empleo

Organization: Médecins Sans Frontières
Country: Spain
Closing date: 23 Apr 2017

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 4 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations, including the Logistics Department.

JOB ENVIRONMENT AND GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Within the Logistics Department, the Technical Support Unit has the following general objectives:

· Definition of the technical policies and standard procedures to be applied in field missions

· Expertize advice to the field teams and operations department (construction; water and sanitation; shelter; fleet, facility and cold chain management; general and biomedical equipment management)

· Design of training modules, and training of field staff

· R&D related to the expertize of the unit

The Applied Security position is within the Technical Support Unit of the Logistics department and has an objective of contributing to the collation and sharing of technical expertise related to Applied Security and safety topics both within OCBA and for some topics, within the wider movement.

As a key component in security management, Applied Security has been boosted within OCBA but requires continued development:

· The actual expertise related to the products/items used in Applied Security is spread into the various OCs in the movement, including the OCBA. Some interesting products that could be useful to solve field challenges and that are available on the market have not been investigated yet. There is a clear need to consolidate this knowledge.

· In recent years, OCBA deployed a new intersectional course that aims at improving the skills and know-how of logisticians in Applied Security. There is an ambition to go for more frequent editions including the deployment of regional contextualized editions of the training, ensuring continuous improvement.

The Technician occupies a back office position that is a key player in achieving these ambitions.

The position reports hierarchically to the Head of the Technical Support Unit and functionally to the Security Focal Point of the OCBA.

It will also liaise as appropriately with the Intersectional platform for Security Advisors and Logistics Coordination.

MAIN RESPONSABILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

1. Training (international element)

· Execution, facilitation during and continued development of the international training (Applied Security course for field logistician and logistical coordinators).

· To be achieved in conjunction with the relevant international technical working groups and aforementioned Logistics and Security platforms.

· Regional contextualized Applied Security courses as per operational demand.

· Drilling and tailored trainings as per operational demand.

2. Products (international element)

· Drafting technical sheets for products related to Applied Security for the MSF movement.

· Encorporating agreed technical sheets into internationally accessible material libraries.

• Develops and/or leads technical dossier regarding Applied Security products.

· To be achieved in conjunction with the relevant international technical working groups and aforementioned Logistics and Security platforms.

· Link European Supply Centers for choice of providers and input regarding quality if required.

3. Knowledge repository

· Drafting and developing procedural resources (memo´s, protocols, guidelines etc.) relevant to Applied Security for MSF OCBA.

· Maintenance of log toolbox for Applied Security for field logistics staff.

· Management and maintenance of repository of expert-level documentation available for senior logistical staff and security advisor.

· To be achieved in conjunction with hierarchical and functional management.

4. Field Support

· Provide both pro- and reactive support (technical advice etc.) to OCBA field operations through operational logistics department.

· Explore possibilities for auditing Applied Security setup in operations.

5. Indicators

· Develop indicators and metrics for comparison of Applied Security activity over time.

· Monitor said indicators in conjunction with operational logistics department.

6. Reporting / Coordination

• Reporting of international activities to the Intersectional Logistics Coordination and Security Focal Point Platforms
• Liaising with international working groups for Applied Security related technical families

SELECTION CRITERIA

Training and Experience

· Minimum experience of 2 years as a logistician with MSF, including 1 year experience as a Logistics Coordinator, Field Coordinator or Head of Mission

· Experience in security management is necessary. Experience with the deployment of physical protection measures is desired.

· Good communication and reporting skills both English and French. Spanish is an advantage.

· Experience in training is a significant advantage.

· IT knowledge as an advanced user.

Competencies

· Commitment to MSF’s Principles

· Cross-cultural Awareness

· Behavioural Flexibility

· Analytical Thinking

· Strategic Vision

· Results and Quality Orientation

· Service Orientation

· Initiative and Innovation

· Teamwork and Cooperation

Others:

· Availability to travel in Europe and for trainings to the field occassionaly.

· Communicative personality to support trainings

· Diplomacy for international work

CONDITIONS

· Based in Barcelona at the Médecins Sans Frontières Spain HQ, available to travel (10-20% of time).

· Full time job

· Minimum commitment with the position of 3 years

· Annual gross salary: 35,608.10 Euros (divided into 12 monthly payments) + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward Policy.

· Starting 01/05/2017

How to apply:

To apply, all applicants should please send their CV and cover motivation letter under the reference “Logistics Applied Security Referent” to recruitment-bcn@barcelona.msf.org.

