Angola

The Role of UNDP in the UN in Angola

UNDP Resident Representative and Resident Coordinator

The Resident Coordinator (RC) system encompasses all organizations of the United Nations dealing with operational activities for development. The RC system aims to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level. Resident Coordinators, who are managed through UNDP, lead UN country teams in more than 160 countries and are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for developmental activities. Working closely with national governments, Resident Coordinators and country teams advocate the interests and mandates of the UN drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN family. The role and functionality of the Resident Coordinator system is described in a statement issued by the Administrative Committee on Coordination in 1995.

The Resident Coordinator's Office

The Resident Coordinator’s Office provides support to the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team. It facilitates day-to-day collaboration, joint initiatives, and implementation of the UN Programme for Reform. The Resident Coordinator’s Office organizes monthly coordination meetings, ensures that pertinent UN information flows to all UN agencies operating in Angola, monitors the efficient functioning of the joint UN interagency teams and, as a priority task, supports the CCA/UNDAF preparation and follow-up processes as key instruments of the Secretary-General's program of Reform.

In Angola, as in the majority of the developing countries, the Resident Representative of UNDP is the designated Resident Coordinator of the UN System. The Resident Coordinator is dircetly assisted by the Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO). At present, FAO Representative, Mr. Anatólio Ndong Mba, is the Resident Coordinator a.i. of the UN System's Operational Activities for Development in Angola. The RCO consists of two people who are as follows:

• Mr. Nanga André, Data base Manager-DevInfo and also acting as UN Coordination Office.
• Ms. Paula Silva, Finance Assistant.

The promotion of interagency cooperation and internal organisational learning is led by the United Nations Development Group Office (UNDGO). UNDGO pays for the position of Mr. André Nanga.

Priorities and Achievements of the UN System in Angola

During 2007, the UN Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) organised four donor meetings to provide the UNCT agencies with an opportunity to share the information about their programmes with the donors and to receive relevant inputs and comments. The donors, in turn, have been fully briefed at those meetings about the activities of the RCO and the UN agencies and their respective contribution to the UNDAF implementation in Angola.

Developed the key elements of a Plan of Engagement for setting strategic priorities during UNDAF Design workshop held on May. Sectoral priorities established with line ministries. Strategic Planning workshop to agree on the priorities for the next UNDAF [2009 – 2013] that will coincide with the Government five years cycle Development Plan still pending of decision from the Ministry of Planning.

1-Efforts to align the national development processes

UNCT conducted the mid-term review of the UNDAF in 2007 with the help of a Scanteam Consultant and facilitated the work of the relevant Theme Groups to assess the current development situation in the country. The RCO chaired the UNDAF Task Force Working Group and ensured that the relevant Theme Groups were put in place and active to conduct the continuous monitoring and evaluation, the mid-term and the final review of UNDAF. The Strategic Planning workshop to agree on the priorities for the next UNDAF [2009 – 2013] is still pending of decision from the Ministry of Planning.

2-Millennium Development Goals

The recent trend shows that most of the Millennium Development Goals are within reach in Angola. Moreover, the country has the financial means to achieve them. The GOA is strongly committed to improve the MDG framework to accelerate the progress towards and to achieve the MDGs. The production of MDG reports (MDGRs) conducted by the MDG-Technical Group is part of that effort to enhance the national MDG framework. Angola has already produced two MDG reports, in 2003 and 2005. Another MDGR is planned for 2007, especially to assess how the tremendous economic and social performance of the last three years translates into accelerated progress towards the MDGs.

In 2007 the entire UN week was dedicated to MDGs. “Private sector paper in poverty reduction” was agreed upon as a common MDG Slogan. MDG visibility campaign was organized throughout the country with strong leadership and funding of the GOA and civil society. Sessions on MDGs for university students in Luanda were conducted. Angolan celebrities and UN goodwill Ambassador participated actively.

