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DEVELOPMENTSTORIES
UNDP SKOPJE, ISSUE 4, SUMMER 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
Job prospectshelping to keep amilies together
SMS and Facebook HelpFarmers Reduce Pollution in Resen
Taking on domestic violence a media approachMaking it happen: Cooperating to succeed in energy eciency
Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
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UNDPs activities in the country are within the ramework o the UN DevelopmentAssistance Framework 2010-2015, agreed between the Government and the UN
Agencies in 2009.
Published by the Oce o the United Nations Development Programme in Skopje
Design: Artistika
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In this issue
Job prospects helping to keepamilies together
A new web portal or thesel-employment programme
A smart solution reaping the ruitso technology - SMS and Facebook
Help Farmers Reduce Pollution in Resen
Seeking out new solutions or greaterRoma inclusion
Photo story: Investing todayor a saer tomorrow
Making it happen:
Cooperating to succeed in energy eciency
Social Innovation CreatesProsperous Societies
What are integrity systems all about?
Taking on domestic violence
a media approach
Greenhouse gas emissions:Data that makes a diference!
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Dear Readers,In this issue o Development Stories we are pleased to oer articles
and eatures on a range o topics rom anti-corruption measures to
the role o the media in countering domestic violence a range I eel
reects the scope and diversity o UNDPs work.
And as always in Development Stories we aim to oer our readers both
the big picture o our extensive operations as well as specifc insights
and fndings rom projects on the ground. For example, this issue oersa photo-story overview o our eorts in this country to help reduce the
risks and negative eects o disasters, a report on how inter-municipal
cooperation has helped local government meet the challenges
o implementing measures to improve energy eciency, as well as key fndings rom the new
national inventory o greenhouse gases developed with technical assistance rom UNDP.
Our commitment to helping improve the lives o the most vulnerable groups in society is
represented in this issue, too, with news o a regional project to tackle the social exclusion oRoma throughout the Western Balkans, together with statistics rom the latest survey o the socio-
economic conditions experienced by the Roma community in this country. And our continued
eorts to help the country overcome its single greatest socio-economic challenge the problem
o widespread and long-term unemployment is showcased here with one o many individual
stories o success resulting rom the UNDP-backed sel-employment programme.
Lastly, I am pleased we can eature here an interview with the Dean o the aculty o Engineering
and Computer Science with whom we have recently signed an agreement to establish a Regional
Innovation Hub in Skopje. Innovation is a driving orce in our activities and our story eatured in
this issue on using mobile technology to help reduce the use o pesticide in the Prespa region
made the ront page o none less than the National Geographic global website.
It is my pleasure then, to wish all our readers a joyul summer and to present you with an issue
o Development Stories that oers us the chance to reect on past achievements and the
challenges ahead.
Alessandro Fracassetti
UNDP Resident Representative a.i.
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Its not right to say theres
no work in this countrywhen people have so much
potential they dont realize,
says Qerim Dauti, We
should be trying to create
jobs herending ways
to use the skills we already
have, not leaving our homes
to nd work abroad.
It s not right to say theres no work in this country when people have so much potential
they dont realize, says Qerim Dauti, We should be trying to create jobs herefndingways to use the skills we already have, not leaving our homes to fnd work abroad.
Qerim can speak rom personal experience like so many o the countrys citizens he
once let his lie here behind to fnd work a long way rom home. For twelve years he
lived in Australia working in the construction industry.
But despite successully applying or Australian citizenship, Qerim eventually returned
to his roots.
Starting over again isnt easy, he admits, When I frst came back I had to make a living
as a taxi driver. Id gained a lot o skills in carpentry in Australia but I didnt have the
confdence and knowledge to make the most o them so I just worked on the side
doing jobs or people inormallybut that was no kind o stability.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
Job prospects helping to keep
amilies together
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Helping people make the most o their skills
is what the Sel-Employment Programme is all
about, says Goran Jovanovski, Head o Sector orActive Labor Market Measures in the National
Agency or Employment, I we can achieve that
aim well not only reduce unemployment but
also help stem the fow o human resources out
o the country.
Helping people make the most o their skills is what the
Sel-Employment Programme is all about, says Goran
Jovanovski, Head o Sector or Active Labor Market
Measures in the National Agency or Employment,
I we can achieve that aim well not only reduce
unemployment but also help stem the ow o humanresources out o the country.
A recent survey ound that approximately 42% o
young people aged between 19 and 27 say they
would probably leave the country to seek employment
abroad, while no less than 30% say they would probably
leave the country or good.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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I used to sell my products
only locally, he explains,
But through the workshopI learnt how to plan sales
and extend into new
markets. Now were selling
in Ohrid and Bitola and even
exporting to Tirana and
Switzerland. What we need
to do now is to increase
sales by exporting to the
EU. And i everything goes
to plan it wont be long
beore I can employ my
own grandchildren in the
business.
