|
Another focus of the Annual Report is on internal
activities undertaken during the year to strengthen the Fund's own programme
effectiveness. Chief among them was the development of a new Policies and Procedures
Manual, which closely reflects the ICPD Programme of Action. The manual includes new
Programme Guidelines and decentralizes programme authority to the Fund's country offices.
The manual also incorporates new indicators designed to measure the effectiveness of UNFPA
programmes, an area where the Fund is placing increasing emphasis.
Strengthening programme effectiveness also means helping to strengthen the Fund's
partners. To help develop strategies for accomplishing this, the Fund carried out two
related studies during 1997 – on ways of increasing the absorptive capacity of
programme countries and of enhancing national execution of UNFPA-supported programmes. The
results of the two studies will be reflected in the Fund's future work. The Fund has also
continued to increase its work with NGOs. Taken together, these and other measures will
help the Fund to carry out its role in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action more
efficiently and effectively.
During the year, UNFPA continued to participate actively in implementing the system-wide
United Nations reforms, especially through the newly-constituted United Nations
Development Group (UNDG) and through such mechanisms as the Administrative Committee on
Coordination. The Fund continued to expand collaborative efforts with all of its United
Nations partner agencies and organizations, including with the Bretton Woods institutions.
Dr. Nafis Sadik Executive Director United Nations Population Fund UNFPA.
|
Page 3 of 3