23 May 2000

BONN: Kazakhstan's Caspian region is rich in natural resources, but rising sea levels have caused flooding of old oil well heads and wastewater pollution in the Caspian Sea. As a result, the land that the people could have used for farming has been devastated. Local residents have been left in need of alternative sources of income to make a living. In response, UNV and UNDP have linked up with the private sector to set up a Business Advisory Centre to provide training to micro- and small-business owners. And to assist these budding entrepreneurs with start-up funds, a microcredit facility has been introduced at the local level. The idea is to spark investment and job creation to get the economy moving.

A United Nations International Short-Term Advisory Resources (UNISTAR) adviser made two trips to the region in 1999 to support the Government in developing plans to invest profits from oil for vocational training and environmental protection. The adviser also worked with his longer-term UNV colleagues to design a workplan for the Atyrau Sustainable Development Centre, which promotes community participation in health and social services.

In 1999, UNISTAR missions have assisted businesses in other regions:

• An Italian UNISTAR adviser with more than 30 years of experience in the dairy industry completed a mission to Jordan introducing technology to improve the quality and production of mozzarella and ricotta cheese in the country's first cheese factory.
• Two Japanese UNISTAR advisers shared their expertise in flower production when they travelled to a Colombian farm to introduce more effective ways to cultivate carnations and improve worker efficiency.
• In Malawi, Zambia and South Africa, UNISTAR advisers assessed home fuel usage to find alternatives to coal. The Japanese team, aware of the need to preserve Africa's dwindling forest reserves, explored the possibility of introducing modern technology for producing coal briquettes in these countries.

Keith Hillyer
Keith Hillyer, a UNISTAR adviser to Kazakhstan, has worked in global development for three decades. The 66-year-old with dual Canadian and British citizenship worked as a Canadian public official and founded his own consulting firm. Keith has carried out development studies in 75 countries, advising on how to support national economic growth through business ventures. He drew upon his vast experience while serving for four years as director of UNDP's Private Sector Development Division. "In UNISTAR, the UN system has access to proven expertise drawn from private sector enterprises with global experience," he says, adding that the numbers of newly retired expert volunteers in good health and eager to offer the benefit of their experience is growing. "So we have both a need and a ready supply."