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Thematic Area: Democratic Governance |
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| Promoting Local Election Management as Part of an Electoral Cycle Approach (2013)
This paper examines different modalities used by various countries in the Asia-Pacific region to administer local elections and demonstrates the impact of management practices on electoral cycle approaches, the delivery of elections, and the provision of assistance. The paper also makes broad policy recommendations for contexts where assistance providers may choose to target programs and where election management bodies may decide to focus local level capacity strengthening initiatives.
The paper targets countries in the Asia-Pacific region that are planning for local elections. It has relevance for a number of stakeholders including electoral management bodies, political parties, parliament, government ministries, civil society and international organizations.
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| Making Sense of Climate Finance (2013)
This paper provides central policy decision makers and donors with accessible guidance on how government might make use of the national budget system to prioritise a response to climate change. The paper also explores how governments can make complementary use of domestic and
international sources of public finance to resource a climate change response.
The paper is principally targeted at central policy decision makers. It may also be of interest to researchers and those working with donors who are involved in financing public interventions on climate change in developing countries.
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| Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews (CPEIRs) in the Asia-Pacific Region – What Have We Learnt? (2013)
This paper provides lessons learnt from the recent UNDP experience in implementation of Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews (CPEIRs). It also provides proposal for implementing future CPEIRs and undertaking complementary analyses.
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| Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) – Methodological note (2013)
This paper describes a new methodology that aims to inform the development of the national response to climate change: the climate public expenditure and institutional review (CPEIR). The paper outlines the analytical framework of this methodology. It draws on the experience of a substantial body of work that has examined the effectiveness of public expenditure through the use of several analytical tools.
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| Gender Equality in Elected Office in Asia Pacific: Six Actions to Expand Women’s Empowerment (2012)
This publication provides an overview of women’s political representation in Asia-Pacific member states, and reviews the impact of series of six fast-track institutional reforms which can contribute towards the attainment of gender equality in elected office. These six “windows or opportunity” include an examination of legally binding quotas, constitutional rights, political party recruitment, capacity building initiatives, parliamentary reform and political party recruitment.
The six-step action plan is structured so national policy makers and practitioners working to increase women’s political involvement can select one window of opportunity to expanding women’s political participation most relevant to their specific context.
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| Accelerating Achievement of MDGs by Ways and Means of Economic and Social Rights (2012)
This publication is the result of more than a year of discussions and exchanges on a variety of themes centered on what UNDP regards as its core mandate: the human development agenda. As the 2015 target date for the MDGs is rapidly approaching, and as efforts are underway to “accelerate” progress on various targets and indicators around the world, the debate about global development goals has already moved towards looking beyond 2015.
This collection of essays is aimed at offering insights into innovative and practical ways and means of realizing human rights, linked as they are to the MDGs primarily through social and economic rights, but also through the broader human rights context where the Millennium Declaration set development goals which later became known as the MDGs. The publication contributes to the debates among those thinking ahead of a future set of development goals and to also offer concrete guidance and inspiration to development practitioners in the field, in particular those working in areas related to the MDGs. The document is targeted at national government and non-governmental development experts equally as to those working in UN agencies, or other governmental or non-governmental organizations.
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| Indigenous Voices in Asia-Pacific (2012)
This report presents the highlights of five country assessments that were undertaken between 2009-2011 to identify the communication and information needs of indigenous peoples. In identifying the main challenges and opportunities for indigenous peoples and their development, the assessments provided a basis for recommendations on priority interventions for each participating country and for a regional strategy.
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| South-South Exchange on Effective Anti-Corruption Agencies: Bhutan, Maldives, Timor-Leste (2012)
This report documents both the proceedings of the South-South Exchange among Anti-Corruption Commissions from Bhutan, Maldives and Timor-Leste in July 2011, as well as experiences, lessons learned and best practices, shared by delegations, that could be replicated in the areas of investigation, prevention and public education. The report provides useful insights into the experiences of these three young agencies, and more particularly, in to the strategies that they have adopted to combat corruption more effectively.
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| Working with Deported Individuals in the Pacific: Legal and Ethical Issues (2012)
This report intends to provide policy makers, governments and civil society organizations with an easily accessible source of background information, approaches and assessments to work effectively with deported communities. It is not an exhaustive resource; rather one that provides a preliminary look at the issues of deportation and how they may be approached through engagement and service provision by civil society organizations or government departments. It is easy to read, accessible and flexible enough to be adapted to various circumstances and approaches amongst organizations aiming to engage and provide services to deported individuals.
