. The expected outcome of the MTR is a revised UNDAF Action Plan for the remaining two years that are aligned to the national needs and current programming environment. Another major activity planned for this quarter will be the finalization and initiation of the Low Emission Climate Resilient Development (LECReD) Programme. The LECReD takes a climate-resilient, low-carbon development approach for Laamu Atoll as a comprehensive way of reducing vulnerability in a meaningful way. The Programme follows a comprehensive and holistic approach related to energy security, rising sea levels, water, sanitation, livelihoods, food security, human health, governance, disaster risk reduction and natural resources, to enhance resilience of communities and people to climate change impact and promote sustainable development. This programmatic approach aims to generate a robust climate resilient development model for the Maldives, with best practices to be replicated eventually in other atolls in the Maldives. It is hoped that the draft programme document prepared in 2012 will be completed with the support of an adviser in April-May 2013. On behalf of the UNCT Maldives I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Mr. Anthony Lisle the new UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for the Maldives expected to join in mid April. We look forward to working under his leadership on the future and new initiatives in the country.
New UN Maldives RC appointed Mr. Tony Lisle (Australia), has been appointed as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for the Maldives. Prior to this appointment, Tony served as Country Director and Country Coordinator for UNAIDS in Viet Nam. He has also served as Regional Adviser for UNICEF's Regional Office for Central & Eastern Europe in Geneva, as Team Leader with UNAIDS in their South-East Asia & Pacific Inter-Country Team in Bangkok, and as their Inter-Country Technical Adviser. He began his UNAIDS career in 1996 and served as their Country Programme Adviser in Lao P.D.R. for three years. He has also worked for Save the Children Fund (Australia) as Country Manager in Lao, Oxfam Australia (Community Aid Abroad), in Melbourne as Programme Co-ordinator for South Asia (19881990) and as Project Officer for India (1985-1987). Tony will take up his new assignment in April 2013.
INSIDE } National Drug Use Survey } Health Procurement } Young People as Change Makers } Decentralised Data Utilisation } UNDP IGP Highlights } National Human Development Report } International Women’s Day } Domestic Violence Law } UN Habitat Training
President Waheed highlights the importance of the drug survey - Photo UNODC
National Drug Use Survey released Drug use has been plaguing Maldives for several years now. Every third family was said to have been affected by drug use and a considerable number of young Maldivians have died from drug use. While it was known that drug use had reached serious levels in the country, there was no concrete data available to assess the total number of drug users and the subsequent need for services.
... the findings of this survey will not only allow for a better understanding of drug use among the youth in the country, but will serve as a useful tool for planners, policy makers, researchers and academicians to shape future drug use prevention policies in the country for the benfit of its entire population -
On 18 February 2013, the first-ever 'National Drug Use Survey for Maldives' was released in Male. During the occasion, the President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik highlighted the importance of such a survey in view of the alarmingly high number of drug users and the large number of school children using drugs at an early age. The survey found that the current drug use prevalence in Male and the Atolls is 6.64 percent and 2.02 percent respectively. The majority of drug users are youth in the age between 15 and 24 years. The survey shows that alcohol, cannabis and opioids are the most popular drugs used. Around 200 drug users in Male and 300 in the Atolls were found to be injecting drug users who are vulnerable to the spread of bloodborne diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The survey also studied community knowledge and attitude towards the drug problem. In this regard, in general, communities feel that drug use is an increasing problem, but at the same time they do not easily understand nor treat drug addiction as a medical condition. Also, many people feel that treatment of drug addiction has not been effective. The National Drug Use Survey was carried out as part of the UNODC-supported project "Strengthening the National Response to Combat Drug Use in the Maldives" a joint project with the Government of Maldives. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and the Government of Sweden.
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Cristina Albertin in the Preface to the Report
Recommendations
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Reduction of supply of illicit drugs by strengthening law enforcement. Increased awareness activities in schools, colleges and within communities to prevent youth from taking drugs and educating them on their harmful effects.
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Encouragement of drug users to access treatment services that are available.
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Development of an information management system to collect, analyze and share data on drug use.
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Mainstreaming drug use issues in programs of other sectors like public health (mental health, HIV), children and youth, education, human resources etc.
