United Nations system in Ecuador INTERAGENCY ASSESSMENT OF ECUADORS NORTHERN BORDER REGION Summary

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United Nations system in Ecuador
INTERAGENCY ASSESSMENT OF ECUADORS NORTHERN
BORDER REGION Summary
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Background

• Visit of the Secretary General to Ecuador in
  November 2003.
  
• On December 30th, 2003 the Government of Ecuador
  requested the Secretary General to send an
  inter-agency mission to the Northern Border
  Region to assess the present situation and
  recommend preventive development measures.
• In February and March 2004 the Secretary General
  approved the organization of the assessment
  mission. The United Nations System in Ecuador
  took charge in structuring it.

Assessment Mission to Ecuadors Northern Border
Region
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Objectives of the Mission

• Update the diagnosis of the Northern Border
  Region in terms of strengths and weaknesses and
  identification of the main challenges from the
  point of view of human development and the
  commitments of Ecuador in the Millennium
  Development Goals Declaration.
• Present to the Government of Ecuador a number of
  recommendations in the various assessment areas.

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Thematic Areas of the Assessment

• Human Rights
• Humanitarian Assistance and Refugees
• Basic Social Services
• Poverty, Production and Employment
• Environment
• Institutional Analysis
• Drugs and Crime
• Cross-cutting areas Gender and multiculturalism

Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) 1. Po
verty and hunger 2. Primary Education 3. Gender
Equality 4. Infant Mortality 5. Maternal Health
6. HIV/AIDS, malaria 7. Environmental
sustainability 8. Partnership for Development
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The Interagency Mission

• Members of the Mission
• UNHCR, UN -Department of Political Affairs (DPA),
  FAO, OPS/WHO, WFP, UNDP, UNICEF, UNODC, UNSECOORD
  and UNV.
  
• Technical Advice
• UNESCO, UNFPA and UNIFEM.

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4 Provinces in the Northern Border Region of
Ecuador
Geography of the Region
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The Assessment Process

• Collection of secondary information in Quito and
  in the Northern Border Region
  
• Interviews with development actors of the region
  (119 interviews)
  
• Field visits in the four provinces
• Elaboration of intermediary reports in each
  thematic areas
  
• Technical discussion within the UN System
• Preparation of the final report

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Key Ideas of the Report

• The Northern Border Region possesses a enormous
  development potential
  
• The Northern Border Region is especially
  vulnerable
  
• There are storing reasons to establish a Special
  Plan for the region
  
• The region should continue to be a priority for
  international cooperation and its actions must be
  coordinated adequately

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Region
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1. A Region with great potential

• Cultural diversity (10 ethnic groups with their
  own language)
  
• Extraordinary biodiversity (7 ecological
  reserves, 25 of the regions territory)
  
• Natural resources (Sucumbíos is the heart of oil
  production)
  
• Social capital (organizations, social networks,
  participation)
  

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2. An especially vulnerable region

• Inequalities and social exclusion, poverty levels
  and gaps in basic social services (education,
  health, water and sanitation) are above national
  average.
• Institutional weaknesses (Human Rights,
  security, administration of justice and social
  rehabilitation)
  
• Deteriorating employment conditions and
  competitiveness
  
• Strong pressures on the environment
• Proximity with a particularly problematic region
  of Colombia (violence and drug trafficking)

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3. Need for a Special Plan

• Numerous need and urgencies, but limited
  financial resources and management capacity
  
• Strategic approach on priority objectives (MDGs
  as a reference)
  
• Preventive character
• Respond to bi-national initiatives
• Balance and coordination between various levels
  of government
  
• Channels for social participation

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4. International Cooperation

• International cooperation is considerable in the
  region
  
• Some dispersion, dis-coordination and gaps
• Need to strengthen coordination mechanisms
• Role of UDENOR
• Convening of the Consultative Group in Brussels,
  under a new mechanism
  
• Local donors table for the border
• For the UN strengthen its support, joint
  programming, support to the elaboration of a
  Special Plan and the Consultative Group

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2.1. Poverty and Social Services

• Historical isolation of the region
• Poverty some cantons are over 95 (Río Verde,
  San Lorenzo, Eloy Alfaro, Putumayo)
  
• Chronic malnutrition 30 en Carchi and
  Sucumbíos, and 50 in Imbabura
  
• Average schooling completed
• High levels of child mortality 54 for each 1,000
  born alive in Esmeraldas, 62 in Imbabura and 72
  in Carchi
  
• High incidence of malaria in Esmeraldas and
  Sucumbíos
  
• High incidence of HIV/AIDS in Esmeraldas
• Basic needs 80-100 of households in the
  borders vecinity

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2.2. Human Rights and Administration of Justice

• Insecurity of population caused by violence and
  impunity (high homicide rates)
  
• Weakness of the provincial Defensorías del
  Pueblo
  
• Sexual exploitation and violence against women
• Serious shortcomings in public order and absence
  of State authority
  
• Weakness of the social rehabilitation system
• Communities denounce the violation of indigenous
  people collective rights
  
• Discrimination against Colombian citizens

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2.3. Effects of the Colombian Conflict

• As of June 30, 2004 26,703 persons had requested
  refugee status. It was granted to 7,609 of them
  
• Additional demands for basic social services.
• Difficult social insertion
• Illicit trade (drugs, precursors, arms)
• Other illegal activities
• Insecurity
• Worries about the possible effects of aerial
  spraying of illicit crops in Colombia

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3.1. Prevention

• Participation and consultation channels for
  communities
  
• Prevention and conflict resolution mechanisms
• Sustainability
• Environment impact assessments and on social
  environmental conflicts
  
• Territorial approach non-discriminatory focus

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3.2. Inter-institutional Coordination

• Northern Border Cabinet coordination and
  follow-up to the Special Plan
  
• Clarify the role and the technical profile of
  UDENOR as a coordinator of international
  cooperation
  
• Rising responsibility of sectional governments
  training and decentralization
  
• Promotion of associations and consortiums between
  local governments
  
• Special Plan as an articulator of actions

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4.1. Consultative Group

• Beyond a simple presentation of project for
  financing
  
• Should not necessarily focus on UDENOR
• Platform to discuss and reach consensus on policy
  priorities and the work areas of the Special Plan
  
  
• Participation of the central government,
  sectional government, civil society and the
  private sector
  
• Convene the Group once the Government has
  analyzed and discussed the policy framework
  
• The UN could collaborate with the Government and
  the IADB

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Recommendations
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Actions in 4 main Areas

• Local governance
• Refuge and humanitarian aid
• Basic Social Services
• Drugs and illicit activities

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The Governments first reactions

• The Government has acknowledged the relevance of
  the recommendations of the Un inter-agency report
  
  
• Many public institutions have been asked to study
  the report and offer their comments
  
• The National Secretariat of Planning and
  Development has prepared a Special Plan for the
  Northern Border, incorporating the main lines of
  the Un report
• A dialogue on the Special Plan has begun
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination
  with the European Union, has reactivated the
  donors coordination mechanism at the national
  level

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UN first initiatives

• UNODC has signed new and important projects with
  the Government
  
• UNHCR has broaden its portfolio of Community
  Support and Integration Projects
  
• The UNCT will suggest the Government to define
  and implement a joint development and
  humanitarian programme in the region (focused on
  Lago Agrio).
• An inter-agency technical group has been
  established to strengthen coordination of UN
  activities in the zone

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Thank you for your attention