The United Nations Development Group Iraq Trust Fund (UNDG ITF) was established in 2004 as one of two trust funds of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI). The IRFFI was created in 2003 in close consultation with the Iraqi authorizes, donors, World Bank and the United Nations in response to international requests to create a mechanism to enable donors to channel their resources and coordinate their support for reconstruction and development activities in Iraq. The IRFFI consist of the UNDG ITF and the World Bank Iraq Trust Fund (WB ITF). The UNDG ITF is administered by the UNDP Multi-donor Trust Fund (MDTF) Office as Administrative Agent on behalf of the Participating UN Organizations. A total of 25 donors and 21 Participating UN Organization’s have signed a Letter of Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), respectively, with the MDTF Office, as Administrative Agent.
The UNDG ITF is the first MDTF to be administered by the United Nations in joint partnership with the World Bank, and to provide donors with a single channel for funding thereby reducing donors’ transaction costs. It was also the first time that UNDG organizations adopted common planning, funding, coordination and reporting arrangements through a thematic ‘cluster’ framework.
The IRFFI structure is designed to ensure that activities financed by the WB ITF and the UNDG ITF are aligned with the Government of Iraq’s priorities as outlined in the IRFFI Terms of Reference (TOR). The strategic documents that provide the scope and parameters for identifying and formulating projects include the National Development Strategy (NDS), International Compact with Iraq (ICI), Iraq Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and UN Security Council Resolutions 1546 (2004) and 1770 (2007), and UN Assistance Strategy for Iraq.
For additional real time information about the UNDG ITF link to the MDTF Office GATEWAY website and the UNDG ITF tab where real-time data and information about all projects, contributions, transfers and reports are available.