UNOPS Programme Manager, Mr. Alejandro Ruiz-Acevedo delivering his remarks - Photo UNOPS
Strengthening Health Procurement in Maldives UNOPS held workshops to help develop capacity in the procurement of medicines, medical equipment and other items for the Maldives public health sector. The workshops were part of a project to reform public sector procurement of medicines, medical equipment and consumables in the Maldives. A team of UNOPS advisory services experts in the areas of procurement, medical and pharmaceutical visited Maldives in November to assess current practices and identify areas in need of greater efficiency. More than 45 stakeholders discussed the advisory team's findings and recommendations at the validation workshop held on 13th Wednesday 2013. UNOPS highlighted the findings in the areas procurement process management, forecasting, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and consumables. In the assessment report the two main procurement related issues highlighted were the fragmentation of procurement actions, and the near zero level of forecasting and planning even within individual purchasing units; and secondly, the lack of availability of foreign currency as a key determinant of sourcing: as the country is in a fiscal crunch foreign currency is less accessible, therefore suppliers buy from local importers instead of sourcing directly. The project is divided into three phases: assessing the current state of the health sector, procuring medical supplies and developing health procurement capacity within the Maldives. The UNOPS experts who visited in 2012, met with relevant authorities and other important stakeholders and visited state-owned institutions
and three regional hospitals. The assessment was undertaken in close partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), with direct support from the Ministry of Health and funding from WHO and Caritas Italiana. In addition to the recommendations workshop, a workshop for senior doctors, medical experts and major stakeholders was also arranged to discuss the consolidation of essential medicines. UNOPS proposed to provide transactional procurement in the 2nd and 3rd phase of the project which will last between 12 to 24 months maximum. During this period UNOPS will assist in the institutional development and framework to ensure high quality standards. UNOPS is working with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the challenges raised by the stakeholders at the workshop. With more than 30 years of specialized experience, UNOPS is a central procurement resource in the United Nations system. UNOPS have managed several similar projects for the procurement and supply chain management of essential medicines and consumables world-wide. With extensive experience in health product procurement, Longterm Agreements (LTAs) with suppliers and significant buying power, UNOPS can ensure maximum cost- effectiveness and speed when buying medical supplies for its partners. In 2011, UNOPS assisted in procuring 27 million doses of essential medicine and 10 million medical kits procurement.
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WHO assisting in building a national integrated health information system in Maldives WHO has been assisting the Ministry of Health in strengthening the national health information system. The ultimate goal of the Government of Maldives is to have a national integrated health information system (HIS), with electronic health record of each individual. The system should allow patient-base data to be made available to authorized users immediately as they are entered into the system. An important partner of the Ministry of Health in this endeavor is the National Center for Information Technology. There is an intention to link all important sources of health information, i.e. hospital data, public health data, vital statistics, health insurance, etc. into one integrated HIS. Number of consultations are being held, with major actors of the system (mainly clinicians, NGOs, private sector) to find the best architecture which would make the system user friendly, scalable and secure. At the same time, a draft National Health Information System Policy is being formulated, to trigger an appropriate legal and regulatory mechanism to ensure data availability, exchange, quality and sharing and to draw upon data from both the private and public health services, as well as non-health sectors.
Young People as Change Makers A Workshop to Enhance Capacity of Stakeholders A workshop was organized with UNICEF support to enhance the capacity of stakeholders to work on Youth and Adolescents'. Given that an estimated 52% of Maldivians are less than 25 years old, this was an important workshop for youth; to engage with them as equal partners, to understand their concerns, identify strategies in consultation with them, and enhance their capacity to bring about positive change.
Ms Zeba Tanvir Bukhari addresses workshop participants - Photo UNICEF
It was also a forum that facilitated a common understanding of what it meant to engage with adolescents and young people in a meaningful manner, with special focus on substance abuse. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to identify and understand available skills and strengths of stakeholders through a rapid mapping exercise of “who does what” in the area of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. The workshop was organized by the local NGO “Journey” and supported by UNICEF. There were 29 participants from Government agencies and NGOs from Male' and selected Atolls. At the end of the workshop the participants presented an action plan with next steps, indicating responsible persons and timeline. In the concluding session, Zeba Tanvir Bukhari (UNICEF Representative) highlighted the multiple dimensions of drug abuse and the growing risks around this for young children in the country.
Workshop participants - Photo UNICEF
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UNICEF Maldives supported this initiative through a regional fund for Enabling Adolescents and the workshop was facilitated by Ms. Raka Rashid, Education Specialist from the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia.
