LAUNCH
OF THE GOVERNMENT - CSOs PARTNERSHIP ON LOCALIZING MDGs
UNDP-Kenya, Embassy of Finland
and the Government of Kenya launched the
initiative on 12 MARCH 2008.
The official launch of the Government-CSOs
partnership on localizing MDGs is a great
milestone in rallying various stakeholders
to team up with the Government in addressing
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs represent commitments by all
countries and stakeholders including Civil
Society Organizations (CSOs) to collaborate
in implementing strategies that are geared
towards better quality of life for citizens.
This initiative, therefore, is a testimony
of the commitment of the Government in
working with other stakeholders to achieve
various national goals and objectives,
especially the MDGs. National strategies
to achieve the MDGs require full support
and involvement of Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs). CSOs play a unique role among
the stakeholders in development since
they represent important segments of the
population whom they relate directly with
and therefore better understand what affects
these communities most. This is indeed
the reason why the government has confidence
in working with CSOs to ensure the realization
of MDGs at community level. The government
is aware that CSOs have the capacity to
contribute to national and community levels
with initiatives that can turn around
the economy to achieve the MDGs. The government
is also aware that CSOs are excellent
in advocacy/public awareness work, monitoring
and evaluation (M&E) activities, hands
on engagement with the communities among
others.
OTHER PROJECT INFORMATION
MDG Sectorwide reports available
The Millennium Development Goals Needs Assessment
report on goal number three to promote Gender
Equality and Women Empowerment is a publication
that explains among other things the importance
of recognizing the need for women's economic rights,
access to employment, appropriate working conditions
and control over the economic resources, markets
and trade.
Education and training enhance the women and
men's attainment of overall social economic advancement,
improvement of their literacy levels and enhancement
of their earning capacities and thus lowers their
incidence of poverty. On page 18, the book elaborates
on why enrolment of girls is lower at secondary
schools level as compared to that of boys. Women
and health, the book explains why maternal mortality
has been on the rise 365 in 1993 to 590 by 1998.
The book also comes at a timely period in Kenya's
history (General election year). The section on
'Women in Power and decision making' reveals that
over the years there has been an under-representation
of women in parliament.Click
to read the 2006 MDG sectorwide reports that have
been published jointly by UNDP and Embassy of
Finland.
International Day for Eradication of Poverty
The day was celebrated in solidarity with other
similar events that were taking place around the
world. The commemoration of the IDEP coincided
with the Kisumu City business roundtable. The
day was commemorated through a procession in Kisumu
town that culminated in other activities at the
Jomo Kenyatta grounds in Kisumu City. In the speech
by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, read
on his behalf by Elizabeth Lwanga the UN Resident
Coordinator in Kenya who is also the UNDP resident
representative, noted that the day fell just after
the midpoint in the race to achievement of commitments
by Nations Globally towards realization of the
Millennium Development Goals by the target date
of 2015. Further, the Day provided an important
opportUnity to take stock of progress, and to
re-energize joint efforts towards MDGs realization.
The speech called on participation of citizens
in policy making processes as well as strengthened
partnerships between all actors for MDGs. Read
more by clicking on this link
Kisumu Investment Guide with Millennium Cities
Initiative
This roundtable was attended by 200 participants
that included representatives of the private sector
from Europe, their counterparts in Kenya, representatives
from various government departments led by the
Ministry of Planning and National Development
Permanent Secretary Dr. Edward Sambili, Civil
Society Representatives and members of the 4th
Estate. The meeting dubbed 'Kisumu Day' coincided
with the Commemorations of the IDEP and aimed
at discussing Kisumu's investment potential with
business delegations from Europe and Kisumu. The
meeting also saw the launch of the Kisumu Investment
Guide as well as the inauguration of the Kenya
Investment Promotion Office; especially tapping
on the kind of opportunities that Kisumu provides
in terms of markets in and around the East African
region.Click to read
the Kisumu Investment guide
UNDP
Flagship report is the Human Development
Report
The
Human Development Report is an annual
global publication that reviews the status
and progress on different facets of human
development. The first HDR in Kenya was
published in 1999 and focused on the themes
of gender and poverty. The Human Development
Report is devoted to assessing where the
greatest problems are, analyzing what
needs to be done to reverse these setbacks
and offering concrete proposal on how
to accelerate progress everywhere towards
achieving these goals. Human Development
Reports in Kenya are produced by UNDP
regularly, providing high quality, long-term
insight into thematic or sectoral concerns
that are of an overriding nature within
the evolving historical context of Kenya.More
