Suva, Fiji / Yaren, Nauru – Senior officials from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji and the Government of Nauru sat down on Wednesday morning (18 August) at different tables across the Pacific with the idea of coming together virtually to strengthen their partnership. In these trying times, with travel an impossibility, both parties agreed that a strategic online summit would be an ideal way to take stock of the value and impacts of their joint development programme.

Referred to as the Annual Programme Review Meeting (APR), this was the first such high-level meeting between UNDP and Nauru. Previous discussions focused on operational matters and, while those were helpful, there was no platform from which the partners could assess the overall worth of their collaboration. This APR fills that gap and will support even closer cooperation. 

Mr. Levan Bouadze, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Resident Representative, thanked the Government of Nauru and offered his congratulations on its successful management of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. He assured the Government of Nauru that UNDP is committed to advancing Nauru’s own development plans, and emphasized UNDP’s intention to provide support as Nauru strives to meet its regional and international commitments.

“UNDP wants to be relevant and support the development objectives of the countries it serves, including Nauru. Through this APR exercise, we want to take a bird’s eye view and ensure that our joint development programme makes sense. It can be easy to lose sight of effectiveness and outcomes if you do not look at projects and programmes in a holistic way,” stated Mr. Bouadze.  He also noted that UNDP and Nauru’s collaboration features a range of governance and sustainable development initiatives.

Mr. Masau Detudamo, Nauru’s Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs, expressed his appreciation for the portfolio of UNDP assistance to Nauru, including COVID-19 response. Mr Detudamo acknowledged that, “UNDP has been a crucial partner in the formulation and implementation of the Pacific Community Pathway on COVID-19.”

He also expressed his optimism for the outcome of the high-level dialogue stating “This platform and discussion will contribute to shaping and refining Nauru’s relationship with UNDP…..and we look forward to UNDP’s continued assistance over the years to come.”

The dialogue covered a wide range of topics, including the challenges and successes of collaboration towards accountable and inclusive governance, climate change, and renewable energy. Both parties affirmed their commitment to gender equity, child protection, and the inclusion of youth and people with disabilities in the electoral process, and shared their satisfaction with the public health achievements of the Multi-Country Western Pacific Integrated HIV/TB Programme, which is a Global Fund project implemented by UNDP with Nauru’s Ministry of Health. While the meeting focused on 2020 key results, it also included a discussion on the programme being delivered in 2021.

At the end of the meeting, Mr Bouadze said, “It is very important that we meet annually for this strategic discussion that we call the APR. While project teams are in constant communication, we need to ensure that both partners are happy with the pace and progress of the overall collaboration.  We also want to be sure to properly celebrate the achievements of our partnership.”

The Annual Programme Review will now be held on an annual basis, with the next APR planned for early 2022. Until then, UNDP and Nauru will maintain high-level communication to ensure that their joint programme is implemented successfully and is making progress towards intended outcomes, including the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the fulfillment of Nauru’s regional and international commitments.

For media queries, please contact:

Emily Moli, Knowledge Communications Analyst, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji. Email; emily.moli@undp.org  or mob: +(679) 722 5301