About OCEEI: International Development Research Centre

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About OCEEI

What is the Office for Central and Eastern Europe Program Initiative?

OCEEI Background:

The Office for Central and Eastern Europe Initiatives (OCEEI) was established in 1993 as a unit within the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to develop and manage IDRC activities in Central and Eastern Europe (C&EE). OCEEI employs technical expertise, project management, network-building and support services to find innovative solutions to the problems of the region with partners in Eastern and Central Europe and from other regions of the world. With its C&EE partners, OCEEI seeks to explore mutual interests and achieve mutual goals in research and its applications.

In a word, OCEEI is a broker of strategic knowledge.

OCEEI Mission:

TO SHARE STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE

OCEEI Objectives:

OCEEI's objectives are to:

find innovative solutions to problems in Eastern and Central Europe in collaboration with local research partners

undertake research that aims to enhance the quality of life for people in the region

support the process of political, economic, and social reform

foster links between societies in Canada and Eastern and Central Europe

OCEEI Values:

As a learning organisation, to ensure our work reflects the following values:

acceptance of risk-taking, tolerance of mistakes and commitment to learn and to profit from every failure and every success

pursuit of high standards and thoroughness and attention to detail

intellectual and moral discipline

transparency in everything we do

tolerance for different points of view through mutual respect

taking pleasure in our work
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OCEEI Program focus:

OCEEI's Environmental Management Development in Ukraine (EMDU) program, a massive clean-up effort for the Dnipro River, was the first Canadian initiative in the country and continues to be the largest. Emphasis has been placed on multi-disciplinary teams, networking, and policy development. By working on the Dnipro River — the second largest river in Europe and one of the most polluted — OCEEI is responding to the priorities and needs expressed by countries sharing the river basin. The Dnipro is important, not only as a major source of drinking water, but also because of potential conflict among its competing users.

OCEEI acts flexibly, using a wide range of approaches to research tailored to individual circumstances. It supports knowledge-based partnerships between Canadian institutions and those in the region. OCEEI's management model is intended to create new synergies among international parties and to transfer proven methods for reducing pollution and resolving conflict over shared resources.

OCEEI Future Directions:

The Office for Central and Eastern Europe Initiatives is also a partner organization in the Dnieper Trans-boundary study sponsored by Global Environment Facility and managed by United Nations Development Programme. This new program, whose aim is to design a Strategic Action Plan for the rehabilitation of the river basin, has helped OCEEI expand its outreach to Russia and Belarus, while maintaining its presence in Ukraine. In addition the Canadian International Development Agency has provided funds to carry a selected number of Dnieper-related activities in Belarus and Russia. This new thrust builds on earlier work conducted under EMDU and would replicate some of the successes of the Ukraine programs in those countries.

Currently, IDRC is in the process of ending its activities in Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, OCEEI will be closing its operations by the end of February 2004.

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