“SEEING THE UN DELIVERING AS ONE IN DAR ES SALAAM, DODOMA AND KIGOMA”

The Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) are key donors and partners of the United Nations system globally, regionally and at country level. In order to strengthen their collaboration with the United Nations in support of the Global Goals, and strategic development priorities of the Government of Tanzania, officials representing the five Nordic countries will be in the country during 14 -18 November, 2016.

The mission comes during the initial implementation stage of the UN Business Plan (UNDAP II) as well as the Five Year National Development Plan of Tanzania. The mission, comprising of 13 delegates from Nordic Ministries of Foreign Affairs and five delegates from UN offices in Nordic countries, is expected to visit some of the UN supported programmes in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Kigoma.

The mission is expected to meet with senior government officials, including the Vice President of Tanzania, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and East African Cooperation. They are also expected to meet with the National Assembly Speaker and other regional leaders in the regions they visit.

While in Dar es Salaam, on November 14-15, the mission will meet with the senior UN officials, government counterparts, and representatives from CSO’s and NGO’s. They will also visit a Gender and Children Desk in the police station of Chang’ombe and PASADA, an organization dealing with HIV and AIDS. These visits will demonstrate support to ending gender-based violence and violence against children, and for people living with HIV and AIDS, and enhancing democratic governance through the rule of law.

In Dodoma on November 16, the mission will meet National Assembly Leadership, where the UN, through its agencies, has been supporting capacity building for the past five years. The visits will include a Youth Employment Programme, the Three Sisters Oil Mills Company Limited - the Kizota Food Warehouse and TASAF.

The last leg of the visit will be to the Refugee Camp in Kigoma, on Thursday 17 November. Accompanied by Government and UN Officials, the mission will visit Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Kasulu to see the humanitarian refugee response led by the UN, as well to meet with women’s associations in their host communities supported by UN interventions.

Highlighting the importance of the mission, on behalf of the UN System in Tanzania, the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, stated that the Nordic countries have been key partners to the UN in development and humanitarian activities, and this has allowed the UN to be a partner of the United Republic of Tanzania in addressing pressing national priorities. He added that their visit to Tanzania comes at the right time when the UN and the Government have developed their five-year plans for eradicating poverty, addressing climate change and ensuring sustainable development. Mr. Rodriguez added, “We in the UN are very pleased with the Nordic countries’ support and their commitment in ensuring no one is left behind when it comes to development and humanitarian assistance”.