Please submit your CV and cover letter in ONE file and name the file with your LAST NAME

Closing date: 23rf April 2017

Replies will only be sent to short-listed candidates.

Médecins Sans Frontieres, as a responsible employer, under article 38 of “Ley de Integración Social del Minusválido de 1982 (LISMI)” invite those persons with a recognized disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above mentioned position.

Organization: AECOM International Development Inc.
Country: Honduras
Closing date: 30 Apr 2017

AECOM is currently seeking an Regional Director for an upcoming USAID-funded government reform project in Honduras that willincrease citizen security through civil society strengthening to prevent crime and violence and ensure that government resources are effectively targeted to improve citizen security.

Responsibilities:

• Provides technical and administrative support and expertise to the regional program office located in San Pedro Sula.

• Serves as the Chief of Party’s representative in the field and as a significant liaison with other implementing partners, government counterparts, other donors and other key stakeholders.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of Master’s degree and 6 years of relevant work experience or a Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of relevant work experience.

• Minimum of at least 6 years of project management experience with increasing responsibility of which 3 years must be in the areas of citizen security related community leadership development and municipal government capacity development.

• Minimum of 3years of experience working with community police, at-risk youthand other vulnerable groups.

• Minimum of 2years of experience achieving collaborative processes betweenstakeholders with proven successful results.

• Minimum of 3years of relevant supervisory experience, including direct supervision of professional and support staff, quality evaluation of staff performance and deliverables, and project management under contracts.

• Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish is required.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with USAID preferred.

How to apply:

To apply, click on the link below and follow the instructions.http://aecom.jobs/tegucigalpa-hnd/regional-director/D7E313892BA24DF6844FE8FBE66F7694/job/

Organization: AECOM International Development Inc.
Country: Honduras
Closing date: 30 Apr 2017

AECOM is currently seeking an Administrator for an upcoming USAID-funded government reform project in Honduras that will increase citizen security through civil society strengthening to prevent crime and violence and ensure that government resources are effectively targeted to improve citizen security.

Responsibilities:

• Provides overall administrative management of program activities in coordination with the Chief of Party.

• Responsible for all financial, information management and budgeting, grant management, and procurement process.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum 6 years of relevant work experience and a Master’s degree or 8 years of relevant work experience and a Bachelor’s degree.

• Minimum of5 years of work experience in US Federal Government or International Development Organizations’ grants management, financial management, financial reporting, budgeting, and contracting and procurement preferred.

• Minimum of3 years of work experience with the US Federal Government, International Development Organizations, or other international donors.

• Minimum of 3years of supervisory work experience, including direct supervision of professional and support staff, evaluation of staff performance and deliverables, and project management under contracts and grants.

• Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish is required.

Preferred Qualifications: USAID experience preferred.

How to apply:

To apply, click the link below and follow the instructions:http://aecom.jobs/tegucigalpa-hnd/administrator/31952A752D8A44BBB64A89A841EC415F/job/

Organization: AECOM International Development Inc.
Country: Honduras
Closing date: 30 Apr 2017

AECOM is currently seeking a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for an upcoming USAID-funded government reform project in Honduras that willincrease citizen security through civil society strengthening to prevent crime and violence and ensure that government resources are effectively targeted to improve citizen security.

Responsibilities:

• Provide technical and administrative support and expertise to the program.

• Serves as lead in the absence of the COP.

• Serves as liaison with USAID/Honduras, other implementing partners, other donors, and any other key stakeholders. The DCOP will have demonstrated ability to work in complex environments and manage diverse teams to deliver impact.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience and a Master’s degree or 8 years of relevant work experience and a Bachelor’s degree.

• Minimum offour years working on issues of citizen security, communityleadership development and/or municipal government capacity development inthe Latin American region.

• Experience working with community police, at-risk youth and other vulnerable populations is strongly preferred.

• Minimum oftwo years of experience achieving collaborative processes between diverse stakeholders with proven successful results.

• Minimum offour years of field technical experience in designing andimplementing integrated program management in the areas of citizen security,governance, local service delivery, transparency and accountability, and citizen participation and in working directly with host country government (national,subnational and local) and civil society organizations.

• Minimum offive years of experience with direct supervision of professional and support staff, quality evaluation of staff performance and deliverables, and project management under contract.

• Highly developed leadership, interpersonal, technical and analytical skills,including experience interacting effectively with government counterparts, localand community organizations.

• Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish is required.

