Iran joined the United Nations in 1945 as a founding member and since then the UN has had a continuous presence in the country. During the past 61 years, the UN has forged strong and lasting partnerships with the government and a wide range of other partners including the civil society and local communities to promote respect for human rights, protect the environment, fight disease, foster sustainable development and reduce poverty. We are also working with our counterparts to assist the world’s largest refugee population here, improve access to health services, create jobs, expand food production and fight drugs.
Specifically, the UN system in the Islamic Republic of Iran is helping the country reach the “Millennium Development Goals” set by world leaders at the September 2000 Millennium Summit. To this end, agencies are assisting the Government to halve extreme poverty, improve the health of mothers and children, fight diseases and improve education and also support the national authorities to monitor the country’s progress towards these Goals.

Just as the UN seeks to harmonize the actions of all nations on a global level, it also aims to coordinate its own operational activities within each country. As the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General, the UN Resident Coordinator assumes overall responsibility for, and coordination of, UN operational activities at the country level. Under the aegis of the Resident Coordinator, the 16 agencies, programmes, funds and offices represented in Iran make up the UN Country Team, working together in identifying areas for UN system interventions, work and collaboration.

To coordinate the substantive work of the UN agencies, a number of inter-agency thematic groups and operational teams have been established, which are basically working groups designed to address some important themes and agreed outcomes, and to coordinate the operational and programmatic work of the agencies on those specific subjects. The theme groups focus on such issues as disaster management; security management; communications; gender; HIV/AIDS; MDGs capacity building; good governance and human rights; improvement of economic performance and job creation; energy efficiency; science and technology transfer and ad-hoc themes like Afghanistan Compact.

As defined by the General Assembly, the Common Country Assessment (CCA) is the common instrument of the United Nations system to analyse the national development situation and identify key development issues. Both a process and a product, the Assessment takes into account national priorities, with a focus on the Millennium Development Goals and the other commitments, goals and targets of the Millennium Declaration and international conferences, summits and conventions.

The UN Country Team, in collaboration with its national and international counterparts, published the first CCA for Iran in August 2003.

Through the CCA, the UN and its partners identify areas requiring priority attention, based on a common analysis of key development challenges within the country. The CCA also serves as a stepping-stone towards the formulation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), which articulates a common UN system response to a selected number of challenges identified, and sets the foundation for joint programming of UN Agencies in Iran.

This booklet aims to communicate the purpose and aim of the UN presence in Iran, highlight the organizations’ key achievements and flagship activities in the country, and underline current priorities towards its ultimate goal of helping the nation achieve development and prosperity. For more information, please contact our office in Tehran and/or visit our website: www.un.org.ir.

Knut Ostby
UN Resident Coordinator in the
Islamic Republic of Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

- 1943: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was founded by 44 governments who met in Hot Springs, Virginia, US.
- 1945: The first session of the FAO Conference was held in Quebec City, Canada which established FAO as a specialized UN agency.
- 1951: FAO Headquarters moved from Washington, DC, US to Rome, Italy.
- 1953: Effective December 1, Iran is a member of FAO.
- 1981: The first World Food Day observed on 16 October by more than 150 countries.
- 1992: Effective May, the FAO Representation Office was re-opened in Iran.
- 1996: World Food Summit was held wherein world leaders committed to halving the number of hungry by 2015.
- 1997: FAO launched TeleFood campaign against hunger initiative.
- 2002: “World Food Summit-Five Years Later” was held to review World Food Summit goals and mobilize the political will and resources to banish world hunger.