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Building National Capacity in Health Economics for Universal Health Coverage The Government of Maldives is closely focused on scaling up health systems, improving financial protection and ensuring long-term financing to sustain gains towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Appropriately arranged health care financing (HCF) helps governments to mobilize adequate financial resources for health, allocate them rationally and use them equitably and effectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) assists the Government of Maldives in addressing its national priorities by providing expertise in the fields of international development, health economics and financing and health systems.
Initiatives and actions One of the important initiatives undertaken by the Government of Maldives and WHO is building national capacity in developing and use of health economics tools and techniques with the aim to evaluate and develop evidence-based policies for sustainable financing and health protection. The focus in 2012-2013 has been on selected health economic interventions, specifically adopting National Health Accounts (NHA), costing of Basic Health Services (BHS) and assessing the financial protection and health insurance implementation.
Participants of the National Health Accounts: Dissemination of the 2011 Survey Results workshop - Photo WHO
Costing of the Basic Health Services The key concern for the Government of Maldives is how to contain cost of services without affecting the quality. The focus is on how best to raise sufficient funds for health, how to pool them together to spread the financial risks of ill health, protect most vulnerable and those in need by ensuring the resources are used effectively, efficiently, and equitably. As the first step, an exercise to analyze cost of basic health services was endorsed by the Ministry of Health and currently is work in progress.
Health Insurance Mechanism Managing health insurance system in a transparent way using evidence to make decisions and achieve the health goals of its population is a key for the policy makers. The actions and responsibilities in this area are not solely with the Government and its various sectors but also are shared with private sector. WHO is supporting the MOH in assessing the health insurance system and its implementation to help in careful navigation for most efficient and equitable access to universal health coverage. This reflects the Government's desire to make health economics more adaptable tool for creating the information base for analysis and enhancing comparability of health income and expenditures for equitable financing and health provision.
National Health Accounts The first ever NHA report in the Maldives was finalized in December 2012. In January 7, 2013, the Ministry of Health and the WHO conducted a national dissemination workshop with the aim to promote institutionalization of NHA in the Maldives and present the finding of the NHA Survey 2011. It was chaired by the Honorable Minister of Health and attended by over 70 participants from different national and international stakeholders, including the observers from the World Bank, UNFPA, UNDP, UNOPS and the Government institutions.
Workshop on Decentralised Data Utilisation UNICEF supported a workshop on decentralized data utilization and results based planning and monitoring from 28th to 31st January 2013 in Male'. The workshop was organized by the Local Government Authority (LGA) in collaboration with the Department of National Planning. The main objective of the workshop was to increase knowledge within the Atoll and city councils on the importance of utilization of data in the development planning process. A total of 21 councilors and 21 civil servants participated in the workshop. The workshop covered 0bjectives, issues, needs & challenges for local development planning and utilization of statistics, disaster risk reduction and community based Government, UNICEF and LGA officials planning,mainstreaming gender & human Rights in at the opening of the workshop - Photo UNICEF/LGA development planning, development planning process, result based planning and monitoring, concepts and examples of use of indicators in development planning and understanding the uses of data, usage of data collected in decision making at different levels and monitoring evaluation framework. The workshop took place in a very interactive manner with group work, discussions and presentations. Workshop participants emphasized that more civil servants should be given the opportunity to participate in such workshops. They also recommended that the duration of such workshops be increased in future. Participants stated that they had gained knowledge in the methods that should be used in the formulation of the development plans. Several sessions of the workshop were facilitated by UNICEF staff as well. The workshop was inaugurated by Minister of Education, Dr. Asim Ahmed. Ms. Zeba Tanvir Bukhari (UNICEF Representative) also spoke on the occasion highlighting the need to look beyond data into issues of vulnerable groups to promote equities where possible. She also mentioned the need for close monitoring of MDGs as the deadline for reaching these is not far.
UNDP Integrated Governance Programme Activities Elections Commission staff participate in workshop on Sustainability in Electoral Administration Two senior officials from the Elections Commission (EC) went on an exposure trip to Maputo, Mozambique from March 4th to March 8th, 2013, to attend a workshop on 'Sustainability in Electoral Administration'. The activity was undertaken by the Integrated Governance Programme (IGP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under its result area on “Deepening democracy for a resilient and peaceful society in the Maldives�, supported by the UK Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office. The discussions focused mainly on two core issues: the costs and funding of electoral processes, and the extent to which costs affect the wider grounding of electoral administration in a state commitment to electoral integrity. The workshop aimed to elicit best practices that can assist countries in critically assessing methods of electoral administration that can lead to long-term sustainability of electoral processes. It also provided electoral management bodies and other stakeholders with comparative information, data, experience and models on the long-term sustainability of electoral administration. In light of the upcoming elections in the country, this exposure trip reinforces the Government's and UNDP's efforts to improve institutional and human resource capacity of the Elections Commission in election management. In addition to this, UNDP under IGP has committed to develop training modules for elections polling officials and provide advisory support to the EC.
