The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (January 2008 – December 2010) is the result of a consultative process on how the UN system present in Nepal can best support Nepal’s development needs. It is guided by the goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration of 2000, by consultations held on the draft National Interim Plan (July 2007 – June 2010) and by consultations held with civil society and donors. The UNDAF translates the UNCT’s support into a coherent single strategy for development programmes, upon which UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA will formulate their harmonized Country Programme Documents for the period 2008-2010.

Peace and development for an inclusive society are at the core of the UNDAF, which builds on the analysis of the 2007 Common Country Assessment (CCA). The following four interlinked UNDAF outcomes have emerged as priorities for the UNCT’s supports to Nepal: A) National institutions, processes and initiatives to consolidate peace are strengthened; B) Socially excluded and economically marginalized groups have increased access to improved quality basic services; C) Sustainable livelihood opportunities are expanded, especially for socially excluded groups in conflict affected areas; D) Respect, promotion and protection of human rights are strengthened for all, especially for women and the socially excluded, for sustained peace and inclusive development. In addition, a number of cross-cutting issues, relevant to each of the four priority areas, have been identified. They include Peace Building; Human Rights, Gender and Social Inclusion; and Governance. The main risk factors, which could inhibit Nepal from achieving the UNDAF outcomes are peace collapse, raised expectations by the people, natural disasters and pandemics, and problems of institutional capacity and fiduciary.

The UNCT offers comparative advantages in all four UNDAF areas by drawing on its longstanding track record in Nepal, its networks on the ground and its neutrality. However, in order to achieve substantial progress in the four areas, the UNCT will collaborate with Government agencies at the national, district and local level and it will partner with civil society and donors.

The UNCT estimates that approximately USD 360 million is required for the United Nations contribution to the achievement of the UNDAF Outcomes described in this document. This total includes the financial allocations of the United Nations organizations present in Nepal and the resources that these organizations expect to mobilize from external sources.

The various outcomes, outputs, respective partners and estimated resource mobilization targets are specified for each UNDAF outcome and described in Annex A, the Results Matrix. To enable the UNCT to measure progress towards the UNDAF outcomes, an UNDAF Monitoring and Evaluation matrix has been put together in Annex B, noting indicators and baseline data, where available. Annual reviews will provide an assessment of progress towards the UNDAF outcomes and a final evaluation will determine the level of achievement of the outcomes.