A young hero to animals and people. An FAO-EU project ensures that quality veterinary services in Tajikistan safeguard livelihoods
| UN Annual Report 2020 | ||
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2020 was a special year. First, it was the 75th anniversary of the UN. This gave us an opportunity to hear with a large survey to over 17,000 people in Tajikistan and to understand from them the kind of future they want and what they expect from the UN. Second, 2020 was also important because it launched the Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. We have only 10 years left to achieve all the targets that Tajikistan has established to eliminate poverty and food insecurity, achieve gender equality, fight climate change and more. Third, in 2020, we also saw the full roll -out of the UN reform in Tajikistan. With the establishment of a strengthened Resident Coordinator Office and even more collaboration and cohesion in the work of the UN family. Then Covid hit us. While the pandemic was hugely disruptive to our lives and work, in some ways it actually accelerated UN reform on the ground simply because overnight we had no other option to find ways to deliver fast and deliver together. A key achievement in that regard was our joint COVID response plan. The Integrated Socio-Economic Response Plan brought all agencies – both in the country and outside together in record time to find ways to address the impact of COVID on the lives and livelihoods of the Tajik people. This ISEF has mobilized and repurposed almost 40 million dollars to complement the efforts of the national and international partners. But our work was not limited to COVID. Last year, we launched more joint UN programmes than ever before on topics such as youth, SDG financing, migration, gender-based violence and others. We also focused a lot on increasing efficiency in our work and came up with a joint Business Operations Strategy that helped us identify opportunities for 1.5 million USD of cost avoidance. Now some examples of our concrete development results. In 2020, the UN family in Tajikistan provided: • more than 3.5 million individuals with essential health services • more than 2.5 million children and vulnerablehouseholds with food assistance • distance learning support to more than 2 million children • reproductive health services to more than 20,000 women during a time when all health services were stretched to the limit • dedicated support to those experiencing gender-based violence • support through cash assistance, food packages, and documentation support to almost 10,000 refugees and stateless people • support through transportation and food packages to more than 3,000 stranded Tajik migrants • on the job training on digitization, grants for startups and job creation to almost 4,000 people (42% women and 37% youth) and more than 900 small businesses affected by COVID We believe 2021 will bring the beginning of the end of this pandemic and on behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Tajikistan, I thank: • the Government and people of Tajikistan as well as • our committed partners in the international community and civil society for their partnership and renew our commitment to achieve even more in the future. Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu Resident Coordinator United Nations Tajikistan 15 March 2021 |
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2020 was a special year. First, it was the 75th anniversary of the UN. This gave us an opportunity to hear with a large survey to over 17,000 people in Tajikistan and to understand from them the kind of future they want and what they expect from the UN. Second, 2020 was also important because it launched the Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. We have only 10 years left to achieve all the targets that Tajikistan has established to eliminate poverty and food insecurity, achieve gender equality, fight climate change and more. Third, in 2020, we also saw the full roll -out of the UN reform in Tajikistan. With the establishment of a strengthened Resident Coordinator Office and even more collaboration and cohesion in the work of the UN family. Then Covid hit us. While the pandemic was hugely disruptive to our lives and work, in some ways it actually accelerated UN reform on the ground simply because overnight we had no other option to find ways to deliver fast and deliver together. A key achievement in that regard was our joint COVID response plan. The Integrated Socio-Economic Response Plan brought all agencies – both in the country and outside together in record time to find ways to address the impact of COVID on the lives and livelihoods of the Tajik people. This ISEF has mobilized and repurposed almost 40 million dollars to complement the efforts of the national and international partners. But our work was not limited to COVID. Last year, we launched more joint UN programmes than ever before on topics such as youth, SDG financing, migration, gender-based violence and others. We also focused a lot on increasing efficiency in our work and came up with a joint Business Operations Strategy that helped us identify opportunities for 1.5 million USD of cost avoidance. Now some examples of our concrete development results. In 2020, the UN family in Tajikistan provided: • more than 3.5 million individuals with essential health services • more than 2.5 million children and vulnerablehouseholds with food assistance • distance learning support to more than 2 million children • reproductive health services to more than 20,000 women during a time when all health services were stretched to the limit • dedicated support to those experiencing gender-based violence • support through cash assistance, food packages, and documentation support to almost 10,000 refugees and stateless people • support through transportation and food packages to more than 3,000 stranded Tajik migrants • on the job training on digitization, grants for startups and job creation to almost 4,000 people (42% women and 37% youth) and more than 900 small businesses affected by COVID We believe 2021 will bring the beginning of the end of this pandemic and on behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Tajikistan, I thank: • the Government and people of Tajikistan as well as • our committed partners in the international community and civil society for their partnership and renew our commitment to achieve even more in the future. Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu Resident Coordinator United Nations Tajikistan 15 March 2021 |
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DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS
The United Nations in Tajikistan thanks national development partners, as well as the international community for the strategic partnerships that led to the results presented in this 2020 annual results report.
