UN, Philippines move to align aid priorities

The Philippine government and the United Nations unveiled Monday a seven-year program aimed at aligning the international agency’s development assistance priorities with those of the Philippine government’s medium-term development plan.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) deputy director general Rolando G. Tungpalan said the launch of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (Undaf) 2012-2018 highlights the global thrust for transparency in such programs.

“This comes just in time for the high-level forum on aid effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, this week,” Tungpalan said.

UN Country Representative Jacqueline Badcock, who is also the UN resident coordinator and UN Development Program resident representative in the Philippines, said in a presentation that the plan required funding of about $370 million.

The UN has about $75 million in resources for the plan and the rest will be mobilized through partners and donors, among others.

Also on Monday, the World Bank—which will also be represented in Busan, South Korea—said in a statement through managing director Sri Mulyani Indrawati that it needs to “rethink development aid.”

“In a world where developed economies are fueling a prolonged crisis and developing countries are generating two-thirds of global growth, the traditional aid relationship of donors and recipients is simply obsolete,” the official said.

The Undaf supports the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, according to NEDA.