Europe & CIS

Kyrgyzstan Goes Green With New Construction Codes

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 20 November 2009-The Kyrgyzstan government plans to save more than 200,000 tons of fuel, thanks to new regulations on building construction. The initiative comes at a time when the Central Asian nation faces many potential changes due to global warming. The goal of the programme is to reduce country’s the energy consumption by roughly 45 percent over a three-year period, equal to almost half of one year of coal-mining in the country. Photo Album: Kyrgyzstan's Landscape and Lifestyle Could Change

Thoughts on human resources management

Mao Kawada blogs live from Tirana where she is attending the Fourth Annual Conference of the Western Balkans Human Resources Management community of practice meeting. This year's theme is : managing performance in the work of the civil service. Mao pontificates on performance appraisals and non financial incentives....

Photo: Carlo Benedetti 2009

Albania Now Mine-Free and Ready to Reconstruct Region

Tirana, Albania, 10 November 2009-After a decade of mine clearance work, Albania is now free of all known mined areas just ahead of a 2010 deadline. More than 15.3 million square meters of mines and unexploded ordinance in northeast Albania have been cleared since the late 1990s by several organizations, in a programme coordinated by the Albanian Mine Action Executive. With the removal of the mines and unexploded ordinance, the region—one of the poorest in Albania—can now be more fully developed and reconstructed.

UNDP Georgia's new Quick Capacity Assessment Methodology

Ivane Shamugia shares UNDP Georgia's new "Methodology for Quick Capacity Assessment(s)" (pdf) and jumps head first into the ongoing discussion between "Short vs. Long" when it comes to capacity development....

Have a look at the new methodology and join the conversation!

Tackling Rising HIV Levels in Russia, Central Asia

Moscow, Russia, 5 November 2009-Eastern Europe and Central Asia continue to experience rising rates of HIV, particularly in Russian and Ukraine —home to 90 percent of cases. In Central Asia and the Caucauses, the number of newly reported HIV cases is also rising rapidly. Overall, the region experienced a more than 100 percent increase in people living with the virus between 2001 and 2007, with drug abuse a prevelant cause of illness through use of dirty needles.

New Energy for the Future: Solar Panels Online at Bratislava Regional Centre

Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 4 November 2009-Bringing new energy to downtown Bratislava, the United Nations Development Programme has opened a solar energy station at its Bratislava Regional Centre. The solar station is the first in the city's Stare Mesto, or old city, and one of three solar stations in the Slovak capital. It is also one of the first UN buildings globally to install solar panels on its roof. Video: Solar Panels Bring New Energy Photo Album: Solar Panels Installed and Launched

With Temperatures set to Rise in Next 30 Years, Croatia Fights Back Against Climate Change

Zagreb, Croatia, October 2009-Croatian President Stjepan Mesić  has committed to a United Nations campaign to combat climate change as part of Croatia’s celebration of the 64^th anniversary of the UN. The UN-led campaign—known as Seal the Deal—aims to spur public support and political will to reach an agreement at a landmark global climate change conference in Copenhagen in December. At the conference, countries plan to commit to reducing greenhouse gases between 50 and 80 percent, sealing the deal to reduce the effects of temperature rises of more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Video: Energy in Our Homes Photo Album: Sealing the Deal With Conservation Programmes

Women Caught in Net of Exploitation Helped in Belarus

Minsk, Belarus, October 2009-In a secret location in Minsk, women on the run from exploitation will receive help integrating back into society thanks to the support of international organizations, NGOS and the Belarus government. At a recently re-opened shelter in a private flat, the women will receive social services, jobs skills and sanctuary from abduction and trafficking by criminal organizations.

UN Day Celebrated at Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Bratislava, Slovak Republic, October 2009-Sixty-four years after a Slovak helped establish the United Nations, representatives of the Slovak Republic and the United Nations Development Programme gathered to honor the anniversary of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945. The gathering at the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the collaborative work between the UNDP and the Slovak government. Video: Message from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on UN Day Photo Album: UN Day Slovak Republic Ministry of Public Affairs

New Gear to Help Kyrgyzstan Battle Border Problems

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 2009-What was once a Silk Road bringing spices and other goods to Europe and Central Asia has now become a sieve, with a flow of illicit traffic moving between the two regions. In response, Kyrgyzstan is the latest Central Asian nation to partner with the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme to better regulate its borders.

