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Tenerife acoge un nuevo festival multicultural que viaja con los sonidos de África

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 17 Oct 2017

La Oficina Regional de UNICEF para América Latina y El Caribe invita a firmas, organizaciones o instituciones elegibles a aplicar a la realización de la Evaluación Formativa de la Respuesta de UNICEF al Virus Zika en América Latina y el Caribe.

En este momento se precisa hacer un balance general de la respuesta, iniciada en febrero de 2016, para conocer los avances hacia la obtención de los resultados de la respuesta al Zika, valorar el alcance logrado, identificar factores de éxito y limitantes, y modificar su dirección en adelante si es necesario.

La Evaluación tiene como objetivo valorar la acción de UNICEF en América Latina y el Caribe como respuesta a la propagación del virus del Zika en la región, y la afectación que tiene este virus en niños y niñas. Cabe señalar que la respuesta de UNICEF ha sido multisectorial y abarca más de 30 países y territorios de América Latina y el Caribe, en acciones de prevención y cuidado de los niños y niñas afectados por el Síndrome Congénito del Zika y el apoyo a sus familias.

Los resultados de la evaluación serán utilizados para orientar la acción programática de UNICEF para abordar acciones futuras relacionadas con este virus o en situaciones de epidemias similares en salud pública y aquellas intervenciones que impliquen abordajes en atención a la niñez con discapacidades.

Para obtener mayor información y aplicar acceda al siguiente enlace: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/62418

Propuestas serán recibidas hasta el 16 de octubre de 2017 a las 23:59 hrs. (Time zone (GMT -5.00) Central Time (US & Canada), México City).

TDR Consultoria para Evaluación de la Respuesta Zika en LAC UNICEF_FINAL.docx

How to apply:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=507525

Organization: UN Children’s Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 16 Oct 2017

Background

The new UNICEF Strategic Plan (2018-2021) highlights the importance of evidence and data. UNICEF needs to be able to understand the situation of all children and provide the conditions so that governments have the capacity to understand it as well, with solid and timely information. We need to be able to measure the situation and progress of the Agenda 2030. As a first step, we need to understand who are the most vulnerable and why, and secondly why and how results for children are being achieved or not.

As part of the advocacy upstream role, UNICEF requires a solid foundation of data and evidence to: i) position children’s rights at the top of development agenda in high and middle income countries, ii) prioritize programmatic areas of focus that use and create evidence, and iii) strategically document “what works” and “what does not work” to achieve results for the most disadvantaged.

UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACRO) contributes to the generation of quality knowledge products that use data, analyze the situation of children identifying barriers and bottlenecks for the realization of their rights (Situation Analysis of Women and Children), analyze the results of interventions/models and national policies and programmes (Evaluations), and explore hypothesis that may proove or not prove to be correct to generate new knowledge (Research). In some cases, knowledge products may involve the use of methods that include participation of children and/or address sensitive issues that should have the right approach and the most adequate ethical considerations.

In 2013, the UNICEF Executive Board approved the ‘Revised Evaluation Policy’ to ensure that UNICEF has timely, strategically focused and objective information on the performance of its policies, programmes and initiatives. The policy defines evaluation as “an assessment, as systematic and impartial as possible, of an activity, project, programme, strategy, policy, topic, theme, sector, operational area or institutional performance”. All evaluations in UNICEF are supposed to follow the same guiding principles of rigour and transparency and share the same purpose of organizational learning and accountability. UNICEF provides guidance on the format and content of all evaluation terms of reference and report and UNEG (United Nations Evaluation Group) Norms and Standards are the basis for an independent grading system for all final reports (GEROS).

In 2015, UNICEF has also approved the ‘Procedure for Quality Assurance in Research’ to guide UNICEF’s research and to support the quality. As per the procedure, research is “the systematic process of the collection and analysis of data and information, in order to generate new knowledge, to answer a specific question or to test an hypothesis. Research 0methodology must be sufficiently documented to permit assessment and replication. Research in UNICEF should examine relevant issues and yield evidence for better programme and policy advice”. All research activities in UNICEF are supposed to follow the aforementioned research quality procedure.

The Director, Division of Data, Research and Policy at UNICEF approved the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis to guide UNICEF’s evidence generation activities and to support the integrity of UNICEF’s evidence base in order to ensure that UNICEF’s programmes, policy and advocacy activities are grounded in ethical principles and practices. All evaluation and research/studies in UNICEF involving human subjects or analyzing sensitive secondary data are supposed to follow the aforementioned ethical standards procedure.

