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16 May 2022
IOM NORTH MACEDONIA IS SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTH MACEDONIA’S PROGRAMME FOR REDUCING THE AIR POLLUTION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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13 May 2022
UNFPA’s support to online platform skrining.mk – fostering innovative health services
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13 May 2022
North Macedonia as a refuge for Ukrainians
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The Sustainable Development Goals in North Macedonia
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in North Macedonia:
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16 May 2022
IOM NORTH MACEDONIA IS SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTH MACEDONIA’S PROGRAMME FOR REDUCING THE AIR POLLUTION AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
On April 1, 2022, IOM North Macedonia in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of North Macedonia and University of Birmingham hosted a hybrid event presenting the new project “Utilizing A Systems Approach to Assess the Nexus Between Air Pollution and Human Mobility and Mainstream the Nexus into Policy Development in the Republic of North Macedonia” for participants from the government, civil society representatives and academia.
The event was introduced with opening remarks by the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning of the Republic of North Macedonia, Naser Nuredini, and the Head of Office of the IOM Mission to the Republic of North Macedonia, Sonja Bоzinovska Petrushevska, followed by an introductory presentation on Migration Environment Climate and Climate Changes by the IOM Thematic Specialist on Migration, Environment and Climate Change in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Soumyadeep Banerjee and a presentation of the project by the IOM North Macedonia Project Manager, Vanja Lazaridis.
The conference also featured speeches and presentations on the methodology and the study on air pollution and human mobility, given by Professor William Avis and Professor Francis Pope, University of Birmingham, and Professor Mennan Selimi, South East European University, North Macedonia.
Over the next 18 months, this project will contribute to addressing the knowledge and policy gaps pertaining to the complex inter-linkages between human mobility, air pollution and clean energy in the context of the Government of North Macedonia’s vision on clean air, as well as explore the human mobility, air pollution and clean energy nexus in the context of the European Green Deal’s Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
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13 May 2022
UNFPA’s support to online platform skrining.mk – fostering innovative health services
This is largely since the focus of the national health system was mainly oriented towards tackling the coronavirus issues.
The Ministry of Health, within the National Program for Early Detection of Malignant Diseases, has recently started developing an online platform – skrining.mk as part of the organized screening for cervical cancer, supported by the United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA.
Every woman can apply/ express interest in doing a free PAP test if she has not done so in the past 3 years and is within the age group provided for this year of 36-45 years. The online platform is being promoted on National TV and social media channels.
The module enables the appointment with a family gynecologist and generates reports to monitor the progress of the screening. When the woman expresses interest, she will receive a scheduled appointment with her family gynecologist. If women do not have a registered gynecologist, they will be given the option to choose a registered gynecologist according to their place of residence.
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13 May 2022
North Macedonia as a refuge for Ukrainians
North Macedonia, as a so-called second-line country, is a temporary shelter for around 1000 Ukrainians, welcoming people on humanitarian grounds to take refuge from the crisis. One of those refugees is a 19-year-old student Anastasia. She came to North Macedonia together with her little sister after a family of Ukrainians who works in the Skopje Embassy offered them shelter on the first day of the war. In Ukraine, Anastasia was a philosophy student at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv where she enrolled because, as she says “…during the pandemic there was a lot of time to think, and I have always been in this search of the eternal questions of humanity, about the origin, way of thinking and so on. I came to the faculty to look for answers that I immediately understand that I will not find, but no one forbade me to try.” This curiosity and open-mindedness brought Anastasia an invitation to continue her interrupted studies at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. “Humanity is part of the mission of the staff and students of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. The media story about a student from the Faculty of Philosophy in Kyiv who fled the war and took refuge with her sister in Skopje encouraged us to contact the Embassy of the Republic of Ukraine in Skopje and offer the opportunity to continue Anastasia's studies, as well as extend the same offer to other students and professors from Ukraine if they arrive in our country.” – said the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Ratko Duev. Anastasia also looked back on that serendipitous TV appearance. “I was giving an interview to a local channel about the war in Ukraine and the Dean noticed me. I was given a great opportunity to continue my studies during the war at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, for which I am incredibly grateful. I have already met some students. In such moments of life, support from strangers from another country is especially pleasant and necessary,” she said.
