RUSSIA-UNDP PARTNERSHIP

In 2011, after the closure of UNDP Country office in Moscow, the Russian Federation and UNDP have entered in a new stage of partnership focusing on cooperation at the regional and global levels. Since then, the Russian Government allocated over US$ 20 million to development assistance through UNDP projects and initiatives worldwide. The contribution of the Russian Government ranges from supporting livelihood improvement initiatives to promotion of trade and crisis prevention and recovery.

Russian Federation and Official Development Assistance

The Concept of the Russian Federation's State Policy in the Area of International Development Assistance has been approved by the Decree No.259 of the President of the Russian Federation on 20 April, 2014. This Concept represents the vision, goals, objectives, principles and main directions of the Russian Federation's State Poli-cy in the Area of International Development Assistance, as well as the priorities for and modalities of providing technical, financial, humanitarian and other assistance to foreign States. It aims at facilitating sustainable socio-economic development of recipient countries and settlement of crisis situations caused by natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, internal and/or international conflicts. International assistance to Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, in particular to Central Asian countries, pursuing a policy of good neighborliness and alliance with Russia, is defined as the key priority. Russia’s ODA budget was US$ 713million in 2013, and increased over 40% from 2012. Until recently, about 60% of ODA had been channeled through multi-lateral sources. It is envisaged that the bi-lateral assistance will prevail in near future. Thematically, the key priorities of Russian ODA are health, food security and the Eurasian integration.

Partnership Framework Agreement

On 23 January 2015, the Government of the Russian Federation and UNDP signed a Partnership Framework Agreement. It establishes the foundation for a long-term Russia strategic partnership with UNDP for the implementation of development projects in other countries. This document brings to a new level the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the UN in achieving the development goals, while also high-lighting Russia’s growing role as a donor in advancing the post-2015 agenda globally. The Agreement foresees cooperation in the following key areas:

1. Support to multilateral efforts and the global development agenda, especially in what concerns:

• Increasing collaboration in the context of the Government’s participation in the development related work of the UN system, including the activities of the UNDP Executive Board;
• Creation of an inclusive, balanced and universal set of new development goals (the Post-2015 Development Agenda) in line with the Outcome Document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio-de-Janeiro, June 2012) and Recommendations of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda;
• Promotion of the sustainable development and development co-operation agenda in the key multilateral fora where the Government is participating, including the Global Environmental Facility and the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative – an important part of the global efforts to achieve sustainable development, with special focus on the challenges in access to energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy in the countries of Eastern Europe and the CIS;
• Development of the important fields of co-operation with the CIS countries such as rural development, sustainable management of water resources, and the response to HIV/AIDS;
• Promotion of regional economic co-operation in the CIS, in the framework of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO), and in other regions as well as of integration process in Eurasian region as a means to promote trade, economic growth and sustainable human development.

2. Development co-operation in the developing countries around the world, with particular focus on the CIS region, and with specific emphasis on assistance to Low-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries. The co-operation will mainly focus on:

• poverty reduction;
• disaster risk reduction and early preparedness to emergencies;
• post-disaster response and early recovery.

3. Collaboration in countries where the Government is providing bilateral development assistance with a view to enhancing effectiveness of such assistance. Leveraging the knowledge, experience and expertise in development co-operation, including by involving academic institutions and individual experts from the Russian Federation in accordance with UNDP’s regulations, rules, policies and procedures when done through UNDP projects/programmes.

4. Promoting a skilled cadre from the Russian Federation in the field of development within UNDP, inter alia, via establishing a Russian Federation Programme for Junior Professional Officers (JPO), to be fully funded by the Government and to be agreed upon through a separate agreement.

UNDP has been cooperating with emerging donors in Europe and Central Asia for more than a decade, providing them with knowledge and operational mechanisms of development assistance, offering access to its extensive network of country offices, and serving as reliable partner in building partnerships and technical capacities.
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AGREEMENT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RUSSIA-UNDP TRUST FUND

Agreement between the Russian Government and UNDP for the Establishment of the Russian Federation - United Nations Development Programme Trust Fund for Development, with initial funding of $ 25 million from Russia over the next four years, was signed by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 11 June, 2015.

The Fund has been established in accordance with the Partnership Framework Agreement between UNDP and Russia to support development cooperation activities in developing countries around the world, with particular focus on the CIS region, and with specific emphasis on assistance to Low-Income and Lower-Middle-Income Countries in priority areas such as sustainable development, poverty reduction, rural development, sustainable management of water resources, the response to HIV/AIDS, disaster risk reduction and early preparedness to emergencies, post-disaster response and early recovery, sustainable energy and in other fields through fund-based, programmatic cooperation.

The Fund shall focus on the CIS countries, with possibility of including other countries which are in need of greater assistance to reach the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals, including the post-2015 development framework.

Projects aimed at promoting the integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union, the CIS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other regional groupings and associations with the participation of the Russian Federation, shall be treated as a priority.

The Fund shall also finance UNDP projects, developed in partnership with and using the knowledge, experience and expertise of Russian ministries, agencies, think tanks, universities and NGOs involved in international development assistance, including projects aimed at knowledge management and capacity building, such as organization of trainings, internships and secondments of Russian specialists in specific projects funded by the Fund in the recipient countries.