Situation analysis of women and children are key knowledge generation product in which country offices analyze, at the national or subnational level, the situation of the children and women’s rights in different child-related areas. In 2012, UNICEF published a guidance to conduct a rights-based, equity-focused Situation Analysis (SitAn). The guidance defines the SitAn as a disaggregated assessment of the status of children and a trend in the realization of children’s and women’s rights. The SitAn is intended to make an important contribution to shaping national development strategies to accelerate achievement of the child-related goals with equity. The SitAn is also part of the UNICEF country programme preparation, and is therefore done in collaboration with counterparts, as part of UNICEF advocacy strategy in the region.

Between 2016 and 2017, UNICEF Country Offices in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region have planned to conduct 183 knowledge generation-related activities, including Evaluation (14%), Research (25%), SitAns (14%), and other studies and M&E capacity building activities. According to UNICEF policy and procedures, one of the Regional Office functions is to ensure that evaluations and research reach the expected quality (Quality Assurance function).

As part of its quality assurance and oversight function, UNICEF LACRO supports the creation of quality evidence through evaluations that feed into programming, assess models that are working or not working, communicate solid evidence, and contribute to the corporate agenda for evaluation with models that can be scaled up and adapted in other country/regional realities. Since mid-2015, the LAC Regional Office has established a quality assurance system for terms of references and evaluation reports. The quality assurance system has interesting results and has, in general terms, contributed to increase the quality of evaluations in the region. For SitAns, the LAC Regional Office provides quality assurance support to all COs conducting SitAns. For research, the Regional office needs to implement a system that enforces quality of research products. Ethics reviews are conducted in specific cases where there is participation of children, and when sensible issues have been addressed. In addition, in order to enforce the quality of all knowledge generation products and encourage office to use knowledge generation as a strategic management tool to support the UNICEF advocacy agenda and programmatic work, the LAC Regional Office has made available three different templates for the preparation of concept notes for evaluations, studies and research since January 2017.

Objective

With the objective of reaching the highest quality of research, SitAns, evaluations, and studies that also include ethical standards, when applicable, the LAC Regional Office intends to reinforce the existing quality assurance system for evaluation and SitAns and propose a system for research and studies, and also to include ethical reviews in knowledge products when needed. This consultancy has three main sections:

An assessment that includes specific analysis of existing quality assurance systems for different knowledge products:

Evaluations: A specific analysis of the current quality assurance system for evaluations, including: a) analysis of the quality mechanism in place; b) review of templates, procedures, guidance, current financial arrangements, feedback from country office colleagues using the current system, etc.; c) review and comparison of quality assurance system of the current LAC system vis a vis GEROS review; and d) identification of lessons learned and good practices.

SitAns: A quick review of the current status of the quality assurance of national, sub-national, and thematic SitAns in the region. The assessment includes: a) analysis of the current quality assurance system of SitAns, according to the guidance received and documentation available; b) review of templates, procedures, guidance, etc.; and c) identification of lessons learned and good practices.

Recommendations for a) a reinforced quality assurance system for evaluations b) a reinforced quality assurance system for SitAns, c) the establishment of quality assurance system for research knowledge products; d) the establishment of a quality assurance mechanism for studies that promote higher quality, but also focuses on the use of these knowledge products.

Preparation of practical tools for the use of quality assurance system for each type (Evaluations, SitAns, Research, studies) of knowledge products and Ethical reviews (both in English and Spanish), including:

Template for ToRs, inception reports, and final reports

Template for quality review of ToRs, inception reports, and final reports

Quality Assurance procedure and guidelines

A list of potential centers of excellence, academic organizations, research centers or other organizations, institutions, or companies that may be suitable to implement quality assurance reviews for each or all specific products or a set of products (considering the language needs of UNICEF LAC – Spanish capacity is a must).

Estimated cost of the proposed quality assurance systems by knowledge product, considering the Latin American Region context.

In order to benchmark from different experience, the assessment should include the review of knowledge generating mechanisms in two other UNICEF regional offices.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (for evaluations, research and ethical reviews) and the Regional Monitoring Specialist (for SitAns), the professional consultant will undertake the following outputs:

Assessment report of current quality assurance system for Evaluations. This assessment should include a review of a sample of Draft ToRs and Draft Evaluation Reports and final versions (since mid-2015), a comparison with GEROS review, mechanisms in place, tools and procedures, and financial arrangements.