The main counterpart for coordinating the Government’s partnership with the UN in implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT). MEDT is also the co-chair of the Joint National Steering Committee, and Secretariat for the UNDAF. Line ministries engage closely in the work of the eight UNDAF Results Groups and the UN works closely with a range of civil society organizations, academia and research institutes, local authorities, as well as increasingly with the private sector, business associations and employee unions. The United Nations also has a close relationship with the international community in Tajikistan to develop joint strategic approaches to furthering the sustainable development goals. The international community has supported the implementation of the UNDAF as well as the Integrated Socio-Economic Response Framework (ISEF). Through the COVID Response Group and the Development Coordination Council the UN plays an active role in bringing together national and international partners for development partnership coordination. In particular, the UN would like to thank those partners that support our work through core fund contributions, Multi-Partner Trust Fund pooled funds, and joint programmes. These funds proved to be critical in 2020 as they allowed a swift and flexible response to needs in the context of the COVID crisis. Core funds made up 13 per cent of implemented funds in 2020 and joint programmes five per cent (of which half came from MPTFs). Overall, these high-quality funds were still less than 20 per cent of the UN delivery in 2020. In the context of UN Reform the UN thanks those international partners that have promoted the key principles of the Funding Compact and increased their contributions to core funds, to joint programmes and to multi-year commitments. |
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ACHIEVING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
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Pillar 1 Democratic Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights |
Pillar 2 Sustainable and equitable economic development |
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Outcome 1
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Outcome 2
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UNDAF
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Outcome 3
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Outcome 4
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Outcome 6
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Outcome 5
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Pillar 4 Resilience and Environmental Sustainability |
Pillar 3 Social Development, Inclusion and Empowerment |
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The UN marked its 75th anniversary at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts. During 2020 the UN in Tajikistan established a UN75 partnership platform through which dialogues were held with individuals from across the country to discuss questions of global solidarity and action for Agenda 2030. This platform in Tajikistan collected the voices of more than 17,000 individuals with a particular focus on youth, whose voices are too often marginalized or not heard. The UN75 partnership campaign included online and off-line dialogues with decision makers, women, girls and youth, and civil society organizations working with persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups; digital information campaigns, quizzes and Q&A sessions through social media; an online drawing and video contest under the title of "Postcards from Future”; TV programs; and a town hall meeting with all UN personnel in the country. Through the partnerships and campaigns, people prioritized human rights, economic opportunities and health care. However, the disaggregated data demonstrated some important priorities for those farthest behind: persons with disabilities prioritized health care over all the other issues, while women with low education levels prioritized gender equality.
To read the report see the link blow
Tajikistan UN75 conversation campaign report
Read the report
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During 2020 the United Nations in Tajikistan recognized that without an urgent response addressing the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering would escalate, jeopardizing lives and livelihoods. The UN Country Team quickly moved to develop a COVID-19 Response Plan – the Integrated Socio-Economic Response Framework (ISEF) – in a joint planning process bringing together all UN agencies to identify priorities and actions across five key pillars and aligned to support the government’s COVID-19 Response. The United Nations then established a new partnership platform – the COVID-19 Response Group convening key UN agencies, INGOs, bilateral partners, multilateral partners and IFIs – and presented the plan’s priorities and funding requirements. The overall plan was costed at 62 million USD for the period July 2020 – Dec 2021. The United Nations repurposed almost 20 million USD towards the response and mobilized more than 15 million USD in additional funding. The COVID-19 Response Group provided an important partnership platform for the United Nations and the international community to work together to ensure seamless support to the government on the COVID response.
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The UN partnered with the Government of Tajikistan’s Committee for Environmental Protection to secure 10 million USD from the Green Climate Fund over four years to explore innovative ways of weather forecasting that benefit small holder farmers in mountainous regions, as well as promote the diversification of their livelihoods and improved access to markets. A partnership is under development to exchange knowledge between Tajikistan's Hydromet and Switzerland’s Swiss Meteo (via Caritas Switzerland) as the two mountainous countries experience similar challenges in regards to weather forecasting and the impact on the agricultural sector.