The Dean also acknowledges that even though the procedure was complicated, the Ukrainian Embassy and the Government stepped forward to help resolve the legal obstacles regarding the recognition of her studies. The faculty provided a laptop, with all the e-services of the faculty, access to e-learning platforms, databases with magazines, and textbooks so that during her stay in North Macedonia she could advance in her studies. Anastasia has also been invited to participate in the upcoming Philosophy Olympics which will be held in Ohrid. This event will be attended by 1,000 students and professors from all over the region, competing in games of knowledge, sports, and culture. Participation costs for those coming from Ukraine will be covered by the faculty.
UNHCR Representative Ms. Monica Sandri commends the act of solidarity and states that everybody should do whatever is in their power to provide meaningful and practical support to refugees, both from Ukraine and elsewhere. Universities and other higher education institutions have a unique opportunity to support young refugees whose education has been interrupted due to war or persecution. Instead of unaccomplished dreams, they can now be the beacons of light for future teachers, engineers, artists, doctors, and philosophers, like Anastasia, and set the tone of acceptance in their societies.
UNHCR North Macedonia supports the Government and all stakeholders in their effort to offer international protection to refugees by establishing a protection-sensitive entry system and asylum system fully in line with international standards, where refugees and asylum seekers can thrive and become active members of the host society. By promoting a more conducive protection environment, improving the public narrative around refugees, and establishing partnerships with various actors in the society, we work to increase the acceptance of the people we serve, and their potential to be utilized in the host countries, as well as in their homelands once they feel safe to go back.
Professor Duev confirms this notion - he says that the Faculty of Philosophy has always been open to all those who need help, the vulnerable, the refugees. “Our gates are wide open to colleagues and students from Ukraine going through the hell of war. To the best of our ability, as a faculty that for decades has led and encouraged campaigns to raise social responsibility to the community, and further nurture the world, we believe that even if one human life is saved, the debt to humanity is fulfilled. The best way to oppose evil is not with evil, but with solidarity, kindness, and humanity. Thus, evil will lose its essence.” For now, Anastasia is still in North Macedonia, grateful for the opportunity to continue her studies in Skopje, but slowly going back to the lectures at her alma mater, since they started to hold classes online. She is eager to go back to Ukraine, graduate from the Faculty of Philosophy, and then use her skills and intellect and help rebuild Ukraine. UNHCR estimates that until May 4, over 5.7 million people fled Ukraine, and a further 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Ukraine, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
Professor Duev confirms this notion - he says that the Faculty of Philosophy has always been open to all those who need help, the vulnerable, the refugees. “Our gates are wide open to colleagues and students from Ukraine going through the hell of war. To the best of our ability, as a faculty that for decades has led and encouraged campaigns to raise social responsibility to the community, and further nurture the world, we believe that even if one human life is saved, the debt to humanity is fulfilled. The best way to oppose evil is not with evil, but with solidarity, kindness, and humanity. Thus, evil will lose its essence.” For now, Anastasia is still in North Macedonia, grateful for the opportunity to continue her studies in Skopje, but slowly going back to the lectures at her alma mater, since they started to hold classes online. She is eager to go back to Ukraine, graduate from the Faculty of Philosophy, and then use her skills and intellect and help rebuild Ukraine. UNHCR estimates that until May 4, over 5.7 million people fled Ukraine, and a further 7.7 million people have been displaced internally within Ukraine, making this the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
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Story
13 May 2022
UNCAC implementation and reviews in North Macedonia
UNODC coordinated non-state actors, including civil society and the private sector at a recent workshop, to aid in the effective implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in South Eastern Europe.
