Banana production is an important source both of foreign exchange for the Dominican Republic and of employment and income in the poor provinces of the Northwest and South of the country, where poverty exceeds 50 %. The Joint Programme helped to strengthen the banana value chain by installing technology and ICTs, boosting competitiveness in production and commerce, promoting decent work and developing the community’s human and social capital through use of the inclusive markets model.

In support of Cuba’s new initiatives to decentralize and stimulate national production, this Joint Programme helped to incorporate the private sector within municipal priorities as a catalyst for local development. Individual producers, cooperatives and the general population of five of the country’s municipalities were the main beneficiaries of the programme, which promoted increased private sector production, public-private cooperation and access to goods and services.

Young people in Serbia face dismal job prospects -- nearly half of all youth were unemployed when the Joint Programme began in 2009. The programme worked with the government to increase youth employment, especially for disadvantaged young women and men and members of the Roma minority, while concurrently reducing the negative impact of return and irregular migration.

The Programme, to be jointly implemented by ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, UNV and the World Bank, will address youth employment and migration challenges by supporting UN Administered province of Kosovo institutions in achieving the targets set by the Youth Employment Plan as well as supporting youth by increasing their income-generating opportunities and raising their awareness about migration options and risks.