UN, NPC publish $685 million UNDAF package for Nepal

National Planning Commission, and the United Nations Country Team in Nepal, today, jointly published the approved United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for 2013-2017 that promises a package of $685 million for the next five years.

The framework — a common development strategy for the UN Country Team in Nepal for the next five years — involves 24 individual UN agencies for interventions aimed at assisting vulnerable groups better access development progress, to activities aimed at protecting Nepal’s development gains, and support aimed at facilitating Nepal’s international cooperation.

The strategy had been under preparation for over one year, in a process involving hundreds of local and international subject-experts and officials, the UN said, adding that the five-year framework outlines various measures to uplift communities through the activities of UN agencies.

Earlier, on September 6, during the signing ceremony of the framework, vice chair of National Planning Commission (NPC) Deependra Bahadur Kshetry had also hailed UN agencies’ assistance to Nepal, especially in the area of social upliftment of backward communities which remains important.

"The framework addresses the right issues with a clear sense of purpose, ambition and urgency, setting the stage for an exciting period of renewed collaboration between the United Nations Development Group and Nepal," said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper, adding that it was time to strengthen efforts to bring it to life.