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| Sharing Experience in Access to Justice: Engaging with Non-State Justice Systems & Conducting Assessments (2012)
This report summarises the presentations and discussions from the Access to Justice Week in October 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand, hosted by UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre. It complements a companion publication, Access to Justice Assessments in the Asia Pacific: A Review of Experiences and Tools from the Region (UNDP 2011).
The report is divided into two sections according to the following two thematic events; Non-State Justice Systems: Principles and Practices Symposium, and Regional Consultation on Access to Justice Assessments.
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| Access to Justice Assessments in the Asia Pacific: A Review of Experiences and Tools from the Region (2011)
This publication is a result of a comprehensive study of over 23 access to justice assessments (led by UNDP as well as some external assessment) conducted between 2000 and 2010 in 15 countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Republic of Vanuatu and Viet Nam. The study provides case studies and analyses of the approaches, strategies, methodologies and tools used in various assessments. Its ultimate purpose is to assist practitioners in conducting and improving their access to justice assessments in the region and elsewhere.
This report has three parts. Part One (Chapters 1, 2 and 3) discusses the concept of ‘access to justice’, the basics of access to justice assessments, as well as application of a human rights-based approach to access to justice assessments. It lays out why and how assess to justice assessments can serve a means of understanding and identifying people’s justice needs, their barriers of accessing justice, as well as their capacity gaps and structural problems, encompassing legal, as well as social, economic, political and cultural challenges.
Part Two (Chapter 4) reviews key considerations for conducting effective Access to Justice Assessments. It contends that each access to justice assessment is unique and context specific and thus a uniform approach and methodology for conducting a successful access to justice assessment is neither possible nor necessary. At the same time, it notes how a decade’s worth of access to justice assessments does provide some general considerations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, credibility and acceptance.
Part Three (Chapters 5 and 6) includes an analysis of various access to justice assessments (including their conceptual approaches, objectives, methodologies, and assessment results), and provides suggestions for tools that may be useful in conducting access to justice assessments with examples.
The publication also contains extensive appendixes including various examples of assessment tools (e.g. questionnaires) employed in different countries to capture the reality of varying situations, contexts, and people.
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| Linking National Legal Systems with the International Human Rights Framework: Lessons from the International Law Project in Lao PDR (2011)
This publication is an in-depth case study of the International Law Project (ILP) in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Its principal purpose is to enable the lessons learned from the ILP to become more broadly known to ensure more effective work for the promotion of rights and justice.
The ILP is a UNDP project implemented by the Department of Treaties and Law in the Lao PDR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a project team located within the Ministry. The ILP seeks to strengthen the Lao PDR’s engagement with and participation in the international legal system, particularly the international human rights system, through assisting treaty ratification and implementation. This includes compliance with reporting obligations and education and training in international law, particularly international human rights and humanitarian law. The project is now in its third phase, signifying a long term commitment to strengthening the Lao PDR’s observance of international law.
This review examines the project’s achievements with a view to identifying those elements in the project that contribute to its effectiveness and could provide a basis for future learning, adaptation and application in the Lao PDR and elsewhere. It describes the project’s successes and challenges and makes recommendations for its continued successful implementation. It also offers ten "lessons learned". These lessons can assist other states and other international agencies to develop and implement their own programs to strengthen observance of international law and engagement in the international legal system.
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| Capacity Assessment Manual for National Human Rights Institutions (2011)
The manual, Capacity Assessment Manual for National Human Rights Institutions, is the product of a partnership among the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Development Programme Asia-Pacific Regional Centre to provide coordinated assistance to national human rights institutions in the region through capacity assessments. As part of the initiative, the generic capacity assessment template was adapted by the partners to suit the particular circumstances of national human rights institutions (NHRIs). The revised assessment methodology is an intensive self-assessment process which helps NHRIs identify areas in which they need to improve, and potential strategies to foster this improvement. It incorporates both qualitative and quantitative elements in assessing current capacities, forecasting future capacity requirements, identifying capacity gaps and, most importantly, developing strategies to close those gaps in the most significant areas. It also provides a firm basis for international cooperation to assist NHRIs when they undertake institutional strengthening. This manual has been developed based on lessons from capacity assessments conducted in Afghanistan, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Palestine, and Thailand. It provides an easy step-by-step guide on how to conduct the capacity needs assessment. It also discusses what the capacity assessment is and its relevance for NHRIs, the benefits that they can gain from it, and what is involved in doing it.