At sixty years old with our children, there is nothing Qerim wants more than to keep
his amily together. I dont want my grandchildren emigrating or work like me, he says,
And Im going to do all I can to make sure they have opportunities here. Thats why I
applied. A riend o mine happened to mention the sel-employment programme and
it sounded like a way to make my carpentry work more regular, more stable. What I was
looking or especially was help with planning. But the workshop gave me something
even more important as wellit built up my belie in what I can achieve.
At the workshop the trainees are guided by a team o expert trainers through the
process o developing their ideas into business plans.
Risto Ivanov, a trainee team leader, explains: Our goal at the workshop is to advise eachtrainee on how to present their business idea and to submit it in writing or assessment.
We try to transer our experience and know-how by taking the participants step by
step through the process o developing and upgrading their selected business ideas.
And we give them specifc exercises to help them defne the key issues associated
with doing business. These are methods weve tailored specifcally to the needs o the
unemployed.
Thanks to Qerims hard work and determination, together with the business training he
received through the Sel-Employment Programme, the prospects or himsel and his
amily are getting better and better: since fnishing the course, Qerim has ormalised
his carpentry work into a amily business. Both his son and his daughter-inlaw are now
working with him and they expect to recruit another two employees very soon.
In his newly reurbished oce, equipped with help rom the sel-employment grant,
Qerim works on the design o new products with his son who is also a proessional
carpenter.
I used to sell my products only locally, he explains, But through the workshop I learnt
how to plan sales and extend into new markets. Now were selling in Ohrid and Bitola
and even exporting to Tirana and Switzerland. What we need to do now is to increase
sales by exporting to the EU. And i everything goes to plan it wont be long beore I
can employ my own grandchildren in the business.
The Sel-Employment Programme is developed and implemented by the Government
and UNDP.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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A new web portalfor THE SElf-EmploymENT programmE
Taking the leap o starting your own business has just been made a whole lot easier with
the launch o a new web portal dedicated to the successul national sel-employment
programme supported by the Government and UNDP: www.samovrabotuvanje.mk
For the frst time, candidates wishing to apply or the sel-employment programme
can fnd all the inormation and help they need in one place.
The slickly designed portal not only contains comprehensive inormation about the
programme and the experiences o previous participants, it also oers helpul short
video tutorials on the various modules o the course.
The portal will urther act as a business-to-business platorm, providing up-to-date
inormation on all 4,905 businesses established through this programme and a map
o their locations.
WWW
.SAMO
vrAB
OTUvANJE.M
k
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This is the one everyone knows rom cartoons - the
little worm in the apple explains Etim Petkovski,
scooping the larva o a codling moth rom an applein his orchard in Resen. But its no joke, I can tell you
i we armers dont spray or them early on, all our
livelihoods are at risk. Timing is everything with these
pests. Youve got to predict their migrations and that
can be a matter o hours. Spraying too early or too
late is much less eective and a lot more expensive
because you need bigger amounts oten as much as
three times the quantity. And you can guess what thatdoes to the environment.
Overuse o pesticides amongst orchard armers in
Resen has been proven to be a major cause o pollution
in the beautiul but environmentally vulnerable region
o the Prespa Lake Basin, threatening the habitat o over
2,000 species o birds, fsh and mammals, including
many endangered animals unique to Prespa and theancient reshwater lake.
As part o its long-term commitment to restoring the
health o this valuable ecosystem, UNDP has been
working in close cooperation with the Municipality
o Resen in recent years with unding rom the Global
Environment Facility and the Swiss Development
Cooperation on projects to raise awareness o the
dangers o pesticides and to help local armers
adopt more environmentally sustainable agricultural
practices.
These eorts have already led to a remarkable 30%
reduction in the amount o pesticides used by local
armers each season, which is good news or the
environment and good news or armers who have
made substantial savings as a result.
The way we dealt with pests beore was wasteul,
says Petkovski, And a lot o that could be put down
to armers lack o awareness. But thats not the whole
story the problem o knowing the best time to spray
is a problem aced by all armers. Its about the speed
o notifcation and thats in many ways a technicalproblem needing a technical solution.
The frst major step towards a technical solution to
the over-use o pesticides was taken in 2005 with
the establishment o a system or monitoring pests
and diseases. This system, developed by UNDP in
cooperation with the Municipality o Resen, involved
the installation o 6 solar-powered agro-meteorologicalmonitoring stations and a number o insect pheromone
traps.