Main projects/activities in Iran

The key mandate areas of FAO are to: raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, improve efficiency, production and distribution of agricultural products, better the lives of rural populations, and ensure humanity’s freedom from hunger. To do this, FAO responds to its members’ needs by:
- Contributing to the eradication of food insecurity, malnutrition and rural poverty;
- Promoting and reinforcing policy and regulatory frameworks for food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry;
- Creating sustainable increases in the supply and availability of food and other products from crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry;
- Supporting the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and
- Improving decision making through the provision of information and fostering of knowledge management.
In carrying out its mandate, FAO strives, inter alia, to: ensure excellence, enhance interdisciplinarity, broaden partnership and alliances, and leverage resources and investment for the agriculture sector.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

Since 1992, FAO has implemented around 90 projects in Iran. One of the key projects in recent years is “Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy”. Other notable priority areas are:
- increasing food production to ensure food security and increase income of poor families and small communities (mostly rural);
- through participatory approaches and involvement of farmers, develop environmentally friendly technological packages and best practices in agriculture and their propagation.
- irrigation and water resources management to strengthen government capacity, infrastructure and technical know-how;
- combating desertification;
- capacity development in fisheries and aquaculture, and
- addressing animal production and health issues, including avian influenza.

FAO has also been responding to the emergency needs of the country after earthquakes, floods, droughts, etc. The project “National Strategy and Action Plan on Drought Preparedness, Management and Mitigation in the Agriculture Sector” has been one of the highlights in this area.
FAO in conjunction with its corporate communication campaigns such as the World Food Day and Telefood, plays an important role in raising public awareness of hunger and poverty in mobilizing support for achieving food security.

History of Agency in the World and Iran

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, brings together the efforts and strengths of ten UN system organizations to the global AIDS response. The co-sponsors of UNAIDS are: UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank.
Based in Geneva,the UNAIDS Secretariat works in more than 75 countries worldwide under the over all supervision of UN HIV/AIDS Theme Groups. UNAIDS Iran was established in 2005 and is covered by the Regional Support Team for the Middle East and North Africa which is located in Cairo, Egypt.
Established in 1994 by a resolution of the UN Economic and Social Council and launched in January 1996, UNAIDS is guided by a Programme Coordination Board with 22 government representatives from all geographical regions, the UNAIDS co-sponsors, and five representatives of non-governmental organizations, including associations of people living with HIV. Iran was recently elected to PCB for 3 years, starting year 2008.

Main projects/activities in Iran

- By bringing together the efforts and resources of its co-sponsors, UNAIDS supports increasing intervention for HIV prevention, care and treatment of those infected and epidemic impact reduction activities worldwide.
- The objective of UNAIDS is to have global support for an exceptional response in tackling this epidemic.
- 2001 was a very important year in the history of HIV and AIDS, when Heads of State and Government from 189 nations, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, met at the first ever UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS and adopted the declaration of commitments on HIV/AIDS.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

- United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan(UNAMA) is a political mission, directed and supported by the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Its headquarters are in Kabul, with eight regional offices and several sub-offices throughout Afghanistan. In addition, UNAMA has liaison offices in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Tehran, Iran.
- UNAMA’s mandate was established on 28 March 2002 through UNSC resolution 1401. On this day, the Tehran UNSMA (UN Special Mission to Afghanistan) liaison office, which had been established in May 2000, was renamed as the UNAMA liaison office in Iran.
- The mission is directed by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Afghanistan who also acts as the Head of UNAMA. As an integrated mission, UNAMA has two main pillars, one dealing with development issues, and the other handling political matters. These are headed by the SRSG’s two deputies.
- The UNAMA office in Tehran was actively involved in preparations towards the Bonn Agreement, the Emergency Loya Jirga, the Constitutional Loya Jirga, and Presidential elections (Out-of-Country Voting). The implementation of the Afghanistan Compact, in particular the subject of regional cooperation, is the office’s current focus.

