UN Joint Presence Re-established in Nauru

United Nations Press Release

UN Women Representative and United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i., Elzira Sagynbaeva, and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative a.i, Akiko Fujii have arrived in Nauru today for an official visit to Government Officials and to re-establish the UN Joint Presence office. The Joint Presence office focuses on assisting the UN to strengthen collaboration and to better respond to needs identified at country level by working with key Government and Non-Government partners.

The motivation to create a UN Joint Presence in the Pacific was based on an appeal from Pacific Island countries to increase UN footprint in the region. The Joint Presence is set in partnership by four UN agencies: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Women (UN Women). In addition to representing these agencies, support is also extended to other UN Agencies in implementing the overarching United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2013-2017 (UNDAF).

“The primary objective of Joint Presences is to improve the effectiveness of the UN in countries, with country level implementation, monitoring and reporting of the agencies’ programme areas strengthened in line with the UNDAF” said Ms Sagynbaeva.

 The UN has Joint Presence offices in eight Pacific Island countries. In each of the eight countries, one of the four agencies hosts the office. In Nauru, UN Women hosts the office and plans are underway to recruit a local staff member to join the office in 2014.

During the two day visit, Ms. Sagynbaeva and Ms. Fujii will be meeting President Baron Waqa, Minister for Home Affairs, Charmaine Scotty, and Ag/Secretary for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Michael Aroi, and other government and civil society representatives. Discussions will center around ongoing UN support to Nauru and future collaboration.

Media contact:

Olivia Owen, Inter-Agency Initiatives Coordinator,
UN Women, Fiji Multi-Country Office
Level 3, Kadavu House, Victoria Parade Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji
[olivia.owen@unwomen.org]