Today more than half of the world’s population has no access to social protection at all. In Lao PDR and Tajikistan exclusion is even larger with, respectively, 87.9 and 73.4 percent of the population with no income security in cases of old age, maternity, unemployment and other life cycle and socioeconomic risks.  Poor governance, lack of integrated policy responses, and insufficient and unsustainable financing of social protection are key issues for a number of countries including Lao PDR and Tajikistan in their efforts to extending the coverage of social protection to all. There is a growing need for awareness raising at the global and national levels as well as for the sharing of knowledge and good practices, and the development of practical guidance for the strengthened governance and digitalization of social security systems, identified as a key accelerator enabling to leapfrog some of the bottlenecks to close the social protection coverage gap. The main objective of the project is thus to accelerate and extend universal social protection through the strengthening of the policy design, administrative governance and the digital transformation of social protection systems in Lao PDR and Tajikistan, and promote lessons learned to benefit other countries in the Global South. The project will pursue a two-fold strategy. In two focus countries, Lao PDR, and Tajikistan, technical support will be provided through the ILO country offices to strengthen governance, social security administration and services, and technical capacities of institutions and practitioners, including through the promotion of connectivity and digitalization. In parallel, the project will develop a knowledge base of good practices as well as hands-on training modules including on digital transformation of social protection planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation. These knowledge products will be useful for all countries and disseminated widely through UNRC network, DESA and ILO websites, seminars/workshops and training sessions including as part of the course offer of the ILO International Training Centre in Turin.

SIDS have been persistently lagging other comparable economies in the developing world on the path to sustainable development. This is caused in part by the diverse characteristics of SIDS, which include low- and below sea-level- lying coastal communities, multi-island jurisdictions, and their attendant vulnerabilities. Many also have small populations or limited usable land area, which limits their development options. The COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have further aggravated this situation by hampering the sustainable economic growth of these island economies and undermining the security of their populations. Promoting innovation and digital transformation in the Caribbean can help countries to ‘build back better’ by delivering services in a more effective and inclusive way, particularly to underserved, rural, physically disconnected, and otherwise marginalized segments of society.However, the public sector in the Caribbean appears to be facing a capacity challenge in delivering change and transformation, with challenges being experienced in relation to mindsets, capacity, processes, and right skillsets. Implementing effective, accountable, and inclusive governance and institutions, and pursuing opportunities for innovation and digital transformation, including digital services, could build resilience      through progressive structural changes, and mitigate geographical remoteness. Their populations could then be provided with reliable, fast, and affordable connectivity and better access to services, such as health and education.Implemented by UN DESA and ECLAC Caribbean, with the collaboration of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), this project aims to strengthen public sector national capacities for Innovation, Digital Government Transformation and Changing Mindsets in three Caribbean SIDS after the pandemic by: (i )strengthening public servants’ skills, knowledge, and understanding of the importance of public sector transformation by promoting changing mindsets strategies and approaches in support of innovation and digital transformation  to support the implementation of the SDGs ; and (ii) strengthening institutional arrangements, structures, mechanisms and approaches to promote innovation and digital governance transformation to improve public service delivery, leaving no one behind and reaching the furthest behind first. In this regard, multi-island jurisdictions are likely to especially benefit from improved governance and institutional service delivery modalities.

This project will contribute to strengthened capacity of developing countries to identify and address the vulnerabilities to aggressive tax avoidance that produce the greatest risks based on the country’s economic circumstances, which would be demonstrated by the application by each country of a risk assessment tool to identify its most significant risks from aggressive tax avoidance. Second, the project will assist each country in developing a customized action plan to address those risks. Third, the project will provide technical assistance to each target country to support implementation of the action plan.This project will complement recent UN projects that have focused on various aspects of IFFs, including measurement, reporting, data and statistical capacity. It will do so through close engagement with the target countries to identify the specific tax avoidance structures used by MNEs in those target countries and then assisting them, including through technical assistance, in addressing the related vulnerabilities in their tax policy and administration.Accordingly, the project will also promote sustainable development by helping to reduce risk and build resilience and preparedness to deal with aggressive tax avoidance from MNEs in developing countries facing different geographic and economic circumstances. The target countries will encompass a range of industries and engage with multiple trading partners so that the experience, materials and tools developed during this project will respond to the different challenges faced by a broad range of developing countries.The project will be implemented by UNDESA/FSDO. In planning, implementing and learning from project activities, UNDESA/FSDO will closely collaborate with ECA, ECLAC, ESCAP, UNCTAD and UNSD, as well as the Resident Coordinator Offices.

The project aims at enhancing the capacity of the target groups in the following selected countries in Africa: Angola, Namibia, Uganda and Zimbabwe to engage in constructive policy dialogues and/or participatory mechanisms, with a view to develop strategies and initiatives to advance inclusive development and SDG achievement for indigenous peoples in the framework of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Through capacity building of both national and local governments and indigenous leaders, the project aims to promote the participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making processes at all levels, with a special focus at the local level, where the most vulnerable indigenous peoples live. The project also intends to enhance the capacity of governments to develop and implement policies, programmes and legislation that recognize and respect indigenous peoples’ development priorities and rights, that include their full and effective participation in national socio-economic development policies, enhancing dialogue mechanisms among indigenous peoples, the government and UNCTs. The project also aims to strengthen the capacities of stakeholders in targeted countries to engage in those processes, as well as to work in the implementation of national action plans, policies and measures on the Declaration.