Main projects/activities in Iran

Activities of UNAMA are strictly limited to Afghanistan and include:
- Providing political and strategic advice for the peace process in Afghanistan;
- Providing good offices;
- Assisting Afghanistan’s government towards the implementation of the “Afghanistan Compact” and the “Afghanistan National Development Strategy” (ANDS);
- Promoting human rights, and
- Providing technical assistance, and continuing to manage all UN humanitarian relief, recovery, reconstruction and development activities in coordination with the government of Afghanistan.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was created in 1946 to provide emergency help to children suffering from the aftermath of World War II. In the 1950s UNICEF’s mission grew from a post-war emergency fund to a development agency for children.
In general, UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children: victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation and those with disabilities.
UNICEF’s history in Iran goes back to 1950, when Iran’s Government turned to WHO and UNICEF to fight tuberculosis. Opening an office in the country, UNICEF focused its programmes on child health and nutrition in the early years of its activities in Iran. Later on, education and juvenile justice were added as fields of cooperation. UNICEF is also active in providing humanitarian assistance after earthquakes in this country.

Main projects/activities in Iran

In association with other UN agencies, UNICEF is committed to working in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Six out of eight MDGs are directly related to children and women.
Besides, at the international level UNICEF has outlined five focus areas in relation to key elements of the MDGs in its Mid-Term Strategy Plan, on which UNICEF will focus its work during 2005-2009.
The priorities are:
1) Young child survival and development, 2) Basic education and gender equality, 3) HIV/AIDS and children, 4) Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, 5) Policy advocacy and partnerships for children’s rights.
Based on these activities globally, and considering the country situation, UNICEF Iran’s local document, UNICEF’s Commitments for Iranian Children, highlights nine main areas on which UNICEF will focus its activities until 2015. These focus areas are:
1) Reducing child poverty, 2) Increasing the rate of child survival, 3) Decreasing the rate of child malnutrition, 4) Investing in education as an effective motor for social development, 5) Strengthening family support through education, social work and psycho-social counseling, 6) Advocacy for juvenile justice, 7) Investing in youth as the best way to investing in the future, 8) Promoting women’s participation and women’s rights and 9) Attention on children during emergencies.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners. UNDP was founded in 1965 and its Headquarters is located in New York.
UNDP has had a representative office in Iran since 1966 and has worked closely with its major development partners – the Government, local councils, civil society, academic institutions, and the private sector – to promote sustainable human development in the country.
In each country office, the UNDP Resident Representative normally also serves as the Resident Coordinator of development activities for the United Nations system as a whole. Through such coordination, UNDP seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international aid resources.

Main projects/activities in Iran

World leaders have pledged to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. UNDP's network links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach these Goals. UNDP’s focus is on helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of, democratic governance, poverty alleviation, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment, and HIV/AIDS.
UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.
The annual Human Development Report, commissioned by UNDP, focuses the global debate on key development issues, providing new measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. The global Report’s analytical framework and inclusive approach carry over into regional, national and local Human Development Reports, also supported by UNDP.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

No.63, Golestan Alley , Vali Asr Ave. Tehran, P.O. Box 1966733413
Telephone:   (98-21) 22042285-22042935-22059574
Fax:   (98-21) 22051850
E-Mail:   cep.pcu@undp.org
www.caspianenvironment.org

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. It was conceived as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter with the hope “To Build Peace in the Minds of Men”. UNESCO is a capacity builder and technical provider to create the conditions based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture for sustainable development. The UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office was established in Tehran in January 2003 covering four countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

Main projects/activities in Iran

Education: Education for All, Literacy, Education for Sustainable Development, Inclusive Education, Science & Technology, Technical & Vocational Education, Higher Education, School Health and Physical Education.

Science: Water Management and Eco-systems, Bio-diversity, Ecology, Oceans, Earth Science, Basic Science, Engineering Science, Science Policy, Natural Disaster Reduction and Renewable Sources of Energy.

Culture: Cultural Diversity, World Heritage, Tangible and Intangible Heritage, Inter-cultural Dialogues and Industries, Arts & Creativity, Copyright, Museums and Cultural Tourism.

Communication/Information: Access to Information, Content Development, Freedom of Expression, Media Development, International Programmes for Development of Communication and Information for All.