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The UN provided technical assistance to the government to establish the National Development Council, a multi-sectoral coordination framework for national development policy and planning that includes the nationalization of Agenda 2030, the SDG targets, and the meaningful participation of civil society partners in the coordination and planning structures. In future this will be an important platform for national financing coordination towards SDG priorities.
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The UN in Tajikistan launched a new collaboration with the Government of Tajikistan to promote child-friendly infrastructure investments and localization of the SDGs in two selected districts that are undergoing infrastructure investments as part of efforts by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It includes identifying and implementing practical approaches to ensure infrastructure projects are child-friendly and protect and promote the rights of children.
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The Islamic Development Bank, through the UN South-South Cooperation Office and the UN Country Team in Tajikistan supported the Government with the provision of medical equipment and twinning with Turkey on medical laboratory standards.
The UN supported the deployment of mobile missions from Russia, United Kingdom and Poland to support with immediate health needs in the early days of the pandemic response.
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The government expanded social protection in the 2021 budget to cover additional districts and vulnerable households with the goal of increasing benefits and reaching all eligible households. The 2021 budget adopted at the end of 2020 signaled a shift by the government to deliver additional financial resources to protect those left farthest behind. The UN contributed towards this result through the provision of integrated policy advice to key national planning and policy reform processes including the Mid-term Development Programme (MTDP 2021-2025) Plan and the ten-year sector plans, in order to ensure mainstreaming of SDG indicators and targets at national, sector and local levels.
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The goal of UN reform is to improve the coherence, accountability and effectiveness of the UN system so we can deliver better results on the ground and support the Government of Tajikistan to achieve the goals and targets under the SDGs.
During 2020 the UN in Tajikistan took concrete steps to implement the Reform Agenda and to be unified in our goals and actions, define roles and responsibilities, and achieve impact and sustainable change.
In March 2020 the role of the Resident Coordinator was delinked from UNDP with the arrival of the new Resident Coordinator, Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu. A strengthened Resident Coordinator Office was also established during 2020 and by the end of the year the office had the five core roles identified in the Reform: strategic planner, economist, data management, strategic communications and partnerships and financing. This strengthened RCO is supporting the UN Country Team in enhancing collaboration and to deliver increased programmatic results. In 2020 the UNCT had a record number of joint initiatives (youth and peacebuilding, financing the SDGs, migration, prevention of gender based violence, COVID-19 response, health systems strengthening), as well as an increase in the number of joint programme concept notes designed to leverage the expertise of the UN system for joint action on the SDGs.
The UN responded swiftly to the COVID-19 crisis in Tajikistan through the development of a holistic COVID-19 response plan (Integrated Socio-Economic Framework), prepared in record time through the joint collaboration of the entire UN Country Team. The ISEF repurposed 20 million USD in resources and mobilized an additional 15 million USD in new funds to respond to both immediate health needs as well as medium term socio-economic needs.
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The joint development of the ISEF laid the ground for the establishment of a Programme Management Team bringing together senior technical experts from all UN entities to provide a forum for developing integrated policy advice to Government. This Programme Management Team played a key role in the development of the 2020 common country analysis that fed into the design of the UNDAF Joint Workplans and which will also be a key analysis as the UN country team embarks at end of 2021 on the development of the next UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (starting 1 January 2023).
The UN in Tajikistan launched its UNINFO platform in 2020 as well as the COVID-19 data portal platform and a new website. All three of these platforms serve to put data at the center of our efforts. The UNINFO platform is an internal tool for the UNCT to improve coherence through online planning, monitoring and reporting. UNINFO also allows for the digitalization and standardization of the UN Country Team’s UNDAF Joint Workplans 2021-2022. In 2021 the UNINFO platform will be linked to the new UN in Tajikistan website and this data on programmatic activities, partnerships, budgets and expenditures, and achievements will be available on a public dashboard in order to improve transparency and accountability and linkages to Agenda 2030/SDGs.
The COVID-19 data portal Tajikistan page
https://data.uninfo.org/Home/_CountryProfile/Tajikistan
tracks the UN in Tajikistan’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and the UN Country Team updates figures every quarter demonstrating progress on key indicators and number of people reached with services and support. The data is reported disaggregated by type of programme, territory (rural/urban), sex, age and at-risk populations in order to ensure no one is left behind. Taken together, the use of UN INFO and the COVID-19 data portal by the UN in Tajikistan represent a revolution in transparency and accountability.
The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the UN business operations served to significantly accelerate adoption of new streamlined and digital ways of working. The establishment of virtual UN Country Team meetings served to create the opportunity for much closer engagement of the non-physical UN entities. It also provided important lessons that were integrated into the development of the UN in Tajikistan Business Operations Strategy developed and approved in 2020 and which developed an implementation framework for the UN towards a cost savings/avoidance of 1.5 million USD.