A proposal of a quality assurance system for evaluations, research, SitAns, studies, and Ethical reviews. It should include clear guidelines and procedures for their implementation, and proposed costing of quality assurance system (based on the number of working days needed for conducting the reviews).

A toolkit with practical tools, as specified in paragraph 13 of this document (in English and Spanish). Be aware that most of these tools already exist and only need to be refined.

Scan of centers of excellence, academic organizations, research centers or other organizations, institutions, or companies that may be suitable to do quality assurance reviews for specific products or a set of products (considering the language needs of UNICEF LAC-Spanish is a must).

These outputs should be based on the UNICEF’s Evaluation Policy, Policy of Research and will be conducted in accordance with guidance, norms and standards defined by the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG, ethical considerations guidelines, SitAns guidelines, etc.). The Institution/organization/company must commit with the ethical Code of Conduct for Evaluators in the United Nations System.

Approval of Products

The Regional M&E Specialist and Monitoring Specialist will review products delivered by the Consultant and will approve their final version. The consultant will inform the M&E Specialist and Monitoring Specialist of any remarks on the product, within five (5) working days after the product has been delivered.

Qualifications

The required consultant will be a qualified professional with the following characteristics:

Excellent and proved knowledge of Evaluation methods and approaches

Excellent and proved knowledge of Research and Ethical Reviews and approaches

Previous experience with Quality Assurance systems

At least 10 years of proven professional experience in designing and conducting evaluations, research, situation analysis, and/or ethical reviews.

Excellent analytical and writing skills in Spanish and English

Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work in a multi-cultural environment

Post-graduate University degree in subject related matters

Working knowledge in the LAC region

Familiarity with UNICEF programmes

Duration of contract

The implementation of this consultancy has a duration of 3 months.

To Apply

Applicants will submit their proposals which should include:

A CV and/or P11

A short technical proposal (2 pages max.) describing methodology, timeline, and workplan

An economic proposal including a total fee to conduct this consultancy, and disaggregated by product, as described in paragraph 17.

Incomplete proposals (technical and economic) will not be considered.

Additional considerations

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if outputs are incomplete, not delivered of for failure to meet deadlines

All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

How to apply:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=507526

Un latinoamericano puede llegar a perder entre tres y cuatro horas al día en viajar desde casa al trabajo o viceversa. Esto le puede costar el equivalente a dos horas de su salario, según los expertos. Para aliviar el problema del tiempo de viaje y de la contaminación, diferentes ciudades en la región, algunas en cooperación con el Banco Mundial, han desarrollado sistemas de Buses de Tránsito Rápido, que, al contar con estaciones a lo largo de una vía exclusiva para su desplazamiento, facilitan la rapidez en el abordaje y en el transporte, similar a los procedimientos que se usan en los sistemas de metro y de trenes ligeros. Estos sistemas de transporte público también reducen la contaminación local y las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero promoviendo el desarrollo inclusivo. En México, por ejemplo, el Sistema de Transporte Rápido por Autobús fue el primer corredor de transporte masivo en superficie de la capital mexicana. A fines de 2012 y debido a la demanda, el sistema había alcanzado picos de más de 300.000 viajes diarios. En Colombia, el TransMilenio cuenta con 138 estaciones y 84 kilómetros de líneas segregadas para buses y, a diario, transporta a más de 2 millones de pasajeros.

世界開発報告2018： より厳密な測定とエビデンスに基づいた行動を呼びかけ ワシントン、2017年9月26日 – 低・中所得国では数百万人に上る児童・生徒が、初等・中等教育でその後の?…