3- HIV/AIDS

The UNTG on HIV/AIDS meet regularly during 2007 to provide technical assistance to the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS programme and to facilitate the coordination among all partners involved in this field. Among the most relevant outcomes for this year is the UN Joint Team Retreat realised in July where the participants reviewed different aspects of their work and made relevant recommendations. In the province of Cunene, improvement was noticed this year through implementation of strategies targeting high-risk groups / geographic areas and greater adherence to antiretroviral treatment. The World AIDS Day 2007 celebrated under GOA leadership through ANASO allowed to expand HIV testing and counselling as entry point to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

4- Capacity Development and Aid Effectiveness

 The UN Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) organised regular donor meetings to provide the UNCT agencies with an opportunity to share the information about their programmes with the donors and to receive relevant inputs and comments. The donors, in turn, have been fully briefed at those meetings about the activities of the RCO and the UN agencies and their respective contribution to the UNDAF implementation in Angola.

5- Joint programmes

As part of the Common Country Programming Process, the RCO facilitated the process of harmonization of individual agency programme(s) in a way that they eventually transform into joint programmes in the areas with sufficient complementarities.

The Resident Coordinator system has promoted the notion of “One UN” and made every effort to discourage individual and disjointed agency-based programme operations. Three joint programmes and projects were developed between and among the various UN agencies during 2006, namely :

• A joint FAO-UNAIDS-UNDP-UNFPA-OHCHR-UNICEF-WFP-WHO-IOM Programme on HIV Provincial Planning and Response;

• A joint UNDP-UNFPA-UNIFEM Programme on Gender;

• A joint UNDP-UNICEF-WHO Programme on Roll Back Malaria.

Through the Resident Coordinator system, the Country Team forged strategic partnerships with non-resident UN Agencies (NRAs), including: UNESCO,UNIDO and IFAD. The purpose of this collaboration was to identify strategic areas for joint programming and project support, and explore further opportunities for resource mobilisation.

6- HACT

Important steps for HACT implementation have been completed in 2007. The Ministry of Planning has been briefed on HACT and Paris Declaration. UNDP Country Director Operations has been designated HACT Country focal point by UNCT and HACT Task Force has been constituted. GOA and UN staffs in seven provinces have been oriented on the new framework in October-November 2007. The macro-assessment has been finalised towards the end of the year.

7- Staff

Due to lack of funds, UN Country Team decided to close the Resident Coordinator field offices in Uige, Benguela, Huila and Huambo in July 2007. The contract of the International Chief of RC Unit at ALD4 level has not been renewed in November for the same reason.

Regarding the UN common services, Operation Management Team (OMT) signed an agreement with Banco de Fomento (BFA) for UN financial transactions. Also, partial renovations to the UN building mainly at building entrance, first and second floors have been done.

In October 2007, WHO experts from AFRO evaluated the working conditions of the UN clinics and the medical facilities in Luanda. Two staffs from National Institute of Statistics attended Emergency Info training course in Maputo in September 2007.

UN DevInfo focal point attended DevInfo Thematic User Training “Use of DevInfo for Strategic Decision Making” for UNDAF rollout Countries in Turin in October 2007.

Two HACT Task Force members participated to a TOT Workshop in Johannesburg in December 2007.

8- UN Volunteers

UNDP administers the UNV programme in Angola, as is the case globally, and the UNV Programme Officer and Assistant are housed in the UNDP office. For more information on the UNV programme in Angola, please visit the UNV Angola pages.

9- Operations

The UN System has, over the years, implemented the Common Service/Common Premise function under the leadership of the interagency Operations Management Team (OMT). All the Agencies contribute to the Common Service/Common Premise Budget, including the UN Dispensary. At present, the UN House accommodates five out of eleven Resident UN agencies, namely: UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS. These agencies shared services include cleaning, electricity, security, electrical and plumbing services, lifts and the back-up generator.

