United Nations
State of Kuwait
_edited.png)
Priorities of the Government of Kuwait
Kuwait Vision 2035 follows HH the Amir’s hopes to transform Kuwait into a world class financial and commercial centre, with the private sector leading economic activities, fostering competitiveness, and increasing productivity, supported by viable public institutions. This is to be achieved while maintaining the deep-rooted values and national identity for balanced economic and human development, supported by adequate infrastructure, legal framework, and enabling business environment.
The role of the Kuwait Government to achieve this vision is shifting from implementer to that of enabler and facilitator. The State is keen to enable the private sector, develop capital markets, and implement a technological reform system to promote equal opportunity, enhance transparency and fight corruption. The government and parliament have initiated a wide legislative reform process to provide a favourable environment to attract direct foreign investment, liberate market forces and enhance competition for a smart, efficient and equitable Kuwaiti market.
These aims are enshrined in New Kuwait vision 2035. It puts Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals at the centre of the development plan with seven highly inter-linked pillars : Efficient government administration, diversified & sustainable economy, quality infrastructure, sustainable living environment, high quality healthcare, creative human capital, and a distinguished international status.
Kuwait saw improvement in its global ranking of financial market development, as captured by the global competitiveness report, 2017-2018. On curbing financial waste, Kuwait moved to a rank of 59 from 90, on the quality of market organization, Kuwait rose to 62 from 75, in the burden of government laws to 90 from 108, and on the management of public funds to 54 from 57.
Kuwait also made great strides in the World Bank’s Doing Business report for 2019 with a rank of 97 out of 190 countries. On the ease of starting a business, Kuwait moved to 133 from its past position of 173, on registering property it moved to 69 from 144, and on getting electricity installed it stepped up to 95 from 115. The Moody’s rating for the Government of Kuwait changed to stable from negative. Kuwait’s status as a secondary emerging market in the FTSE annual review was in recognition of market enhancements implemented by the Capital Market Authority of Kuwait and Bourse Kuwait.
The Government of Kuwait aspires to a strengthened partnership with the United Nations Agencies, Programmes, and Funds under a new Strategic Partnership Framework, 2019-2025. Under this framework the Government and the United Nations commit to implementing Kuwait Vision 2035 and to work together towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and to jointly enhance awareness and advocacy about Kuwait’s international contributions to peace-building, humanitarian support, and development cooperation.
The United Nations cooperation Framework 2020-2025 with State of Kuwait aims to SUPPORT Kuwait's efforts to enhance its performance against a set of Global Performance Indicators and SDGs. The Government is responsible for achieving the outcomes, while UN Agencies, Programmes, Funds and their Partners within their mandates will contribute policy advice in accordance with international norms, standards and best practices, and support multi-stakeholders capacities at national and local levels to strengthen implementation and monitoring of country strategies, policies and plans. The focus is placed on those strategies, policies and plans that align strongly with Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 including the Leave no one behind principles!
Sustainable Capacity Strenthening
Sound capacity assessment and innovative measures to strengthen skills, Knowledge and abilities for positive economic, social and environmental change!
​
​
Policy Advice & SDG Monitoring
Address complex multi-sector challenges with greater coordination in result-focused and risk-informed programming with KPIs and SDG indicators for effective Policies, monitoring & service delivery!
​
​
Campaigning for Behavior change
Partnership Platform for Civil Society, communities, young peopke and women, nationally and globally to harness good practices for environment sustainsablity, quality of life and enterprenuerships!
To achieve the expected Strategic Cooperation Framework Results and to ensure the effective contribution to New Kuwait 2035 Vision and SDG targets, the partners will employ a set of principles and approaches for integrated programming. The principles are (1) Inclusion and equity to "leave no one behind" (2) Human rights, gender equality and empowerment of women, (3) Sustainability and resilience, and (4) Accountability, including the availability and use of quality data!
Administration, Economy & Human Capital
Advanced institutional and individual capacities for growth with Up-to-date systems of education, social protection, skills development and knowledge support for decent work enabling innovation and transparency in a private sector-led economic diversification aligned with international norms and standards!
Sustainable & Healthy Living Environment
Enhanced environmental awareness of Institutions and communities for healthy sustainable cities with changed behaviour in use of natural resources to lead optimised healthy lifestyles and consumption that reduce risks of noncommunicable diseases and environmental hazards
International Player for Peace & Prosperity
Knowledgeable and informed Kuwaiti multi-stakeholders, positioning Kuwait in international forums for building peace, stability and development capitalising on diversified wealth of best practices from Kuwaiti diplomacy, private actors, societies, youth and women.
People
Supporting Kuwaitis with new skills and abilities to lead sustainable development, enhance education and health systems performance to tackle the social development agenda of Vision 2035, and support LDCs and countries in crisis to rise from poverty and recover from disasters
Prosperity
Working in partnership to define world class models for legislative and institutional change that meet community aspirations for quality of life and promote a diversified economy, knowledge exchange and flourishing businesses and job creation!
Planet
Developing solutions and tools for transformation of Kuwaiti Society, heloping people and institutions to embrace high-tech green developmet and new ways of managing Kuwait's abundant environment and energy resources that are climate-resilient and risk-informed!
Partnership
Forging local and international partnerships with communities, societies, private sector and national and international institutions for advancing knowledge, exchanging best practices and localising solutions for Sustainable development, entrepreneurship and enhanced education and decent work opportunities.
Peace
The UN will support Government of Kuwait efforts to explore ways to build on its recognised Humanitarian role and expand Kuwait's role and prominence, in relation to the sustainable development agenda, both abroad and nationally. The UN system will support Kuwaiti efforts to facilitate and consolidate systems of international and regional partnership for peace, conflict prevention, development and stability
ONE UN FUND
A single pooled fund to finance implementation of the Cooperation Framework outputs based on resource mobilisation strategy that not only rely on Government resources but also bring private sector and government cost-sharing and stronger partnerships with the individual contributors and corporate partners. New sources of finance includes blended finance!
Joint Steering Committee & Its Technical Secretariat
Provide strategic guidance and direction and review overall performance in Strategic Cooperation Framework delivery and is co-chaired by the High-level Representative of the Government of Kuwait and the UN Resident Coordinator and include in its membership the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and call on UN agencies and other government when needed. Technical Secretariat monitor & report
Result Groups & Common Back office
The RG are delivery teams from UN Agencies, Programmes and Funds who prepare work-plans, programmes and implement, momitor and report achievements individully and collectively per outcome as per a common budgetary framework, supported by a common back office for procurement, finance, human resources, logistics, ICT, and facility services!