The basic premise is that agencies working in unison combining their strengths will have greater impact, writes John P. Apruzzese* People tend to speak more about United Nations peace work than about its development work. This imbalance does not do justice to the many UN agencies that spend significant sums of money, time and energy each year in pursuit of countries' progress. The reason may be because development programmes do not always have their intended outcome. Concern for this was a major impetus for the UN reform process initiated in the 1990s. A central tool of that reform has been the creation of the common country UN plan, known as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework or UNDAF, whose basic premise is that agencies working in unison combining their strengths will have greater impact in people's lives overall. On 28 March 2006 in a ceremony attended by dignitaries, the UN family, representatives of civil society and the media, the second UNDAF in Egypt was signed marking the beginning of a new period of collaboration between the UN and Egypt that will begin in January 2007 and stretch to 2011. The plan identifies the country's main development challenges and sets time-bound goals to address them. But why is the UNDAF more than simply another UN acronym? The UNDAF's main role is to help Egyptians improve their lives in line with their own self-identified needs and goals. Broadly speaking, it is based on the principles laid out in the United Nations Charter and subsequent internationally recognized development targets, such as the Millennium Development Goals, to which Egypt is a signatory. But the UNDAF is distinct in that it is home grown. It reflects the national priorities of the country and is developed in close consultation with a wide range of Egyptian partners in government, civil society, business, academia and the media. The views of Egyptian citizens thus feature prominently in the UNDAF, as does their perspective of the potential of UN development work in Egypt. This interaction makes it easier for the UN to respond to the wishes expressed by Egyptians -- instead of them simply reacting to a predetermined UN perspective. A visible result is the inclusion of innovative ideas ranging from decentralization to participatory democracy, from local accountability to anti-corruption, and from human rights to eradicating female genital mutilation. The exercise took a total of 18 months to develop and complete. Secondly, the UNDAF is about change and reform. In fact, it mirrors worldwide UN reform at the level of individual countries. In 1997, Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the first of a series of major reforms that called for the diverse, multiple and often unconnected UN agencies to work together more closely and combine their efforts and expertise to ensure the maximum effect in communities and individual lives. The UNDAF -- a UN family common plan -- enables a holistic United Nations approach in responding to the country's development challenges. This means a more effective and efficient UN through greater harmony in its collective action. The UNDAF does this primarily by pinpointing areas where UN agencies can combine their efforts in joint undertakings and thereby reduce overlapping or duplication. Thirdly, the UNDAF is about the primacy of human rights -- as laid out in the Universal Declaration -- as an essential vector for lasting, long-term development in any country or situation. The new UNDAF adopts a 'human rights based approach' to Egypt's development challenges. This means that the UN family will help the country meet its obligations towards the realization of its citizens' human rights. The reasoning behind the human rights based approach is that that wherever there is a right there is someone who has a claim to that right and someone else who has a corresponding duty or obligation to fulfill that claim. For example, as citizens have the right to live free of fear and hunger, governments and their partners in civil society and business have an obligation to create the appropriate environment for such freedoms to thrive. And local communities have an obligation to provide opportunities for their residents to have adequate protection and earn a decent living. Ultimately, the UNDAF is about working together in harmony and mutual respect. The plan recognizes two principle partners in Egypt and sees the need to reinforce their ability to work together. The first is the state, viewed broadly as government and civil society, and the need to make it more capable of fulfilling the rights and needs of its citizens. The second is the people -- individuals, families and communities -- and the need to strengthen their skills and possibilities to fully participate in the political, economic and social life of the country. In this sense, some view this dynamic relationship through the prism of social convention and change -- and the need for its renewal. The success of these two endeavours hinges on strengthening three essential linking elements: The genuine and meaningful participation of all citizens; a shared social contract between state and society; and the rule of law. The UN family in Egypt has chosen to illustrate this scheme visually on the front cover of the UNDAF report as the country's DNA. The symbolic spiral embodies the basic concept for United Nations future assistance in Egypt. The two main strands of emphasis -- state capabilities and human capabilities -- come together, thanks to genuine citizens' participation, the forging of a shared social contact and support for the rule of law. As a plan, the UNDAF in and of itself can not make the difference. What it does, however, is to gather all willing partners behind a common purpose to make a difference. Like the United Nations itself, the UNDAF is only as strong as its agencies and partners allow it to be. Its success will be the fruit of strong, willing partnerships and a determination to reach its common goals. * The writer is head of the Coordination Unit in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator.