Preferred Qualifications: USAID experience preferred

How to apply:

To apply, click on the link below and follow the instructions:http://aecom.jobs/tegucigalpa-hnd/deputy-chief-of-party/542E90F38FB744448044B4BD6A2EAAFB/job/

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project: Mexico – Grain and Storage Information for Agricultural Competitiveness Project IBRD Credit: US $120 million equivalent Terms: Maturity = 13 years Project ID: P160570 Project Description: The loan aims to improve access to grain storage and information for agricultural producers in Mexico. Contact: Carlota Molina Hernández, +52-55-54804244, cmolinahernandez@worldbank.org For more information, please visit here: www.worldbank.org/mx    

In many parts of the world, people do not need to think about the security of their land rights. They are simply taken for granted, either as landlords or tenants. However, for the majority of the world’s poor, secure property rights are a rare luxury. Only 30% of the world’s population has a legally registered title to their land. As discussed at the Land and Poverty Conference 2017, held this week at the World Bank, secure land rights are important for reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity at the country, community, and family levels. Land rights are fundamental to stimulating investment and growth, particularly in agriculture and infrastructure; for supporting countries and their people in building resilience by preventing land-takings and mitigating forced migration. “Addressing land tenure issues is at the center of building sustainable communities – countries, regions, cities, and rural communities need secure rights, clear boundaries, and accessible land services for economic growth,” said Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, World Bank Senior Director for the Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice. “Authorities need accurate spatial information to plan roads, public services, and infrastructure, while creating jobs.” At the country level, for example, in FYR Macedonia, in 2005, only one-third of the apartments were registered at all. People simply did not know what their rights were and if they tried to find out, the agencies did not have accurate information. Through the Real Estate Cadastre and Registration Project (RECRP), the World Bank helped the government change their property laws and regulations. The RECRP supported the creation of the private surveyors sector, which allowed the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre to strengthen its quality control and supervision functions. In 2005, there were 14 licensed private surveyors in the country and zero firms. By the end of the project, in 2015, there were 249 licensed private surveyors and 152 firms. In addition, the online services became broadly available and accessible on all devices, including smartphones, in both the local language as well as in English to attract foreign direct investments in land.   As a result, surveying of land went up from 43% to 99% of the country in 10 years. When it used to take two months to register a property sale or a mortgage, it now takes a day or two. This has leveraged private investments. In fact, the value of mortgages went up from EUR 450 million to EUR 3.4 billion. “The difference is obvious. I am now able to turn my real estate quickly into a capital asset to finance my business, which greatly helps in a dynamic market that we work in,” said Maja Dimitrievska, a businesswoman in Skopje. But land and property rights are not just good for a country’s growth and investment climate. It matters deeply for social inclusion, particularly for historically disadvantaged communities, such as Indigenous Peoples. In Nicaragua, Indigenous Peoples’ rights were not recognized. However, starting in 2002, with World Bank support, the government launched major legal, policy, and institutional reforms. Fast forward 15 years: Nicaragua has mapped and titled all 23 ancestral territories of Indigenous Peoples in the Caribbean Region. This is over 30% of the country’s territory.

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:Haiti – Statistical Capacity Building Project IDA Grant: US$5 million Project ID: P157531 Project Description:  The objective of the project is to assist the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Technology (IHSI in French) to conduct, analyze and disseminate the findings of the Fifth Population and Housing Census and strengthen the human and technological capacities of the institute

