UNDP, YEMEN SIGN TWO PROJECT DOCUMENTS

SANA'A, April 25 (Saba)- Yemen and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed on Sunday two project documents at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

Abdul Karim Ismael Al-Arhabi, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Rashad Al-Alimi Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defence and Ms. Pratibha Mehta, UNDP Resident Representative signed on the projects.

Ms. Amat Al-Alim Al-Soswa, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator of United Nations Development Programme and Director of its Regional Bureau for Arab States, who is currently in Yemen for a ten-day official visit, witnessed the ceremony and expressed her satisfaction for the launch of these important development initiatives to support two of the most urgent national priorities.

She was pleased that UNDP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) were able to continue their joint support to the government’s on-going efforts to improve local governance in the country as well as to promote economic empowerment of women in Sayun.

The USD12 million Joint Local Governance Support Project (LGSP) is jointly supported by UNDP and UNCDF and aims to assist Yemen to transform its Local Authority System to a Local Governance system, as articulated in the National Strategy for Transition to Local Governance (NSTLG) approved by the Cabinet in 2008 and will provide technical assistance to build institutional and human capacity at national and sub-national level, including communities.

Furthermore, the Local Governance Support Project (LGSP) will support the development of a comprehensive legal framework for the local governance system including the amendment of relevant articles of the Country’s Constitution, the formulation of a new Local Government Law, and the alignment of relevant primary and sector policies with this new law.

Building on the experience of the UNDP Decentralization and Local Development Support Project (DLDSP), the project will continue to support participatory Local Development Planning processes, with an increased emphasis on integrating Local Economic Development and Natural Resource Management to accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at local level

UNDP will provide assistance of USD 2 Million for the project to promote Gender and Economic Empowerment, which aims to contribute to the economic and social empowerment of disadvantaged women and youth, improving livelihoods, rights, and gender sensitive policy support in Hadramout Governorate (AlWadi).

The project strategy is comprehensive, gender responsive, market driven, and community-based focuses on building capacity of women and young men to access productive resources and sustainable earning potential and will train them in market oriented technical, entrepreneurial and managerial skills The project will be implemented in partnership with the local government, religious leaders, NGOs, private sector and communities.