Washington, DC September 28, 2017 – The World Bank Group received EUR 10 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to improve and scale up the use of extreme weather insurance instruments as risk management tools for the poor and the most vulnerable smallholder farmers particularly affected by climate change.  The contribution will finance knowledge and technical assistance activities of the Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) to build capacity and expertise among practitioners in developing countries to devise effective index insurance products for smallholder farmers in areas vulnerable to climate shocks and climate-related disaster. "This is of utmost importance for sustainable development since natural disasters show to what extent climate change can hinder success in development. Climate insurance provides help – in a quick and cost-effective manner," said Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. "Understanding and managing risks caused by weather-related disasters is critical to help smallholder farmers build resilience, reduce food insecurity, and offset economic losses,” said Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Senior Director, Finance & Markets Global Practice, World Bank Group. "Developing good insurance products is most important for agricultural regions that are vulnerable to disasters and climate impacts, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean." Index insurance pays out benefits based on a pre-determined index composed of extreme weather data for the loss of assets and investments resulting from extreme weather or other catastrophic events. Although an innovative product, insurers in developing countries rarely offer index insurance because they do not have sufficient knowledge and technical capacity to develop sustainable and profitable products. GIIF will allocate this funding to further build capacity in the insurance community on index insurance by organizing technical workshops for practitioners; disseminating know-hows; incubating innovation; and improving access to reliable, accurate, and timely data in agriculture insurance. GIIF is a World Bank Group’s program that facilitates access to finance for smallholder farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, and microfinance institutions by providing climate and disaster risk transfer solutions and index-based insurance in developing countries. To date, GIIF has supported nearly a dozen partners in developing countries to set up index insurance markets and has facilitated more than 1.8 million contracts, covering approximately 7 million people, with $178m in sums insured. GIIF also works with private insurance and reinsurance providers, and is thus able to contribute to the development of sustainable insurance markets. GIIF is funded by the European Union/ACP Groups of States, Japan, and the Netherlands, and now also Germany. The signed agreement is part of the InsuResilience initiative on climate risk insurance whose goal is to help an additional 400 million people obtain access to direct or indirect insurance coverage by 2020. The initiative was adopted at the 2015 G7 Summit in Germany. At its Hamburg Summit, the G20 welcomed the creation of a Partnership for Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance Solutions, building on the work of existing platforms, such as InsuResilience 

WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017 –With 1.5 billion people covered globally, food and voucher programs provide an important lifeline for the poor and vulnerable. Understanding how those programs work, and how they connect to wider social protection systems is key to ensuring food security and helping the poor, says a new World Bank report. Social protection systems include programs that help manage shocks, connect vulnerable people to jobs, and address poverty and food insecurity. Food, which claims about 61 percent of the poor’s expenditures, is a pressing daily concern for people at the bottom of the income ladder. An effective food-based social assistance program can make a critical difference and help release household resources for other needs. The study – The 1.5 Billion People Question: Food, Vouchers or Cash Transfers? –reveals that while countries increasingly support people with cash as a form of safety net, food-based programs are still important interventions in some contexts. The analysis highlights how food and voucher programs remain relevant, and in most circumstances, have improved over time. “This report explores how to successfully integrate social protection mechanisms and food assistance,” says Michal Rutkowski, Senior Director for the World Bank’s Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice. “Understanding how programs have evolved and learning from different country experiences enables us to adopt an evidence-based approach to protecting the poor and vulnerable, and helps policymakers deliver effective interventions.” The study shows that cash, vouchers, and food transfers are effective in improving food security, with the former two more likely to achieve these goals at lower costs. The report also discusses how the use of modern technology in food programs shows enormous potential for improving these delivery systems. For example, in some low-income states in India, technological tools helped to expand the coverage of food distribution and curb rates of exclusion of the poor from the program. Vouchers and cash transfers are shown to complement food-based transfers to support additional policy goals such as in nutrition and agriculture. “Food and cash-based assistance are often portrayed as alternatives. Yet no social protection system is entirely in one form or the other. The report sheds light on why that’s the case, and what factors shape decisions around food based programs” says Ugo Gentilini, World Bank Senior Economist and one of the co-editors of the study. The diversity of contexts within countries – for example the availability of food in local markets–  may call for maintaining flexibility in program choices. Political and economic factors, past practices, and the multiplicity of objectives can also help explain why governments retain food-based interventions. Case studies of programs in six countries, namely Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and the United States are presented in the study. Although these include middle- and high-income countries, the lessons are relevant to lower-income countries as well.

