DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE DEMAND-DRIVEN, MEMBERS TELL SECOND COMMITTEE AS IT DEBATES OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT

15 October 1998

Press Release
GA/EF/2825

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE DEMAND-DRIVEN, MEMBERS TELL SECOND COMMITTEE AS IT DEBATES OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT

19981015 Continued Decline in Resources Crippling Response of System, Members Urge Renewal of Commitment to Official Development Assistance

The United Nations system continuously changed procedures and made decisions that were difficult to implement in the field, the representative of Turkey told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning, as it considered operational activities for development.

The representative added that changing procedures made the work of already strained personnel difficult. It was important that complementarity and harmony be maintained between the mandates, mission statements and general priorities of the United Nations funds and programmes. Development activities should be carried out on a demand-driven basis, taking into consideration the policies and priorities for development of the beneficiary country.

The representative of China also said operational activities for development should be more country-driven. The coordination and collaboration among United Nations organizations and agencies should effectively enhance the capacity-building of the recipient countries and increase the ability of the entire system to respond to the needs of the programme countries in a flexible manner.

A number of speakers stressed the need for increased support for development. The representative of Bangladesh said the increasing demands upon the United Nations development activities had not been matched by reinforced commitments. Steps were being taken to make the system more efficient, but its capabilities were being eroded by a lack of resources. The present trend of continued decline in core resources would cripple the ability of the system to respond development priorities.

The representative of Austria, speaking for the European Union and associated countries, also said that efforts should be strengthened to achieve the agreed official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product (GNP) as soon as possible. Development assistance and the transfer of know-how and expertise could have greater impact on levels of

Second Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (PM) 15 October 1998

world poverty than had been evident to date. It would only be effective if there was a consensus on priorities linked to international development targets, and if the whole development community worked together to meet them.

On the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), many representatives said that more work was needed to improve its functioning. The representative of the United States said efforts must be made within UNDAF to enhance coordination, simplify planning and programming procedures, and reduce workloads. Greater participation of the specialized agencies in the UNDAF process should also be encouraged. She also called for a more comprehensive approach to United Nations work in crisis situations. The Secretary-General should develop a mechanism for integrating development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, as well as peace-building activities and post-conflict assistance.

Statements were also made by the representatives of: Brazil, Norway, Nepal, Australia, Burkina Faso, Russian Federation, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Switzerland, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Republic of Korea and Ghana.

Also addressing the Committee were representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Second Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to resume its consideration of operational activities for development.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to resume its consideration of operational activities for development. For background information, see Press Release GA/EF/2824 of 14 October.

Statements

ALOISIA WORGETTER (Austria), on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Iceland, said that follow-up to the major United Nations conferences and the international strategy which resulted from them must be pursued effectively in all operational activities. Further work was needed to fully integrate the strategy and the major targets emanating from the global conferences into the work of United Nations agencies. Greater efforts would also have to be made to develop and utilize a common set of core indicators by which progress towards meeting the international development targets could be measured.

She said that resources which the international community had made available to support the development process had declined over the years. Efforts should be strengthened to achieve the agreed official development assistance (ODA) target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product (GNP) as soon as possible. The development of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) was a key area of United Nations reform and was strongly supported by the European Union. Development assistance and the transfer of know-how and expertise that went with it, she continued, could have grater impact on levels of world poverty than had been evident to date. It would only be effective if there was a consensus on priorities linked to international development targets, and if the whole development community worked together to meet them.

HENRIQUE VALLE (Brazil) said measures designed to improve technical cooperation in regard to development should be enhanced. There should also be efforts to abide by the restrictions on such cooperation by recipient countries. Unfortunately, development aid had continued to decline and was not replaced by private sources of aid. That decline jeopardized the least developed countries. Countries in the South would work together on the proposal to integrate development programming structures. Appropriate rules and synergies between the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations should be broadened to facilitate the mobilization of resources for development projects. Also South- South cooperation should be enhanced, and there was a need to incorporate that cooperation into multilateral projects.

RAFEEUDDIN AHMED, Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), noted that independent impact studies had, for the first time, moved from a review of the processes of coordination and the

Second Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

delivery of operational operations to examining the actual difference that such activities had on the capacity of programme countries to improve the lives of their people.