A two-day multi-stakeholder workshop in North Macedonia, organized by UNODC in partnership with the Macedonian Centre for International Cooperation gathered 30 participants from civil society, public authorities and private sector. The workshop sought to increase participants’ understanding of the UNCAC Implementation Review Mechanism and discuss the recommendations stemming from the first and second cycle reviews that the country has already completed, in particular, how civil society can support the implementation of those recommendations through common platforms for dialogue and cooperation.
Speaking at the opening, the Deputy President of the Government in charge of Good Governance Policies said, "The prevention of corruption is a process where all entities should be actively involved, and jointly with the civil sector, we are building a systemic approach in creating and implementing anti-corruption policies".
The Minister of Justice of North Macedonia further added that “although there are seven institutions specialized in the fight against corruption, there is still serious work to be done in terms of achieving the goal”.
In January 2022, the Government of North Macedonia adopted a plan of activities for collecting and publishing updated data related to the implementations of the observations and to overcome the challenges identified under the second UNCAC review cycle, outlined in the full country report (2016-2024). One of the key objectives of this plan is to increase the transparency of the UNCAC self-assessment checklist, one of the stages in UNCAC implementation. Transparency efforts will be undertaken in cooperation with civil society to strengthen both the institutional and public awareness of the requirements set by the Convention. North Macedonia’s CSOs, such as the Centre for Civic Communications and the Platform of CSOs for the Fight against Corruption pledged to assist and request the Government to uphold those commitments.
UNODC will continue strengthening the multi-stakeholder involvement in the UNCAC implementation in the region, the next step being a training on private sector integrity on 10-11 May in Tirana, Albania.
Further resources:
UNODC Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe
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Story
09 May 2022
Partnerships for gender equality in land ownership and control
As farmers and farm workers, horticulturists, businesswomen, entrepreneurs and community leaders, they fulfil important roles in agriculture and the development of rural economies.
Yet, rural women face greater constraints than men in accessing land, technology, markets, infrastructure and services.
In late 2015, the world pledged to transform our future by committing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which foresees reforms providing women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, in accordance with national laws. This gave further impetus to the joint work of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the UN and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on ensuring gender equality in land ownership and control in the Western Balkans.
FAO and GIZ have been supporting the Western Balkan countries to promote progress on gender equality, with a focus on measuring the proportion of countries where the legal framework guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control.
Indicator 5.a.2 measures the extent of women’s disadvantages in ownership of and rights to land, as well as equal legal rights to land ownership. Together with indicator 5.a.1, it provides a basis for policy measures aimed at securing equal opportunities and access to rights and resources.
Click here for English, Macedonian, Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian or Montenegrian version of the publication.
Related links:
Ensuring rural development through better access to land for women in the Western Balkans
FAO Regional gender strategy for Europe and Central Asia, 2019–2022
Guidelines on Strengthening Gender Equality in Land Registration – Southeast Europe
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Press Release
29 April 2022
New FAO–North Macedonia programming framework for a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient rural economy
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”
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Press Release
28 March 2022
Working jointly is the fastest way to improve health services for all
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
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Press Release
14 March 2022
New Scenarios on Global Food Security based on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Supply chain and logistical disruptions on Ukrainian and Russian grain and oilseed production and restrictions on Russia’s exports will have significant food security repercussions. This is especially true for some fifty countries that depend on Russia and Ukraine for 30% or more of their wheat supply. Many of them are least developed countries or low-income, food-deficit countries in Northern Africa, Asia and the Near East. Many European and Central Asian countries rely on Russia for over 50% of their fertilizer supply, and shortages there could extend to next year.
Food prices, already on the rise since the second half of 2020, reached an all-time high in February 2022 due to high demand, input and transportation costs, and port disruptions. Global prices of wheat and barley, for example, rose 31% over the course of 2021. Rapeseed oil and sunflower oil prices rose more than 60%. High demand and volatile natural gas prices have also driven up fertilizer costs. For instance, the price of urea, a key nitrogen fertilizer, has increased more than threefold in the past 12 months.
