Thailand-UN Collaborative Action Plan
(Thai-UNCAP)
Executive Summary
More information on Thai-UNCAP is available on the UNDP Thailand site
Introduction
The Eighth National Social and Economic Development Plan provides a unique opportunity for broad-based collaboration for holistic and people-centred development in Thailand. The multipartite partnership approach envisioned in the Plan has inspired the Royal Thai Government (RTG), Thai civil society and the United Nations System to work together as full and equal partners in the quest of this vision and development goals.
The RTG, Thai civil society and the UN System in Thailand having recognized that effective networking within and among one another is instrumental to the success of the implementation of the Eighth Plan, jointly launched the Thai-UNCAP at the inauguration of the Eighth Plan.
The Thai-UNCAP aims to set in motion a process of collaborative planning and programming of specific initiatives that will help stimulate and facilitate holistic people-centred development.
The Eighth Plan represents a remarkable shift both in terms of focus and approach. The focus is now on people. People-centred development is the development of people, by people, for people. It is achievable by empowering people to envision and pursue their development goals, and by creating an enabling environment to attain these goals to their fullest potential.
The approach is holistic. Holistic development means that all elements of people's life are taken into account, whatever the specific objective of a particular development activity. It is intrinsically participatory. Planning should be spatially grounded in communities from the local to the national level, management should also be ommunity-driven with the participation of outside partners.
Holistic people-centred development is the realization of a shared national vision which requires that people develop themselves, their society, natural environment, economy and governance to provide the highest sustainable level of well-being possible for all.
This Executive Summary presents the conceptual and operational framework agreed to at the Kanchanaburi Meeting in June 1996 as well as subsequent developments, including the organization and management of the Thai-UNCAP and specific programmes, both already initiated and planned.
The Kanchanaburi Framework
The Kanchanaburi Framework is a result of consultation among various entities, Thai and UN, to identify the way in which all parties can collaborate, closely and work in full partnership with all sectors of Thai society towards the goals of the Eighth Plan. Emerging from the consultation is an understanding that the UN System can best support the Eighth Plan by focusing on capacity development for holistic people-centred approaches especially at the local level.
This vision can only be achieved and undertaken on the basis of mutual trust and respect for autonomy of partners, participatory and democratic decision-making, shared financial responsibility, transparency and shared accountability, and in full respect for Thai cultural and social values.
The Kanchanaburi Framework, now the framework for the Thai-UNCAP, seeks to promote the understanding of key concepts of the Eighth Plan, and to foster partnership and collaboration at all levels of Thai society for the realization of the Plan's vision.
Beyond the goals of the Eighth Plan, all parties to the Thai-UNCAP aspire to share the experience and expertise in holistic people-centred development with neighbouring countries and further afield.
Thai-UNCAP Programmes
With reference to the Kanchanaburi Framework, the Thai-UNCAP outlines two mechanisms to spearhead its programmes and activities.
1. Area-Specific, Community-Driven Programmes
The Thai-UNCAP will develop integrated area-specific, community-driven programmes in four pilot provinces, Phayao, Maha Sarakham, Petchaburi and Pattani plus a few selected communities in Bangkok. The criteria and selection process were jointly determined by representatives of the RTG, Thai civil society and the UN System. Ideas and programmes will be piloted in these areas before they are replicated in other pails of the country.
Three initial programmes have been identified; they focus on developing the approaches and strategies for
- promotion of partnership, networking and participation at the community level;
- development of strategies for reducing disparities and poverty;
- capacity development of local organizations.
The results of these programmes will facilitate the further development of other community driven programmes in the pilot provinces.
2. Theme Groups
The Thai-UNCAP identifies six theme groups which focus on core issues of the Eighth Plan. They are:
- human and social well-being;
- equity and poverty eradication;
- sustainable economic development;
- sound governance and development management;
- gender, women and development;
- HIV/AIDS.
For each of the above themes, the RTG, Thai civil society and UN agencies concerned will embark on institutional and programme networking that will result in joint programmes and joint support for implementation in the pilot areas.
Thai-UNCAP Organization and Management
Thai-UNCAP programme and activities will be steered and guided by a Thai-UN Partnership Board. The Board will provide policy guidelines for and oversee the activities of the Thai-UNCAP.
The Thai-UN Partnershi Board sets up an Executive Committee and a Joint Secretariat. The Executive Committee will develop and appraise programme proposals and have oversight responsibilities over programme implementation. The Joint Secretariat will support the Partnership Board and the Executive, Committee and coordinate the implementation of Thai-UNCAP activities.
An extended organization includes the Area-Specific, Community-Driven Programme Steering Committees and the Theme Groups. The Area-Specific, Community-Driven Programme Steering Committees, to be established at the provincial level, will be key mechanisms for programme implementation, monitoring and management.
An annual review of the Thai-UNCAP, organized by the Partnership Board, will be conducted in conjunction with the annual public meeting to monitor the Eighth Plan, arranged by NESDB.
The RTG, Thai civil society and the UN System will jointly monitor the functioning of the Thai-UNCAP and will promote an open dialogue on the development and maturing of Thai-UNCAP scope, activities and mechanisms through the principles of broad participation and partnership.
Thai-UNCAP Partnership Facility
The Partnership Facility will be established to support the Thai-UNCAP programmes. Both Thai and UN partners will work together to mobilize resources for this Facility. The facility is created in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of His Majesty the King who, through his projects, has advocated and pursued holistic people-centred development long before the coming of the Eighth Plan.
The RTG, Thai civil society and the UN system are confident and recognize that the Thai-UNCAP represents a landmark partnership for people-centred development in Thailand that will contribute significantly towards the goals of the Eighth Plan and will serve as a model for international development cooperation in the coming decade.
More information on Thai-UNCAP is available on the UNDP Thailand site
Dated: 26Jan1999
