The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will not play a role in the management of the Three Diseases Fund for Burma.
The fund will be managed by an independent fund manager, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), overseen by a fund board which includes representatives from the donor consortium and independent international experts. The board will be responsible for setting fund policy, for selecting and approving grants, for providing guidance to the independent fund manager and overseeing its work, and for effective monitoring and evaluation.
We have regularly raised the Three Diseases Fund bilaterally and in group meetings with those donors, who support development work in Burma, kept them abreast of progress and invited them to explore further the possibility of their involvement. Five governments and the European Commission (EC) have agreed to support the Three Diseases Fund and others are still considering their involvement. We will continue to keep donors informed on progress and invite their contributions.
The Three Diseases Fund is committed to supporting work on the three diseases on the basis of need, irrespective of ethnic origin, social status, gender, nationality, political opinions, race or religion. The fund will target those most at risk from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, particularly those with limited or no access to public health services.
We will maintain our dialogue with the Burmese authorities about improving access for the UN and international NGOs to areas not under the control of the military government. We will also seek to strengthen dialogues with community-based organisations, local non-governmental organisations and ceasefire groups about how they can contribute to the fund’s efforts to deliver services in these areas.
The Three Diseases Fund has been established to be consistent with the European Union Common Position on Burma. People in Burma with HIV/AIDS will be able to approach a broad range of implementing partners to receive services—including national and international non-governmental organisations, local level government health workers in public health clinics and private sector healthcare providers. The implementing partners must meet certain criteria as established by the fund board. These are likely to include demonstrated technical competence, capacity, speed of delivery, coherence with ongoing activities, or access to specific target beneficiaries or areas. All implementation will need to be consistent with the international humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.
The fund board, which consists of donor representatives and independent international experts, will select and approve grants, targeting those most at risk from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, particularly those with limited or no access to public health services. Over time, it is expected that the independent fund manager will take a greater role in selecting and approving grants, on the basis of policy and criteria set by the fund board.
A fund board has been established as the governing body of the Three Diseases Fund. It includes representatives from the donor consortium and independent international experts. The fund board will be responsible for setting policy and for overseeing a professional and independent fund manager who will report regularly to the board on all aspects of the fund operation. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has been contracted as the fund manager and will be responsible for the operation of the fund on a day-to-day basis.
The implementing partners will include specialised UN agencies, international non-governmental organisations, local non-governmental organisations and the private sector. The implementing partners must meet certain criteria as established by the fund board. These are likely to include demonstrated technical competence, capacity, speed of delivery, coherence with ongoing activities, or access to specific target beneficiaries or areas. All implementation must also meet the European Union common position and the international humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.