No pasó tanto tiempo desde que Uruguay soñara con que sus productos cárnicos se posicionaran globalmente entre los de mayor calidad. Hoy es el sexto exportador mundial de carne y obtiene por sus productos precios en el quintil superior de la distribución. El sistema de trazabilidad bovina -ese chip que cada vaca tiene en su oreja, que almacena información y registra cada evento de su vida- se transformó en una garantía de calidad en los mercados más exigentes del mundo, que quieren conocer el origen del producto, y tener certeza de lo que consumen. Uruguay quiere trasladar esta experiencia a otros productos que ya son populares en el país, aunque no tan conocidos en los mercados internacionales. Quesos artesanales, aplicaciones tecnológicas, videojuegos, y animaciones hechas en Uruguay,podrían convertirse en productos solicitados por los consumidores del planeta. Para una economía pequeña como la de Uruguay, rodeada de gigantes como Brasil y Argentina, la integración en el mercado mundial es uno de los vehículos más poderosos para su crecimiento y desarrollo. Y la clave para lograrlo son las cadenas globales (o regionales) de valor. Una cadena de valor se convierte en global cuando un proceso productivo, desde su comienzo (a través del diseño e investigación y desarrollo), hasta su último eslabón (en ventas y servicio al cliente), es fragmentado internacionalmente, y diferentes empresas (o distintas subsidiarias de una misma empresa) ubicadas en países diferentes contribuyen al proceso. El informe del Banco Mundial, Uruguay: Integración en Cadenas Globales de Valor analiza dos cadenas de valor – lechería y tecnologías de la información y comunicaciones (TIC)- y cómo un sector tradicional, cautivo de una exportación de bajo valor agregado, y un sector de servicios de exportación nuevo, son capaces de superar los desafíos que supone la lejanía geográfica y la escala de Uruguay en pos de la modernización económica y de una mejor integración internacional. El estudio identifica oportunidades de modernización e inserción, específicamente relacionadas con estos sectores, y enfatiza, además, la importancia de políticas públicas para potenciar los beneficios. Los autores opinan que esta apuesta constituye una oportunidad para las empresas uruguayas, tanto para crecer como para aprender. “El hecho de que los procesos productivos se fragmenten, permite que un país pequeño como Uruguay logre especializarse y ser competitivo en algunas de las partes de la cadena, sin tener que desarrollar las capacidades para el proceso en su conjunto, ganando productividad, y generando empleo de calidad”, explica Alberto Criscuolo, uno de los autores del estudio. Nuevos mercados para explorar La industria láctea uruguaya genera casi el 9 % de las exportaciones de bienes de Uruguay y el 70 % de sus flujos de producción son destinados a los mercados internacionales, principalmente Venezuela, Brasil, China y Argentina. Si bien el país sudamericano exhibe un buen desempeño en la mayoría de las actividades de su cadena de valor a nivel local, nacional y regional, éste no se extiende mucho más allá de sus fronteras. Y revela que Uruguay tiene mucho potencial para avanzar en este sector, en particular en el segmento de productos no perecederos, como la leche entera en polvo, queso cheddar, lactosa, mantequilla en polvo y caseína al cuajo. Otro segmento de la industria láctea con buenas perspectivas de modernización es el de los productos llamados perecederos locales “Premium”, como los quesos artesanales, por los cuales los consumidores están dispuestos a pagar precios más elevados. En cuanto a las tecnologías informáticas, el informe señala que la entrada relativamente temprana de Uruguay en esta área ha contribuido a la supervivencia de las empresas de este sector que han sido capaces de resistir la competencia internacional y hoy son algunas de las empresas más grandes y exitosas de Uruguay. A fines de la década de 1990, las exportaciones en este rubro superaron los 90 millones de dólares, convirtiendo a Uruguay en el principal exportador de productos y servicios de TIC en América Latina. No obstante, en este sector “aún hay espacio para crecer”, aseguran los autores. Una condición necesaria para el crecimiento es que las instituciones superiores continúen formando ingenieros de sistemas de calidad. ¿Cómo hacerlo? Los beneficios de la participación en las cadenas globales de valor no son inmediatos ni automáticos, enfatiza el informe, que recomienda la implementación de algunas políticas “horizontales”, es decir, que beneficien a cualquier sector o rubro que quiera competir en las grandes ligas.  El desafío para las empresas uruguayas es doble: insertarse en las cadenas y evitar quedar atrapados en segmentos de bajo valor agregado, a la vez de “escalar” hacia tareas más sofisticadas y, por ende, mejor remuneradas. Para insertarse en las cadenas globales de valor, el informe sugiere que Uruguay debe continuar reduciendo los costos de comerciar, que aún resultan relativamente altos. Esto implica, entre otras acciones, mejorar la conectividad con una infraestructura de carreteras, ferroviaria y portuaria de calidad, así como tener una logística de clase mundial. También incluye lograr mayor acceso a mercados a través de una estrategia de regionalismo abierto. La evidencia indica que, muchas veces, las puertas a las cadenas globales de valor radican entre los mismos vecinos. Asimismo, en un contexto de creciente automatización de procesos, en los que los empleos asociados con tareas rutinarias y no cognitivas tienden a desaparecer, el estudio recomienda moverse hacia tareas de mayor valor agregado, lo cual requiere del fortalecimiento de habilidades y competencias. “En última instancia, el determinante principal para entrar en cadenas globales de valor, y para escalar hacia segmentos de alta calidad, es ser eficiente. Para ello, se necesitan dos cosas. Primero, continuar fomentando la innovación, y apoyando a las empresas en el proceso de internacionalización. Y segundo, propendiendo a una asignación de recursos eficiente en la economía: un canal fundamental para el crecimiento de la productividad. Esto es, asegurando las condiciones para que las firmas más productivas crezcan”, resume Criscuolo.