BOGOTA, Colombia, 28 de septiembre – Expertos fiscales, economistas y ecologistas de renombre comienzan hoy un taller en Bogotá para estudiar cómo los ministerios de finanzas de América Latina pueden utilizar y diseñar instrumentos fiscales que mitiguen el impacto del cambio climático. El foro "Reformas Fiscales Ambientales para el Crecimiento Bajo en Carbono" es organizado conjuntamente por el Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público de Colombia y la iniciativa denominada Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE). CAPE, creado por el Banco Mundial y la Presidencia Marroquí de la COP22 en noviembre de 2016, reúne a ministros de finanzas, personal técnico y otros para diseñar políticas macroeconómicas inteligentes para el clima y para desarrollar estrategias de financiamiento para implementar las contribuciones determinadas a nivel nacional establecidas bajo el Acuerdo de París de 2015. El foro será inaugurado por el Ministro de Hacienda de Colombia, Mauricio Cárdenas y la directora de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales del Banco Mundial, Karin Kemper. Asistirán representantes gubernamentales y conferencistas internacionales de la región y del mundo, incluyendo México, Chile, Perú, Brasil, Canadá, Estados Unidos y Noruega.  “Colombia está comprometida con las políticas y reformas fiscales que nos ayudan a implementar con éxito el Acuerdo de París, tal como lo evidencia la Reforma Tributaria Estructural aprobada el año pasado, en la cual incluimos un impuesto al carbono y otras disposiciones vinculadas a nuestra agenda de sostenibilidad ambiental. Desde la implementación de los impuestos sobre el carbono hasta la adopción de acciones de política para fortalecimiento de la resiliencia social y económica, los ministros de Finanzas tienen hoy acceso a una amplia gama de instrumentos de con los que ayudar a sus países a manejar los efectos del cambio climático", afirmó Mauricio Cárdenas, Ministro de Hacienda. El foro forma parte de una serie de intercambios internacionales promovidos por la CAPE que tienen como objetivo proporcionar una plataforma para que los ministros de finanzas identifiquen desafíos y compartan las mejores prácticas para la implementación exitosa de los CDN. El primer taller de la CAPE se realizó a principios de este mes en Shanghái, China. Karin Kemper, del Banco Mundial, comentó: "Cuando se trata de la acción climática y el desarrollo verde, Colombia ha sido una voz fuerte tanto en la región como en todo el mundo. Nos complace colaborar con Colombia en importantes iniciativas como la CAPE que promueven el diálogo internacional sobre el desarrollo bajo en emisiones de carbono y destacan el papel vital de los ministros de finanzas y las finanzas privadas en estos esfuerzos". La agenda del taller incluye presentaciones y mesas redondas sobre:Políticas e instrumentos fiscales para desbloquear la financiación privada para inversiones verdes;Desafíos para acceder al financiamiento internacional relacionado con el clima;Lecciones aprendidas tanto a nivel regional como internacional desde la implementación de mecanismos de fijación de precios al carbono;Políticas para detener la deforestación y lograr esfuerzos de conservación de los bosques.

BOGOTA, Colombia, Sept 28 – Leading fiscal experts, economists and environmentalists kick off a two-day workshop in Bogota today to look at how finance ministries in Latin America can better use and design fiscal instruments that mitigate the impact of climate change. Called “Environmental Fiscal Reforms for Low-Carbon Growth”, the workshop is jointly organized by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia and an initiative called the Climate Action Peer Exchange (CAPE).  CAPE, which was created by the World Bank and the Morocco COP22 Presidency in November 2016, brings together finance ministers, technical staff and others to design climate-smart macroeconomic policies and to develop financing strategies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) established under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The workshop will be officially opened by Colombia’s Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas and World Bank Senior Director of Environment and Natural Resources, Karin Kemper. Government representatives and international speakers from the region and around the world are expected to attend, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Canada, the United States and Norway.   “Colombia is committed to fiscal policies and reforms that help us to successfully implement the Paris Agreement, as shown in the tax reform approved last year where we included a carbon tax, among other climate related provisions that are part of our sustainable development agenda. From instituting carbon taxes to strengthening social and economic resilience, finance ministers have access to a wide range of public policy instruments which could help their countries to manage the effects of climate change” said Cardenas. Commented the World Bank’s Karin Kemper: “When it comes to climate action and green development, Colombia has been a strong voice both in the region and worldwide. We are pleased to partner with Colombia on important initiatives such as CAPE that advance international dialogue on low carbon development and highlight the vital role of finance ministers and private finance in these efforts.” The workshop is part of a series of international exchanges promoted by CAPE that aim to provide a platform for finance ministers to identify challenges and share best practices for the successful implementation of the NDCs. The first CAPE workshop was held earlier this month in Shanghai, China. The workshop agenda includes presentations and panel discussions on:Policy and fiscal instruments to unlock private finance for green investments;Challenges to access international climate-related finance;Lessons learned both regionally and internationally from the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms;Policies to halt deforestation and achieve forest conservation efforts.

