UNDP throws more $$CASH$$ into voter registration in Yemen - if anything goes wrong - please don't blame UNDP (as usual)

Click here to read this in full @ Reliefweb: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/united-nations-development-programme-reconfirms-its-strong-commitment-and-support

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reconfirms its strong commitment and support to the transitional process through its continued support to Yemen’s update to the Voter Registry, Constitutional Referendum and post-Referendum elections by the signing of an agreement in the amount of 27 million SEK (approximately US $4 million) with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for the implementation of the Support to the Elections during the Transitional Period (SETP) project in Yemen. The agreements were exchanged on Monday, December 17, 2012 by the Ambassador of Sweden, Senior Country Director of UNDP, the Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Elections and Referenda (SCER), and the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation at the latter’s office.

The SETP project aims to support the planning and administration of voter registration, the constitutional referendum, and remaining elections of the transitional period; to support inclusive electoral legal framework reform and to increase participation of civil society, political parties, women, youth and persons with disabilities in electoral processes.

“Sweden is now the first contributor for the preparation of voter registration efforts and the coming referendum" said Gustavo Gonzalez, UNDP Yemen Senior Country Director, who led the UNDP delegation. Stressing on the importance of the electoral reforms for fair and impartial elections, “If the National Dialogue is at the heart of the transitional process, elections are what sustains its beat. Elections bring political legitimacy and inclusiveness. Sustainable development in Yemen is unthinkable without a strong democracy. This is why UNDP is strongly investing in elections.”

Ban confirms appointment of adviser on Yemen (Jamal Benomar), names new enterprise planning official (Enrnesto Enrqiue Baca)

Special Adviser on Yemen Jamal Benomar. UN Photo/JC McIlwaine

1 August 2012 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today confirmed the appointment of Jamal Benomar as his Special Adviser on Yemen, charged with leading strengthened so-called ‘good offices’ in the Middle Eastern country during its current transition period. Mr. Benomar has served as the Special Adviser on Yemen since April last year, and has been working with the United Nations since early 1994 in various capacities, including with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA).
Mr. Benomar also served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Before his career with the UN, Mr. Benomar was a director at the Carter Center where he worked closely with former US President Jimmy Carter on human rights and mediation issues.
In addition to other methods, the Secretary-General uses his ‘good offices’ – steps taken publicly and in private, drawing upon his independence, impartiality and integrity – to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.
Mr. Ban also announced today the appointment of Enrnesto Enrqiue Baca of Argentina as the Assistant Secretary-General for the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project in the UN Department of Management.
In a news release, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said Mr. Baca brings with him “extensive experience in leading major business transformations, large scale process re-engineering and change management initiatives, including ERP system implementation in the United Nations system and the private sector.”
Mr. Baca was previously the Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology and Management Services of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), where he led the agency’s business transformation and information technology projects.
Before joining the UN, Mr. Baca acted as the Chief Executive Officer of Telecarrier International Inc, in Panama, and had held senior positions at Telecom Argentina.

Protesters Retake Square in Bahrain While Libya and Yemen Try to Suppress Protests

Protesters in Bahrain fought past riot policemen who sprayed them with tear gas and shot at them with rubber bullets Saturday, retaking a central square and leading the country’s crown prince to say he had ordered the army out of the area. The announcement set off a wave of jubilation among the thousands of protesters in Pearl Square, the heart of the country’s uprising, and added new pressures for shaken governments in Libya, Algeria and Yemen as they made new moves to stifle protests.

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