News

UNDP Romania has proudly supported the fifth edition of the Turda Fest, a three-day festival conceived to share modern agricultural practices, promote economic growth through tourism, and celebrate the Turda-Aries region of Romania's rich cultural diversity. HE Jan Sorensen, UNDP Resident Representative, was a keynote guest at the opening ceremony, along local officials, representatives of the Ratiu Foundation and the Government Representative of HRH Prince Charles.

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Within the framework of the preparation of the UNDP-GEF project “Improving Financial Sustainability of the Carpathian System of Protected Areas”, UNDP convened on July 30th a consultative discussion with the topic “The Economics Behind Environmentalism: Solutions for Diversification of Carpathian Protected Areas Financing”. Over 40 stakeholders representing government ministries and agencies, professional organizations, tourism operators and other private sector actors were informed about the UNDP initiative in the Carpathians, and about its importance for Romania and other Carpathian countries, and shared their recommendations and suggestions on project implementation. Key financial planning and revenue generating opportunities for protected areas, with the aim of ensuring financial sustainability of protected areas, were discussed. Please find attached the agenda of the meeting, workshop materials (part 1 and part 2)and participants’ list.

Since its inception in October 2004, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been proud to associate itself with the Romanian Government Special Scholarship Project, under the overall coordination of the Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation (MERI). Due to general project implementation-related reasons, however, UNDP will hand over all project assets and liabilities to MERI as of September 1^st, 2009. Nevertheless, as scholars’ interests are top priority for UNDP, all scholarships for the 1st semester of the 2009 - 2010 academic year (accommodation and meals) will be disbursed by that date, subject to transfer of funds by MERI and receipt of financial and academic documents from the students for the former university year. The tuition fees and health insurances will also be covered upon receipt of invoices from the respective universities.

BSTIP is a joint initiative of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, of the Government of the Republic of Turkey, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is managed from a Programme Management Office located in Athens with an additional liaison unit hosted by the BSEC Headquarters in Istanbul.

BSTIP's main objectives are: A)    Developing networking arrangements; B)    Supporting the introduction of the Global Compact in the sub-region; C)    Building capacity on the EU and WTO legislation.

In respect of accomplishing the Programme’s objectives, the UNDP Black Sea Trade and Investment Promotion Programme is organising another Partnership Forum for the 12 Black Sea countries participating in this Programme. Forum Synergia is designated for consulting and business support services and will take place in Athens on 15th of October, 2009.

For more detailed information please visit: http://www.undpforblacksea.org/registration.htm. All interested companies willing to participate to the Forum can also contact BSTIP UNDP focal point in Romania, Ms. Ramona Burciu: ramona.burciu@undp.org,

UNDP International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in collaboration with a group of United Nations Volunteers (UNV Online Volunteering Service) launches the Global Photography Contest on Humanizing Development. The campaign will be open for participation from 1 June to 1 October 2009. It aims to show examples of people winning the battle against poverty, social exclusion and marginalization. It is intended to raise awareness of the successes in the development process. Some of the main outputs of the campaign include a photo gallery to be permanently located at the IPC-IG office and open for public visitation; a series of photo exhibitions in several cities around the world; and a photo database that will be shared with the campaign partners and several UN agencies and departments.

Everyone can participate in this global effort and contribute with a photograph: you just need to upload your photo on the campaign website.

The photos should fit in one of the campaign’s 14 thematic areas related to the Millennium Development Goals. All partners should feature the campaign logo on their websites. Download your corresponding logo and the Rules and regulations of the campaign.

For further information on IPC-IG, please visit their website. Contact: Mr. Francisco Filho, Communications, Outreach and Advocacy Unit, IPC-IG UNDP, francisco.filho@undp.org; phone (+55 61) 2105 5036. 

New public space designed for Brăila Municipality bordering the Summer Garden and the Danube bankside. Check out a selection of photos and designed plans in our Beautiful Romania Project gallery.

New park designed for Sibiu Municipality for the inhabitants of Ştrand neighbourhood. Check out a selection of photos and designed plans in our Beautiful Romania Project gallery.

Within the framework of the UNDP-GEF project Support to alignment of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and development of Clearing House Mechanism (CHM), a draft synthesis report on the first stage of the project – stocktaking – is being submitted for public consultation. The document evaluates the status of biodiversity conservation in Romania by identifying barriers and threats with respect to the achievement of CBD targets, and also proposes several strategy elements that address these aspects.

All interested parties are invited to submit their feedback and proposals on the document by email to Ms. Rodica Stefanescu, Project Manager (rodica.stefanescu@undp.ro), Mr. Dan Manoleli, Key Expert (dan.manolei@gmail.com), Mr. Dorin Pop, Project Assistant (dorinalexandru@yahoo.com) by July 15th, 2009.

Interested stakeholders are invited to attend a consultative workshop on July 3rd, 2009, at Ecologic University Bucharest (B-dul Vasile Milea, nr 1G, district 6, Bucharest), Aula Room (1st floor, Central Building), starting 9 am. Due to space constraints, please confirm participation at Ms. Sorina Stamate (stamate_sorina@yahoo.com). Please see the workshop agenda. 

The next phase of the public consultation with review the National Strategy and Action Plan, in September 2009.

UNDP Romania and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania commissioned a qualitative and quantitative research carried out among Romanian citizens and targeted on the European Union development policy and its visibility awareness levels, as well as the knowledge regarding ODA and MDGs in Romania.

Its main objectives are:

• The knowledge and information level of Romanian citizens regarding the development policy of the European Union
• The visibility of the European policy for development in Romania
• The citizen information level regarding the cooperation policy for development in Romania
• The knowledge level regarding the Millennium Development Objectives
• The public visibility level of Romanian initiatives in the domain of development for cooperation
• Revealing the public attitude towards shift of Romania’s statute from recipient  to fund donor
• Revealing the most adequate messages to promote the new statute of Romania as a international donor

The polls were applied to a sample of middle-income residents starting with 16 years old, on a face to face basis and gender, age, region and residence rationale. The survey was carried out during February 2008 – March 2009 by TNS CSOP. Click here for results in English/Romanian.

With the aim of raising awareness on the United Nations Climate Change Conference and its agenda of shaping a new global consensus on climate change, scheduled to take place in December 2009, in Copenhagen, UNDP Romania is organizing a series of thematic roundtables that will bring together professionals (government representatives, businesses, civil society)to exchange knowledge and best practices on how to act responsibly with respect to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The series of events will be opened on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5), by a roundtable discussion meeting on “Energy Efficiency and Climate Change”. The meeting will be attended by select government and private sector decision-makers, who will discuss around the national strategies and programmes currently in place in the field of energy efficiency. The event is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Romanian Green Building Council. The discussion will take place on June 5, 9:30 – 13:00 at UN House. Interested stakeholders may consult the roundtable agenda and panelists' presentations.