November - December 1999
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UNDP United Nations Development Programme |
Starting New Year with a New Slate |
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The major objective of the project is to train and provide employment for highly qualified professionals who are registered as unemployed. The first group of 20 people with diplomas of higher and special technical education has been already selected. For 6 months they will be trained in management, computer literacy basic, interpreneural skills. It is envisaged that by the end of training the majority of graduates will be already employed. In the crisis situation of the domestic economy the project is targeted to reduce social tension and facilitate up-grading of professionals who already have higher education. Finding a job in Fryazino is not an easy task not only for elderly, but for young people either, especially for mothers with small children. A round trip to Moscow takes about 5 hours. People return home late in the evening when kindergartens are already closed. That makes young mother stay at home with their children, as there are no vacancies in Fryazino. This was the situation in which 28 years old Olga Kushtal found herself after birth of her baby, even though she has a qualification of a teacher in maths, a qualification that is in demand. Nearly every day Olga Kushtal visited local labour exchange, but everything was in vain, until she learnt about the opening of a new employment centre. She believes she is lucky as all the other selected students. During half a year she will be not only trained but also a student’s allowance will be paid to her. She has a dream. «I have a business plan in my mind already - to start a private school», - Olga confessed to the UN in Russia. «There are some people around me who would like to try themselves in private business. In case my plan does not work out, I will work in an employment service and help people like me to find jobs.» SISLAB* - System for Highly Qualified Professionals Seeking Employment Good Luck!
«My expectations for 2000 are not merely high, they are very high. First, after my degree in May I want to get a good job; second, I hope it will be at UNDP, though I knew next to nothing about this organization before I came here as an intern for my graduation work», Anna said. «Work here is, first of all, in line with my professional interests, international relations. Moreover, the specifics of work in such an organization become clearer to me due to my basic higher education I received at St. Petersburg State University, where I graduated in political psychology». Like any intern, she has «to pick up the loose ends», Anna says. «But then I can do lots of things — operating the switchboard, filing documents, drafting project proposals, and translating difficult texts in economics». (Anna is fluent in French and English.) Being a professional in psychology, Anna applies varied approaches to problem studies in the social sphere, human resources, and human development which are priorities for UNDP. Anna is really committed and dedicated, full of energy and courage, which is also important. Last year, she decided to start kayaking in Turkey. We wish her good luck at the start of her long road in life.
Countries in Transition and Human Development
Eastern Europe and the CIS provide a last example of social transition on the eve of the new millennium. The nineties became an era of global changes which cannot be predicted and which have never in history occurred in such a limited period of time. The market economy mechanisms substituted the principles of centrally planned economies throwing off-board those who are unable to adjust to the new living conditions and economic environment. The data on human development in 27 countries gives clear evidence that the market oriented policies very often left aside the need for institutional reform and transformation of the society resulted in shrinking of the state and its role, without any proposed alternative. Another important issue considered in the report and common for the countries in transition is a need to combine the issues of governance and reduction of the human costs for transition. Success of the countries in transition in the 21st century depends not only on the achievement in economic growth but also on ability to overcome social discrepancy - this is the finding of the authors of this publication. The Reports covers the issues of economic consequences of transition, functioning of economics, growth of unemployment, poverty and crime and presents an alternative of the economic reforms based on preservation and development of human potential. A separate chapter deals with demographic issues, degradation of living conditions and health. Given the importance of public support for the social and economic reforms the authors of the report consider an alternative approach to the social policies - i.e. pension reform, unemployment allowances, as well as the issues of public health care and education, empowerment of women. The report contains statistic data providing for a new vision of the problems of transition, which undoubtedly will be of interest for the readers. To purchase the Report please apply to the UNDP Office in Moscow address: 28 Ostozhenka St., phone (095) 787-21-00, fax (095) 787-21-01, Olga Bogdanova, Public Relations Officer.
Our long-awaited dream has come
true! For the New Year we, the staff of the UN House in Moscow, received a good present
– a new office. The first to move in early December were the staff of the UNODCCP. UNDP,
UNFPA and WHO followed them on the New Year eve. The other UN agencies – UNHCR, UNICEF,
UNAIDS, OCHA, will leave Obukha Lane for Ostozhenka Street by early March. UNESCO, ILO and
UNIC will remain in the same premises.
We look forward to seeing You at our new premises! Our new address: 28 Ostozhenka Street, Moscow 119034 Russia Telephone (UNDP): (095) 787 2100 Fax (UNDP): (095) 787 2101
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A new Employment Centre was opened in mid-December in
town of Fryazino in the Moscow region. This Centre was created within the framework of the
UNDP pilot project implemented jointly with the Government of Russia and Government of
Norway - SYSLAB*. This project is financed jointly by UNDP, the Norwegian Goverment and
the Department of the Federal State Employment Service for the Moscow Region.
Anna Gryaznova, a
UNDP intern and sixth-year student at the French-Russian Master course of the Moscow State
Institute of International Relations, is looking forward into the year 2000 with hope. She
started her internship at the UNDP office in Moscow in September, and just before New Year
she became a staff member. Anna is not ready to share all her grand plans for the future.
However, she told UN in Russia one thing: she likes the style people work at UNDP, she
likes those who work in the office, and is willing to stay.
The Russian
edition of the Regional Human Development Report for Europe and the CIS was published in
Moscow in December 1999. The UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS prepared this
publication.