The conflict’s intensity and duration remain uncertain. The likely disruptions to agricultural activities of these two major exporters of staple commodities could seriously escalate food insecurity globally, when international food and input prices are already high and volatile. The conflict could also constrain agricultural production and purchasing power in Ukraine, leading to increased food insecurity locally.
Core Risk Factors Identified
Cereal crops will be ready for harvest in June. Whether farmers in Ukraine would be able to harvest them and deliver to the market is unclear. Massive population displacement has reduced the number of agricultural laborers and workers. Accessing agricultural fields would be difficult. Rearing livestock and poultry and producing fruits and vegetables would be constrained as well.
The Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea have shuttered. Even if inland transportation infrastructure remains intact, shipping grain by rail would be impossible because of a lack of an operational railway system. Vessels can still transit through the Turkish Straits, a critical trade juncture through which a large amount of wheat and maize shipments pass. Rising insurance premiums for the Black Sea region would exacerbate the already high costs of shipping, compounding the costs of food imports. And, whether storage and processing facilities would remain intact and staffed is also still unclear.
The Russian ports on the Black Sea are open for now, and no major disruption to agricultural production is expected in the short term. However, the financial sanctions against Russia have caused an important depreciation which, if continued, could undermine productivity and growth and ultimately further elevate agricultural production costs.
Russia is a major player in the global energy market, accounting for 18% of global coal exports, 11% of oil, and 10% of gas. Agriculture requires energy through fuel, gas, electricity use, as well as fertilizers, pesticides, and lubricants. Manufacturing feed ingredients and feedstuffs also require energy. The current conflict has caused energy prices to surge, with negative consequences on the agriculture sector.
Wheat is a staple food for over 35% of the world's population, and the current conflict could result in a sudden and steep reduction in wheat exports from both Russia and Ukraine. It is still unclear whether other exporters would be able to fill this gap. Wheat inventories are already running low in Canada, and exports from the United States, Argentina and other countries are likely to be limited as government will try to ensure domestic supply.
Countries reliant on wheat imports are likely to ramp up levels, adding further pressure on global supplies. Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Iran are the top global wheat importers, buying more than 60% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and all of them have outstanding imports. Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Pakistan also rely heavily on the two countries for their wheat supply. Global maize trade is likely to shrink due to expectations that the export loss from Ukraine will not be filled by other exporters and because of high prices.
Export prospects for sunflower oil and other alternative oils also remain uncertain. Major sunflower oil importers, including India, the European Union, China, Iran, and Turkey, must find other suppliers or other vegetable oils, which could have a spill-over effect on palm, soy, and rapeseed oils, for example.
Policy Recommendations
1. Keep global food and fertilizer trade open. Every effort should be made to protect the production and marketing activities needed to meet domestic and global demands. Supply chains should keep moving, which means protecting standing crops, livestock, food processing infrastructure, and all logistical systems.
2. Find new and more diverse food suppliers. Countries dependent on food imports from Russia and Ukraine should look for alternative suppliers to absorb the shock. They should also rely on existing food stocks and diversify their domestic production to ensure people’s access to healthy diets.
3. Support vulnerable groups, including internally displaced people. Governments must expand social safety nets to protect vulnerable people. In Ukraine, international organizations must step in to help reach people in need. Across the globe, many more people would be pushed into poverty and hunger because of the conflict, and we must provide timely and well-targeted social protection programs to them.
4. Avoid ad hoc policy reactions. Before enacting any measures to secure food supply, governments must consider their potential effects on international markets. Reductions in import tariffs or the use of export restrictions could help to resolve individual country food security challenges in the short term, but they would drive up prices on global markets.
5. Strengthen market transparency and dialogue. More transparency and information on global market conditions can help governments and investors make informed decisions when agricultural commodity markets are volatile. Initiatives like the G-20’s Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) increases such transparency by providing objective and timely market assessments.
