The United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a business and local development initiative to reduce poverty by the creation of jobs in Ecuador´s north-western province of Esmeraldas.

"This project is of special importance for the economic, social and cultural development of our province," said the Mayor of Esmeraldas, Mr. Ernesto Estupiñan, at a ceremony late Friday attended by local authorities and businessmen. "It will help to create a business culture in the province."

The agreement enables the creation of an Agency for Business and Local Development attached to the Development Corporation of Esmeraldas. In this agency, a UN Volunteer assists businessmen to set up enterprises step-by-step, develop projects and help to locate funding to cover start-up costs. One approach is to pool the resources of several businesses in order to secure loans. The UN Volunteer is also cooperating with universities and technology centres to develop business plans and carry out related activities.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Aase Smedler, said that this is an innovative development initiative that supports the people´s right to work and promotes human development at the local level. She noted that in the project´s pilot site, in Ecuador´s southern province of Loja, more than 1,000 entrepreneurs have received services in its first year of operation.

The following international and national institutions are taking part in this initiative: Ecuador´s Unit for Northern Development (UDENOR), the Ministry for External Commerce and Industrialization (MICIP), the National Council for Competitivity (CNC), the World Bank, the Japanese Cooperation and UNV/UNDP.

Other UN Volunteers, trained at the project´s pilot site, promote the creation of business development agencies in eight provinces, through alliances with local partners.

The UNV Coordinator in Ecuador, Sven von der Ohe, invited the province´s business community to take a more active part in the development process by allowing its employees to work as corporate volunteers with the communities. He also noted that there are three other UN volunteers working in a programme to strengthen local volunteer initiatives together with the municipality of Esmeraldas. In Ecuador, there are 47 UN Volunteers working in 13 provinces.