Jens Wandel: UNDP is a global network and we try to bring good ideas and practices from other offices into Armenia

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS: Deputy Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, Director of the UNDP Bratislava Regional Center Jens Wandel has recently visited Armenia to discuss with his Armenian partners issues relating to the innovative directions for the development in the country, community development, as well as to try to develop new mechanisms for finding new energy resources. Within the framework of the visit issues on creation of effective governance system and on corruption were discussed. “Armenpress” spoke with Jens Wandel about the role of the UNDP in Armenia.

What is the purpose of your visit to Armenia and what you expect to accomplish over the next few days?

I have been with my colleagues here in UNDP to work on innovative ways of addressing development challenges in Armenia, and we have been looking on specific ideas which are related to local development. We have looked at ideas of development of low carbon economy and we try to know more about new energy resources. Then, we have been discussing ways of trying to address effective governance as we call it, better management of the government, including addressing areas of corruption in the government. So, these have been the areas I have concentrated on, while I have been here.

UNDP has 22 offices in the region, including the one in Armenia and we are a global network and we try to bring good ideas and practices from other offices into Armenia and take ideas from here to those offices.

How do you see the role of UNDP in Armenia?

I understand that we have a very strong presence in certain areas dealing with poverty, human right issues, etc. We have a very strong agreement with the government around the plans for the next six years and what I hope to achieve is that the government and other partners in Armenia see us bringing new ideas, new ways of doing development - development of people’s ideas and institutional capacities. UNDP’s role is about building capacity and promoting the softer side of development.

What are the responses and support provided by UNDP to countries of the region, including Armenia to address the consequences of the global crisis?

We respond in 3 ways: one is to try to understand the impact of the crisis. I can also say that we have programs addressing the unemployment and poverty directly on the ground. But the way we want to respond in the medium term is to help attract new ways of creating development, new ways of creating jobs. For example, the concept of “green jobs,” that is when you create a job by retrofitting a house. We help attract money to the country and we help attract ideas.

How UNDP could support the efforts of the government towards low carbon economy?

Our job is to take the concept of the low carbon economy to all the layers of the society. Many people in Yerevan will have some idea, but we need to explain to other cities, to groups what does it mean low carbon economy. Practically, it means that people have to understand that climate change will have an impact on carbon economy and the core message is simple - the prices of carbon energy resources will go up. Therefore, we have to look into alternative energy resources to safeguard the future from any energy collapses.

One of the major challenges of Armenia is deep and growing regional disparities. What would be your recipe to bridge these inequalities?

Regional disparities are complex. Although UNDP does not have answers to all complex issues, but we can offer some ideas and recommendations. First, UNDP would support the current government efforts to create bigger municipalities at the local level as they will have more capacities to deal with the problems at the local level. Second, we have to help each of the regions to understand their own development situation and challenges and it will be better to create a long term vision for the low carbon strategy - a strategy that factors the climate change, and to attract new investments, create new types of businesses. I think it is important to create a very strong dialogue between the local authorities and people at the local level and this can lead to a sustainable development in the regions. Moreover, the regions have to be active themselves. So, there is no replacement for local capacity development and in some regions it may take many years, however, one should never agree that one region can never develop. That means that the concept that one region can stay poor is not right. We have seen many times that it can be changed.