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A session on “Role of Police in a Democracy and Police Ethics”, attended by more than 500 policemen and women was conducted March 14, 2013, by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the “Thursday Forum” a weekly forum organized by the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
UNDP consultant conducts a session at Maldives Police Service on “Role of Police in a Democracy and Police Ethics”
Led by Mr. Peter Viner, UNDP Consultant and a retired Assistant Chief Constable from UK, the session covered a range of topics such as police ethics, effective communication skills, and ensuring accountability and responsibility. As part of his consultancy, Mr. Viner has undertaken additional tasks in collaboration with the MPS, notably, a review of the police internal investigations system and training key police officers in internal investigations. He is also currently assisting in drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Professional Standards Command (PSC) of MPS. A key pillar of UNDP, the Integrated Governance Programme (IGP) of UNDP Maldives supports to strengthen the accountability system of MPS, particularly through assistance to the PSC. This project is supported by UK Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office, and is targeted towards building the capacity of the police by effectively adapting the principles of fairness and transparency in policing services.
Session opening was attended by Commissioner of Police and other senior officials of the MPS - Photo UNDP
Participants of a workshop held for the first round of IGP SGF - Photo UNDP
Grants awarded to 11 NGOs under the 3rd round of the Small Grants Facility, IGP 11 NGOs were awarded grants under the 3rd round of the AUSAid / UNDP project Civil Society Development Small Grants Facility, overseen by the Integrated Governance Programme (IGP) of UNDP Maldives. The grants amounted to over USD 74,000 with a maximum of USD 7000 for each grant. Following the Call for Proposals, UNDP conducted a workshop for civil society organizations that included sessions on proposal writing and project cycle management as well as on topics such as youth development, decentralization, and women's empowerment. Of the 33 proposals received, 11 proposals were selected for the 3rd round. This round of projects was focused on the areas of women's empowerment in politics, promotion of human rights, strengthening local governance capacity and youth development. The aim of the grants project is to help strengthen civil society through targeted support to NGOs and capacity building initiatives. It focuses on supporting the empowerment of civil society - particularly the smaller, remote island based organizations, to effectively organize themselves and advocate on issues of importance, particularly in the areas of good governance, human rights, development of women's rights, NGOs development, and to strengthen civil society engagement in the democratic process. Specialized training through workshops and provision of grants for projects in these areas have enabled the concept of human rights and good governance to be taken to the forefront, both at a local and national level. Additional support to the Civil Society Development project has been provided by the US Department of State.
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The Second Human Development Report to be Produced in the Maldives More than a decade since the Government of Maldives published its first National Human Development Report (NHDR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is yet again collaborating with the Government and relevant state actors to develop the second Human Development Report for the country, aimed at promoting national policy dialogue, constructive expression of divergent views, and the identification and analysis of development. The second NHDR will focus on country realities, and reflect well-defined national perspectives on human development in addressing priority national themes, emerging trends, opportunities and challenges. The initial report of 2000/2001 provided a wide-ranging account of the opportunities the Maldives possesses and the challenges that it faces as a nation. The Report emphasized that the human development discourse puts people and what they value most - their security, needs, rights, and choices - at the centre of the development effort. Ensuring a broader participatory and an inclusive consultative process, initial consultations were undertaken with multiple stakeholders including line ministries, CSOs, NGOs, youth and women groups, independent institutions and academics. Overarching topics were grouped into shortlisted priority themes and brought to a multistakeholder workshop, where addressing “Equity and Vulnerability” was identified as a key national developmental priority and the theme for the country's second National Human Development Report (NHDR). “I am confident that this workshop would provide us with valuable input for theme selection and I hope that this would lead to the compilation of a very stimulating and effective Human Development Report,” said Honorable Mohamed Iaad Hameed, Deputy Minister of Finance and Treasury. The second Maldives National Human Development Report is expected to be released by the end of 2013.
