Project Office of the UN Agencies Opens in Drvar

The project office of the United Nations in Canton 10 is officially opened today in Drvar. On this occasion, the Memorandum of Understanding on implementation of the project Applying the Human Security Concept to Stabilize Communities in Canton 10, funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UN HSTF), was signed between UN agencies, Government and municipalities of the Canton 10.

At the same time, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of the Canton 10 signed the Memorandum of Understanding that defines further joint activities in the sector of Rural and Regional Development, Energy and Environment, Social Inclusion and Democratic Governance, Justice and Security, as well as the Agreement on Co-Financing the Integrated Local Development Project (ILDP), funded by the Government of Switzerland.

„I consider this as a very good opportunity for our Canton and municipalities to do what we did not achieve in the previous period. There will be 10 to 12 projects that would be funded by UN HSTF in the amount of up to 90% of the costs, with the remaining funds provided by the Canton or municipalities“, Prime Minister of the Canton 10, Branko Ivković stated.

„I am most interested in adoption of Cantonal Development Strategy for the 2014-2020. I believe that the strategy would create a solid foundation for the development of the Canton and each of its municipalities“, he added.

Ensuring the conditions for a better life, improvement of social services and other forms of support to vulnerable groups are just some of the goals of the project  Applying the Human Security Concept to Stabilize Communities in Canton 10, implemented jointly by UN agencies: UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM, in partnership with Government of the Canton 10, municipal governments and civil society organizations.

„It is encouraging to see the Prime Minister of the Canton with almost all his cabinet, mayors of municipalities of the canton, and representatives of four UN agencies – all here today working jointly to improve the situation of those people“, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. and UNICEF Representative, Florence Bauer said.

„This demonstrates the intersectoral aspects of UN HSTF project because when you want to work on the prevention of violence for example, you have to work with different services, you have to work with schools, you have also, health has a role to play, that’s why I think it is so important to have all the ministers who are in the same room together, because these are complex issues“, she added.

The UNDP research shows that Canton 10 is the least developed region in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This project will focus on refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons living in Canton 10, who are facing various challenges and difficulties in the process of reintegration.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister of the Canton 10, Branko Ivković,  government members, mayors and representatives of all municipalities of the Canton 10, representatives of public institutions, civil society organizations and UN agencies: UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM, as well as various media representatives.

The three-year project worth over 4 million BAM is funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNHSTF).