Eradication of poverty is the first priority of the UNDP worldwide and the elaboration of National Poverty Reduction Strategy is seen as one of the first essential steps in fighting poverty. From 2003 till 2006 UNDP implemented a project aimed at assisting Belarus in elaborating the basic foundations for a National Poverty Reduction Strategy. Within its framework, a National Strategy envisaged for implementation till 2020 will be submitted to the Government of Belarus during the first half of 2006.
2005
Researches conducted by the project in 2005 were aimed at elaborating the main parts of this document. In particular, the research assessed the country’s macroeconomic policy, the financing of the social sphere, the national taxation system, the development of small business, gender and ecological aspects of poverty, etc. A joint UNDP-UNICEF study was prepared on the prevention of poverty among children and disabled persons. Thanks to UNAIDS funding, a research was also conducted on “Prevention of HIV-infection as a Factor of Poverty Reduction”. More than 60 national experts engaged in over 40 researches were involved in the project implementation process.
The number of researches conducted jointly with the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis resulted in the submission of a “Comprehensive Evaluation of Poverty in the Republic of Belarus” to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the Council of Ministers. In cooperation with the mentioned ministries the project elaborated and published a statistical collection “The Social and Living Conditions of the Population of Belarus”. The computer program “Poverty Mapping in Belarus” was further developed in 2005. This program is the first step towards developing a special system of poverty monitoring in the regional context.
Similar to many economies in transition, rural communities in Belarus face the higher risk of poverty. In May 2005 the project conducted an outreach seminar for local communities in the Rossony district of the Vitebsk region. The discussion focused on the opportunities for rural poverty reduction through creation of new jobs in the sphere of agro-tourism. The activity allowed the local people to familiarize themselves with the Belarus legislation on rural tourism development, discuss the opportunities for utilizing microcrediting as a tool for promoting rural business and receive specific advice.
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The project views non-governmental organizations working with children and youth as one of the target groups. Joint activities are aimed to focus attention of school students on social problems of the country, to help young people realize the importance of the problem of poverty and to build up social responsibility and active civil position.
In cooperation with the Center for Support and Development of Youth Business the project carried out a creative activity “Present to a Veteran” dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. More than 50 children presented their paper and computer drawings united later in an unusual colorful post-card. On 8 May the pupils solemnly congratulated the veterans and handed their presents on Minsk October Square (in the photo). The project also carried out a competition on the best flower-bed sketch. Near the House for pensioners and disabled people the children embodied their flower project. Both actions were intended to promote among children eternal values such as kindness, charity and willingness to help the needy.
2004
Poverty assessment report was
finalized and submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection
- Additional surveys for poverty assessment in Belarus
- Living conditions;
- Budget of time;
- Voices of poor;
- Subjective perception of poverty by children
- 6 regional seminars on “Social Policy in Belarus and Foreign
Experience in Poverty Reduction” for 288 representatives of regional
administrations, local labour and social protection departments, regional social
service centers, regional employment and statistics authorities, press
Investigations as a foundation of
the national strategy (43 national experts) were conducted
- pension policies and models
- models and prospects of labour policy
- impact of education policy on poverty reduction
- impact of health policy on poverty reduction
- rural poverty and mono-town poverty problems
- preparation of proposals to optimize the government social
support system based on a well-targeted approach
- prospects of poverty reduction among children
- poverty mapping software
Proposals for improvement of the
national statistics methodology
- A system of indicators for annual poverty
monitoring including non-monetary components
Scientific potential was
strengthened
- International Conference “Achieving the Millennium Development
Goal 1: Approaches and Strategies” was held (125 in attendance)
- Conference materials published in a separate source book –
first comprehensive publication in Belarus
- 3 study tours for specialists, scientists and NGOs were
organized (Moscow; Tallinn; Perm – 12 persons)
- The library of specialized literature replenishment (about
200 pieces)
The public dialogue was initiated
- 5 round tables with NGOs, draft of the
Participatory Plan has been formulated
- Jointly with the Youth Entrepreneurship Support and
Development Centre implemented a creative project “Do Good” : drawing’s contest
“Child Creativity Against Poverty”, essay competition “Simple Words”, debate
tournament “We Should Combat Poverty”, schoolchildren sociological poll “What Do
I Know about Poverty?” (156 persons)
Public awareness was enlarged
- Results regularly disseminated via the UN
Department of Public Information
- Regular Project web-site updating
- The project team contributed a series of articles to UN Bulletin ¹4, July-August, 2004
- Presentations of the project during meetings with the WB, UN
ECE, UNAIDS
- A broad promotional campaign to support the International
Conference
- Promotional plastic bags carrying images of children’s
drawings that won in the “Do Good” contest
- Project team prepared and published 3 scientific articles for
the Conference Source Book
Prep work to the poverty reduction
strategy development
- Endorsement of the strategy document
structure by the Coordinating Council
2003
The draft poverty assessment report was developed
- Participation in the discussions of the intermediate
report, Ms.D.Rosenberg’s comments
- Report based on the national statistics methodology
Investigations as a foundation of the national strategy (20
national experts) were conducted
- An analytical review of the experience on strategy
development
- A model of the national strategy structure
- The analysis of the interaction between MDGs and strategies
- The concept of income policy of population to solve poverty
issues
- The analysis of costs for implementation of the means-tested
benefit system
- The analysis of living conditions of families with children
- A design of poverty maps
Proposals for improvement of the national statistics
methodology were done
- The review of the existing system of indicators and
methodology for poverty assessment
- The analysis of information collection and use
- The round table to discuss methodology and methods
Scientific potential was strengthened
- The library of specialized literature (about 100
items)
- The English-Russian glossary on poverty issues
- The round table for specialists
- Two seminars for the Government and NGOs
- 3 working visits of the international consultant
Ms.D.Rosenberg
The public dialogue was initiated
- The register of non-government and international
organizations
- The draft of cooperation plan
Public awareness enlarged
- The Plan of Project information campaign
- Project web-site
- Booklet about the Project in Russian and English
- Information background on poverty issues
- Interviews in mass media, 5 publications on Project
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