Food prices, already on the rise since the second half of 2020, reached an all-time high in February 2022 due to high demand, input and transportation costs, and port disruptions. Global prices of wheat and barley, for example, rose 31% over the course of 2021. Rapeseed oil and sunflower oil prices rose more than 60%. High demand and volatile natural gas prices have also driven up fertilizer costs. For instance, the price of urea, a key nitrogen fertilizer, has increased more than threefold in the past 12 months.
The conflict’s intensity and duration remain uncertain. The likely disruptions to agricultural activities of these two major exporters of staple commodities could seriously escalate food insecurity globally, when international food and input prices are already high and volatile. The conflict could also constrain agricultural production and purchasing power in Ukraine, leading to increased food insecurity locally.
Core Risk Factors Identified
Cereal crops will be ready for harvest in June. Whether farmers in Ukraine would be able to harvest them and deliver to the market is unclear. Massive population displacement has reduced the number of agricultural laborers and workers. Accessing agricultural fields would be difficult. Rearing livestock and poultry and producing fruits and vegetables would be constrained as well.
The Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea have shuttered. Even if inland transportation infrastructure remains intact, shipping grain by rail would be impossible because of a lack of an operational railway system. Vessels can still transit through the Turkish Straits, a critical trade juncture through which a large amount of wheat and maize shipments pass. Rising insurance premiums for the Black Sea region would exacerbate the already high costs of shipping, compounding the costs of food imports. And, whether storage and processing facilities would remain intact and staffed is also still unclear.
The Russian ports on the Black Sea are open for now, and no major disruption to agricultural production is expected in the short term. However, the financial sanctions against Russia have caused an important depreciation which, if continued, could undermine productivity and growth and ultimately further elevate agricultural production costs.
Russia is a major player in the global energy market, accounting for 18% of global coal exports, 11% of oil, and 10% of gas. Agriculture requires energy through fuel, gas, electricity use, as well as fertilizers, pesticides, and lubricants. Manufacturing feed ingredients and feedstuffs also require energy. The current conflict has caused energy prices to surge, with negative consequences on the agriculture sector.
Wheat is a staple food for over 35% of the world's population, and the current conflict could result in a sudden and steep reduction in wheat exports from both Russia and Ukraine. It is still unclear whether other exporters would be able to fill this gap. Wheat inventories are already running low in Canada, and exports from the United States, Argentina and other countries are likely to be limited as government will try to ensure domestic supply.
Countries reliant on wheat imports are likely to ramp up levels, adding further pressure on global supplies. Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Iran are the top global wheat importers, buying more than 60% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and all of them have outstanding imports. Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Pakistan also rely heavily on the two countries for their wheat supply. Global maize trade is likely to shrink due to expectations that the export loss from Ukraine will not be filled by other exporters and because of high prices.
Export prospects for sunflower oil and other alternative oils also remain uncertain. Major sunflower oil importers, including India, the European Union, China, Iran, and Turkey, must find other suppliers or other vegetable oils, which could have a spill-over effect on palm, soy, and rapeseed oils, for example.
Policy Recommendations
1. Keep global food and fertilizer trade open. Every effort should be made to protect the production and marketing activities needed to meet domestic and global demands. Supply chains should keep moving, which means protecting standing crops, livestock, food processing infrastructure, and all logistical systems.
2. Find new and more diverse food suppliers. Countries dependent on food imports from Russia and Ukraine should look for alternative suppliers to absorb the shock. They should also rely on existing food stocks and diversify their domestic production to ensure people’s access to healthy diets.
3. Support vulnerable groups, including internally displaced people. Governments must expand social safety nets to protect vulnerable people. In Ukraine, international organizations must step in to help reach people in need. Across the globe, many more people would be pushed into poverty and hunger because of the conflict, and we must provide timely and well-targeted social protection programs to them.
4. Avoid ad hoc policy reactions. Before enacting any measures to secure food supply, governments must consider their potential effects on international markets. Reductions in import tariffs or the use of export restrictions could help to resolve individual country food security challenges in the short term, but they would drive up prices on global markets.
