Europe & CIS

Mapping of ex-ante Impact Assessment Tools and Experiences in Europe

This resource book for practitioners of ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment contains ex-ante IA methodologies and practical experiences, with particular focus on poverty reduction and on ensuring equal opportunities for vulnerable and marginalized groups. It builds on regional experiences of ex-ante Impact Assessment and Training Needs Assessment conducted in 4 countries (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova), and lessons derived from experience gained at the country level in implementing IA-related projects.

The aim of the publication is to provide practitioners with available and usable methodologies and best practices for conducting ex-ante Impact Assessment in the region of Europe and CIS and so to contribute to proper policy-making that would be beneficial for the poor and vulnerable. The publication aims to support capacity-building regarding EU standards.

See the project page here.

Social Exclusion and Integration in Poland: an indicators-based approach

This report is the outcome of the project “Strengthening social inclusion process – searching for a compromise in order to reach Lisbon Strategy and Millennium Development Goals”, implemented by UNDP in Poland. It provides a tested framework of indicators for measuring social exclusion and progress toward cohesion, as a basis for comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of policy.

Poverty and socio-economic disparities impede development and social cohesion in many countries, and the report is relevant across a wide range of national contexts; a particular emphasis is made on the link between the EU social inclusion agenda and the UN MDG agenda.

National Human Development Report of Uzbekistan, 2007-2009. Education in Uzbekistan: Matching Supply and Demand

This year’s report on human development in Uzbekistan focuses on education – one of the key parameters in human development and forming the essence of each human being. Consisting of four chapters, the report analyses the general trends of human development in Uzbekistan and correlation of the scholarship index with other human development indicators.

The authors of the report have paid special attention to research into the state of education in Uzbekistan, compared to the rest of the world. Communication between education and human development has also been consistently analysed and attention given to the present condition of the economy and the social policy of the Government.

The authors have done a huge work by devoting one of the chapters to a review of the whole education system. In this chapter, all achievements and successes are very precisely presented, and so are the barriers on a way to the further improvement of an education system.

2007 Annual Report on UN Chernobyl Coordination

Office of UN Coordination of International Cooperation on Chernobyl has recently released the Annual Report on UN Chernobyl Coordination. Efforts in 2007 focused on preparation of the UN Secretary-General Report on Chernobyl, the General Assembly resolution on Chernobyl, UN inter-agency coordination, partnership with UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Maria Sharapova, commemorations of the Chernobyl 21st  anniversary; and programme development for sub-regional initiatives on Chernobyl. The Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development to 2016 has been declared and drafting of the UN Action Plan on Chernobyl has been launched. Programming synergies were promoted through new ventures in cross-border cooperation and networking among the Country Teams.

Assessment of the Impact of Potential Free Trade Agreement between EU and Georgia

On November 14, 2006 at the 7th meeting of the Georgian-European Cooperation Council in Brussels, the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan (ENP-AP) for Georgia was officially adopted. Georgia and the EU were urged to “jointly explore options for further enhancing bilateral trade relations, including the possible establishment of a free trade agreement between the EU and Georgia.” The present study reports on the feasibility and likely consequences of an FTA between Georgia and the EU.

Bulgaria: Beyond the Facts, December 2007, Issue 26, Special edition

The MDGs as a Communication Tool for Development

This paper approaches the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a communication tool instead of an object of communication. The MDGs have the potential to make development more understandable to people at the centre of development policies: the poor, vulnerable and socially excluded.  The potential to make development interventions more effective and, ultimately, to achieve the MDGs, lies in improving the capacities of these people to use information about development to claim their rights, and to hold authorities accountable for their commitments. 

Development and Transition, 8th issue, "Gender in Transition "

Development and Transition is a joint publication of the United Nations Development Programme and the London School of Economics. It aims to be a forum for policy-oriented discussions and debates about how the nature, evolution and challenges of development and transition intersect in Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Turkey.

The eighth issue focuses on 'Gender in Transition' and examines the new challenges facing women and men in post-communist countries. Development and transition affect women and men in different ways. In many new EU member states, and in the countries of the Western Balkans and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the post-communist transition has seen reductions in women’s wages and employment rates relative to men’s; access to assets, property, and political representation has declined. Women as primary-care providers have been hard hit by the collapse or declines in social services.

More information about Development and Transition at www.developmentandtransition.net.

Human Development Report 2007/2008, Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world

The Human Development Report 2007/2008 shows that climate change is not just a future scenario. Increased exposure to droughts, floods and storms is already destroying opportunity and reinforcing inequality. Meanwhile, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that the world is moving towards the point at which irreversible ecological catastrophe becomes unavoidable. Business-as-usual climate change points in a clear direction: unprecedented reversal in human development in our lifetime, and acute risks for our children and their grandchildren.

As the Human Development Report 2007/2008 argues, climate change poses challenges at many levels. In a divided but ecologically interdependent world, it challenges all people to reflect upon how we manage the environment of the one thing that we share in common: planet Earth. It challenges us to reflect on social justice and human rights across countries and generations. It challenges political leaders and people in rich nations to acknowledge their historic responsibility for the problem, and to initiate deep and early cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Above all, it challenges the entire human community to undertake prompt and strong collective action based on shared values and a shared vision.