IBRD Credit: US $100 million GFF Grant: US $9 million Terms: Maturity = 33 years, Grace = 6 years Project ID: P159213 Project Description: The objective of this project is to improve the practices, services, and behaviors that are key to curbing chronic malnutrition in Guatemala, with emphasis being placed on the first 1,000 days of life. The main beneficiaries will be children under 24 months and pregnant women and their families in seven departments with large percentage of chronic malnutrition and a predominantly indigenous population. Contact: Àngels Masó, (503)7860.8019, amaso@worldbank.org  For more information, please visit here: http://www.bancomundial.org/es/country/guatemala

WASHINGTON, 27 de MARZO, 2017 –El Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial (BM) aprobó el pasado viernes 24 de marzo un préstamo de US$100 millones destinado a mejorar las prácticas, los servicios y los comportamientos claves para reducir la desnutrición crónica en Guatemala, con un énfasis en los primeros 1,000 días de vida. El “Proyecto de Nutrición y Salud para Guatemala Crecer Sano”, busca apoyar la Estrategia Nacional para la Prevención de la Desnutrición Crónica 2016-2020, que lanzó el Presidente Jimmy Morales en marzo de 2016. Los beneficiarios principales serán los niños menores de 24 meses, así como las mujeres embarazadas y sus familias en siete departamentos con elevado porcentaje de desnutrición crónica: Alta Verapaz, Chiquimula, Huehuetenango, Quiché, San Marcos, Sololá y Totonicapán. Casi todos estos departamentos tienen población predominantemente indígena. El proyecto aprobado será financiado por el BM y el Mecanismo Mundial de Financiación en Apoyo a la iniciativa Todas las Mujeres, Todos los Niños (GFF por sus siglas en inglés). Este nuevo fondo multidonante fue creado para financiar esfuerzos destinados a mejorar la salud reproductiva, materna, neonatal, infantil y adolescente (RMNCAH por sus siglas en inglés) y cuenta con el apoyo de un amplio conjunto de socios para el desarrollo, incluidos los gobiernos de Noruega, Canadá y la Fundación Bill & Melinda Gates. El GFF ayuda a financiar planes nacionales de ampliación de RMNCAH enfocándose en los resultados, apoya a los países a lograr una sostenibilidad en sus esfuerzos de movilización de recursos domésticos de RMNCAH y contribuye a una mejor coordinación entre los actores que financian actividades de RMNCAH. “Este préstamo es de suma importancia para Guatemala. Al reducir la desnutrición aumentaremos la productividad de nuestra futura fuerza laboral. Estamos agradecidos por la donación del GFF que nos permitirá beneficiarnos de mejores condiciones de préstamo y así canalizar más recursos para las poblaciones vulnerables de Guatemala”, señaló Julio Héctor Estrada, Ministro de Finanzas de Guatemala. Entre las acciones previstas en el proyecto se incluye el apoyo a la prestación de servicios de nutrición y salud a las madres y los niños, destinado entre otros a los cuidados prenatales, y la mejora del acceso a agua potable y saneamiento. Asimismo, se busca promover intervenciones destinadas a cambiar comportamientos, como asegurar la lactancia materna exclusiva durante los primeros seis meses de vida. Guatemala es el primer país que se beneficia de un aporte del GFF para reducir el pago de intereses de un préstamo del BM en US$9 millones. Esta disminución está asociada al logro de unas metas predefinidas y permite a Guatemala gozar de unos términos más concesionales que los préstamos estándar del BM. El gobierno se ha comprometido a utilizar la contribución del GFF y a agregar una cantidad equivalente. La suma final de US$18 millones se destinará a un programa de trasferencias condicionadas que busca mejorar el estado de salud y de nutrición de las familias. “A través de este instrumento financiero innovador, estamos orgullosos de apoyar a Guatemala a ampliar los recursos que benefician a madres y niños", dijo la Dra. Mariam Claeson, Directora del GFF. Si bien la desnutrición en Guatemala ha disminuido del 55% en 1995 al 46.5% en 2014/2015, sigue siendo la más alta de América Latina y El Caribe y una de las más elevadas del mundo, superando a la de países con un ingreso per cápita mucho más bajo, como Bangladesh, Etiopía o Vietnam. Los índices de desnutrición son particularmente elevados entre las poblaciones indígenas guatemaltecas (61%). Ello afecta la calidad del desarrollo humano de su población, y en consecuencia, su potencial de desarrollo y crecimiento. “Cuando miramos al país, vemos a dos Guatemalas: la rural y la urbana,  la formal y la informal, la que tiene acceso a servicios básicos y la que no. Este proyecto y todo nuestro trabajo busca contribuir a cerrar esta brecha entre las dos Guatemalas y garantizar que las poblaciones vulnerables tengan acceso a un mejor futuro”, señaló Homa-Zahra Fotouhi, representante del Banco Mundial en Guatemala. El préstamo tiene un plazo de amortización de 33 años incluyendo un período de gracia de seis años. — Para conocer el trabajo del Banco Mundial en América Latina y el Caribe visite: www.bancomundial.org/alc Conozca más sobre el Banco