The monitoring stations gathered all the necessary
data, but the problem remained o how to get that
data directly to armers as quickly as possible. Theres
no local media in Resen, so or the past seven years
theyve had to rely on notifcations in the square and
that has been ar rom adequate to ensure all armers
are adequately and promptly inormed.
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UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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The challenge as always with development was to ensure long-term sustainability,
explains UNDPs Dimitrija Sekovski, And in this case a major actor in terms o
sustainability was expense. We knew we needed to fnd as inexpensive a solution as
possible to the notifcation problem. And thats what we came up with an innovative
way o notiying armers that cost less than 1,000 US dollars to develop.
Walking between the apple-trees in his orchard, Petkovski clicks on his mobile phone
and pulls up his message menu. Heres the SMS we received about the codling moth
on Friday, he says, and displays the ollowing message:
Apple trees in the area of the village of Rajca have been infected by the coddling moth. The
apple trees should be treated in the next 10 days. For more info, visit the Facebook page orcall the Association of Farmers.
That message went out to every armer in the village o Rajca whose name is registered
with the local Association o Farmers, says Petkovski, And thats how we were able to
spray beore the moths had a chance to spread. Just knowing that in time has saved a
lot o our ruit.
The innovative system o SMS notifcation was developed with UNDP support by the
Faculty o Computer Science o the University o Cyril & Methodius in Skopje.
As well as SMS notifcations, the solution also makes use o Facebook. The same
administrator (a pest control expert) responsible or inorming armers by SMS is also
responsible or updating a dedicated Farmers Association page on Facebook, urther
expanding the amount and accessibility o timely inormation.
The only real challenge now, says Sekovski, is to ensure that the post o this
administrator whose salary is currently supported with UNDP unding - becomes a
permanent position within the Farmers Association.
Low costs and simplicity o implementation make this system highly suitable or
replication in other municipalities across the country. This shows just how eectively
modern technology can be used to overcome problems o access to inormation. This
specifc solution is excellent, but the innovative approach taken to the problem the
willingness to tackle old problems with new media is also highly encouraging.
Together with the ongoing 6-year project or the Restoration o Lake Prespa Basin,
supported by UNDP with unding rom the Swiss Agency or Development and
Cooperation, the new notifcation system is set to urther transorm arming practices
in the region, securing a sustainable uture or the unique ecosystem o Lake Prespa.
This story as published on the National Geographic global ebsite.
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UNDP just launched a major new two-year project to empower people rom Roma
communities throughout the region to gain better access to eective social services
and business development opportunities. The project is called Regional Support Facility
or Roma Inclusion and is being unded by the Swiss Agency or Development and
Cooperation in the amount o two million US dollars. This project will be implemented
also in Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.
WorryINg STaTISTIcS:
The latest surveys on Roma in this country show that this community remains a highly
vulnerable group in society. For example:
Romaand especially Roma womenare employed less, paid less or similar jobs,and are more likely to be working in low-skilled and inormal employment than
non-Roma women.
Rates o unemployment and joblessness are at least twice as high amongst the
Roma population as among the non-Roma population. Young non-Roma adults aged 2024 are more than ten times as likely to be in
education as their Roma counterparts.
Almost 20% o all Roma households cannot aord essential medical services.
Seeking out
new solutionsor greaterRoma inclusion
UNDP/Maja Zlatevska
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UNDP/Andrej Ginovski
SEEkINg SolUTIoNS
Over the next two years, 370,000 US dollars will be
invested in the country to address some o the key causes
o Roma social exclusion, including unemployment and
fnancial insecurity, while building up the capacities
o all stakeholders involved in promoting the greater
inclusion o Roma.
The indicators o the Action Plan or the National
Roma Strategy will be redefned to ensure they are
achievable. This will enable more eective monitoringo all measures and actions undertaken throughout
the region to improve Roma wellbeing and raise
their socio-economic conditions. And all stakeholders
involved in Roma inclusionincluding local Roma
NGOs, local activists and volunteers, as well as the Roma
Inormation Centreswill be trained in technical skills
such as monitoring and evaluation, data interpretation
and the use o statistics, and community mobilizationand advocacy.
The project will test new ways o increasing
opportunities or Roma at local level to become
active on the labour market and achieve economic
independence, by helping unemployed Roma men and
women to improve their educational achievements,
vocational or entrepreneurial skills, and by creatingopportunities or business start-up, subsidized
employment and community service.
This new project will help develop
new and eective solutions and models
to improve the quality o lie o those
on the margins o society, says UNDP
Assistant Resident Representative, Vesna
Dzuteska-Bisheva.
