Fund Dates

• Start Date: 1 January 2011
• End Date: 30 September 2021

Iraq UNDAF Trust Fund Key Documents:

Reports

• 2020 Consolidated Narrative and Financial Report  / 2020 Certified Financial Statement
  
• 2019 Consolidated Narrative and Financial Report
• 2019 Certified Financial Statement

Other Key Documents

• Iraq UNDAF SC Minutes - 18 Jan 2012
• Iraq UNDAF SC Minutes - 14 June 2011
• Terms of Reference (ToR revised Aug 2014)
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Standard Administrative Arrangment (SAA)
• Quarterly reporting template, Iraq UNDAF Fund

Overview

The  Iraq UNDAF Fund is established to support the first United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2011-2014 for Iraq. The UNDAF articulates Iraq’s recovery and transition towards longer-term development by providing a coherent and coordinated strategy for the delivery of UN assistance in line with Iraq’s national priorities stipulated in the Iraq Five Year National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014.  

The NDP provides the first medium-term planning framework for holistic development in Iraq. The NDP process has guided the development of UNDAF, whereby the UNDAF has been aligned with national development priorities (including population and the labour force; agriculture; industry; tourism; infrastructure, including transportation and communication; water and sanitation; housing; education; health; women; children and youth; vulnerable groups; poverty; MDGs; sustainable environment; spatial differentiation; and good governance).

The Fund will facilitate and streamline the provision of donor resources to UN Programming under the UNDAF as well as to simplify substantive and financial reporting. The Fund should serve as a vehicle for the Government of Iraq (GoI) co-financing and resource mobilization from donors to support unfunded portions of the UNDAF work plan as well as new initiatives responding to emerging needs within the context of the UNDAF. It serves as a mechanism that institutionalizes government ownership, and operational and programmatic coordination among donors, the UN and GoI.

The UNDAF embodies the Paris Principles and covers the full spectrum of the MDGs, enabling the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Iraq to provide comprehensive support to meet its MDG commitments by 2015. It will be implemented in an integrated manner in alignment with the global UN reform initiatives to Delivering as One (DaO) United Nations (UN).

Key Guiding Principles

 A number of key principles will guide the Iraq UNDAF Fund activities:

• The Fund aims to provide a coherent and streamlined platform for resource mobilization, fund allocation and reporting of UNDAF programming in Iraq, in line with the DaO approach.
• All programmes will support the achievement of development results under the five UNDAF Priority Area and will ensure full national ownership and leadership.
• To avoid duplication, reduce transaction costs and maximize synergies, the UNDG Joint Programme mechanism will be the preferred modality enabling the UN organizations and national partners to work together to prepare, implement, monitor and evaluate activities towards the achievement of the UNDAF priorities.
• In order to effectively respond to national priorities in a flexible and adaptive manner, donors are encouraged to contribute with multi-year unearmarked resources in accordance with the UNDAF priority areas. However, the donors may also earmark funds to a Participating UN Organization through the UNDAF Fund within the framework of the UNDAF priorities.

Governance

Fund Steering Committee 

The UNDAF Fund Steering Committee (SC) is be co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator on behalf of the UNCT, and a representative of the Ministry of Planning (MoP) on behalf of the Government of Iraq. Membership includes the Heads of the UN agencies co-chairing the UNDAF Priority Working Groups, annual rotational membership from two representatives from the Participating UN Organizations and representatives of two of the donors that have contributed to the Fund.

The Fund SC is responsible for the overall review and approval of joint programmes/projects and related programmatic and financial reports. The Fund SC also agrees on the scope and frequency of independent evaluations of the Fund supported joint programmes/projects and/or lessons learned for the Fund. The tasks and responsibilities of the Fund SC are elaborated in the UNDAF Iraq Trust Fund Terms of Reference.

The Resident Coordinator

The United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC) is responsible for the strategic orientation of the Fund on the basis of the UNDAF Framework and work plan, promoting a balanced approach in the mobilization of resources for the Fund and to the respective joint progrmmes/projects, and ensuring coherence of UNDAF programming initiatives.

 The Fund Secretariat

The Fund Secretariat supports the Fund SC is based within the RC Office. Its responsibilities include: facilitating SC meetings and ensuring follow-up of its decisions and group actions; tracking SC approvals, allocations and implementation progress; reviewing and analysing programme/project proposals; reviewing the Fund SC ToR and Rules of Procedures and recommending any changes and/or revisions to the SC for its consideration and approval; and ensuring operational effectivness of the fund for reduced transaction cost.

 UNDAF Priority Working Groups

The UNDAF Priority Working Groups are established  to review, prioritize, implement and report on joint programmes/project proposals. The PWG’s will review and vet the technical quality of all proposals to ensure their alignment with UN’s programming principles and national priorities, and available resources.

Administrative Agent

The Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office  (MPTF Office) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) serves as the Administrative Agent (AA). The AA will carry out the following functions: receives, administers and disburses funds to recipients upon instructions from the SC; and consolidates, prepares and submits periodic narrative and financial reports to the SC for onward submission to donors. The AA will also provide final reporting, including notification that the Fund has been fully expended or has been wound up in accordance with the Fund TOR.

 Decision Making

Funding Eligibility

UN Organizations sign a standard MOU with the AA setting out the terms and conditions under which the AA and the Participating UN Organizations are eligible to receive funds from the Fund. Eligible projects and Joint Programmes that are in line with the following UNDAF outcomes and endorsed by the Priority Working Groups may be considered for approval by the Fund’s Steering Committee for implementation by the Participating UN Organizations. The five UNDAF Priority Areas include:  in

• UNDAF Priority I: Improved governance, including the protection of human rights
• UNDAF Priority II: Inclusive, more equitable and sustainable economic growth
• UNDAF Priority III: Environmental management and compliance with ratified international treatries and obligations
• UNDAF Priority IV: Increased access to quality essential services
• UNDAF Priority V: Investment in human capital and empowerment of women, youth and children

Non-UN entities that are members of the UNCT, such as the IOM, and have international character, financial rules and regulations that are comparable to the UN may also become Participating Organizations by concluding a separate MOU with the AA. NGO partners and other entities will have access to the Fund through the Participating UN Organizations, in which case the latter will utilize their standard NGO cooperation modalities for this purpose.