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UNDP DRR Ms Azusa Kubota delivering her remarks at the opening of the Workshop - Photo UNDP
HDR 2013 Official Maldives Launch May 2013 ... the rise of the South is both the result of continual human development investments and achievements and an opportunity for still greater human progress for the world as a whole. Making that progress a reality will require informed and enlightened global and national policymaking, drawing on the policy lessons analysed in this Report - from Introduction to HDR Report 2013
HDI Trends 2000 to present
Source: HDR 2013
Maldives HDI is 0.688, which gives the country a rank of 104 out of 187 countries with comparable data. The HDI for South Asia as a region increased from 0.357 in 1980 to 0.558 today, placing Maldives above the regional average.
International Women’s Day 2013 Friday sermon emphasizes gender equality in Islam The 8th of March coincided with a Friday, a propitious timing for conveying gender related messages and valuing the work of women. The sermon was dedicated to gender equality in Islam. “A promise is a promise, time for action to end violence against women.” This year's women's day theme resonated even in the political forums in the Maldives. Violence against women has become one of the main obstacles for women's development in the country. UNFPA in collaboration with the local gender and Islamic ministries worked together in finalizing the contents of the sermon. The messages reached thousands of believers who attended the prayers and to those who followed the sermon over live telecasts. One of the activities to mark this year's women's day also stirred up many gender related advocacy groups through a special forum organized by the UNFPA country office. Ms. Zainah Anwar representing Sisters in Islam and Musawah, global movements promoting gender in Islam, not only proved to be inspirational, but were seen as a first step to creating a solid link with partners around the world. Although this will take some time in reaching maturity, many participants did express their motivation in joining hands to work together. The Forum, “Addressing gender equality from an Islamic perspective,” created a platform where many groups were able to voice out their concerns on how to address the issues locally. Working through the major TV channels, UNFPA Maldives successfully achieved in dedicating the Friday special variety show on women's day. Shadiya Ibrahim, Assistant Representative in charge of Gender portfolio in the country office, pushed a very promising agenda across the television media. Various personalities were invited by TVM, DhiTV & VTV for exchange of views on women's status in the Maldives and how their personal lives have been impacted in the society. The programmes that lasted for at least half an hour are the weekend specials on the major local TV channels, viewed by a large majority of the population across the Maldives. Several print media also covered issues relating to women's rights and prompted the key leaders' statements on challenges facing the women of Maldives. President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik in his official statement highlighted, “The increase in women's contributions to and participation in the development of the country showed the change in the outlook of the people on gender related issues.” The former president Mohamed Nasheed also stressed that, “Efforts aimed at men in order to empower women is not insufficient. The way men think sometimes, we all have to work towards changing their perception. Sometimes men tend to think that the power of their arm is great.” Haveeru Daily, the widely distributed daily newspaper quoted the former President Gayyoom's remarks during a rally as saying, “Though gender discrimination is seen based on often misguided religious beliefs, Islam considers men and women to be equal.”
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Street performance by youth highlighting domestic violence issues - Photo UNFPA
Domestic Violence Law Providing new protection to abused women in the Maldives A bill outlawing domestic violence in the Maldives has begun to have an impact, nearly one year after it was enacted. In a recent study, 20 per cent of Maldives women surveyed reported having suffered physical or sexual violence from their intimate partner. To address this violation of human rights, lawmakers enacted the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, which came into effect in April 2012. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, provided technical support to the Government of the Maldives to support in the development of this new law, coordinating all the inputs from the United Nations team in the country.
The passage of the act increased awareness, and victims now know that there is a door open for them to seek protection when it is needed. Huzaifa Mohammed, Family Court judge
“Before we had legislation to address domestic abuse, victims had no protection or formal mechanism to seek safeguards,” explains Huzaifa Mohammed, a Family Court judge in Male, the capital city. “The passage of the act increased awareness, and victims now know that there is a door open for them to seek protection when it is needed”. Some women have already crossed that doorstep and asked for support to stop suffering violence in their homes. According to figures provided by the Family Court, 19 women and one man have already sought protection orders. According to the new law, any acts or forms of domestic violence are unacceptable and intolerable. “The fact that we have a mechanism to protect, support and assist victims of domestic violence gives me immense satisfaction,” says Ms. Mohammed. But further action is needed, she adds. “We still need to create more public awareness of the act, including the rights of the victims and the mechanisms for reporting.” UNFPA will further support the Government to establish a plan of action to implement the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, giving special assistance to the Family Protection Authority, the lead institution for enforcing the new law.