Projects financed by the Russian Federation from the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund for Development

Disaster Resilience for Pacific SIDS	US$ 7,5 million	2016-2019
Integrated Osh Area-based Development”, Kyrgyzstan	US$ 3,5 million	2016-2019
Integrated Rural Tourism Development, Armenia	US$ 3 million	2016-2019
Supporting Agriculture and Rural Development in Serbia	US$ 1,5 million	2016-2019
Promotion of employment and self-employment of the population in small and medium-sized towns in the Republic of Belarus	US$ 1 million	2016-2019
Strengthening preparedness and response capacity, Tajikistan	US$ 1,5 million	2016-2018
Knowledge Management and Capacity Building in Russia-UNDP Partnership, Phase I	US$ 500,000 UNDP US$ 100,000 UNV	2016-2018

 

Programmes and projects financed by the Russian Federation beyond the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund for Development

Comprehensive development of Naryn Oblast in Kyrgyzstan	US$3.5 million	2014-2016
Livelihood Improvement of Rural Population in Nine Districts of Tajikistan	US$6.7 million	2014-2017
Assisting the Government of the Republic of Belarus in accession to WTO (the fourth phase)	US$ 589,680	2014-2017
Socio-economic development of uranium tailing communities in Kyrgyzstan	US$ 1.476 million	2015-2016
Integrated support to rural development: building resilient communities in Tavush region, Armenia	US$5 million	2015-2020
Building national capacities for establishing animal’s identification and tracking in Kyrgyzstan	US$ 450,000	2016

Other the Russian Government’s contribution to:

UNDP part of Syria SHARP Appeal	$2 million	2013
UNDP part of the Philippines appeal	$1 million	2013
Post-hurricane recovery in Cuba	$1 million	2014
Vanuatu Debris Clearance Initiative	$0.5 million	2015
Emergency support to strengthen the resilience of the Syrian people and foster the recovery of disrupted livelihoods	$2 million	2015

The Russian support to implement technical assistance initiatives:

Technical Support to Improve Sanitary, Phytosanitary, and Veterinary Safety, Including the Work towards Kyrgyzstan’s Accession to the Customs Union	$175,000	2014-2015
Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary measures of the Republic of Tajikistan	$50,000	2015

Support to multilateral efforts and the global development agenda

Russia - UNDP - SCO international expert seminars

The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation together with the Russian Foreign Trade Academy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized in 2014-2015 a series of international expert seminars aimed at drawing up the economic agenda for the SCO. The representatives of governmental institutions, academia, and business community from the SCO countries, as well as the experts from international organizations, will participate in the seminars. The main purpose of the series is to discuss the themes that could become a priority for Russia’s co-operation with the SCO countries.

The first event in the series – the International Expert Seminar “Small and Medium-Size Innovative Companies in the SCO: Policy and Measures of Governmental Support” – was held in Moscow on June 17, 2014.

Two other seminars “Trade and economic agenda of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union” and “Mechanisms of trade facilitation and economic development in the Shanghai Co-operation Organization Member States” were held in Moscow on 13-14 May 2015. The last two seminars focus on the following issues: (1) common goals and challenges of foreign trade and economic development of the SCO and the EAEU Member States; and (2) prospects for co-operation of the SCO and the EAEU in regional economic integration in Eurasia; (3) issues of trade facilitation in the SCO Member States; (4) programmes and projects of economic development assistance in the SCO Member States and mechanisms of sharing experience to deepen international economic co-operation.
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Russia - UNDP - BRICS international expert seminars

UNDP has since November 2011 been partnering with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development in a series of international expert seminars, which through expert brainstorming, provide an analysis of the themes which could become a priority for Russia’s co-operation with BRICS countries, and basing on these themes to establish a scope for possible joint projects.

The series is also a part of the official expert consultations’ mechanism in economic and trade issues within BRICS. The first seminar on the issues of “Innovation and Sustainable Development in BRICS” took place in Moscow on 30 November 2011; the second - “Low-carbon Development and Green Protectionism: Challenges for BRICS Countries” on 15 March 2012). The third one - “Innovation and SME development in BRICS” – took place on 18 January 2013. The forth one: BRICS and Africa: New Opportunities for Co-operation” took place on 28 February 2013.

In all seminars UNDP secured participation of high level experts from BRICS, brought its substantive perspective and was able to engage with the Russian government at high level (Deputy Minister). The series was finalized with a joint report and a final conference in Moscow on 5 December 2013.

G20

During the G20 Russian Presidency in 2013 UNDP has engaged on two main tracks: a) With the Ministry of Finance – regarding the agenda of the Development Working Group where UNDP took active participation, including a presentation on the post-2015 development agenda in February 2013. b) With the Sherpa’s office – regarding UNDP’s support to the Outreach track with the Civil Society, Civil 20. Specifically:

• UNDP has supported three Civil 20 reports: a review of the status of implementing G20 decisions; and a review of implementation of G20 Development Agenda, and most importantly, the final product of the Civil 20 group, a report «Sustained and Balanced Growth Requires Equitable Policies» presented to the President of Russia in June 2013.
• UNDP supported the work of the Civil 20 thematic working groups, especially one on the post-MDGs and on energy. These groups provided their inputs directly to the Russian Sherpa and the official G20 expert groups.
• UNDP, in partnership with Civil 20, has also developed an online platform (similar to Rio Dialogues) for wide consultations with citizens and civil society which will feed into the Civil 20 discussions with Russia.

Post-2015
In March 2014, UNDP and the Russian Ministry of Finance organized a High-Level Expert Seminar “The Post-2015 Development Agenda: towards a new partnership for development” in Moscow.