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Torrential rains, stormwaters and snowmelt can cause great damage to people and property i they are not eectively
controlled. Nadezda Trendaflova is one o the hundreds o residents o Mokrievo that has long been living under
the threat o natural disaster rom uncontrolled water. To help reduce the risk o such disasters, UNDP has teamed
up with the municipal authorities responsible or these settlements to restore and install new stormwater channels.
Our house was built in 1964. Since then, it has been constantly exposed to the potentially atal consequences o
torrential rain and stormwaters. Now, that the storm water channel is in place, we fnally eel sae says Nadezda.
Ietig toa or a aer toorrowPHOTO STORY:
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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UNDP/Ljubomir StefanovIn Mokrievo, a 200-meter stormwater channel was
constructed.
In Kicevo, UNDP supported the municipalitysinvestment in the restoration o the Ivani Dol stormwater
channel, together with a general upgrading o the
streets and communal inrastructure, including the
water and waste water channels.
Each o these projects will bring substantial benefts to
the local communities providing them with greater
security to invest in a sustainable uture or themselves
and their environment.
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When an enormous boulder tumbled down rom one o
the hills around the city o Veles and caused signifcant
damage to a historic church, the local authorities knew
they had to take urgent measures to prevent such a
disaster rom happening again.
The municipality o Veles resolved to join orces with
UNDP to tackle the problem. Four dangerous bouldersthat were posing an immediate threat to the local
population were succesull stabilized.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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UNDP/Ljubomir StefanovThe project has not only helped provide greater
security or residents living near the boulders it has
also helped protect the historic 19th century Church o
St. Panteleimon.
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UNDP supported the municipality o Makedonska
Kamenica to build its frst-ever modern fre fghting
station. This station, along with training and education,
is now helping the community to successully combatfres - a potentially serious problem given the high
density o orests in the municipalitys territory.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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UNDP/Ljubomir StefanovBy co-fnancing disaster risk reduction activities, the
municipality is helping to ensure a saer uture or all
its citizens. It is investing today or a saer tomorrow,
UNDP Project Manager Vasko Popovski said.
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Vulnerability assessments and hazard mapping, as well
as evacuation-planning and training drills or schools
and kindergartens and other high-risk communities
have been carried out in ten municipalities.
These activities have greatly increased the resilience to
natural disasters o the municipalities o Kicevo, Veles,
Caska, Gradsko, Strumica, Vasilevo, Novo Selo, Bosilovo,
Makedonska Kamenica and Aerodrom.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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To help schools be better prepared in response to
natural disasters, more than 17,900 students and
1,640 teachers have taken part in training-drills or
evacuation and rescue in case o earthquakes and
fres in Kicevo, Zajas, Veles, Graqdsko, Caska, Strumica,
Vasilevo, Bosilovo, Novo Selo, Aerodrom, Makedonska
Kamenica and Centar.
A total o 380 elementary schools country-wide are
already beneftting rom the countrys frst educationalcomputer game on crisis management a game
which has become part o their school curricula.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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Its not that municipalities dont have the will toimplement the new measures to improve energy
eciency, says Mitko Vlahov, a civil servant with the
municipality o Bogdanci, O course we do. We know
these changes bring long-term savings and we know
theyll be better or the environment. But like with any
dicult task, you need to have the know-how and the
right equipment to do it yoursel.
Many municipalities have struggled in recent years to
ulfl the additional obligations devolved to them with
the process o decentralization. Both in terms o fnance
and expertise, existing municipal capacities are not yet
adequate to deliver some o the more complex new
services required including essential measures to
improve energy-eciency stipulated with the Law on
Energy.
Energy eciency is one o those areas where
investment is needed today to make savings in the
uture and this presents a big challenge or cash-
strapped municipalities, especially or smaller urban
and rural municipalities, says UNDPs Boran Ivanoski.
To meet this challenge they need to fnd alternative
ways to raise resources and build up their capacities.
This is where inter-municipal cooperation comes in.And thats an area where UNDP has a lot o experience
to oer.
Cooperating to succeed inenergy eciency
makINg IT HappEN:
Marina Danev
Dragan Pesov
Stoilova Anika
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Inter-municipal cooperation can serve to optimize
limited resources by achieving economies o scale and
has already helped many municipalities ulfl some
o their extended obligations since decentralization.UNDP has been actively promoting and assisting
such cooperation rom the beginning, so when it
became clear that capacities were lacking or the
implementation o much-needed measures to increase
energy eciency, UNDP was keen to explore a solution
through the adoption o a cooperative approach.
