|
Technical cooperation strategy
ESCAP is shifting its technical cooperation work towards a programme approach, which is aligned with the new priorities of the Commission. Emphasis is placed on enhancing institutional capacity development at the national level, including through South-South cooperation (SSC) modalities. The shift towards a programme approach is central to ESCAP’s efforts in improving the design and planning of its technical cooperation work, maximizing impact and ensuring sustainability of its capacity development efforts |
|
Key principles of TC work
ESCAP’s technical cooperation work is guided by the following key principles:
1. Results-based management
The RBM approach is central to ESCAP’s management of its programme of work. RBM is defined as “a management approach aimed at changing the way organizations operate, with improving performance (achieving results) as the overriding orientation”. (UNEG, 2007). Click for more information of Results-based management at ESCAP.
2. Coherence – “Delivering as One”
System-wide coherence, particularly “Delivering as One” at the country and regional levels, is vital to strengthening the UN’s overall effectiveness in development. The GA resolution on System-wide Coherence (A/RES/62/277) decided that “the continuing and deepening intergovernmental work of the General Assembly on system-wide coherence will focus exclusively and in an integrated manner on “Delivering as One” at country and regional levels, harmonization of business practice, funding, governance, and gender equality and the empowerment of women.”
3. Country ownership
Development is a process of societal transformation, and successful transformation must come from within the country itself. Experiences of the past decades of development prove that country ownership is key to enhancing development effectiveness. Developing country governments need to take stronger leadership of their own development policies, and engage with their parliaments and citizens in shaping those policies.
top
What are our areas of focus?
The prime focus of ESCAP’s technical cooperation programmes is thus to develop the technical, managerial and institutional capacities of developing member and associate member governments to plan and deliver more effective policies and programmes, particularly in support of the Millennium Development Goals and the outcomes of other UN global and regional conferences.
In helping countries in the region to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and implement outcomes of other global and regional development conferences, ESCAP focuses on those issues that are most effectively addressed through regional cooperation, such as:
- Applying global agreements regionally, such as government accession into WTO agreements
- Tackling issues of a sensitive nature such as violence against women
- Addressing issues that may require further advocacy such as the rights of disabled persons
- Working with initiatives that require cross-border negotiation such as the development of the Asian Highway
- Focusing on issues that know no boundaries such as HIV/AIDS and environmental protection
- Identifying, testing, and disseminating good practices that can serve as models throughout the region such as the Saemaul Undong community development project
top
What types of value added activities is ESCAP best placed to implement?
Most development issues are multidimensional and require multisectoral and multiministerial responses (poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender, etc). With a growing trend towards mainstreaming key issues such as gender, ICT, and HIV/AIDS into the work of various ministries, we can influence change in sectors that are not readily accessible to other agencies. With its convening power, and access to a range of key ministries in both economic and social sectors, ESCAP can work towards bringing the necessary partners together to forge integrated solutions to the challenges facing the region.
Within the framework of our defined strengths, ESCAP’s technical cooperation functions focus on three areas:
- Policy advocacy and dialogue on global and regional commitments and critical emerging issues that need the urgent attention of its membership.
- Regional knowledge networking to enable its membership to exchange knowledge and experiences on good practices in a wide range of development areas as a basis for wider regional replication.
- Training, advisory services and other technical assistance aimed at strengthening the capabilities of its membership to formulate and implement effective economic and social development policies and programmes.
top
How do we make a difference?
In order to address issues of a regional nature in the substantive areas of the Millennium Development Goals, ESCAP focuses its technical cooperation on supporting governments in the building of capacity in the following 5 key areas:
- to negotiate effectively in multilateral and regional forums;
- to implement commitments resulting from global and regional conferences;
- to formulate and implement effective policies, as well as regulatory and legal frameworks;
- to build and manage partnerships with all sectors of civil society, including the private sector;
- to monitor progress in achieving goals and targets adopted at global and regional conferences.
top
|
