UN Official : UNDP-Iran To Target Malaria, HIV, TB

Tehran, Oct 22, IRNA – The UN Development Group (UNDG) Chair and the UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said here on Tuesday that the UNDP is going to cooperate with Iran in controlling malaria, HIV, and TB. Speaking in an exclusive interview with IRNA, Ms. Clark said that she had had excellent talks with Iranian officials, including Vice-President, Minister of Interior, Minister of Environment, Minister of Cooperatives and Labor, on mutual cooperation, including campaign against drug trafficking She said the UNDP and Iran have had strong national partnership, acknowledging that Iran has attained its sustainable development goals. “Iran has been successful in disaster response, environmental protection, primary health care, and education.” She noted that in meeting with the Interior Minister there had been discussions on risk reduction and disaster prevention and that the UNDP would work with Iran to that effect. She noted that the core and main topic of her discussions with Head of Iranian Department of Environment had been ways and means of assisting Iran to tackle problem with the Orumieh Lake and to that effect a UN official had visited the region. She went on to say that the discussions with Iranian officials to that effect had been very serious and an 18-step solution has been suggested to get rid of problem facing the Orumieh Lake. She said effective use of water resources is suggested. As for dust control, she said she believed Iran is not in need of any help as it can manage the affair on its own well. However, she added, a cross-border cooperation, involving Iraq, is suggested. To a question on prospect of Iran-UNDP cooperation in the economic reforms era of President Hassan Rouhani, Ms. Clark said President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif were very energetic and active. She said she has had good discussions with Iranian officials for mutual cooperation in light of the economic reforms. Asked on the Iran-UNDP cooperation in case sanctions are lifted given the fact that there had been favorable talks between Iran and other negotiating parties, she admitted that the talks had been fruitful, hoping for settlement of problems, if any. She said in case sanctions are lifted, the future cooperation would be much faster, leading to creation of more resources for development. She hoped for lifting of the sanctions and settlement of the problem, saying it would be to Iran’s benefit. Noting that her Iran visit coincided with the UN Day 2013 celebrations, the UN official said Iran has been making the fastest progress in the area of sustainable development. The UN Day was first declared in 1945 by the General Assembly with the intention of “making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gain their support for its work.”/end