Specialized Themes: Gender, Youth, Least Developed Countries, Culture of Peace, Dialogue among Civilizations, Ethics of Science & Technology, Bio-ethics, HIV/AIDS, Sustainable Development, Indigenous People and Small Islands.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1950 by the UN General Assembly. It is mandated to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of the refugee problem. The legal status of the refugees is defined in two international treaties, the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. These two tools have been the foundation of both the international refugee law and UNHCR’s efforts to help and protect refugees. During its lifetime the agency has assisted an estimated 50 million refugees to successfully restart their lives. In 2007, a total of 146 states are parties to one or both instruments. The Islamic Republic of Iran acceded to both the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 1975.
UNHCR first opened an office in Iran in 1984. The refugee agency expanded its presence and scope of activities in Iran with the massive influx of Iraqi refugees following the Gulf War in 1991 and the start of mass return movement to Afghanistan in 1992. Today, UNHCR has its country office in Tehran and three sub-offices in Mashad, Zahedan and Ahwaz. It has two field offices in Orumieh and Dogharoun, two Border Exit Stations in Milak and Dogharoun and two Transit Centers in Shalamcheh and Piranshar. Five Voluntary Repatriation Centres are operating in Esfahan, Kerman, Shiraz, Mashad and Soleimankhani.

Main projects/activities in Iran

UNHCR’s mandate is:
1)Protect refugees by ensuring that their basic rights are respected in the host country; 2) Ensure that governments respect the rule of non-refoulement (not returning refugees to a country where they may be persecuted), and 3) Find durable solutions for the problems of refugees through voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement.

Main Objectives of UNHCR Iran:
1)Facilitate voluntary and sustainable repatriation of Afghan and Iraqi registered refugees from Iran in safety and dignity; 2) Ensure respect for the voluntary character of repatriation; 3) Find durable solutions for vulnerable Afghan and Iraqi registered refugees and assist them via their families and/or their community to access various services, assistance and legal protection; 4) Promote refugee rights in Iran; 5) Further enhance protection environment for refugees in Iran in accordance with the refugee convention and the relevant Iranian legislation; 6) Ensure assistance interventions in Iran are reconfigured to emphasize more developmental approaches to enable return and social protection for the most vulnerable groups; 7) Well being of women, children and men, enhanced through improved Age, Gender, Diversity, “Sex and Gender Based Violence” Protocol and HIV/AIDS awareness, and 8) Enhanced emergency preparedness.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was established in 1966 and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1985. As part of the United Nations, UNIDO is responsible for promoting industrial development throughout the developing world, in cooperation with its 171 Member States. Its headquarters are located in Vienna, Austria.

The UNIDO Country Office in I.R. of Iran was established in 1999 to support the Islamic Republic of Iran Government in its industrialization priorities with a view to establishing close ties with various ministries, governmental bodies, civil and research institutes as well as the private sector.

Main projects/activities in Iran

UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses its efforts on relieving poverty by fostering productivity growth. It helps developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their fight against marginalization in today’s globalizing world. It mobilizes knowledge, skills, information and technology to promote productive employment, competitive economy and a sound environment.
With a number of country and regional offices, investment and technology promotion offices, and offices related to specific aspects of its work, UNIDO maintains an active presence in the field, in order to promote growth in industrial products and encourage and improve industrial and technological skills.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

UNIDO’s Integrated Program for Iran aims at increasing the share of the non-oil sector of the economy and fostering the sustainable development of competitive industries, creating employment, generating income and thus contributing to the alleviation of social hardship.
The Integrated Programme is oriented around five strategic objectives:
- Institutional capacity-building to foster private sector development and small and medium scale enterprises
- Provision of assistance for the modernization of Iran’s agro-industries;
- Enhancement of the institutional framework for investment promotion;
- Increasing the competitiveness of Iranian industry through modernization and restructuring measures, and
- Improving energy efficiency at national level in selected sectors.