In December 2011, thereore, UNDP launched a12-month pilot project called Energy Eciency
through Inter-Municipal Cooperation as part o the
regional programme Think Globally Develop Locally
in the three municipalities o Gevgelija, Valandovo and
Bogdanci. The total budget or the project was 31,200
USD.
We selected these municipalities or the pilot project
to show how the resources o a larger municipality -
Gevgelija, in this case can help smaller neighbouring
municipalities here the municipalities o Bogdanci
and Valandovo to overcome shortalls in fnancial
and human capacities, says UNDPs Ilmiasan Dauti,
The main aim, o course, was to help the partner
municipalities meet their legal obligations in the area
We o a worr abot aig
eerg. Ti wi rece te ee or
iportig expeie eerg ito te
cotr. Tereore, aig ro te
icipa a atioa bget wi be
e to eet te ee o citize i
eat, ecatio a ctre.
BENEFI
TSOF
ENERGY
EFFICIENC
Y
JOBCREATION
ANDNEW
TECHNOLOGIES
Save energy for more money,greener environment and more jobs ! 23
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o energy eciency. These obligations include not just
auditing but the development o three-year Energy
Eciency Programmes and Annual Plans or Energy
Eciency whose implementation will improve theinterior conditions in the public buildings.
This project has made a huge dierence, says
Risto Atanasovski the executive director o a local
oundation or local development. With a bit o eort
and good will on all sides, we anticipate within the
municipal Programme on EE that CO2 emissions will
be reduced by over 1,200 tons in the municipalityo Gevgelija and over 15 tons in the municipality o
Bogdanci, in the period o three years
Due to the optimization o human resources in Gevgelija
as a result o cooperation, or example, some 16,000 USD
will be saved per year on salaries alone. And based on the
three-year energy-eciency programmes developed
by the project, the municipalities o Gevgelija and
Bogdanci will achieve budget savings o approximately
127,000 USD through the implementation o energy-
eciency measures.
The project has succeeded in showing that inter-
municipal cooperation is an eective alternative way o
delivering services in the area o energy eciency at
local level.
As an additional part o the project, a Social Marketing
Campaign was designed and carried out with the
aim o raising awareness among young people o
the importance and benefts o measures to increase
energy eciency, involving over 1000 young people.
Speaking to students o the secondary school inBogdanci as part o an awareness-raising Energy
Eciency Day, the mayor o the municipality Mr. Risto
Ichkov reinorced the message that the savings to
be gained rom energy eciency can result in better
services or all: Regardless o our social status, he told
the students, we should all worry about saving energy.
This will reduce the need or importing expensive
energy into the country. Thereore, savings rom themunicipal and national budget will be used to meet
the needs o citizens in health, education and culture.
The national Network o Practitioners or Energy and
Energy Eciency o the Association o Local Sel-
Governments (ZELS), resolved to recommended inter-
municipal cooperation and to adopt the best practices
created through the project as a model or overcoming
the challenges aced by municipalities in terms o
insucient unds and lack o competent human
resources or implementing energy eciency at local
level.
The project approach and achievements are being
already replicated within the Vardar Planning Region
where eight municipalities have established a Joint
Unit or energy eciency with two civil servants whowill provide services or all the partner municipalities
involved.
Ti project a ae a ge iferece, a Rito Ataaoki te exectie
irector o a oca oatio or oca eeopet, Wit a bit o efort a goo wi
o a ie, we aticipate witi te icipa Prograe o EE tat CO2 eiiowi be rece b oer 1,200 to i te icipait o Gegeija a oer 15 to i
te icipait o Bogaci, i te perio o tree ear.
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An Interview with Prof. Dimitar Trajanov, PhD, Dean
of the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering
at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius
Last month saw UNDP and the Faculty o Computer
Science and Engineering launch the frst Regional Hub
or Social Innovation. The main aim o the Hub will
be to make the most o technology to tackle social
challenges and advance human development. To
learn more about the scope o the project, we spoke
with Mr. Dimitar Trajanov, PhD, Dean o the Faculty o
Computer Science and Engineering at the University
o Ss. Cyril and Methodius.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about theidea behind the Regional Hub or SocialInnovation that has just been launchedby the Faculty o Computer Science andEngineering and UNDP?
Well, the main idea behind the whole project is to
encourage the development o innovative IT solutions
to social and economic problems. The basic support
o this concept is the remarkable strength o countrys
IT industry, which has been outrunning the pace o
development o the overall economy and has become
an engine or growth, innovation and competitiveness.
Given this burgeoning private IT sector, as well as astrong set o available skills and a avourable policy
environment, there is a clear opportunity to create new
Interaces that will overcome obstacles and stimulate
innovation to tackle societal issues. UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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Q: So the idea is to provide a kind ocenter that brings together expertise to
accelerate the development?Thats right, though it should be stressed that the Hub
will seek to draw skills rom a diverse range o sectors
rom undergraduates, rom the private and the public
sector, rom civil society and not just people already
involved in IT but also rom people with know-how
in other relevant felds such as human development.
