The role of the UN (II)

Last post was on the technical cooperation role of the UN. There are two others, analysis and policy. Today´s post is on analysis.

Climate change is a big thing today, but we humans still do not know exactly what are the threats, the risky areas and the consequences. A series of reports including the major elements of Climate Change are being produced. For example, one has been issued today on coral reefs.

Worldwide 500 million people depend on healthy coral reefs for sustenance, coastal protection, renewable resources, and tourism, with an estimated 30 million of the world’s poorest people depending entirely on the reefs for food. Two thirds of the world’s coral reefs are under severe threat.

Knowing more on this would result in better policy making , more prevention mechanisms and more efficient disaster management, and the report ends with recommendations for action in these three levels.

What is the role of the UN?

I am planning to provide a set of examples of activities (more or less successful) of the United Nations as an answer to the many questions I have been asked. This one is an example of Corporate Social Responsibility by Cadbury and a good example of Private Public Partnership with an african government.

With the objective of supporting cocoa-farming communities in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean, the United Nations has signed a partnership with the confectionery conglomerate Cadbury. This will help them boost crop yields, find new sources of income and improve local infrastructure.

Seed funding is $2 million for 2008. Two thirds will be invested in Ghana, which provides the cocoa beans for Cadbury’s chocolate products in the United Kingdom and where current cocoa yields reach only 40 per cent of their potential. They will initiate microcredit programs and other types of business support.

“We hope to show just how effectively sustainable cocoa production can be in generating improved opportunities for local farmers, conserving the environment and building a brighter future for younger generations,” Mr. Touré, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Ghana, said.