UNIDO’s Integrated Program for Iran includes women & youth entrepreneurship development program, the institutional support for the development of entrepreneurial enterprises, and the development of small and medium scale enterprises, which promote job creation and employment generation, particularly for women and the youth. Support for the reactivation and establishment of micro and small women and youth enterprises in Bam area, for instance, is a project developed by UNIDO aimed at improving gender equality and empowerment of the vulnerable group in Bam.
UNIDO is also in charge of the implementation of a number of environmentally related programs in Iran, including the Montreal Protocol Program, which is designed for reducing the use of ozone depleting substances (financed by the Montreal Protocol Program). Negotiations are being carried out with the Government of Iran to also develop a program on reduction of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), under the Stockholm Convention.
Some of the UNIDO projects implemented in Iran or currently under implementation, are:
- Industrial clustering project;
- Modernization of dates processing and packaging;
- Capacity building and technology management at enterprise level;
- National strategy for energy efficiency and conservation, and
- Montreal Protocol Projects, relevant to the reduction of ozone depleting substances and reduction of methyl bromide, used in agriculture.
It is worth mentioning that one of tools developed by UNIDO is the Cumputer Model for Feasibility Analysis and Reporting (COMFAR). COMFAR III is a valuable aid in analysis of investment projects. COMFAR III packages can be easily orderd in Iran from the UNIDO Office in Tehran.

History of Agency in the World and Iran

In 1946 the first UN General Assembly established the Department of Public Information (DPI) and set out the general guidelines for its activities. One of these guidelines called upon DPI to establish “branch offices…in order to ensure that peoples in all parts of the world receive as full information as possible about the United Nations”. Iran, as a founding member of the United Nations, was among the first countries to have a United Nations Information Centre (UNIC),which began its operations within a few months of its establishment in May 1950. However, the Centre’s operations were suspended in 1980. It was revived in 1991.

Main projects/activities in Iran

UNIC is the principal local source of pubic information about the United Nations system in Iran and around the world. As an active link between the UN and the local media, educational institutions, government organizations and the civil society, the Centre provides up-to-date public information on the aims and activities of the Untied Nations in political, economic, social and humanitarian fields. The Centre’s priority themes recently have been advocacy on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), UN reforms, human rights, including the UN Human Rights Council and peacekeeping.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

1991: Following the failure of the international community to respond to the 1991 Kurdish crisis in Iraq, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/182 designed to strengthen the United Nations response to both complex emergencies and natural disasters. In addition it aimed at improving the overall effectiveness of the United Nations’ humanitarian operation in the field and creation of a high level position of Emergency Response Coordinator (ERC). Soon after, the Secretary-General established the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) and assigned the ERC the status of on Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Affairs with offices in New York and Geneva to provide institutional support.
1998: DHA was reorganized into the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
2000: The first temporary UNOCHA Country Office was established in the Islamic Republic of Iran to coordinate the response to humanitarian needs for the war affected people of Iraq and Afghanistan.
2003: Permanent UNOCHA Office in Iran was established and operates since the 2003 Bam earthquake.

Main projects/activities in Iran

- Policy development and coordination functions in support of the Secretary-General, ensuring that all humanitarian issues are duly addressed, including those which fall between gaps in existing mandates of agencies such as protection and assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs);
- Advocacy of humanitarian issues with political organs, notably the Security Council, communicating with belligerent parties in a conflict when there is a need to reach out to civilians who are in need of humanitarian aid;
- Coordination of humanitarian emergency response, by ensuring that an appropriate response mechanism is established on the ground, through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (ISAC) consultations;
- Resource mobilization and needs consolidation by the “Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP)” system;
- Drawing global attention to forgotten emergencies;
- Promoting the culture of humanitarian assistance;
- Increasing the capacity and efficiency of the UN Country Team in Iran to respond to natural disasters;
- Making sure that smooth and sufficient humanitarian assistance is provided to the population affected by natural disasters;
- Improving the information management system for adequate decision making in the shortest time possible during a disaster, and
- Promoting international, cultural and humanitarian charter cooperation.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was established by the United Nations Secretary- General with the aim of promoting drug control capacities, crime prevention and campaign against terrorism in all its manifestations. The UNODC Iran was established in 1999 with the purpose of minimizing drug-related crimes through implementing a multi-sectoral programme which included drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction and legal assistance with a US$ 13 million budget.