One o the main aims o the Hub is to acilitate and
oster new partnerships between the private sector,
policy-makers, academics and other players interested
in promoting social innovation. The combination o
skills and expertise in development and IT and other
areas will help take solutions through every stage rom
ideation to prototyping and all the way to scaling up.
The Hub will act as a kind o catalyst or the incubation
o innovative IT solutions to address the most pressing
needs o the populations throughout the region. The
products we develop will be aimed at local, national and
regional level. Some solutions may even be applicable
on a global scale.
Q: Ho ill the Social Innovation Hubhelp tackle unemployment?
One o the key aims o the project is actually to
develop new innovative businesses that generate
employment. And the Hub itsel will provide a number
o young people with the opportunity to gain basic
entrepreneurship experience and upgrade their skills
so they have a better chance to create new startup
businesses. The Hub will also oer internship or
students. In cooperation with the private sector, we willorganize a number o trainings in the areas where there
is a lack o highly qualifed workorce.
Q: The Faculty o Computer Scienceand Engineering ill be UNDPs main
partner in this project. Is this the frstcollaboration you have had ith UNDP?
The Hub project is certainly the biggest project weve
worked on with UNDP. The Faculty has had excellent
cooperation with UNDP beore or example on
the development o the Disaster App and o an SMS
notifcation system or armers in the Prespa Lake
region. Given the success o these small projects, we
decided to join orces and we are now seeking or new
partnerships with the private sector, national and local
government, civil society and with citizens especially
with young people. We hope that this project will
lead to the Hub becoming a major innovation hub
in the country and a catalyst or all citizens interested
in contributing their skills and time to solve social
challenges.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more aboutthe Faculty o Computer Science andEngineering?
The Faculty is the largest and most prestigious aculty in
the feld o computer science and technologies in the
country and one o the leading aculties o its kind in theregion. Our policy o encouraging open collaboration
between academia and industry has made us highly
adept at implementing dierent project ideas. We have
a rich resource o skills to draw on and that has been
reected in the many awards we have gained. Last year,
or example, our students won frst place in Europe and
ourth place in the world in the IEEEXtreme 24-Hour
Programming Competition. And our students also wonfrst place worldwide in the non-game category in the
Samsung Smart App Challenge 2012 competition or
the development o mobile applications.
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DID YOU KNOw?
Over 90% o IT products and services
are exported throughout the world, andthe ICT industry now makes up 4% othe countrys GDP. The IT sector has also
achieved signifcant growth amongst
domestic consumers. Almost 60%o households in the country have
broadband internet access, or example,ith 96% o these households includingyoung people.
Q: Thats very impressive. Do you thinkthat current conditions in the region
are conducive, though, to the idea o aRegional Hub or Social Innovation?
Absolutely, yes. The launching o this initiative could
not have come at a more appropriate time. It ollows
the recent passing by the Government o a national
Law on Innovation, and it is clearly in line with global
trends. There has been a great surge o interest in social
innovation as a way o ostering sustainable growth,
creating jobs and increasing competitive abilities. Social
innovation is having a global impact and helping to
build prosperous societies. I am glad to see that interest
in social innovation exists in the country as well. And I
hope that soon, with the creation o the Hub, we will
be able to make the most o technology to tackle social
challenges and advance human development.
UNDP/Ljubomir Stefanov
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WhAT Is An InTEGRITy sysTEm?
An integrity system is a comprehensive
set o polices, measures and procedures
established within an organization in
order to strengthen the resistance o that
organization to corruption. Integrity systems
include structured guidelines detailing the
processes or ensuring internal compliancewith established regulations.
The need or integrity systems to combat institutional
corruption has become ever more widely recognized
in recent years with the growing understanding
that corruption is a problem with its roots in the
ineectiveness o institutions. Accordingly, the ocus
o anti-corruption eorts has shited towards thedevelopment o internal integrity inrastructures within
organizations aimed at increasing their resistance to
corruption.
The concept o integrity systems reects the importance
o what happens within individual organizations.
Developing an eective, corruption-resistant and
suciently regulated structure is vital i the adoptiono anti-corruption laws is to have any more than a
negligible impact.
What are INTEGRITY
SYSTEMS all about?
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ThE BEnEITs O InTEGRITy sysTEms
Why introduce integrity systems?
Introducing integrity systems will reap multiple benefts or the country, including
increased greater institutional eectiveness. Financial savings and improved
institutional reputation.
