Asia Pacific Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI) Update

Welcome to the first edition of the Asia Pacific Poverty Environment (PEI) update. Brought to you by the PEI Regional Asia Pacific Team, this update aims to give you news and information on our Poverty Environment activities in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Introduction

Coordinated by the UN Poverty Environment Facility (PEF) in Nairobi, the global PEI network operates in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  Formed in late 2006, PEI Asia Pacific team brings together staff from the UNEP Regional Office for Asia-Pacific and the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok. Currently, PEI Asia Pacific programmes are underway in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lao PDR, Nepal, and Thailand.  The programmes are also under design in Timor-Leste and the Philippines. The programme is funded by the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Commission.  The intention is to develop PEI as an approach that can be replicated and used by other colleagues working in UNDP, UNEP, and across the UN. 

 About the PEI Regional Asia: http://www.unpei.org/programmes/asiaprofiles.asp

Knowledge

Green Jobs for the Poor, Summary Note

Developed by Seon-Mi Choi of UNEP, the note gives a background on green jobs, with success stories from India, South Africa, and China.  The note also presents suggested next steps for countries. 

National Investment Strategy to Manage Private Investment to Maximise Benefits and Minimise Costs, Summary Note

This summary note gives an overview of national investment strategy, with links to examples from Rwanda, Tanzania, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands.  The note was developed by Nick Beresnev of UNDP. 

Operations

The PEI Regional Asia Team meets regularly for updates and information sharing.  One of the discussion focuses is updates on PEI countries.  To learn more about our activities, please visit our discussion record archive.

The Set-up of PEI in ATLAS and its Management, Guidance for Country Offices

This guidance note gives an overview on how the PEI is set up in ATLAS.  The note outlines management of disbursements, reporting of expenditures, budget revisions, and other ATLAS project management aspects of this joint programme.  

 Communications

The new PEI global website is now up and running.  Interesting features include PEI Success Story Archive and the PEI Map, where you can find country-level highlights and access to PEI country websites.  Currently featured is a story about Bhutan, where the second PEI country programme has been launched.   

PEI Thailand on You-Tube

The 7-minute feed, using FlipCam, on the PEI Thailand features a story of Thailand’s “Last Venice”, where local communities strive to balance industrial developments, tourism, and conservation in the coastal province of Samut Songkram.  This is a work-in-progress as the PEI’s first attempt at video materials.  We look forward to working with you to develop more in the future.  

Events

The PEP 15 Meeting

The Fifteenth Poverty Environment Partnership (PEP 15) Meeting was held from 1 to 5 March 2010 in Malawi, featuring the theme "Climate and Environment Mainstreaming and the Green Economy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals".  The materials should be relevant to many PEI programmes.     

 

PEI Links

• PEI Website
• PEI Asia Pacific Profile
• PEI Asia Pacific Brochure
• Asia Pacific Poverty Environment Community of Practice on UNDP Solution Networks of Asia Pacific (SNAP)
• PE Network
• PEI Asia Pacific Briefing Note