Iran

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"Delivering as One" initiatives by the United Nations in Iran

Since 2008, the UN Country Team in Iran has closely cooperated to launch a number of initiatives on HIV/AIDS, Afghan refugee children education, child poverty and emergency preparedness, among others.

Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS

This programme, chaired by UNICEF’s country office in Iran, is the most advanced joint programme in the country. Close coordination among agencies and with the Government has led to the development of the second joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS, which was endorsed and signed by the UN Task Group on HIV/AIDS, comprising the Representatives of UN country offices in Iran. It covers the period of 2008 and 2009.

The joint programme has led to greater coordination, less overlapping work and a more harmonized approach in the HIV response supported by UN agencies. The most notable gain has been in the coordination of activities and harmonization of messages for events such as World AIDS Day and the work with the media. Programmatically, the joint programme needs to develop more mechanisms and processes to further highlight the actual collaboration within the programme, in addition to emphasizing its practical use as an agreement on the division of labour.

Another good example of joint programming is the “UN Cares” initiative in Iran. The UN Country Team in Iran has approved the formation of Iran's UN Cares Team on 26 June 2008. More details can be found by clicking here.

Child Poverty and Afghan refugees

In 2008, UNICEF worked with UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Iran in creating a module for families on parenting skills and on life skills for children, as well as an educational package. In the same year, UNICEF also worked with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’s office in Iran to provide community-based HIV prevention services for Afghan refugee residents living in an area of Mashad.

UNICEF and UNDP are also developing a joint programme on child poverty, while discussions on future cooperation between UNICEF and UNHCR on a joint programme and joint advocacy work for Afghan refugee children in Iran have begun. It is expected that this will materialize in 2009, based on a recent policy shift by UNHCR, away from the exclusive focus on repatriation and toward the improvement of living conditions of Afghan refugee children in Iran.

Youth and emergency preparedness

The World Health Organisation, the UN Population Fund and UNICEF have agreed to work together and raise funds for a national youth survey, which is to be conducted in 2009.

Although not specifically a joint programme, UNICEF has also led a UN-wide Emergency Simulation involving 11 agencies supported by four members of the Regional Emergency Task Group. The agencies followed through on a scenario that involved a serious earthquake shaking Tehran and the effect it has on a substantial part of the capital’s population. The simulation tested the readiness of UN agencies in responding to a major emergency in a coordinated way, reflecting Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines and principles. This pilot activity was a first in the region. Conclusions from the simulation will feed into the work of the UN Country Team to improve preparedness and will also be incorporated into a global module for emergency simulation.