Benefts to the integrity o the public sector
Introducing measures aimed at strengthening integrity in the conduct o business
will contribute to overall integrity in the country and ensure the sustainability o
the Governments anti-corruption eorts. Such measures recognize the act that
corruption invariably involves two parties and address the need or responsibility and
accountability in the private sector.
Corruption undermines the eectiveness o institutions. Reducing pressure rom
corruption in administration will thus result in a strengthening o organizational
eectiveness.
Benefts or the integrity o the private sectorIntroducing integrity systems inevitably entails certain costs. However, these costs will
eventually be more than recuperated as a result o two important actors:
- Less losses due to internal raud and private-to-private corruption
- Greater access to oreign partners who would otherwise be hesitant to invest or
partner with companies that present an internal regulatory risk
Benefts or the economy at macroeconomic level
By reducing regulatory risks or oreign investors interested in doing business in
the country, the introduction o integrity systems (or compliance regimes) will be
particularly encouraging to investors since none o the South-Eastern European
countries or neighboring new European Union member states have yet installed
such a regime. In this sense, integrity systems constitute an important competitive
advantage.
Given the current state o the world economy, lower costs or compliance, due
diligence and lower regulatory risk will indeed make the country more attractive or
oreign investments.
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nInE munICIPAlITIEs ully COmmITTEd TO InTROduCInGInTEGRITy sysTEms!
The comprehensive anti-corruption policies signed by the mayors o Petrovec, Veles, Aerodrom, Gostivar, Strumica,
Gevgelija, Kocani, Kratovo and Brvenica have been developed as part o UNDPs project Strengthening National
and Local Integrity Systemsunded by the Government o Norway and implemented in partnership with the
State Commission or the Prevention o Corruption, the Ministry o Inormation Society and Administration, and the
Association o Units o Local Sel-Government.
This is an innovative initiative with the potential to inspire and embrace many more leaders, says Ljubinka Koraboska,
the President o the State Commission or the Prevention o Corruption, We hope and believe that it will become
standard policy and practice throughout the country at all institutional levels.
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Eradicating domestic violence is only possible with
the help o the media, declared Her Excellency Marrit
Schuurman, Ambassador o the Netherlands, because
the words o journalists have the power to reach
everybodys homes.
Speaking at a recent high-level awareness-raising event
organized by UNDP and UN Women in partnership
with the Ministry o Labour and Social Policy, the Dutch
Ambassador went on to emphasize the need or the
media to adopt a more inormed and inormative
approach to domestic violence.
This is a universal problem, the Ambassador stated,
And when it comes to tackling domestic violence in
the media, it is essential that individual cases are not
considered merely a personal matter but a societal
issue that aects us all. Violence in the amily and the
way it is treated has an especially strong inuence on
children, setting patterns o behaviour that reappear in
the next generations.
Organized as part o the project Preventing Domestic
Violence through Competent National Institutions
and an Accountable and Transparent Judicial System,
UNDP
Taking ondomestic violence a media approach
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the event attracted over 30 journalists and editors, a
number o MPs and Government ministers, as well
as NGO representatives and experts on the issue o
domestic violence. The clear message that emerged
rom the discussion was that only an integrated and jointapproach involving all key stakeholders will be eective
in changing attitudes to domestic violence.
We share a common objective to build a society with
zero tolerance or domestic violence, stated UNDP
Resident Representative a.i. Alessandro Fracassetti,
This objective necessarily involves a undamental
change in public attitudesa task in which the mediahas a key role to play. The media should be encouraged
to approach the problem o domestic violence in its
entirety as opposed to ocusing solely on separate
incidents.
Participants agreed that the media has a crucial role
in the prevention o domestic violence by raising
awareness and educating the public, breaking downprevailing stereotypes and negative patterns o
behavior that can lead to domestic violence. Moreover,
the media can help victims o domestic violence
by publicizing inormation about support services
available.
When reporting on domestic violence, it is vital that
the institutional response be portrayed, said journalist
Snezana Lupevska, though we should remember that
the human touch in the story is also very important
or the audience. Thats why we should portray and
intertwine the two together.
The media need to go deeper in investigating domestic
violence, stated the Minister o Interior, Ms. Gordana
Jankulovska, monitoring and calling to account the
principal actors and agencies involved with this issue.The media needs to practice and demand a coherent,
proactive, transparent and proessional approach to
domestic violence.
Nearly
600vICTImso domestic violence have benefted rom ree
legal aid services.More thaN
3,000PROEssIOnAlsincluding judges, public prosecutors, health
and social workers - have been trained to tackle
cases o domestic violence more eciently.
a NatioNalCOORdInATIvE BOdyhas been established to help prevent domestic
violence..
