UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAM IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
UNDAF 2012-2016
UNDAF 2012-2016
United Nations
Development Assistance Framework
Poverty Reduction
The Islamic Republic of Iran is an upper middle-income country that has
made notable progress in human development; its human development
indicators have substantially improved during the past 30 years. According
to the 2011 Asia & Pacific Human Development Report, Iran’s HDI has increased
from 0.534 in 1990 to 0.707 to 2011.
LEAD NATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS
Strategic Planning and
Control Division of VicePresident Office (SPAC)
Ministry of Cooperatives,
Labour and Social
Welfare (MCLW)
Ministry of Interior
(MoI)
Ministry of Health and
Medical Education
(MOHME)
Ministry of Economy and
Finance (MEAF)
UNITED NATIONS
UNICEF (Lead)
UNDP
FAO
UNFPA
UNESCO
UNIDO
UNHCR
Iran is on track to achieve the MDG1 (reducing extreme poverty) and has
witnessed a decline in extreme (USD 1 day) income poverty to around 1%.
The Government is committed to further reducing both income and
capability poverty. Amid this progress, more remains to be done to ensure
that all the people are able to fully develop their human potential.
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 20122016 addresses the issue of poverty reduction as one of its five priority
areas, in line with the 5th National Development Plan (2011-2015), which
reflects the Government of Iran’s strong commitment to addressing the
issue of poverty through the long-term and comprehensive solutions.
In the past three decades, the
Government of Iran has enhanced
its national and local capacities to
strength the country’s socioeconomic policies. Iran’s economic
growth rate was reported at 4%
in 2011 according to ESCAP.
However, economic growth by
itself cannot solve the issue of
income and non-income poverty,
improve income equality and
produce jobs unless it is inclusive.
Much of the poverty is in areas
such
as
informal
urban
settlements; the informal sector of
the economy; remote rural areas;
among
refugees;
and
encompassing vulnerable groups
such as people with disabilities,
child labourer’s and poor femaleheaded households.
Within the framework of UNDAF
(2012-2016), the Government of the
I.R. of Iran, together with the lead
responsible national institutions,
such as Ministry of Foreign affairs,
Strategic Planning and Control,
Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and
Social Welfare and Ministry of
Economy and Finance and other key
line ministries will promote inclusive
economic growth, reduce poverty
and improve social and economic
welfare in the country.
UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAM IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
UNDAF 2012-2016
UNDAF 2012-2016
UN Development Assistance Framework
The UNDAF channels the respective strengths of each participating UN agency to leverage government
capacity for the achievement of two strategic outcomes as follows:
1) IMPROVED NATIONAL AND SUB-NATIONAL CAPACITIES CONTRIBUTE TO FORMULATING MACRO LEVEL
SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICIES AND PLANS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH, SUSTAINABLE
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, ACCESS TO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELFARE AND THE PREVENTION OF POVERTY.
Budgeted at US$ 6,689,000
2) IMPROVED NATIONAL AND SUB-NATIONAL CAPACITIES CONTRIBUTE TO PEOPLE LIVING IN/MOST AT RISK
OF CAPABILITY POVERTY HAVING ENHANCED ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATING IN EDUCATION, HEALTH AND
SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMMES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONAL HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT.
Budgeted at US$ 4,280,000
These outcomes provide the framework for implementation of poverty reduction policies and
programmes that lead to the achievement of the following priorities and goals:



Improving the quality of human capital, improving the Human Development Index through
coordination and integration between health, education and employment and towards
establishment of a “decent work” framework.
Towards development of an improved “comprehensive social security” framework, supporting
of a capability development framework, and development of a “youth opportunities”
framework.
Improving business climate for private sector and cooperatives, raising productivity and
efficiency and enhancing employment generation.

Enhancing national capacity to generate and utilize data and information related to multidimensional
poverty.

Towards integrated resources management and economic growth.
PARTNERSHIPS
Cooperation and partnerships with countries and international organizations – UN and other- will play a crucial role
in achieving the outcomes of the poverty reduction component of UNDAF. Partnerships are welcome in forms of:

Providing international level technical knowledge and expertise;

South-South cooperation to increase exchange of knowledge, expertise and experience between countries
dealing with similar challenges and sharing best practices to address them.
For more information please contact: www.unicef.org/iran; [email protected]; [email protected]