Mundial en Guatemala: http://www.bancomundial.org/es/country/guatemala Visítenos en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bancomundial Manténgase informado via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC   Nuestro canal de YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2017 – The Board of Directors of the World Bank (WB) approved a US$100 million loan on Friday, March 24 to improve the practices, services, and behaviors that are key to curbing chronic malnutrition in Guatemala, with emphasis being placed on the first 1,000 days of life. The “Crecer Sano: Guatemala Nutrition and Health Project” seeks to support the National Strategy to Reduce Chronic Malnutrition 2016-2020 launched by President Jimmy Morales in March 2016. The main beneficiaries will be children under 24 months and pregnant women and their families in seven departments with large percentage of chronic malnutrition: Alta Verapaz, Chiquimula, Huehuetenango, Quiché, San Marcos, Sololá, and Totonicapán. Almost all of these departments have a predominantly indigenous population. The approved project will be financed by the WB and the Global Financing Facility in Support of Every Woman Every Child (GFF), a new multi-donor trust fund financing facility for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), which was created to support the financing of the Global Strategy in Support of Every Woman Every Child and is supported by a broad set of development partners including the governments of Norway, Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The GFF helps finance national RMNCAH scale-up plans while at the same time focusing on results. It supports countries in the transition toward sustainable domestic financing of RMNCAH; as well as contributes to a better-coordinated and streamlined RMNCAH financing architecture. “This loan is of paramount importance to Guatemala. By reducing malnutrition we will increase the productivity of our future work force. We are also thankful for the grant from the GFF which will allow us to benefit from better loan terms and thereby channel more resources to vulnerable populations in Guatemala,” said Julio Héctor Estrada, Guatemala’s Minister of Finance. Support with the delivery of nutrition and health services to mothers and children, which covers prenatal care among other things, and improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation are some of the activities provided for under the project. The project also seeks to promote interventions aimed at changing behaviors such as ensuring that mothers breastfeed exclusively during the first six months of life. Guatemala is the first country to benefit from a US$9 million performance-based WB loan buy-down from the GFF Trust Fund. Grant funds from the GFF are linked to key results and enable Guatemala to receive more concessional terms than standard WB loan terms. The government has committed to use the resources that are freed up from debt payments, match these with additional domestic resources and reinvest the combined amount of US$18 million in a conditional cash transfer program that aims to improve the health and nutrition status of families by providing transfers. “Through this innovative financing instrument, we are proud to support Guatemala to expand resources that benefit mothers and children” says Dr. Mariam Claeson, Director of the GFF. While the malnutrition rate in Guatemala has fallen from 55 percent in 1995 to 46.5 percent in 2014/2015, it remains the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean and one of the highest in the world, exceeding rates in countries with much lower per capita incomes, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. Rates of malnutrition are particularly high among indigenous populations (61%). These high malnutrition rates affect the quality of human development in Guatemala and, thus, its development and growth potential. “When we look at the country, we see two Guatemalas: rural and urban areas, formal and informal sectors, and those who have access to basic services and those who don’t. This project and all our work aim to help close the gap between the two Guatemalas and ensure that vulnerable populations have access to a better future,” noted Homa-Zahra Fotouhi, World Bank Country Manager for Guatemala. This loan has a final maturity of 33 years including a grace period of six years. — To learn more about the World Bank’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/lac Learn more about the World Bank in Guatemala: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/guatemala Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bancomundial Keep informed via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC   Watch our videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:Additional Financing: Uruguay Road Rehabilitation and maintenance program IBRD Loan: US$ 70 million Terms: Maturity = 17.5, Grace = 5 yearsProject ID: P125803Project Description: The objectives of the Program are to improve the condition of the Uruguay National Road network and enhance road sector management.