More thaN
60vICTImso domestic violence have been helped to
set up their own businesses and to acquireadditional education.
awareNess-rasiNg activities have
resulted iN over
70%O ThE POPulATIOnbeing aware o the problem o domestic
violence.
Oer te pat 4 ear, wit ig ro te
Kigo o te netera a te uite
natio, te joit efort o te atioa
itittio, cii ociet orgaizatio a un
agecie ae aciee te oowig ke ret:
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The discussion was inormed by the fndings o a recent study o on the coverage o
domestic violence by the countrys media. The study, carried out between January and
April 2013, analysed over 200 media reports o domestic violence and reached the
ollowing conclusions:
Media coverage and analysis o domestic violence has beeninadequate in terms o social analysis and there is an urgent
need or serious journalistic research o the phenomenon. In
general, a more critical and considered approach is necessary
on the part o the media.
There is an urgent need or more complete coverage o theinstitutional responses to cases o domestic violence, including
the roles and responsibilities o the police and the judiciary.
Greater cooperation is essential between the media and the
Ministry o Labour and Social Policy, the Centres or SocialWork, and judicial institutions. This is necessary to enable a
more inormed and eective approach to the prevention o
domestic violence.
There needs to be more transparency on the part o keyinstitutions involved in tackling domestic violence, especially
in their relations with the media. Institutions need to improve
the timeliness and comprehensiveness o the inormation they
release to the media.
Within the ramework o the project, fnanced by the Government o the Kingdom o
the Netherlands, three more events will take place beore November 2013, including
at local level. These events will urther raise awareness o domestic violence, provoking
discussion and helping to interconnect the wide range o stakeholders involved inpreventing this crime.
0tolerance
fordomesticviolence
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S t st tstg dgsbt gs gs sss t scts:
Approximately 74 percent o greenhouse gasesare emitted by the energy sector. Most o these
emissions come rom the use o lignite to produce
electricity.
Most emissions rom industry originate rom the
processing o mineral and metal products, with the
cement industry and the production o erroalloys
responsible or over 90 percent o total emissions.
Emissions rom the waste sector account or seven
percent o total national emissions. The average
share o the waste sector in national emissions in
developed countries is two to three percent.
The countrys orests absorb 1.77 million tons o
carbon dioxide each year. In 2007, however, some
39,612 hectares o orests and grassland wereaected by fre, resulting in signifcantly higher
emissions
GreenhouSe GaS emiSSionS:
Dt tt ks dfc!
The inormation in this database will be invaluable or
policy-makers in their eorts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and mitigate the eects o climate change.
The level o data accuracy has signifcantly improved
and or the frst time many new sectors have been
included.
Aviation is one o the new sectors included, with data
on emissions at a level o detail and accuracy only
achieved by a ew developed countries in the world.
A new inventory of national greenhouse gas emissions has just been launched by the
Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, developed to help the country meet the
requirements of the International Convention on Climate Change.
UNDP34
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Wy s ts dtbs ptt?
By presenting the proportion o emissions produced
by each sector o the economy, the inventoryprovides valuable inormation or prioritizing
eorts and designing technical solutions to reduce
greenhouse gases.
Altogether, the inventory provides important
guidance or policy-makers to reduce emissions
and help inorm the public and media debate on
this issue.
Reliable greenhouse gas inventories are essential at
the international level or assessing national eorts
to address climate change and make progress
towards meeting the ultimate objective o the
Convention on Climate Change.
Cps wt t cts The country has 1.7 times lower emissions per
capita than the European Union average, and
emissions are nearly our times lower than highly
industrialized countries like the US.
This level o emissions per person is similar to rates
in Latvia and Turkey. Another relevant indicator is energy intensity.
According to the greenhouse gas inventory, the
countrys carbon intensity is 4.3 times higher than
the average in European Union countries.
The development o the inventory was possible
because o the support o the Ministry o
Environment and Physical Planning, and the closecooperation with many other governmental
institutions and private companies.
Where Do GreenhouSe GaS
emiSSionS Come From:
74%ENERGY SECTOR
13%AGRICULTURE
SECTOR
6%INDUSTRIALPROCESSES
7%
WASTE
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Development is about people and Development Stories brings people and their stories
to the orerontthe people e ork or and the people e ork ith.
Through intervies and eature stories, nes and revies o all our latest projects, and
interesting acts rom UNDP-backed research, this magazine brings our development
ork to lie.
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Te: (+389 2) 3 249 500
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web ite: www.p.org.k, www..org.koow o twitter: @undPmK, @un_RCOmK
Summer 2013