5. Strengthen market transparency and dialogue. More transparency and information on global market conditions can help governments and investors make informed decisions when agricultural commodity markets are volatile. Initiatives like the G-20’s Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) increases such transparency by providing objective and timely market assessments.
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Press Release
03 March 2022
Fostering greater exchange to enhance inclusion of people with disabilities at the focus of the Regional Conference
Representatives of national human rights institutions, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, civil society representatives from the Western Balkan region, along with their peers from other European countries, and other organizations participated in the regional conference organized by the Ombudsman and the United Nations family in North Macedonia, yesterday.
The participants of the conference “Strengthening National Human Rights Institutions as independent monitoring mechanisms for the implementation of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)” had a unique chance to share experiences, good practices, challenges, opportunities, and initiatives on the existing monitoring frameworks.
“Societies can never achieve the Sustainable Development Goals without the full participation of everyone, including people with disabilities. Recognizing their rights and ensuring their engagement is critical. Progress has been made in the countries in the region, but a lot remains to be done to accelerate disability inclusive development,” says Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “Only through a dialogue and by working together – across governments, international and regional organizations, civil society, and the private sector – can we effectively fulfil the CRPD and Agenda 2030 commitments.”
The goal of this conference is to encourage a constructive, action-oriented dialogue on accelerating inclusive, equitable, sustainable development in the Western Balkans, guided by the international human rights standards and the 2030 Agenda’s promise to leave no one behind.
“We have a long way with a lot of challenges on it, before we can talk about full inclusion and integration of persons with disabilities, as per the Convention, which is a tool that can help us in achieving these goals. In that sense, I strongly believe that the conference will open up a lot of discussions and initiatives how to achieve the desired progress,” says Naser Ziberi, Ombudsman.
Focusing on strengthening the role and the collaboration among national human rights institutions in the region, the conference seeks to inspire and guide future action to be pursued by NHRIs, disability movements and other partners across the region.
In addition to further enhancing regional exchange, participants of the conference agreed to ensure that the good practices and lessons learned on including civil society in the monitoring process from the conference will be included into their work and future activities, and that they will continue to support the independent monitoring, and leverage on human rights agenda across the region.
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Press Release
24 February 2022
Minister of Health, UN representatives and partners visit mobile gynaecological clinic in Cheshinovo - Obleshevo
SKOPJE| 24 February 2022 - The Minister of Health, Bekim Sali, representatives of the UN family and representatives of the diplomatic corps visited Cheshinovo- Obleshevo to see the implementation of the mobile gynaecological clinic established to enhance access to gynaecological services, particularly for the most vulnerable women and girls in hard-to-reach areas who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
”The Joint Programme “Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19” in North Macedonia turned out to be a very successful activity towards improving access to sexual and reproductive health, immunization and services to support victims of gender-based violence, as well adolescents, children and people from vulnerable groups and from underserved areas”, says Bekim Sali, Minister of Health. “This would not have been possible without the support of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, in coordination with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the contributions of the Government within the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund and the national partners. For this, I am sincerely grateful!"
For the past three months, the mobile gynaecological clinics have carried out examinations in in several municipalities so far - Sveti Nikole, Vrapchishte, Gradsko, Lozovo, Chashka and Chesihovo Obleshevo. The implementation of the mobile gynaecological services is supported through the project “Safe and Innovative Health Services in Times of COVID-19” in North Macedonia, funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
"One of the greatest values of this programme was the ability to quickly respond to a set of health-related needs, often directly at those at greatest risk and in underserved areas”, says Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia. “Even more importantly, the activities and services introduced through this joint programme are an investment for the future, for increased quality of health services for all, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“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 assure 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 have benefit from sexual and reproductive health services, immunization and psycho-social support. The implementation of the programme started in January 2021 and will last through March 2022, with a budget of $850,000 funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
The programme is jointly implemented by three UN agencies - United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World Health Organization (WHO), under the coordination of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and 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 on:
https://northmacedonia.un.org/en/170196-safe-and-innovative-health-services-times-covid-19
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