10- Key aspects of the proposed 2008 workplan

 The UNCT in Angola will continue with the initiated the preparations for the new Common Country Programming Cycle (2009-2013). This yea r is therefore of utmost importance for further fine-tuning the activities of the UN system in line with the relevant government priorities and the corresponding MDGs.

The UNCT will facilitate the work of the relevant Theme Groups to assess the current development situation in the country and will hold the Strategic Planning workshop to agree on the priorities for the next UNDAF [2009 – 2013]. For this purpose the RCO will hire a consultant to support the next steps leading to the preparation of the next UNDAF with support of UNDGO, Staff College, QSA and RDT. Funds for this temporary assignment have been provided by RDT-Johannesburg.

The UNCT will make sure that the entire process of the Common Country Programming is participatory and includes the non-resident agencies, the government, the civil society (including the NGOs and the academia) and possibly business partners.

The UNCT will be available to play its role as UN for the coming legislative elections in Angola by advising and supporting the National Commission for Elections (CNE) in its work to deliver credible and fair elections compatible with international standards.

Also UNCT will support the task of establishing and expanding the capabilities of the GOA and civil society in the development and production of information on civic education campaigns directed at voters, candidates and political entities to advise Angolan on how to exercise their political rights in the electoral process

The UNCT will facilitate the process of harmonization of individual agency programme(s) in a way that they eventually transform into joint programmes in the areas with sufficient complementarities. Regular UN Country Team meetings will be held to support the activities under this pillar.

The UNCT will coordinate the inflow of donor aid and facilitate the dialogue between the UN agencies and the donors on the implementation of the Paris Declaration at the country level. The UNDAF will be increasingly used as the UN operational development strategy for Angola.

The UNCT will support the Government to consolidate and update information management system, socio-economic data and to undertake national surveys.

Optimal use of country public financial management system will be achieved through the implementation of the harmonized approach to cash transfers (HACT). The UNCT will make sure that greater use of common arrangements and procedures among the UN agencies will become possible through the strengthening of the Operations Management Team.

For a successful and sustainable support at low cost to the UNCT in Angola, the UN Resident Coordinator Office needs to be strengthened with a minimal structure as following: One Head of Office NOD, one Coordination Specialist – UNDAF – Human Development Reports NOC, one Coordination Specialist – Development Info/MDG – NOC, one Coordination/Finance Associate GS6 and one Driver GS3.

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK (UNDAF) ANGOLA 2005 - 2008

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework in Angola acknowledges and responds to the priorities that are highlighted in the Angolan PRSP. Both the PRSP and the UNDAF aim to contribute towards the achievement of the MDGs.

The goals of the UNDAF

The goal of the UNDAF is to assist in the process of peace consolidation by supporting activities that lead to the sustainable improvement of the living conditions, especially for the most vulnerable, of the people living in Angola in an environment where human rights can be fully realized and the MDGs can be achieved. The UNDAF is structured around the outcomes that are shown below.

• To help in the promotion of equitable economic development and democratic governance in accordance with international norms, by strengthening national capacities at all levels and empoweringcommunities, so increasing their participation in decision-making processes.
  
• To contribute to the development of sustainable livelihoods for the majority of the population,through the increase in household incomes and sustainable food security.
  
• To strengthen the national capacity for the delivery of basic services, and to sustain processes of social empowerment aimed at: (a) reducing mortality among under-five children and women, and reducing morbidity caused by prioritised diseases and (b) contributing to the universal access of children to quality primary education.

Cross-Cutting Issues are Human rights, gender equity, integrated mine action, the environment, HIV/AIDS and information/data management.

Street Address :	Resident Coordinator's Office - 197, Rua Major Kanhangulo, 6th floor, Luanda - Angola
Mailing :	P.O.BOX 910
Tel :	(244 222)331181/331188/331193/331196
Fax :	(244 222) 335609
Email :	registry.ao@undp.org
Working Hours:	Monday though Thusday : 08:00 - 13:00 ; 14:00 - 17:00
	Friday : 08:00 - 13:00