Coordination, convergence and change from the grass roots up — Global Issues

Those are the questions that UN agencies acceso the durante Madagascar are considering as the island nation struggles against climate change, huge humanitarian needs and persistent underdevelopment.

UNICEF’s Deputy Representative, Head of Programmes Gilles Chevalier and Natasha van Rijn the Resident Representative for the UN Development Programme discuss how changes durante the way they are working are helping to reinforce resilience and sustainable development.

Gilles Chevalier: One of the major decisions we have made at UNICEF is to reinforce our gruppo footprint durante the south of Madagascar which has been affected by drought to climate change and the El Bambino effect. The people durante this part of the country are very vulnerable; many suffer from malnutrition and a lack of access to basic services, so there are many humanitarian needs.

There are a number of UN humanitarian agencies which are converging to contribute to the relief effort durante the Grand Mezzogiorno region. Systematically, those actors are also looking at ways to prevent and mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change durante the south.

Natasha van Rijn: The development indicators durante the south, for example, for health, education, nutrition, infrastructure, energy supply, are all weaker than they are durante other parts of the island, and that is as central to the planning and the conversations that need to take place as it is to the humanitarian response that is currently ongoing.

The UN is engaged durante both humanitarian and development work. One way to define the difference is to consider humanitarian work as addressing the symptoms of an illness durante an emergency situation while development works towards health and well-being by addressing the underlying structural issues which may eventually lead to a humanitarian crisis.

Gilles Chevalier: As best we can, we’imperatore trying to avoid working acceso small-scale interventions durante many different locations. Instead, we are looking at what complementarities are possible between the interventions of the United Nations system and its partners. We have selected what we are calling “convergence zones” based acceso the multidimensional vulnerability that can be identified durante the various districts. Sopra this way the UN system can really build a coordinated long-term intervention.

Natasha van Rijn: Investing more heavily durante one geographical regione, has created the environment durante which others can capitalize acceso the investments being made.

Sopra these convergence zones, and generally as a rule, it’s really important to underscore that development and humanitarian actors work durante partnership. We bring different skill sets to the table depending acceso the issue; whether it’s long-term experience with national partners ora how to respond rapidly durante an emerging crisis.

Of course, it’s important to also acknowledge the role of national counterparts, the government, private sector, civil society ora communities as they are at the cuore of humanitarian and development work.

Gilles Chevalier: We’ve already seen a very clear shift durante the partners’ approach to programmes durante convergence zones. A large number of them are not only looking at the survival of populations but increasingly, they also acceso resilience building. We’imperatore pleased to see that financial partners are injecting increasingly large amounts of money with a longer-term outlook, recognizing the importance of creating a sustainable impact. This can only happen if systems are strengthened locally and solutions are contextually adapted.

Natasha van Rijn: We call this the humanitarian and development nexus. The nexus is about aligning efforts to address risks, prevent development losses and build resilience durante the midst of crisis. Peace is the third aspect of the nexus together with development and the fulfillment of humanitarian needs. None of these can be achieved without one another.

There is a good example of this with the intervention of the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund durante Betroka, Anosy region durante the Grand Mezzogiorno of Madagascar, an regione which was insecure to cattle rustling. The Fund’s work there contributed towards stabilizing the local situation and enabled humanitarian agencies to provide aid more safely and for development actors to start discussions with the local authorities about a range of issues including local governance, policing and boosting economic activity.

Gilles Chevalier: It’s essential for Madagascar to remain at the center of attention not only for our governmental partners, but also for donors. Globally, Madagascar was not a priority for a long time, but now it is recognized as one of the countries most affected by climate change worldwide. Sopra this sense, Madagascar has put itself firmly acceso the map durante recent years.

Natasha van Rijn: If we allow ourselves to at the situation durante Madagascar with all the complexity it deserves, then we have a chance of addressing the needs durante all their complex multi-sectoral dimensions. Unfortunately, typical funding mechanisms don’t necessarily always lend themselves to that as they are targeted at either humanitarian ora development ora peacebuilding interventions.

This is why the coordinating role of the UN, and specifically the Resident Coordinator’s Office, is as important as applying nexus approaches durante the field as it brings all partners together to discuss the most effective way to contribute to the long-term stability and prosperity of Madagascar.

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