Main projects/activities in Iran

The main priorities of UNODC are: a) to find solutions to encounter challenges caused by international organized-crime groups in the field of drugs and crime, and b) promotion of governments’ capacities in dealing with challenges related to drug control and crime prevention according to international and regional structural activities.

UNODC objectives in Iran are as follows:
1) Approval and implementation of a new amendment to Anti-Narcotic Law; 2) Impleme-ntation of integrated border control measures; 3) Observing effective control on internal drug trafficking routes; 4) Utilizing intelligence-led investigations capacities including controlled delivery; 5) Promotion of regional and international cooperation in drug control; 6) Approval of a national harmonized drug control programme, especially in the field of drug demand reduction; 7) Training and utilizing human resources specialized in the field of drug demand reduction and HIV/AIDS in governmental and other relevant organizations; 8) Cooperation between governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations and civil society active in the field of drug demand reduction; 9) Control the increase of psychotropic drug abuse patterns; 10) Ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption; 11) Ratification of the United Nations Convention against Trans-national Organized Crimes and its Protocols; 12) Ratification of the United Nations conventions and other international treaties against terrorism; 13) Ratification of anti-money laundering legislation and establishing special anti-money laundering financial intelligence units.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

In 2005, the UNODC Iran compiled the Strategic Programme Framework (2005-2007) with US$ 23 million budget aimed at promoting cooperation among all national stakeholders and international donors in line with guaranteeing participation and financial support to drug control and crime prevention projects. UNODC Iran projects are as follows:

Drug Supply Reduction
- Integrated border control in the Islamic Republic of Iran;
- Strengthening control in selected internal check-points, sea-ports, airports and railway stations;
- Promotion and strengthening of intelligence-led investigations capacities, and
- Promotion of regional and international cooperation in drug control.

Drug Demand Reduction
- Nationwide drug prevention measures in the I.R. of Iran;
- Drug abuse treatment in the I. R. of Iran;
- Addiction rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS prevention in the I. R. of Iran;
- Advocacy and regional cooperation in drug demand reduction, and
- Improvement of drug demand reduction measures in the city of Bam.

Rule of Law
- Strengthening judicial capacity and anti corruption measures;
- Assistance in the promotion of the reform process of the judiciary and the prison system in the I.R. of Iran;
- Improvement of Iranian legislative and judicial capacity to tackle organized crime and money laundering and promotion of Mutual Legal Assistance, and
- Measures to prevent and combat trafficking in human beings in the I.R of Iran.

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
UNFPA began operations in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and was placed under the UN General Assembly’s direct authority in 1972, raising it to the same status as UNDP and UNICEF. In 1987, the name of UNFPA was changed to the United Nations Population Fund, but the acronym, UNFPA, remained the same. In 1994, UNFPA was designated the lead United Nations organization for the follow-up and implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. UNFPA is a founding member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and a founding co-sponsor of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. UNFPA supports programmes in over 140 countries, areas and territories through nine Country Technical Services Teams and 112 country offices.
UNFPA’s collaboration with Iran began in 1970 on a project basis. The collaboration on the basis of five-year country programmes began in 1990. The current country programme, the fourth since 1990, was launched in 2005.