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In 2020 the UNCT finalized almost all recommendations of the UNDAF midterm review. The midterm review highlighted the importance of migration and water, sanitation and health (WASH) to the development context of Tajikistan and recommended stronger programming in those areas. Accordingly, the UNCT developed and launched a new joint programme financed by the Migration Multi Partner Trust Fund and mainstreamed WASH issues into all maternal health and nutrition programming in order to address the most pressing needs in those areas. The midterm review also recommended a review of the UNDAF’s results framework and governance structure. Accordingly, the UNDAF results framework was adjusted and all indicators aligned to SDG indicators in consultation with the Agency of Statistics on how to leverage available SDG data. Three standalone Results Groups were created for the priorities under Outcome 3 (education, health, social protection) in recognition of the need to strengthen dedicated action on these issues. A strengthened UNDAF monitoring system was established with dedicated focal points in each Results Group tasked to work closely with the Chairs. And the period of the UNDAF was extended until end of 2021 (and then due to COVID-19 until the end of 2022) in order to align to the Mid term Development Programme 2021.
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The UNDAF evaluation will take place in the first half of 2021. The evaluation will build on the UNDAF midterm review recommendations and action plan, as well as on the evaluations, reviews and assessments already conducted by UN entities in 2020. In order to maximize the use of UN entity evaluations the timing of a number of these were pushed forward to ensure that they are conducted prior or in parallel with the UNDAF evaluation.
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| BUDGETED VS DELIVERED BY YEAR | |
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| BUDGETED VS DELIVERED BY OUTCOME 2016-2020 | |
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| DELIVERY BY UN AGENCY IN 2020 | |
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| RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY | |
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FUNDING COMPACT
In line with the Funding Compact the UN aims to increase funding channeled through joint programmes and Multi-Partner Trust Funds in 2021. During 2020 the UN demonstrated a high capacity to work closely together in an integrated fashion to respond to crisis through the Integrated Socio-Economic Framework (ISEF) and through support to government vaccination distribution planning. These lessons on joint collaboration and delivering as one translated also into increased joint programme proposals. During 2020 the UN mobilized resources through 3 new joint programmes on SDG Financing, Responding to COVID-19 Crisis, and on Migration. |
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PLATFORMS FOR MOBILIZING AND COORDINATING RESOURCES
A priority for the UN continues to be strengthening the coordination among national and international stakeholders and demonstrating the importance of multilateralism and the UN’s comparative value. The UN in partnership with the government’s Committee of Emergency Situations (COES) co-chairs the Rapid Emergency Assessment & Coordination Team (REACT), which includes national and international partners supporting emergency preparedness and response in Tajikistan through their Humanitarian Emergency Response Strategy. REACT is an important platform to coordinate the partners’ financing and activities. In 2020 working together the partners implemented 17 million USD channeled towards urgent life-saving, humanitarian action such as food and cash distribution and non-food items reaching more than 1 million individuals. Another important coordination platform was theCOVID-19 Response Group convened by the UN in 2020 bringing together key UN agencies, international NGOs, bilateral partners, multilateral partners and the World Bank to present the Integrated Socio-Economic Response Framework to donors for resource mobilization. The overall plan was costed at 62 million USD for the period July 2020 – Dec 2021. The United Nations repurposed almost 20 million USD towards the response and mobilized more than 15 million USD in additional funding. The COVID-19 Response Group provided an important partnership platform for the United Nations and the international community to work together to ensure seamless support to the government on the COVID response. Tajikistan has another important development coordination platform that can contribute to further streamlining and coordinating resources and financing for SDG priorities in the future – the Development Coordination Council, which is composed of international stakeholders. The UN has an important role to play in raising the awareness of development partners of their obligations to implement the 2030 Agenda and coordinate their efforts. |
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PRIORITY ISSUES
Priority issues that are of particular prominence during 2021 for increased investment and resource mobilization include Green Recovery, Food Systems and Nutrition, Water and Climate Change, and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. |
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| QUALITY OF FUNDING | |
| CORE VS NONCORE 2020 | |
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JOINT PROGRAMME FUNDING |
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During 2021 the United Nations in Tajikistan will kickstart the preparations for the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. In the first half of the year an external, independent and participatory evaluation of the UNDAF 2016-2022 will take place. The evaluation will be forward-looking and will inform the process of developing, in close cooperation with national and international partners, the forthcoming UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the 2023-2027 programming cycle. Results of the evaluation will also be shared with national and international stakeholders and partners to ensure alignment and synergy of all those working towards sustainable development. The launch of the UNSDCF process will take place in the third quarter of 2021 and to be finalized by June 2022.
