Sustainable Livelihoods

 

Our commitment

The overall aim of this sub-programme pillar is to support Member States - particularly Lao PDR and Myanmar - to sustain the reduction/elimination of opium poppy cultivation and prevent its expansion to high-risk areas. `In order to achieve this goal, UNODC will work with the international community and development partners to provide assistance to promote food security and alternative livelihood opportunities for former opium-producing communities.

In order to ensure sustainable livelihood options, attempts will be made to integrate alternative development and illicit crop elimination into the broader development and poverty reduction frameworks of relevant national and international development agencies, international financial institutions, non-government organizations and the private sector. More specifically, the programme will include the following main interventions:

  1. Illicit Crop Monitoring and Assessment: develop and institutionalize internationally accepted monitoring and assessment methodologies and build capacities of national agencies to carry out the annual assessment and reporting.
  2. Sustainable livelihood programmes: support governments to develop national policy, action plan and programmes to address illicit crop elimination; strengthen capacity on programme design and planning; work in partnership with the governments and international community to develop comprehensive and integrated development programmes/projects: and mobilize resources to support the former opium producing families, communities and regions.
  3. Sustainability and Integration: advocate for the importance of sustaining illicit crop reduction; expand partnership and networking; mainstream alternative development and illicit crop elimination objectives in relevant national and international development agencies, international financial institutions, non-government organizations and the private sector.

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Our main achievements in 2010

  • The annual opium surveys in Myanmar and Lao PDR were successfully completed and the results were published in the regional report " South-East Asia: Opium survey 2010" which was launched on 13 December 2010 in Bangkok.
  • In Lao PDR, UNODC has successfully supported the establishment of alternative livelihood opportunities in more than 30 villages in Phonglsay Province, 5 villages in Oudomxay Province and 27 villages Houaphan Province.
  • Evidence of improved living conditions includes increased household income, access to credit, improved water and sanitation facilities and improved market access through road construction. Gender-disaggregated data regarding access to benefits has also been collected and reported on. Details are provided in Section 2 of this report.
  • Additional funding has been secured in Lao PDR to sustain and further develop alternative development programmes.
  • In Myanmar, 2010 has been a year of transition while negotiating the scope and location of UNODC's support to AD/SL programmes with the Myanmar government. Nevertheless, useful baseline and planning data has been collected during the year.

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Our main achievements in 2009

  • Annual opium crop monitoring surveys in Lao PDR and Myanmar, including capacity building of national authorities to continue this work.
  • Reduction in opium addiction in targeted areas of Lao PDR, and establishment of alternative income earning opportunities for former opium-growing communities.
  • Integration of drug control and opium elimination objectives into Myanmar's national poverty reduction and socio-economic plans.
  • Formulation of a number of new food security and alternative development programme sub-components for Lao PDR and Myanmar, for which some funding has already been secured.

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