He added that the reaffirmation of the existing legislated link between the UNDP and the resident coordinator system assured that resident coordinators would continue to be effectively managed and funded, and that United Nations operational activities would continue to be fully in line with the priorities of national governments.

The UNDAF should be seen as the United Nations system's coherent response to the national priorities expressed in the country strategy note, where it existed, or in other government planning documents. The UNDAF should be seen as a means for achieving the coherence of programming that the General Assembly had called for when adopting resolution 50/120 concerning its 1995 triennial review of operational activities for development.

BETTY KING (United States) said that, despite recent progress, greater efforts must be made in the UNDAF process to enhance coordination, simplify planning and programming procedures, and reduce workloads. Greater participation of the specialized agencies in the UNDAF process should also be encouraged. The results of the UNDAF pilot programme had shown the value of: developing common country assessments in all programme countries, lessening duplication, promoting coordination, increasing synergies between different United Nations agencies, cultivating understanding, and enhancing partnership. The policy review should urge the United Nations Development Group Office to focus on developing field level training for drafting those assessments.

She said that one of the greatest challenges facing the United Nations operational activities for development was their role in complex emergency and post-crisis situations. It was essential that a comprehensive approach be developed to incorporate the work of the various United Nations components in those situations. In planning and executing United Nations relief and development work in countries facing emergency or post-conflict situations, greater participation of civil society and private sector entities was critical. The triennial policy review should request the Secretary-General to develop a mechanism for integrating development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, as well as peace-building activities and post-conflict assistance.

IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said operational activities for development should be directed more towards the provision of support to the national mechanism for follow-up and implementation of the outcomes of the global conferences. In many cases, countries needed the support of the United Nations system to draw up their own local strategies and action plans according to their own unique requirements and priorities. The activities should be designed to build up national capacity to enable them to follow up on the outcomes of the conferences.

Second Committee - 4 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

He added that his country was concerned that the increasing demands upon the United Nations system in development activities had not been matched by reinforced commitments. Steps were being taken to make the system more efficient, but its capabilities were being eroded by a lack of resources. The present trend of continued decline in core resources would cripple the ability of the system to respond to many of the priorities that the United Nations had agreed upon. Vision and action should not contradict each other. The current problems of funding should be immediately resolved to obtain the outcome that Member States expect the system to deliver.

OLE PETER KOLBY (Norway) said that 10 years had passed since the World Summit for Children was convened, and there should be greater efforts to reinforce the struggle for a more favourable environment for children. There were large geographical variances in progress for children, and it was time to focus on the poorest segments. There was also a need to work towards eliminating the gap between services offered to male and female children. Basic social services were necessary to improve the conditions of the world's children.

He said a new understanding of development cooperation had emerged in the 1990s, and there was a better understanding of the complex and integrative nature of operational activities for development. That understanding must be matched by the way such activities were organized. The acid-test of operational activities for development was their impact at the country level. Further work towards harmonizing programming cycles, the integration of cross-cutting issues, joint programming and the establishment of theme-based groups should be encouraged.

RAJEEV PARAJULI (Nepal) said his country renewed its commitment to work together for rapid growth and sustainable development. Nepal supported a closer operational integration between technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) and economic cooperation among developing countries (ECDC). It was appropriate, he continued, that both the developing and developed countries, the United Nations system and the intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations support entirely the effective implementation of the TCDC framework, including the innovative national, regional and interregional programmes. Also, the expanded use of the TCDC modality in the operational activities for development of the United Nations system deserved support.

PENELOPE WENSLEY (Australia), also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, said the need for enhanced programme coherence should be stressed. The triennial policy review should emphasize coherence as the central aspect of United Nations operational activities. Also, the promising work initiated by the United Nations Development Group must continue. One of its most important accomplishments to date has been the strengthening of the Resident Coordinator system, including broadening the base of recruitment and better training.

Second Committee - 5 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

She said that, to realize the full potential of the UNDAF process, ways must be found to ensure the full and active participation of specialized agencies and the development of strong United Nations analytical capacities at the country level. Steps were also needed to encourage greater partnership between the funds and programmes, the Bretton Woods institutions and regional development banks, particularly at the country level. Full consultation with governments was crucial to ensure participation and ownership by programme countries.

