Identifying priority areas for strategic cooperation of UN and Turkmenistan

Four days of meetings engaged about 60 participants from national ministries, UN Agencies, private sector, civil society and youth. The group participants were tasked to review and discuss the major development challenges and opportunities for Turkmenistan and agree on priority areas where UN will provide its comparative advantage to ensure that no one is left behind in the next program cycle.

Mr. Alexander MacKenzie, an international consultant from MacKenzie Development Consulting Ltd., facilitated the workshops. He will also provide advisory and technical assistance for the development of the new Cooperation Framework.

The consultative processes with a wide range of stakeholders resulted in identifying three priority areas which are: (1) Inclusive, green, and sustainable economic growth; (2) Quality, inclusive, and affordable health, education, and social protection systems; (3) people-centred governance and rule of law.

The participants also prepared the first draft SMART results framework, including outcomes, outputs, indicators, major assumptions and risks, and information sources needed.

The UN team and the national experts presented the outline of the Cooperation Framework and its timeline to the National Steering Committee on October 18, 2019. More than 40 representatives at the level of Deputy Ministries reviewed and agreed on the following steps.

“During the development process we proceeded from the fact that the Cooperation Framework is primarily a partnership with the Government of Turkmenistan, parliament, civil society, the private sector and development partners,” noted Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in her welcoming speech.