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UN Habitat Training Tools for the Assessment of School and Hospital Safety on Multi-hazards in South Asia UN-Habitat supported relevant Government of Maldives officials from National Disaster Management Centre, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Maldives National Defense Force to participate in a Training of Trainers workshop from 4-5 March 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka where they discussed the localisation of the “Tools for the Assessment of School and Hospital Safety for Multi-Hazards in South Asia�. Tools were jointly developed by SAARC Disaster Management Center, UNHabitat and UNISDR. The workshop introduced the Toolkit, shared good practices from the region, and conducted the technical sessions that provided participants with in-depth knowledge of the Toolkit and gave an opportunity to provide feedback on localisation.
UN Habitat TOT Workshop - Photo UN Habitat
UN-Habitat will be subsequently supporting a second workshop in Maldives to mainstream the Toolkit introducing it to other relevant organizations responsible for retrofitting existing, and designing new schools and hospitals in Maldives.
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UNCT 2012 Retreat The UNCT Strategic Retreat was held on 6-7 December 2012 at Kurumba Maldives. The Retreat was attended by resident and non-resident members of the UNCT. The Retreat reviewed UNCT and UNDAF achievements and lessons learned from 2012. Wide ranging and productive discussions were held on UN Maldives strategic priorities for 2013, Post 2015 planning, mid-term evaluation of the UNDAF, disaster preparedness, aid coordination and NRA engagement.
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Participants of the Montreal Protocol Enforcement Trainig Programme with Environment Minister , officials and facilitators - Photo UNEP
Ozone, Climate and Media: Communicating for Survival National Workshop targeted for the Media was held from 27-28 February 2013. This workshop was jointly organized by Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE), Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and UNEP. The aim of this workshop is to expand the role of media in increasing community awareness of environmental related issues, specifically on the phase-out of HCFCs which are chemicals used in refrigeration and airconditioning that harm the ozone layer and climate. Resource persons for this workshop included Mr. Nalaka Gunawardene, Director of TVE Asia Pacific, Ms. Moneeza Hashmi, President of Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and General Manager of the International Relations, HUM TV, Pakistan, Mr. Atul Bagai, Senior Regional Coordinator of UNEP Regional Office for Asia and Pacific and Ms. Miruza Mohamed, National Ozone Officer from MEE. Mohamed Shaheeb, President of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission addressing the participants - Photo UNEP
MEE and MBC, with support from UNEP, will continue a long-term cooperation on raising public awareness in Maldives on ozone and climate protection in fulfillment of the country's obligations to the Montreal Protocol and through the country's HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP). MEE and MBC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for continuing partnership for promoting environmental education.
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ODS identifiers handed to the Maldives Custom Services by UNEP The Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) identifiers has been handed over to the Maldives Customs Service at the closing ceremony of 'Montreal protocol enforcement training programme' supported by UNEP. The training was held from 2nd March to 3rd March at Customs Building. The ceremony was inaugurated by the Minister of Environment and Energy Dr. Mariyam Shakeela. Speaking at the closing ceremony, Minister Dr. Mariyam Shakeela stated that efforts of customs officers in implementing phase out of ODS has been recognised worldwide. The CFC phased out in Maldives in 2008, was achieved with the help of Maldives Customs Service. She also emphasized the huge task ahead of custom officers in archiving the new targets in phasing out HCFC by 2020. After the ceremony, demonstration of how the ODS identifier works was presented.
Demonstration of ODS Identifiers - Photo UNEP
in focus
Top: Farewell for RC Andrew Cox at the December UNCT Retreat Top (L-R):President Waheed launching Drug Use Survey report, 2013 Women’s Day forum (Photos: UNODC, UNFPA, UNOPS Maldives) Bottom: Participants of the Strengthening Health Sector Public Procurement and Supply Chain Management Capacities Workshop
Contributions by: UN Communications Group Edited and Compiled by: Office of the Resident Coordinator Layout and Design: Office of the UN Resident Coordinator For enquiries email: mohamed.faisal@undp.org
UNITED NATIONS / MALDIVES UN Building. Buruzu Magu Male’ 20152. Maldives Email: registry.mv@undp.org Te l : + 9 6 0 3 3 2 4 5 0 1 Fax: +960 3324504 www.un.org.mv