It was a challenging year for the Eritrea Country Office. The UN’s area of collaboration in the country was restricted to health, sanitation and safe water supply, following a policy revision on cooperation between the UN System and the Government of the State of Eritrea. This meant that the future of the UN’s work in Eritrea beyond 2012 was bleak.
Despite the uncertain outlook, UNFPA used the year to continue supporting the Government’s impressive progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Eritrea remains one of the few countries in the region that is on track to achieve MDGs 4, 5 and 6.
Through intensive discussions with the Government and regular consultations with the Africa Regional Office (ARO) and the Sub-Regional Office – Johannesburg (SRO-J), a renewed cooperation agreement was reached between the Government and the UN in June this year. Thus the process to develop a new Strategic Partnership Cooperation Framework 2013-2016 (SPCF) began.
UNFPA played a leading role in the development of the new SPCF, and in partnership with the Government developed a draft UNFPA CPD 2013-2016 and CPAP in a very short timespan. This achievement was made possible because of timely and effective technical and programme support received from ARO and SRO-J, including high-level advocacy, negotiation and managerial support to ensure business continuity.
UNFPA’s CPD has formally been endorsed by the Government and has successfully been presented in informal consultation with the Executive Board. The UN Family has been assured by the Government that the SPCF 2013-2016 will be signed early in 2013. The support of ARO, SRO-J, PD and IERD in this process is noteworthy and highlights what can be achieved by close cooperation in challenging circumstances and tight timelines.
The experience in Eritrea demonstrates that continued engagement, patience and resilience on the part of the UN can achieve the desired results. This process enabled a cooperation agreement to be reached that upholds with utmost respect the Government’s position of self-reliance yet allows the UN to support its efforts to improve the lives of the people of Eritrea.