'Include the Excluded,' UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina Recognized for Excellence

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 2009-A report strongly advocating for inclusion of marginalized groups as a key part Bosnia and Herzegovina’s long-term social policy has been awarded an award for innovation from the United Nations Development Programme. The report, the 2007 Bosnia and Herzegovina National Human Development Report (NHDR) – Social Inclusion in BiH, was recognized for its innovation in measuring human development. The publication was a joint effort of UNDP and national experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina led by the Independent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues and the Team Leader Dr. Žarko Papić.

Georgians Gain Jobs, Loans, One Year After Conflict

Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2009-Hundreds of individuals uprooted by armed conflict in Georgia continue to be helped by joint European Union and United Nations Development Programme projects. A year after conflict between Russia and Georgia, the projects, in cooperation with the Georgian government, help provide job training, financial help and infrastructure improvements. Video: Georgia One Year After Photo Album: Georgia One Year After

The times they are a changing...

The latest from Zagreb: how understanding human reactions to change helps when carrying out development initiatives, especially when it comes to developing national capacities – which often calls for big changes in organizations.

Economic Crisis Hits People Living with HIV, Treatment and Health Care Systems Endangered

Kiev, Ukraine, October 2009 - Access to medicine for people living with HIV is one of the latest casualties of the global economic crisis. At a time of shrinking national health budgets, declining grant funding and high prices for medicine, the number of individuals in the region in need of treatment remains large. The issue has both a human and long-term development dimension.

Migration Moves More Than People, New Human Development Report 2009 Shows

Vienna, Austria 5 October –At a time when one in seven people is a migrant, migration should be an integral part of development policy, Jens Wandel, Deputy Regional Director and Bratislava Regional Centre Director of the United Nations Development Programme, said at the launch of the ‘Human Development Report 2009: Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development.’ The comprehensive report casts new light on global trends in migration, particularly common misperceptions about migration. Video: Human Development Report 2009 ‘Human Development Report 2009: Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development’ Podcast: Vienna Launch of Human Development Report 2009

Development in the 21st Century and the nature of helping others...

Live from Zagreb! At the annual meeting of UNDP capacity development practitioners in Europe and CIS, Jens Wandel, Deputy Regional Director and Regional Centre Director, talked about systems thinking, and how this helps us to work in complex environments, to see interrelationships and patterns of change - necessary skills for dealing with 21st Century challenges.

Welcome to the new "Capacity matters" blog!

If you support nationally led development, come check out the new blog!

We're live! It's our first blog post! Do you agree that developing national capacities is the key to providing real solutions to development challenges that will work, and last over time? If you agree, and you have opinions, then this is the blog for you!

Kapuscinski Lectures - 17 November, Slovenia, University of Ljubljana - lecturer: François Bourguignon, Paris School of Economics

The University of Ljubljana will host on 17 November 2009 the lecture of François Bourguignon from the Paris School of Economics. The event is part of the "Kapuscinski Lectures" initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme. Experts from around the world will deliver lectures on development and development cooperation at universities in 12 new European Union countries. The series “Kapuscinski Lectures”, and named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries.

Kapuscinski Lectures - 6 November, Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs/University of Nicosia - lecturer: Carol Lancaster, Georgetown University

Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs/University of Nicosia will host on 6 November 2009 the lecture of Carol Lancaster from the Georgetown University. The event is part of the "Kapuscinski Lectures" initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme. Experts from around the world will deliver lectures on development and development cooperation at universities in 12 new European Union countries. The series “Kapuscinski Lectures”, and named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries.

Kapuscinski Lectures - 20 October, Lithuania, University of Vilnius - lecturer: Eveline Herfkens, UN Millennium Campaign

University of Vilnius hosted on 20 October 2009 the lecture of Eveline Herfkens, founder of the UN Millennium Campaign. The event is part of the "Kapuscinski Lectures" initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme. Experts from around the world will deliver lectures on development and development cooperation at universities in 12 new European Union countries. The series “Kapuscinski Lectures”, and named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries.