UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative

As of 2011, the UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative jointly supports the implementation of full country level mainstreaming programmes in seventeen countries: nine countries in Africa, five countries in Asia and the Pacific, two countries in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and one country in Latin America and the Caribbean with the aim of increasing the capacity of governments to mainstream environment into national development processes and their implementation. In addition, technical support is provided to an additional number of countries across all regions.  

Although all country programmes are similar in that they all employ a three-phased approach with the aim of developing a sustainable poverty-environment mainstreaming programme, each country programme is tailored to the specific needs and conditions of that country. Therefore the time-frame and the activities carried out under each programme can vary from country to country.

Scale-up
The scale-up of the PEI (period 2008-2012) is focused on building on the strengths of the current country programmes on a regional basis. During 2008-2011, in Africa, the PEI launched three new country programmes; in Asia-Pacific, five PEI country programmes were establised; two in Europe & CIS and one in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Regional Delivery:
Support to PEI country programmes is provided through the regional structures of UNDP and UNEP. UNDP Regional Centres and UNEP Regional Offices collaborate to deliver environmental mainstreaming support to countries under the banner of the PEI. The mainstreaming support programmes are aligned with country demand within each region.

The Regional Support Programmes:

• Offer guidance on strategic planning and information about poverty-environmental mainstreaming issues in the region;
• Define a set of priority services, including trainings and knowledge management services for countries in the region;
• Allocate funds for country programmes and provide advisory services, and support for the regional communities of practice;
• Ensure that UNDP and UNEP operate in a region and countries within a well-coordinated framework, rather than on an initiative-by-initiative or unit-by-unit basis. This includes working closely with the One UN initiative.

The Poverty-Environment Facility in Nairobi in turn provides support and guidance to the PEI regional teams and support centres.