Takulandilani

The United Nations’ mission in Malawi to support Malawi to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and contribute to equitable economic growth and poverty reduction.

We work with Government, forging partnerships with donors organizations, non-government organization, civil society, national and local leadership to strengthen the accountability systems and improve delivery of quality social services to every man, woman and child.

We believe Malawi has the potential to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, with national ownership and commitment, and the of policies, resources and global partnership

The UN family comprises of 8 resident and 8 non-resident UN agencies. We are over 500 staff with an average annual disbursement of approximately $75 million.

What impact on the lives of people in Malawi does this wealth of human and financial resources bring? How should we measure our impact? It is not good enough to measure inputs - the number of staff, projects or funds mobilized. Nor should it be only outputs, say pumps, medicine distributed or the number of people trained or of workshops. It should be outcomes. That means how things actually change. For us in the UN system that should be about improving the quality of peoples’ lives, measured through the human development index and progress towards achievement of the MDGs.

Once we know how we measure our impact, we need to be sure that we are using our human and financial resources in the best possible way to achieve that impact. Given that even our considerable resources are limited in relation to the country’s needs, first we need to focus on a limited number of priorities, and second work together to deliver results in those priority areas. Delivering as one – with one leader, as one team with one programme - means one objective; that every man, woman and child will enjoy a healthy and productive life.

Nkhani Zathu is a journal of the journey we are taking, sharing our experiences and encounters along the journey, putting a face to numbers, facts, figures to often drawn out UN-speak. It chronicles our efforts in Malawi, the impact of these efforts and the opinions from within and without on how we are fairing. Takulandilani, Welcome.

The Editor

From the Resident Coordinator’s Desk

These are extraordinary times for Malawi. Politically, we are going through some serious turbulence. Economically, a second year of bumper harvests has boosted activity and comes on the heels of Malawi getting debt relief upon reaching HIPC completion point in 2006. The year before, rich countries promised to double aid to Africa by 2010. Doubling of aid seems unlikely, but aid levels to Malawi are gradually increasing.

As a result of good management, the budgetary envelope available to the Minister of Finance to run the Government, promote economic growth and pursue activities that reduce poverty has increased. The issue is now whether political and constitutional differences will result in a logjam that undermines the ‘dividend’ and affects the poor. It would be tragic, for example, if the fertiliser and seed subsidy scheme is derailed. The UN stands ready to help unblock the situation.

Events in Malawi take place against a global backdrop of unprecedented momentum behind efforts to reform the UN system. Member States, rich and poor, want to see the UN at the heart of development. They believe that the nature of the problems the world is facing, including poverty, inequity, climate change and insecurity, need solutions from and through the UN, both at the global, regional and country levels. The overall message is that the UN, as a system, must get its act together and marshal its resources in a more effective and efficient way to address these pressing problems. In short, the UN must ‘deliver as one’.

The most motivating aspect of the reform effort is that much of the initiative is coming from developing countries. Eight have stepped forward to be pilot countries, including four in Africa (Cape Verde, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania). Malawi, as you will see in this Newsletter, wants to be next (see ‘Delivering as One’).

The message coming from reform-minded Governments is loud and clear. They want, and expect, the UN to become their primary partners in helping them manage and achieve results with development resources. It will mean new ways of working, and working more effectively together. It also means being more focused and aware of the unique contribution we can make – and the partnerships we need with others, whether in civil society or the donor community.

Our job as the UN is to encourage and support Malawi to achieve the MDGs. The Government’s top priority is economic growth. Investment in people, especially women and children, their health and education, their environment and work, their ability to have their voices heard, is central to economic growth, as repeated success stories in other parts of the world have shown. It is also central to achieving human rights and human dignity.

We are rising to the challenge. The new UNDAF describes the ways in which we are going to work together to help Malawi achieve her development goals. It results from thousands of hours work and discussion by many, many colleagues in a process unprecedented for its openness. On behalf of the UNCT, I want to recognize and thank all those involved – you know who you are!

The Business Plan is the UNDAF’s twin: it sets out the ways in which we will ensure that the UN system makes maximum use of its resources and staff in the coming years. Its implementation will require leadership from the OMT and the support of every staff member, including programme officers, drivers, finance officers and registry staff.

We are lucky in Malawi to have such a strong UNCT with a good team spirit, committed and willing to explore new ways of working together. The challenge before us, and before Malawi, is huge. But I am confident we are on the right track.

Michael Keating, Resident Coordinator

Issue 1 2007