UNDP chief due for 3-day visit

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The chief of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will arrive in Manila next week for a three-day visit, which is expected to focus on recovery efforts in areas hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas and the Mindanao peace process.

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, formerly the Prime Minister of New Zealand, will visit the Philippines from March 25 to 27 to “consolidate partnerships with the Philippine government, diplomatic core and affected communities,” the organization said on Friday.

Clark’s first visit to the Philippines aims “to advance the United Nation’s support to overall development in the country, with a focus on assistance for post-typhoon recovery and the peace process in Mindanao,” UNDP said.

During her stay, Clark is set to meet with President Benigno Aquino III and cabinet members as well as Asian Development Bank president Takehiko Nakao, among other development partners.

Clark will also fly to Tacloban City to see the progress of recovery in the typhoon-ravaged area, where the UNDP is implementing a P2-billion yearlong recovery program under the UN’s P34.8 billion Strategic Response Plan.

The UN agency’s work on the ground include programs on debris and waste management, restoration of government services, livelihood and disaster risk response.

Clark will also witness the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the UNDP said.

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