UNDP maintains financial support for Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): Despite falling on hard economic times, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has made a commitment to maintain the same level of funding to assist development projects in Indonesia as it has in the past.
On a five-day visit here, UNDP Assistant Administrator Nay Htun revealed yesterday that the UN body is committing "roughly" the same amount of funds to the Fifth Indonesia Country Program, which begins next year, as the fourth program.
Htun would not reveal the exact amount and said only that during the fourth (1991-1994) country program, approximately US$60 million was allocated to Indonesia.
"We place very high priority on Indonesia," he said.
The UNDP is engaged in a series of country programs designed to address the local needs and priorities of each individual country.
The UN agency has been involved in a wide range of projects from housing and agriculture to water management.
According to Casper Jan Kamp, UNDP's resident representative in Jakarta, in 1994 alone it was involved in some 40 projects throughout the country.
Htun was here to gain insight and seek advice from various local sources as to how the UNDP can best serve the needs of the Indonesian people in the coming years.
During his stay, he met several non-governmental organizations and several cabinet ministers, including Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Suweno.
The priorities in the coming country program will focus on poverty alleviation, human resources development and the environment.
Htun stressed that whatever projects the UNDP was involved in, a high degree of attention would be given to improving the quality of the people's lives. "It's not just economic growth per se."
He said that Indonesia's growth in the past few years has been "very significant by any standards anywhere."
When asked about the weight given to Indonesia in light of the UNDP's depleting resources, Htun told The Jakarta Post that the country's size, role and natural resources elevated it to "a very, very key role."
Htun, who also holds a position as UN Assistant Secretary General, noted that Indonesia's membership at the UN Security Council, which begins Jan. 1, adds to the country's importance.
Asked on the reasons for the UNDP's shrinking funds, Htun explained that apart from the depressed global economy, which has caused a reduction in contributions, the increasing costs of UN peacekeeping missions has also exhausted UN resources. (mds)