Main projects/activities in Iran

UNFPA helps governments, at their request, to formulate policies and strategies to reduce poverty and support sustainable development. The Fund also assists countries to collect and analyse population data that can help them understand population trends. And it encourages governments to take into account the needs of future generations, as well as those alive today.
The close links between sustainable development and reproductive health and gender equality, the other main areas of UNFPA’s work, were affirmed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. UNFPA is guided in its work by the Programme of Action adopted there. At the conference, 179 countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, agreed that meeting needs for education and health, including reproductive health, is a prerequisite for sustainable development over the longer term. They also agreed on a roadmap for progress with the following goals:
- Universal access to reproductive health services by 2015
- Universal primary education and closing the gender gap in education by 2015
- Reducing maternal mortality by 75 per cent by 2015
- Reducing infant mortality
- Increasing life expectancy
- Reducing HIV infection rates

Reaching the goals of the Programme of Action is also essential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. These eight goals, which are fully aligned with the ICPD roadmap, have the overarching aim of reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015. UNFPA brings its special expertise in reproductive health and population issues to the worldwide collaborative effort of meeting the MDGs.
UNFPA’s programmatic focus in Iran and the world is on:
- Improving reproductive health
- Making motherhood safer
- Supporting adolescents and youth
- Preventing HIV/AIDS
- Promoting gender equality
- Securing reproductive health supplies
- Assisting in emergencies
In 2005, UNFPA received a record high in voluntary contributions for its core resources from 171 countries, also a record number.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

In November/December 1961, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN General Assembly adopted parallel resolutions establishing the World Food Programme (WFP). The three-year experimental programme was not due to enter into operation until January 1963. In reality it was up and running several months early, as an earthquake hit Iran, a hurricane swept through Thailand and newly independent Algeria was overwhelmed by five million returning refugees. Food aid was needed urgently and WFP was tasked to supply it.
Ever since its foundation in 1963, WFP headquarters has been based in Rome, Italy. WFP fights hunger in least-developed and low-income countries where victims of natural disasters, refugees, displaced people and the hungry poor face severe food shortages. The frontline stretches from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The Programme currently has emergency and development projects in 78 countries worldwide, reaching some 87.8 million people in 2006.
The first ever WFP assisted emergency operation in Iran was directed to the victims of the earthquake which killed more than 12,000 people in the area of Boein Zahra, Iran in September 1962. WFP first opened an office in Iran in 1971 and was active in several projects concerning food assistance until 1979. Upon the request of the Government, WFP resumed activities in 1987 by providing food assistance to Afghan refugees and later to Iraqi refugees.

Main projects/activities in Iran

WFP is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. The policies governing the use of World Food Programme food aid must be oriented towards the objective of eradicating hunger and poverty. The ultimate objective of food aid should be the elimination of the need for food aid.
WFP strategic objectives are:
- Save lives in crisis situations (MDGs 1 and 4);
- Protect livelihoods in crisis situations and enhance resilience to shocks (MDGs 1 and 7);
- Support the improved nutrition and health status of children, mothers and other vulnerable people (MDGs 4,5 and 6);
- Support access to education and reduce gender disparity in access to education and skills training (MDGs 2 and 3), and
- Strengthen the capacities of countries and regions to establish and manage food-assistance and hunger reduction programmes (MDGs 1- 6).

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Founded in 1948, it works for the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Its constitution came into force on 7 April 1948, which is celebrated every year as the World Health Day. The collaboration between WHO and I. R. Iran started in 1955 through an agreement of cooperation. However, the country office has been operational since 1984. Its main counterpart in Iran is the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the primary objective of this partnership is to provide technical support to the country, within the overall scope of WHO’s global, regional and country priorities.
ِDefinition and scope of heath:
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO recognizes that the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon fullest cooperation of individuals and states. The constitution of WHO states that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”.