Download (pdf): Full Report Introduction Preface, Acknowledgments, About the Editors and Authors, Abbreviations Chapter 1 The Evolution of Food as Social Assistance  Chapter 2 The Public Distribution System  in India Chapter 3 The Tamween Food Subsidy System in Egypt  Chapter 4 Food-Based Social Assistance Programs in Sri Lanka Chapter 5 From Food Subsidies to Targeted Transfers in Mexico Chapter 6 Evolution and Implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the United States Chapter 7 Evolution and Implementation of the Rastra Program in Indonesia

Primera línea de crédito de contingencia en el Caribe para garantizar acceso a financiamiento inmediato por US$150 millones luego de un desastre WASHINGTON, 28 de septiembre de 2017 – El Directorio Ejecutivo del Banco Mundial aprobó hoy un préstamo de US$150 millones para la República Dominicana (RD) para proveer financiamiento inmediato luego de un desastre natural o una emergencia de salud pública. Esta Opción de desembolso diferido ante catástrofes, o Cat DDO por sus siglas en inglés, le brinda a países afectados financiamiento inmediato sin tener que utilizar recursos destinados a programas sociales o de desarrollo. “Dado que la República Dominicana y sus vecinos caribeños viven las consecuencias directas del cambio climático y seguirán siendo vulnerables a los eventos climáticos extremos, nuestra prioridad es estar mejor preparados para salvar vidas, asistir a las comunidades afectadas y asegurarnos que obras de infraestructura clave como hospitales, escuelas, carreteras, puentes y viviendas se construyan de mejor manera para resistir estos desastres naturales. Este financiamiento del Banco Mundial nos ayudará a mitigar los riesgos derivados de eventos climáticos y desastres naturales, así como pandemias”, dijo Danilo Medina, Presidente de la República Dominicana. De acuerdo a un reciente estudio del Banco Mundial y el Ministerio de Economía, Planificación y Desarrollo, se estima que el impacto económico de los desastres naturales ha promediado en unos US$420 millones por año durante el período 1961-2014.  La República Dominicana se ubica en el puesto 27 entre 171 países en el Índice de Riesgo Global 2016 de las Naciones Unidas, que clasifica los riesgos de los países ante desastres naturales. “La enseñanza más importante de nuestra experiencia mundial en respuestas ante desastres es la de invertir en prevención y preparación para poder responder más rápido cuando un desastre ocurre”, dijo Tahseen Sayed, directora del Banco Mundial para el Caribe. “Este es el primer préstamo de su tipo en el Caribe, y se centra en una serie de reformas destinadas a fortalecer la capacidad del gobierno en gestión del riesgo, adaptación al clima y resiliencia financiera”. Las reformas de política respaldadas bajo el Cat DDO: ·         Incorporarán riesgos ante desastres y aquellos relacionados con el clima a la gestión fiscal y de deuda; ·         Harán cumplir los reglamentos de zonificación, códigos de construcción y normas de seguridad en infraestructuras públicas, en particular escuelas e instalaciones de salud; ·         Fortalecerán las medidas de reducción de riesgo ante inundaciones y sequías como parte de una estrategia nacional de gestión integral de los recursos hídricos; y ·         Seguirán desarrollando la resiliencia de las inversiones públicas integrando el análisis de desastres y riesgos relacionados con el clima. El Cat DDO es un préstamo flexible con un vencimiento final de 19 años, incluido un período de gracia de 12 años. Antecedentes respecto a cómo el Banco Mundial está respondiendo a los huracanes Irma y María En el período inmediatamente posterior a los huracanes Irma y María, el Banco Mundial movilizó a un equipo de gestión del riesgo ante desastres para ayudar a los gobiernos de los países afectados a realizar una evaluación rápida de daños y necesidades, en colaboración con las Naciones Unidas, la Unión Europea, la Agencia del Caribe para la Gestión de Emergencias y el Banco de Desarrollo del Caribe. En Barbuda, un proyecto de recuperación de emergencia está siendo acelerado con el fin de construir la infraestructura pública afectada. En Dominica se canalizó apoyo inmediato a través del actual proyecto para reducción de desastres y la Facilidad de Seguros contra Riesgos Catastróficos en el Caribe (CCRIF SPC por sus siglas en inglés), desarrollada con ayuda del Banco Mundial, desembolsará un pago de $19 millones a Dominica en los primeros 15 días. Se dispondrá apoyo adicional luego de una evaluación de daños y pérdidas. En la República Dominicana y Haití, el Banco ha estado trabajando de manera estrecha junto a agencias nacionales y socios en desarrollo para mejorar el nivel de preparación y la rapidez de la respuesta. Asegurar el acceso a recursos financieros antes que un desastre golpee también es importante. Esto abarca instrumentos como fondos de emergencia, mecanismos de seguro y líneas de crédito contingentes como la Opción de desembolso diferido ante catástrofes, o Cat DDO. Asimismo, seis países del Caribe, Antigua y Barbuda, Anguila, Haití, San Cristóbal y Nieves, Bahamas y las Islas Turcos y Caicos, estarán recibiendo pagos por un total de US$29.6 millones por parte del CCRIF SPC, menos de quince días después de que los huracanes Irma y María azotaran el Caribe. Este mecanismo de seguro regional hace uso del reparto de riesgos para brindar liquidez y responder rápidamente a desastres. ———————- Para conocer el trabajo del Banco Mundial en América Latina y el Caribe visite: www.bancomundial.org/alc Visítenos en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bancomundial Manténgase informado via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WorldBankLAC Nuestro canal de YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

