Poverty Reduction - UNDP Guyana

The world is addressing the many dimensions of human development through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. Developing countries are working to create their own national poverty eradication strategies based on local needs and priorities. UNDP advocates for these nationally-owned solutions and helps ensure their effectiveness. We sponsor innovative pilot projects, connect countries to share global best practices and resources, promote the role of women in development and bring governments, civil society and external partners together to coordinate their efforts.

Despite being a country of significant economic potential, Guyana is one of the forty-one countries world-wide classified as a ‘highly indebted poor country’ (HIPC).  Over the past few years the economy experienced slow growth, exacerbated by devastating floods in 2005 and 2006. Resultant damage and losses significantly influenced the GDP, especially in 2005 when more than one third of the population suffered from the impacts. Between 1992 and 2000, the percentage of persons living in poverty declined from 43 percent to 35 percent. More current data is not yet available, but in the absence of robust GDP growth, it is highly unlikely that the poverty levels would have continued to drop over the past six years.

Guyana prepared a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in 2001 and has since produced two progress reports (2004 Progress Report and 2005 Progress Report). A second PRSP is under preparation.

UNDP poverty reduction support in Guyana focuses on:

• building the national capacity to collect, analyse and disseminate key economic and social data. so poverty and other vulnerabilities are highlighted and can be properly addressed in the ongoing PRSP and MDG reporting mechanism as well as in broader policy making;
• building capacities at the regional level to formulate regional and local development strategies;
• building capacities at the community level to conceive and implement initiatives to increase employment opportunities and reduce poverty;
• developing a sustainable monitoring and evaluation system to measure progress towards the MDGs and other national poverty priorities embedded in the PRS to ensure policies are designed and monitored on the basis of solid evidence; and
• providing support to align the MDGs with the national Poverty Reduction Strategy.

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007 -- New York, 20 July - For Latin
America and Caribbean, a Contradictory Picture. Development Gains Offset by
Entrenched Poverty, UN Report Says.