(Declaration of principles, SECTION VI: UNDP Support Project)
In accordance with the current Country Programme signed between the Government of Belarus and UNDP, one of the focal areas of the UNDP work in Belarus is the development of areas affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident. That is why the UNDP Support Project for the CORE Programme is designed to create an administrative and technical framework for successful implementation of the international CORE Programme in Belarus. One of the chief tasks of the Project is to facilitate the Programme through implementation of transparent, clear and flexible procedures. The framework of activities and budget of the UNDP Support Project for the CORE Programme include all the CORE management and co-ordination activities, and a number of specific pilot initiatives within the Programme’s priority areas approved by the donors and national agencies when signing the UNDP Project. At the same time, the UNDP Project – according to the Declaration of Principles of the CORE Programme – can be regarded as an administrative framework for implementation of any new pilot projects that should be approved by the Approval Board and implemented in compliance with the UNDP Programming Manual. PROJECT ACTIVITIES The project implementation consists of a number of components: À. Management, co-ordination and integrated approach to implementation of the CORE Programme The main task of this component is implementation of propositions of the Declaration of Principles of the CORE Programme, e.g.: - co-ordination and integration of regional, national and international activities;
- intersectoral integration (economy, public health, education, culture/heritage);
- development of programme activities, including topical projects;
- comprehensive, consistent and sustainable implementation of the CORE Programme;
- monitoring over the Programme and its individual activities;
- arrangement of conditions for inclusion of other affected districts into the Programme.
To inform a wide range of stakeholders, it is planned to develop and implement an awareness-raising policy for the CORE Programme (publication of information materials: CDs, booklets, review bulletins, etc.) Besides, the co-operation for replication of the integrated approach of the CORE Programme in other affected areas of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, is going to be established and continuously expanded. Within this component, national and international groups of experts on strategic planning and methodological support for the CORE Programme will be formed and actively involved in the project activities. Each of the four districts shall have its own CORE Programme Co-ordinator who would be charged with the overall co-ordination and monitoring over the local activities implementation. B. Sustainable economic development of the affected areas This component shall try to enhance competitiveness of the private sector which adheres to the market economy and follows the principles of sustainable and equitable development. This can be achieved through joint efforts and co-operation with the Government, business community, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and NGOs, and through introduction of innovative business technologies. The United Nations Development Programme shall foster constructive dialogue between the Government and business circles in order to identify the main barriers to the development of private sector, establish innovative businesses, and find out how to improve the business climate in the country. The project is expected to build constructive partnerships between the Chernobyl Committee, Gomel RDA, UNDP, and other international participants, for the purpose of establishment of a Rural Development Centre (RDC) in the town of Stolin, Brest Region. This initiative is based on the results of the preparatory stage of the CORE Programme when national and international consultants recognised the availability of favourable conditions for organisation of the RDC. It is expected that the RDC would be representative of the economic element of the CORE Programme. Other elements of this component, just like the range of activities implemented within the RDC project, shall be financed simultaneously with the UNDP Support Project. The best practices of the RDC initiative shall be disseminated through mass media, as well as during the final international conference which shall announce the project outputs, and discuss applicability of the acquired experience. C. Agricultural development of the affected rural areas This component shall try to increase people’s income through sustainable local economic development, implementation of topical projects with the direct involvement of local population, as well as private producers and some other economic entities who work within the framework of transition economy. Technical assistance is an integral element of the income enhancement initiative. In the field of agriculture and radiological control, the component plans to teach people some practical skills of agricultural production under the conditions of radioactive contamination through effective assistance to the interested private farmers. These activities shall be focused on the methods of cultivation, processing, and selling of ‘clean’ agricultural produce. In the field of marketing and finances (e.g. grants, micro-credits), the component plans to develop and implement the mechanisms of small and medium-sized credit arrangement for funding of micro, mini and medium-sized projects initiated by individuals, groups of people or farmers, and private enterprises located in the selected districts. D. Education/culture The main task of this component to develop and ensure a generation-to-generation perpetuation of practical radiological skills and memory about the Chernobyl catastrophe and its consequences for the affected areas and the whole world. As part of the implementation process, there will be created the Center for Practical Radiological Culture for schoolchildren (CPRC). This facility will use the premises of the Vaskovichi School in the Slavgorod District. The CPRC activities shall help greatly improve the practical radiological knowledge of children who would be able to: - Learn basic radioecology and radiation safety;
- Form own system of views and opinions, practical knowledge and skills;
- Self-organise safe livelihoods;
- Manage radiological risk in an educated way;
- Choose a proactive stance.
As a result, this component would help form an educated and proactive stratum of local society, proficient in the practical radiological skills and capable of promoting them among their fellow village-men. E. Health care and surveillance This component shall try to improve health of the affected population through better primary medical care, health education and dynamic monitoring for pregnant women and children living in contaminated areas. This should improve quality and efficiency of the public health care in the four districts engaged in the CORE Programme. This component consists of the following main implementation stages: - improvement of medical care for rural people (implying both better access to medical services, and their higher quality);
- improvement of the ongoing children’s rehabilitation programmes;
- specialised projects for health protection of the ‘risk groups’ (single senior citizens, disabled people, children and teenagers with rectified thyroid conditions, etc.);
- mobile teams exercising health control over rural people living in remote villages;
- training of medical personnel in the advanced working methods how to render timely and efficient help to people from rural areas.
F. Radiological control The main task of this component is to develop a flexible and multilateral system of radiological measurements in the Bragin, Slavgorod, Stolin and Chechersk Districts. This system shall help local specialists and general population to do their own assessments of radiological quality of the environment and food. Establishment of such a rapid-check system is an important prerequisite for successful implementation of other programme activities. This component’s outputs include establishment of a local network of radiologists, and support for radionuclide content assessments and dosage measurements. This component might also help provide the districts with the required hi-tech measuring equipment, primarily with stationary and mobile whole body counters. The component could also facilitate implementation of the programme of regular monitoring of Caesium accumulations in children and adult population (radionuclide monitoring). | 