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| Practitioner's Guide: Capacity Assessment of Anti-Corruption Agencies (2011)
This Practitioners' Guide has been developed to assist national anti-corruption officials, as well as UNDP Country Offices and other development partners, to carry out capacity assessment of anti-corruption agencies. Cognizant of the variety of cultural, legal and administrative circumstances in which anti-corruption agencies operate, this Practitioners' Guide has been designed flexibly. Part 2 of the
Practitioners' Guide provides a range of assessment modules and sample surveys which can be adapted to the specific local context and institutional model. The results from such an adapted capacity assessment provide the basis for developing and implementing a comprehensive capacity development plan.
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| Understanding Electoral Violence in Asia (2011)
This report investigates electoral violence in Asia through analyses of case studies commissioned by UNDP for seven countries in South and South-East Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. The ultimate objective of these publications was to draw empirical lessons from each country as helpful guides for policy, legislation and institutional change to promote greater democratic governance.
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| Asia-Pacific Integrity in Action Issue 5 (2011)
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| Women's Representation in Local Government in Asia-Pacific: Status Report 2010 (2011)
This status report aims to deepen the understanding of progress made towards the Millennium Development Goal 3, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, by introducing a sub-national measure of women’s political representation. This status report will form a baseline measure of women’s representation in local government in Asia-Pacific on a country by country basis, and it is planned to be updated every year until 2015 to support the national, regional and global status assessment and dialogue on the achievement of MDG 3.
The report is a product of the partnership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, part of UN Women), United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).
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| Asia-Pacific Integrity in Action Issue 4 (2011)
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| The Millennium Declaration, Rights, and Constitutions (2011)
This publication looks at how achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) might be enhanced through reliance on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR), and specifically through the incorporation of those rights into constitutions.
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| Asia-Pacific Integrity in Action Issue 6 (2011)
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| Local Governance and Climate Change: A Discussion Note (2010)
This report identifies ways in which local governments can address climate change, both at the policy level and on the ground. It outlines approaches for national governments, development agencies and specialist climate change institutions to improve the performance of local governments in addressing climate change.
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| MDGs and Indigenous Peoples (2010)
Millennium Development Goals and Indigenous Peoples cautions that this segment of the population will not be among the fifty per cent lifted out of extreme poverty unless and until immediate measures are taken to rectify the impacts of past development approaches that have increased marginalisation and dispossession. In order to prevent uneven and inequitable MDG attainment, development must be formulated and implemented with full and effective participation of indigenous peoples.
This publication provides substantive basis for taking this bold step by placing human rights, equity and justice firmly at the centre of development. It is premised on the recognition that they have the right to be part of such processes and claim their MDG entitlements, and that a comprehensive review of good practices and lessons learned, challenges and opportunities will lead to concrete strategies for action to accelerate the progress of the MDGs.
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| Guidance Note UNCAC Self Assessments (2010)
This Guidance Note provides a methodology for national stakeholders on how to conduct a comprehensive and participatory Self-Assessment of UNCAC implementation. Based on previous country experiences, every UNCAC Self-Assessment process is expected to provide an opportunity for national dialogue on anti-corruption policies and programmes and further stimulate reforms to curb corruption in the interest of sustainable human development. This practical guide was published by the UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre in partnership with UNODC, GTZ, Basel Institute on Governance (Switzerland) and Institute of Governance Studies, BRAC University (Bangladesh).
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| Realising Development Effectiveness: Making the Most of Climate Change Finance in Asia and the Pacific (2010)
The report is intended to support progress on development effectiveness and climate change in Asia, through informing discussions on current climate financing in Asia. It provides an overview of key issues, and includes a synthesis of findings from five Asian country studies; in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It provided reference material for the 19th-20th October 2010 Bangkok conference on Climate Change Finance and Aid Effectiveness.
This is a joint report by ADB, Japan's ODA, MOFAT, UNDP, SIDA and OECD.
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| India Country Assessment: The Asia-Pacific Rights and Justice Initiative (2010)
This report presents the findings of an assessment of two projects supported by DGTTF: Access to Justice by Poor and Disadvantaged People, and Legal Empowerment Through Community Radio. The assessment examined project process and results for elements to enrich regional programming and policy options and strengthen knowledge management. The initiatives were assessed in terms of their effectiveness, the political economy in which they were located and their sustainability.
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