Main projects/activities in Iran

WHO has six core functions built into its mandate:
1)Providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed; 2) Shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge; 3) Setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation; 4) Articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options; 5) Providing technical support, catalyzing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity, and 6) Monitoring the health situation and assessing health needs.
Global Priorities:
1) Enhancing global health security; 2) Preventing chronic diseases and promoting healthy lifestyles; 3) Achieving the Millennium Developments Goals, and 4) Improving health care and fairer access to health systems.
The strategic directions of WHO’s work in Iran are:
1)Promoting health as central to sustainable human and economic development; 2) Enhancing leadership capacities for reforming the health system; 3) Applying risk management approaches to effectively deal with behavior related disorders and conditions; 4) Addressing the unfinished agenda for communicable diseases; 5) Promoting a culture of research and technological development, and 6) Strengthening institutional mechanism for effective emergency and humanitarian action for health.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1951 with its mandate to manage migration and migration related issues throughout the world. International Organization for Migration has 120 member states, 19 observer states and more than 100 field offices around the world. The most important activities of the organization are focused in two sectors “services” and “program and policy development” within the framework of five principal areas including migration and development, facilitating migration, regulating migration, forced migration and its cross – cutting area (technical cooperation, research, international migration law, decision making and policy development issues, migrants rights, health and migration and migration and gender).
IOM started its activities in Iran in July 1990 by focusing on evacuation of third country nationals caught in the Iraq-Kuwait conflict. By the end of 2000, IOM, jointly with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), repatriated approximately 370,000 Afghan nationals voluntarily to Afghanistan.
The Islamic Republic of Iran had joined IOM as an observer in 1995. Iran was accepted as a full member in IOM’s Governors’ Council in 2001. Since 2004, IOM has changed its refugee-oriented approach and adopted a guiding program/policy-oriented approach with the purpose of assisting Iran in migration management issues and tackling the new challenges the country is exposed to.

Main projects/activities in Iran

IOM’s mandate is based on the belief that orderly human migration benefits all, including governments and societies. The activity areas of the organization include:
- Technical cooperation in migration management;
- Counter trafficking/smuggling;
- Labor migration;
- Health and migration;
- Voluntary return and reintegration, and
- Facilitated movement services.

Priorities Globally and in Iran

In order for the Islamic Republic of Iran to benefit from international experiences in the area of migration management, IOM emphasizes the promotion of quality management potential and the perpetuation of broad-based strategies. To this end, the following activities have been undertaken:

- Technical cooperation with the governmental entities of the I.R. Iran in the area of migration management and policy development;
- Combating irregular migration, including human trafficking and smuggling;
- Labor migration;
- Voluntary return and reintegration;
- Cooperation in border management, and
- Development of national and regional migration policies and strategies.

Note: While not part of the United Nations at the headquarters level, the International Organization for Migration operates as a member of the UN Country Team in its member states.

History of Agency in the World and Iran

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is the focal point in the UN system aimed at building disaster resilient communities by promoting increased awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral component of sustainable development. It’s goal is to reduce human, social, economic and environmental losses due to natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters. UN/ISDR is an international data center that collects information on disaster reduction, develops campaigns on raising public awareness and publishes articles, booklets and other materials on disaster risk reduction. UN/ISDR Secretariat is based in Geneva.
UN/ISDR Liaison Office for the ECO region was established in February 2007 in Tehran and works to facilitate the promotion of disaster risk reduction and support the implementation of Hyogo Framework for Action among ECO region countries to strengthen coordination both at the regional and national levels.

Main projects/activities in Iran

After numerous efforts by the Working Group for the Establishment of ASRC(Asian Seismic Risk Reduction Center), several documents including the plan for the Center, concept note, and MOU were developed. Mr. Salvano Briceno, the Director of UNISDR visited Iran on 9th May 2007 and signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding with Mr. Mehdi Hashemi, Deputy Interior Minister of Iran. The Center was launched on the same day. Since then, ISDR has cooperated with the Iranian authorities to develop a partnership between ASRC, ECO and other institutions.
On 9th May 2007, a MOU was signed between ISDR and ECO secretariat. The main objective of this MOU was promoting disaster risk reduction within the ECO region. UNISDR and ECO are jointly developing a partnership for promotion of disaster risk reduction in this region. Among the activities, the global campaign on hospital safety was launched in the ECO region on 29 January 2008 and the ISDR-ECO workshop on GAR( Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction) was held on 1-2 July 2008.
Supporting the Iranian government on the promotion of disaster risk reduction at the national level, including through supporting Iranian National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (INPDRR)

Priorities Globally and in Iran