Climate Change & Turkey

There is increasing consensus among the scientific community that climate change is having a significant impact on habitats, ecosystems and human development. This publication integrates and synthesises the findings of various working groups headed by researchers, working closely with relevant national ministries, private sector representatives and NGOs. The report provides a comprehensive compilation of the research completed to support the preparation of the First National Communication (FNC) of Turkey to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Welfare Improvement Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The Welfare Improvement Strategy is expected to promote the coordinated implementation of national and sector development programs and plans aimed at promoting stable economic growth and enhancing the living standards of the population. The process of developing the WIS has been undertaken by Inter-agency council and Sectoral working groups, including representatives of ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan, national policy analysis centers, international financial institutions, private sector and civil society. Valuable support has been provided by UNDP, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank according to a Memorandum of Understanding, regulating the Technical Assistance to the process of WIS formulation, signed with the Government of Uzbekistan.

National Human Development Report Azerbaijan 2007

Gender Attitudes in Azerbaijan: Trends and Challenges. The role of National Human Development Report (NHDR) in diffusing the concept of human development in Azerbaijan, with the first such publication issued in 1995, is crucial. This year, UNDP will focus on the aspect of gender, given that the Government has initiated developing a ten-year programme aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing economic development. With the financial support made available by the Embassy of Norway, UNDP will broadly address gender issues in Azerbaijan through piloting a survey on gender attitudes and eventual launching the 2005 NHDR reflecting findings of the survey, thereby stimulating public debate and triggering policy action for ensuring greater gender equality in the country.

National Human Development Report Bosnia and Herzegovina 2007

Social Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is the sixth National Human Development Report produced for Bosnia and Herzegovina, examining a topical human development issue. This year the report analyses the different facets and causes of social exclusion in BiH and provides recommendations for promoting social inclusion. The concept of social inclusion, which is at the heart of EU social policy-making, is very much congruent with both the human development and the human rights-based approaches to socio-economic development. These approaches draw upon economic and social rights analyses and take into account all entitlements relevant for enlarging the choices of individuals to live a decent and meaningful life. In addition, they share a common concern about equity, non-discrimination and inclusive participation.

National Human Development Report Romania 2007

Making EU Accession Work for All. UNDP Romania's National Human Development Reports are among the most innovative and thought provoking analyses on economic political and social change. They cover subjects which include the transition process in Romania, and the implications of the EU accession process for Romania. Developed from the concept of UNDP's Human Development Report, these national policy reports are produced at a country level, and are written and produced in Romania.The NHDRs compare data from regions, provinces or localities on indicators such as education, life expectancy, gender disparities and income, pointing to achievements and disparities. They have transformed the global debate on poverty and development over the past decade.

Human Development Report Russia 2006/2007

Russia’s Regions: goals, challenges, and achievements. Russia has one of the highest economic growth rates in the world, but faces major challenges due to unequal distribution of growth benefits among the population and dramatic regional diversity. This report attempts to give a comprehensive survey of regional human development problems and to identify positive socio-economic policies aimed at overcoming them. It also describes the most successful regional experiences with state, regional, and municipal programmes that contribute to regional and national attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Silent Majority Speaks: Snapshots of Today and Visions of the Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Oxford Research International, on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, with the support of the Royal Netherlands Government, has carried out the most comprehensive and thoroughgoing examination of the social and political health of BiH ever undertaken. This research places particular emphasis on the outcomes of the resettlement process, it provides a barometer of the views of all BiH citizens. Its purpose was both to take stock some eleven years after the end of the conflict, and to seek out a consensus, if one could be found, on where BiH goes from here.

Early Warning Report, Kosovo, April - June 2007

The Early Warning System will provide valuable information to Kosovo stakeholders through conflict monitoring and prevention system. The Early Warning System will build the capacity for local analysts to foresee potential crisis and advise crisis prevention policies.

WB HRM CoP Handbook

Environmental Policy in South-Eastern Europe

The purpose of the Environmental Policy in South-Eastern Europe report is to provide an overview of the progress towards the development and implementation of environmental and sustainability policy in South-Eastern Europe. It has been prepared for the Belgrade Ministerial Conference in 2007. Its scope is to help the Environment Ministers and other decision makers in South-Eastern Europe, the EU, donor countries, international organisations and other interested parties in their decision making about their future work in the areas covered by the Report.

The Report tries to provide a picture of progress achieved in recent years across this broad range of issues. The selection of topics covered by the Report was made by representatives of UNDP Country Offices in consultation with country focal points at the Regional Workshop on September 14 and 15, 2006. It is based on the scope of the reference framework as well as the policy development and implementation situation in the region. The Report does not include individual country profiles, as they have already been presented in the report “Environmental Snapshot of South-Eastern Europe: REReP Country Profiles” published by the REC in 2006.

The Outlook for Development of Renewable Energy in Uzbekistan