In an international conference held in Rome, Italy, from 22 to 24 February 2007, the Valencia Government also reconfirmed that it will support the programme with 250,000 USD (two hundred and fifth thousand American Dollars) for Nampula region in the north of Mozambique. The offer will be extended the overall programme that is being implemented in the country with the deployment of specialized staff to work at the coordination level.

Planned to last three years, the overall budget for this Government-led initiative is 12,000,000 USD (Twelve million American Dollars). In addition to the Valencia Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the initiative’s wide range of partners include the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Labour Organization (ILO) , United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), World Health Organization (WHO), Governments of Italy and Spain, Lazio Region, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, Generalitat de la Comunitat Valenciana; Galician Cooperation and Solidarity Fund, Spanish Confederation of Funds for Cooperation, Puglia Region, Umbria Region, European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy.

In the country, the Art Gold programme will be carrying out activities, initially, in four provinces, namely Maputo, Gaza, Nampula and Cabo Delgado, already identified as priority regions for UN interventions in the 2007-2009 UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), a planning tool aligned with the Government’s agenda.

The Art Gold programme is focused on decentralized governance and local economic development, health, education, environment, Science and Technology and will also support the implementation of the Millennium Villages in the referred provinces.

In combination with other Government-backed programmes, this intervention is part of the poverty reduction platform and is expected to have impact in the human development indicators. The strategy heavily relies on an integrated approach, benefiting from the use of Information and Communication Technologies in rural areas, including the facilities of the south-south and decentralized partnerships.

His Excellency the Minister of Planning and Finance, Mr Aiuba Cuereneia, headed the Government delegation to Rome and the UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Ndolamb Ngokwey, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony on behalf of the UN family.

For more information, please contact:

Nelson Xavier, UNDP Communication Officer.

Mobile phone: + 258 82 3140600

Office + 258 21 481438

E-mail: nelson.xavier@undp.org