TOWARDS A NEW APPROACH FOR THE REHABILITATION OF LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE CONTAMINATED AREAS

Z. TRAFIMCHIK

CORE Programme Coordinator/UNDP Support Project Manager, Minsk,

Belarus

Email: zoya.trofimchik@core-chernobyl.org

In speaking today about community-driven development in the Chernobyl regions of Belarus, I will be using the Cooperation for Rehabilitation (CORE) programme as a practical example created to answer the concerns and needs of those who live in the contaminated territories. Before starting to talk about the CORE programme and its objectives, let me show some of the faces of the programme, which best illustrate its projects.

1.BACKGROUND

The CORE programme was developed in 2003 on the basis of a number of international evaluations including reports from the United Nations, the World Bank, the heads of missions/delegations of the EU and ETHOS. The programme is supported by Belarus’ Chernobyl Committee.

The reports concluded among other things that:

—Rehabilitation is possible only if local people are heavily involved in the process;

—An integrated approach should be applied, i.e. project activities in all affected spheres of life: health, economy, education and memory of the Chernobyl tragedy and radiological quality;

—Rehabilitation needs to occur on three levels: local, national and international.

2.CORE PROGRAMME

CORE is an umbrella mechanism whose overall aim is to improve the living conditions of the people in affected territories. CORE was and is one of

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the turning points as it is the first mechanism that involves people and encourages them to participate in their own development.

CORE has been initially implemented in four of the most affected districts of Belarus for five years (2003–2008). It aims at integrating four key priority areas — socioeconomic development, health care, education and memory of the tragedy and radiological quality.

The Declaration of Principles is the guiding document of CORE, providing a framework for cooperation between partners. According to the declaration, three main bodies have been established and have been working since February 2004: an Approval Board, a Preparation and Assessment Committee and a Coordination Team. These are structured to enable full participation by all interested stakeholders and to ensure that projects address local needs and that resources reach the population. International involvement has substantially increased over time. The signatories of the CORE Declaration have risen from the original 11 to 29 signatories in one and a half years. These include international organizations such as United Nations agencies (UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO), the European Commission, the OSCE, nine EU Member States, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, NGOs from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the USA. So far, international donors have contributed just over €3 500 000.

3.RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Despite the fact that CORE is a relatively young programme, some notable results have already been achieved.

First, four sessions of AB and three sessions of PAC were organized in the target districts of the programme. PAC sessions gathered over 150 participants each time including delegations of four districts comprised of local authorities and community representatives, such as farmers, mothers, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs; international representatives; national authorities; and scientific institutes. These events have helped create a growing CORE community of stakeholders whose interest is in the development of participating districts. They have also brought exposure and attention to these areas by physically attracting high level representation from the capital and abroad.

Second, in terms of concrete projects, the CORE programme has so far approved 71 projects, of which 18 are topical, large scale projects and 53 small scale local initiatives. To date, six of the topical, large scale projects are under implementation with an overall value of €4 million. Donor contributions to these projects is just over €1 700 000. The six ongoing topical projects are Agriculture and Economic Sustainable Development (CORE-AGRI), Health

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and Maternity, Health Quality: Contribution to the Reduction of Sanitary Risks, Practical Radiological Culture, Intergenerational and International Memory and Education, Support for Radiological Education and Implementation of an Inclusive Radiation Monitoring System in the Bragin District.

There are also 35 local initiatives with an overall value of €272 000 at different stages of implementation. Donor contributions to these projects amount to €246 500. Some examples of these local initiatives are a children’s recreational centre in Stolin, provision of drinking water, the creation of a local radiation club in Chechersk, and the creation of a public, cultural centre in Bragin to mention just a few.

Lastly, although none of the projects has yet come to an end, a significant outcome has been that as local communities see more attention concentrated on them by the projects, they themselves become more encouraged to take part as exemplified by the increase in project submissions and the large scale participations in CORE events at the local level.

4.UNDP ROLE

I would now like to turn to the role of the UNDP in this programme. The UNDP was a pioneer in the development of the CORE approach by elaborating, along with other partners, the CORE procedures.

The UNDP’s most important contribution is the support project to CORE. Launched in 2004, it provides the financial, administrative and technical support for the coordination structures, facilitates the preparation, assessment and selection of the projects, and coordinates the implementation of the CORE programme while helping to mobilize resources and attract new partners to CORE. The project is co-supported by ComChernobyl, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the UNOCHA and various French NGOs.

The UNDP is now looking to introduce an integrated ABD approach of the sort that my Ukrainian colleagues have just described. This would assist in organizing the priorities of the communities and help them to develop projects building on the lessons learned by the UNDP in similar programmes in other regions of the world.

If CORE is successful in the four pilot districts, it can be extended to the other affected districts as well as to other affected countries. For that to happen, increased donor support will be required. We invite the present representatives to join and support the CORE programme in its future efforts.

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