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The UNCT’s focus in 2021 will continue to be to support Tajikistan in its COVID-19 recovery efforts. Among other priorities, special attention will be given to Green Recovery and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment as both issues have a potential “multiplier effect” in accelerating recovery across all five pillars of the ISEF. The UN will also work with the government to leverage key opportunities during 2021 such as the Food Systems Summit, the COP 26 and the preparations for the Water Summit. The UN will support the Government to host a series of dialogues to inform the Food Systems Summit: given the persistent challenge of food insecurity and malnutrition the UN is committed to support the government in this regard. In 2021 the Government of Tajikistan will gear up preparations for COP26 and the 2022 Water Summit in Dushanbe. This will include the establishment of a Secretariat and Working Group in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to which the UN will provide technical and financial assistance.
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The UN in Tajikistan began in 2020 implementation of a project funded by the SDG Joint Fund on Financing for the SDGs. In 2021 the UN will continue to build on these efforts to strengthen capacity and technical expertise for an Integrated National Financing Framework as a mechanism to attract, increase and streamline financing for the SDG national priorities. A strategic partner for the UN is also the private sector and the UN entities will continue to explore opportunities to partner with the private sector to increase their social impact.
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The UN’s Operations Management Team will continue implementing initiatives on harmonising business practices and establishing common services and premises. The new Business Operations Strategy adopted in 2020 and its implementation framework will be reviewed in the first half of 2021 to identify potential areas to increase ambition and further improve our performance and reduce costs, in particular in relation to fleet management, green offices and disability inclusion.
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A young hero to animals and people. An FAO-EU project ensures that quality veterinary services in Tajikistan safeguard livelihoods
Matching grants help migrants’ businesses take off in Tajikistan
Enhanced livelihoods of rural Tajik families help overcome the COVID-19 crisis
ILO Launches a Knowledge-Sharing Platform to Facilitate Transition to Formality in the Sub-Region
Breaking the vicious cycle of HIV-related stigma in Tajikistan
The woman who leads the way in the Energy efficiency sector
Solar power helps fish farmers reach record survival rate of young alevins
Promoting Effective Medical Waste Management to Reduce COVID-19 Impact on Environment
Tajikistan: Digital technology sparks women’s creativity
SRH services to PWD and provision of online SRH/FP services during Covid-19.
Increasing access to family planning services in remote villages in Tajikistan
Leaving no one behind: supporting refugees in Tajikistan to tackle COVID-19
Digital outsourcing help girls in Tajikistan to transit to decent work-life
Cash Assistance for Struggling Families in Tajikistan Amid the Coronavirus
The Gift of Water: Celebrating Global Handwashing Day in Schools in Tajikistan
BLO Initiative: A New Level of Improved Cross Border Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (unodc.org)
UNOPS helps bring life-saving medical equipment to Tajikistan to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak
Volunteers build peace for everyday life in Central Asia and Afghanistan
Leaving no one behind: supporting refugees in Tajikistan to tackle COVID-19
Making information available for migrants in Tajikistan
Tajik businesses run by women living with HIV supply key protective gear for COVID-19 response
Turning to technology to connect women living with HIV during COVID-19 in Tajikistan
COVID-19: WHO coordinates large-scale response operation in Tajikistan
WFP Resumes School Feeding in Tajikistan Amidst COVID-19 Crisis
| In 2020, the United Nations World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Prize for “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas, and for acting as a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” The award came as the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary and was an important recognition of the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation in responding to the global challenges we face, whether conflict, crisis, disaster, climate change, or entrenched inequality. Such solidarity is precisely what is needed to address not only these global challenges but also the test of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Tajikistan, WFP supports the Government to respond on the frontlines of food insecurity by delivering school meals and cash assistance to vulnerable families and children, and supporting food systems strengthening so that we can achieve a future where no person goes to bed hungry at night. Congratulations to the WFP team in Tajikistan! |
| In 2020, the United Nations World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Prize for “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas, and for acting as a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.” The award came as the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary and was an important recognition of the importance of multilateralism and international cooperation in responding to the global challenges we face, whether conflict, crisis, disaster, climate change, or entrenched inequality. Such solidarity is precisely what is needed to address not only these global challenges but also the test of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Tajikistan, WFP supports the Government to respond on the frontlines of food insecurity by delivering school meals and cash assistance to vulnerable families and children, and supporting food systems strengthening so that we can achieve a future where no person goes to bed hungry at night. Congratulations to the WFP team in Tajikistan! |