First contingency line of credit in the Caribbean to secure access to US$150 million immediate financing in the aftermath of a disaster WASHINGTON, September 28, 2017— The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$150 million loan to the Dominican Republic (DR) to provide immediate financing in the event of a natural disaster or a public health emergency. This Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option, or Cat DDO, provides countries with immediate financing without taking resources away from social and development programs. “As the Dominican Republic and its Caribbean neighbors live through the direct consequences of climate change and will continue facing vulnerability to extreme weather events, our priority is to be better prepared to save lives, assist affected communities, and ensure that key infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and houses are better built to withstand natural disasters. This financing from the World Bank will help us mitigate risks from climate shocks, natural disasters, as well as pandemics”, said Danilo Medina, President of the Dominican Republic. According to a recent World Bank and Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development study, the economic impact of disasters in the country is estimated to an average of US$420 million per year over the period of 1961 to 2014. The Dominican Republic ranks 27 out of 171 countries in the 2016 United Nations World Risk Index that ranks countries risks of natural disasters.“The most important lesson from our experience in disaster response across the world is to invest in prevention and preparedness to be able to respond speedily when disaster strikes," said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. “This is the first operation of its kind in the Caribbean, and focuses on a series of reform to strengthen the government’s capacity for disaster risk management, climate adaptation, and financial resilience”.The policy reforms supported under the Cat DDO will: ·         Incorporate disasters and climate-related risks into fiscal and debt management; ·         Enforce zoning regulations, building codes and safety standards for public infrastructures, in particular for schools and health facilities; ·         Strengthen flood and drought risk reduction measures as part of a comprehensive water resource management national strategy; ·         and further build resilience of public investments by integrating disaster and climate-related risk analysis. The Cat DDO is a flexible loan with a final maturity of 19 years, including a 12-year grace period. Background on how the World Bank is responding to Hurricanes Irma and Maria In the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the World Bank mobilized a disaster risk management team to help governments of affected countries, to conduct a rapid damage and needs assessment, in collaboration with the United Nations, the European Union, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and the Caribbean Development Bank. In Barbuda, an emergency recovery project is being fast tracked to help rebuild severely damaged public infrastructure. In Dominica, immediate support is available from an existing disaster reduction project and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF SPC), developed with assistance of the World Bank, will be making a payout of USD $ 19 million to Dominica within 15 days. Additional support will be provided following a damage and loss assessment. In the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the Bank has been working closely with the national agencies and development partners to improve preparedness and timely response. Securing access to financial resources before a disaster strikes is also important. This includes instruments such as emergency funds, insurance mechanisms and contingency lines of credit such as the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option, or Cat DDO. In addition, six Caribbean countries, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Haiti, Saint Kitts & Nevis, The Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos Islands, are receiving payouts amounting to US$ 29.6 million by CCRIF SPC, less than 15 days after Hurricane Irma and Maria ripped through the Caribbean. This regional insurance mechanism takes advantage of risk pooling to provide liquidity to respond quickly to disasters. ———————- For more information, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/lac Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WorldBankLAC For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank