Skopje, December 21, 2022. - At the conference entitled "Look further", which was held today in Skopje in the organization of the United Nations, representatives of several UN agencies together with international experts and representatives of the government discussed the key measures that the Republic of North Macedonia is taking and should take plans in the future in order to overcome the challenges in the food and energy crisis. "The current crisis is in many ways unprecedented. However, the root causes and drivers are neither new nor surprising and reflect our inability to prioritize the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Policy solutions are complex. We need to respond to the immediate needs to lift people out of poverty, but we also need to support businesses in order to save jobs, with concrete measures to ensure the best possible results with the available resources. Most importantly, policies should be systemic, sustainable and visionary to ensure that, despite the challenges, we remain strongly focused on sustainable growth and development. That requires timely and accurate data, cooperation and coordination," said the UN Resident Coordinator, Rossana Dudziak, at the opening of the conference. During the panel, the Vice Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Fatmir Bytyqi, emphasized that the problems should be solved systematically. "If they are not solved systematically, the problems increase. For example, we have been talking about digitization for years, but it was only superficial and not essential. Digitization requires a fundamental change in the behavior of stakeholders and citizens. We have not entered any segment to solve the problem in the way we should solve it", says Bytyqi. "Regarding the energy crisis, we understand that production is important, but we knew that we are 35 percent dependent on energy imports. It was nice because the price was good. As soon as a crisis comes, everyone asks why the problem is not solved. That problem is not solved overnight. The problem is again systemic. It should have started to be solved 10 years ago, and that in the field of alternative energies. Green energy. We are now trying to get old timers back into traffic with little intervention. But that is not a solution. The solution is green energy, a transition to green energy," added the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. The deputy representative of UNICEF, Artur Ayvazov, pointed out that shocks from price growth disproportionately affect households with more children and poorer families, due to their lower incomes and the greater share of food and energy consumption in their household budgets. Rising food prices leave these families with very little means to meet other basic needs. Ayvazov indicated that the Government should consider additional measures to reduce the burden on children and other vulnerable groups, including by expanding the access and volume of existing cash transfers and to ensure that the budget crisis does not disrupt basic health care services. , social protection and education. Addressing the conference, the Deputy Regional Representative of FAO for Europe and Central Asia, Nabil Gangi, emphasized that from a long-term perspective, it is important to consider the structural causes of the food crisis, and in order to have a better approach to solving this problem, distinguishes between issues affecting access to food and issues affecting food availability. In terms of access to food, the situation is multidimensional and reflects the complex interrelationship between food, energy and financial crises. According to Gangi, addressing food security challenges caused by current crises requires an "agri-food systems" approach, which FAO promotes to act outside the usual sectoral frameworks. It is a systematic combination of policies, investments and solutions focused on sustainable improvements in productivity and efficiency, greater resilience and ensuring enough healthy food for all. "Empirical research shows that a well-developed financial system can increase growth by up to 1 percent, and more importantly, reduce poverty. Financial systems contribute to encouraging savings and channeling them into investments, which are important for increasing the volume of capital and productivity, which in turn are the main determinants of long-term growth," said the Governor of National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, Anita Angelovska - Bezhoska. "The importance of finance is especially great in these crisis circumstances that emphasize structural weaknesses and the need for a green and digital transformation of the economy. It is positive for us that credit support for green transformation is growing, i.e. loans for this purpose in the past three years have recorded an increase of 80%", says Angelovska - Bezhoska. According to the Permanent Representative of the UNDP, Armen Grigoryan, the crisis will probably continue in 2023 and it is difficult to predict in which direction things will develop. "UNDP and other UN agencies in the country, together with other development partners, are here to support institutions and citizens and contribute to public dialogue and consensus building around specific policies and other measures that will contribute to addressing current development challenges and the impact of the global crisis. However, we now have a better understanding of the vulnerabilities and root causes of the crisis, internal and external factors, and propose systemic pathways in response to the crisis. One of the things that should be paid attention to is the gray economy, which, according to research, amounts to somewhere around 35 percent entering the system, to pay taxes. The second thing is the encouragement of small and medium-sized enterprises and regional cooperation," Grigoryan said. The Minister of Finance, Fatmir Besimi, emphasized that the past three years, which have been marked by crisis, have moved the mid-term framework of the planned fiscal targets, aimed at the consolidation of public finances and their long-term sustainability. "But at the same time, the policy makers give us the opportunity and show us where in the system we need changes. That's why we think it's good to implement the reform agenda in crisis episodes." He added that this year, contrary to expectations, was not a year suitable for fiscal consolidation, and there was a need for measures to support citizens, the economy and for greater production of electricity from domestic capacities to deal with the energy and price crisis. "In these conditions, the Government successfully resorted to rationalization of the expenditure side of the Budget, with which the achieved deficit is largely kept within the framework of the fiscal targets, which by 2027 should be reduced to 2.8% of the GDP budget deficit and public debt below 60%", said Besimi. The goal of the United Nations agencies, UNDP, FAO and UNICEF, together with national and international partners, is to find sustainable and long-term solutions that will respond to the needs of vulnerable groups and at the same time support growth and development, in conditions of high inflation. and modest financial resources.    

"SDGs are not just an additional plan for the world but are a shared vision and therefore we must embrace their transformation and implementation. In order to achieve the 2030 Agenda, North Macedonia remains fully committed to the development of institutions and partnerships that will enable sustainability for present and future generations", underlined the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani. The report focuses on the results that have been achieved and the lessons learned during 2021, the first year of implementation of the joint UN-Government 2021-2025 Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SDCF). “COVID-19 crisis reminded the whole world that we are all interconnected and that we need to work together towards sustainable development and that no one is left behind”, says Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “This report showcases how working together can contribute to achieving better results with our collective efforts.” Following the priorities identified in the 2021-2025 SDCF, the report records progress in the areas of inclusive prosperity, quality services for all, healthy environment, and good governance. Among many others, some of the results highlighted in the report are the 6,822 new jobs for young people that were created, more than 500 companies that received advisory and digitalized services, the consolidation of 1,078 hectares of agricultural land, the economic revival, and the return to in-person education. Also, the employment picked up, especially for women, who suffered the most during the pandemic, but less so for youth, which remains of concern. A total of 24 UN entities worked closely with over 130 partners in North Macedonia and their work is aligned with the country’s national development and strategic priorities, its international human rights and gender equality obligations, as well as commitments towards achieving Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Online version of the report is available in three languages, English, Macedonian and Albanian at the following link.

Priorities of FAO’s new CPF for North Macedonia (2021–2025) are consistent with the priorities of the Government, the country's Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development 2021–2027, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021–2025, with a view to facilitate food system transformation and progressive alignment of agriculture and the rural economy with European Union (EU) standards and the Sustainable Development Goals. The accord was signed by Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative, and Ljupco Nikolovski, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of North Macedonia during their meeting today with FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu. “This framework is a continuation of the long-standing partnership between FAO and North Macedonia and our joint efforts to advance agricultural development, empower smallholders and family farms, and invest in a sustainable and food-secure future of Macedonian people,” said Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative. "We are ready to continue the activities and the excellent cooperation with FAO through which the Ministry, the Government and the citizens of our country see the benefits directly on the ground. I will only mention the success we have achieved with the ongoing agricultural land consolidation projects under the National Land Consolidation Programme, through which we achieved historic progress in improving the structure of agricultural land, which has ultimately contributed to reducing costs and increasing farmers’ incomes. The cooperation with FAO is abundant, there are many joint projects that are of great interest to the country," said Minister Nikolovski. Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the Macedonian economy and a critical employer in rural areas, accounting for 12 percent of the gross domestic product and some 22 percent of total employment. Still, the sector’s development is hampered by many challenges, including, but not limited to, agricultural land fragmentation, limited access to productive assets (such as infrastructure, land, water, energy, knowledge, and financial services), weak value chains, and high vulnerability to climate change. Having this in mind, FAO is ready to support North Macedonia in two main areas; building a stronger rural economy aligned with the EU standards, with focus on small farms and women farmers, and enhancing climate action, natural resources, and disaster risk management. More specifically, FAO will support the Government of North Macedonia in formulating effective policies and enabling investments for rural transformation, improving agricultural land structures and land market mobility, modernizing production, strengthening value chains, and ensuring climate-smart, resilient agriculture. Support to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy will continue to implement the ongoing land consolidation projects under the National Land Consolidation Programme and further scale up the programme at national level, as well as other land market instruments. Through knowledge sharing and other means, FAO will help the Ministry and other relevant partners in formulating policy measures for improved advisory, veterinary, and phytosanitary services, as well as in the European Union approximation efforts in the areas of animal health management and food safety and quality, to meet the national needs and global challenges in the food value chain. Under the second priority of the programme, FAO will support the country’s climate action efforts. This includes sustainable management of natural resources (land, water, forestry, and biodiversity), building climate resilience of agricultural production, and reducing disaster risks in agriculture. Boosting the climate resilience of smallholder farmers in many ways – including more efficient input use, high-quality data for decision-making, climate-smart agriculture, and expansion of irrigation systems – will be a key area in this regard. ‘’Achieving these results is possible with strong Government commitment and support from resource partners as well as with FAO’s contribution through its Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). The technical assistance provided through TCP projects plays an important role in addressing the critical technical gaps of the Government, but also in having a catalytic effect for a sustainable impact and further investments towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the CPF’’, says Goran Stavrik, FAO Programme Officer (TCP). North Macedonia relies on FAO’s global experience and know-how as an accredited entity to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation Fund (AF), and Global Environment Facility (GEF) in accessing environmental climate finance to support the country's national climate change adaptation and mitigation priorities while also meeting the country's global climate commitments.   LINKS In rural North Macedonia, FAO helps improve sustainable and resilient development Enhancing rice production in North Macedonia through land consolidation Young Macedonian artist wins World Food Day poster contest honoring food heroes Land consolidation is the missing link for farmers in North Macedonia North Macedonia receives continued support for “greening”

Representatives of the UN family, health workers and representatives and of many national partners involved gathered to discuss lessons learned from the Joint Programme, which was implemented by three UN agencies, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, in coordination with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, and funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund., Participants of the event also discussed how to reach groups that may have been left behind in health services, improve preventive care in remote and underserved areas, how to strengthen immunisation, utilize digitalisation to ensure accessibility of the health services for all. “This programme was established to enable fast and innovative response to emerging needs stemming out of COVID-19 and we are happy to be among very few in the world that managed to get funding from the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund”, says Patrizia DiGiovanni, UN Resident Coordinator ad interim. “The program enabled free life-saving services for the people, particularly women and girls, living in underserved areas to whom provision of such services was disrupted or postponed due to COVID 19 pandemic and it should serve as a model for many future activities and investments in the health sector, aiming not only to save life, but to increase quality of life and improve outcomes for all people in the country.” “Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19 in North Macedonia” is a joint programme that helped the government improve essential health services within the context of COVID-19 by building on the significant investments already made to strengthen the national health and social systems, contain disease outbreaks, and ensure health responses to various emergencies. The programme has introduced several innovative health services, such as the mobile gynaecological clinics visits to remote areas, including e-immunisation registry that aims to improve data collection and the calculation of immunization coverage rates, and risk communication to immunization-sceptic populations as well as awareness raising among women and girls of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. These improved services address the significant decrease in their provision since the outbreak of COVID-19 and enable more efficient real time collection of policy relevant data on immunization while also contributing to greater professional and public support for vaccination. The programme targets vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children, particularly those living in remote areas of the country, who would benefit from sexual and reproductive health services, immunization and psycho-social support. The implementation of the programme started in January 2021 and ends now at the end of March 2022, with a budget of $850,000. The programme is jointly implemented by three UN agencies in close partnership with key national partners including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, e-Health Directorate, Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Committee on Safe Motherhood and Healthy New-borns, Macedonian Medical Association, Macedonian Association of Nurses and Midwives, University Clinic of Psychiatry and civil society organizations. This joint programme is made possible thanks to the contributions to the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund by the governments of Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Finland, Austria, United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, United States of America, Iceland, Croatia, Portugal, Thailand, Slovak Republic, Romania, Cambodia, Cyprus and Philippines. More info at: https://northmacedonia.un.org/en/170196-safe-and-innovative-health-services-times-covid-19