ALFREDO SFEIR-YOUNIS, of the World Bank, said his organization considered cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions very important, especially the relationship between the United Nations and the World Bank. There had been lessons learned regarding the Bank/United Nations partnership at various levels of development which were relevant to the Bank's reform package.

He noted that the heads of agencies and programmes met with the Bretton Woods institutions twice a year and said the establishment of an effective environment for partnership at the country level was the starting point for the Bank's partnership agenda. The Bank's relationship with developing countries and the impact of its services on their development were also affected by coordination.

The development institutions, he added, must design assistance strategies in support of national strategies in consultation with each other. The Bank believed that the country must be in the drivers seat and that the Bank's role should be to enhance a government's ability to address each and every development activity.

NINA SIBAL, Director of the New York Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said any increased coherence within the system would be useful in improving operational activities for development. At the heart of UNESCO's work were such issues as gender development and forward-looking perspectives for cooperation. On follow-up to the global conferences, a number of actions had already taken place at the country level. Concerning the relationship of development and humanitarian assistance, UNESCO believed that effective integration of development cooperation and assistance would ensure a smooth transition from relief work to development activities.

PAUL TIENDREBEOGO (Burkina Faso) said the challenge to be met should be setting up development and operational activities that could adapt to changing situations. The positive impact of those activities was to be judged by the effects at the country level. Burkina Faso supported the work of UNDAF and believed that there should be increased reporting on its capacity-building efforts. A number of countries were having problems in implementing the outcomes of major world conferences due to a lack of resources and capacities.

Second Committee - 6 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

The growing financial difficulties of the United Nations were hindering the unique role it was intended to play and that lack of funding would have an impact on development activities. The goal of the international community must be to eradicate poverty, and there must be resources to meet it.

NIKOLAI V. TCHOULKOV (Russian Federation) said that the efficiency of operational activities was based on the strength of cooperation. In that context, he noted that the strengthening of United Nations activities and management reform of its programmes and funds was of great importance. His country, he said, took a positive view of the measures being taken which were aimed at improved quality of the services rendered, higher efficiency of programme activities, their decentralization, strengthened national offices, stepped-up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, simplified administrative procedures and, simultaneously, greater responsibility and accountability.

He also said that it was quite justified to preserve the practice of holding two offices simultaneously, that is, the office of the United Nations resident coordinator, combined with the office of the UNDP resident representative, in order to ensure efficient coordination in the field. His country was convinced that coordination must also include humanitarian emergency assistance, which was an important element of the international community's joint efforts to ensure sustainable development.

JACKEO RELANG (Marshall Islands) said there had been a decline in the ODA received by the Marshall Islands. Bilateral agreements that were in place with the United States had also been decreasing significantly, and the two countries were in the process of renegotiating their future relationship. His Government had decided to diversify its development efforts; however, the number of competing priorities, as well as other compounding elements, were making those efforts very complicated. There would be a significant social impact from the restructuring of the public sector in his country. There were also limits to how responsive the Marshall Islands could be to requests for information by the Secretary-General. It simply did not have the human resources to prepare the detailed reports required by many of its international commitments.

U WIN AUNG (Myanmar) said there was a need for the international community to formulate solutions to the problem of declining ODA. Many developed countries do not give enough priority to the needs of developing countries. South-South cooperation was the emerging theme to address development problems. His country was committed to cooperating with its neighbours in economic development. Many of the development efforts undertaken had been with the help of regional partners. There were many areas, such as transportation and food and agriculture, where South-South cooperation could be utilized. The private sector had also taken a more important role in Myanmar's economy.

Second Committee - 7 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

FRANÇCOIS ROHNER, observer for Switzerland, said that the changes in the resident coordinator system, along with the process of UNDAF, offered great potential for improving operational activities. It was crucial for the United Nations system as a whole that the coordination function of the UNDP was reconfirmed and maintained unquestioned until at least the next triennial comprehensive policy review.

Speaking of the decline of ODA, Switzerland hoped that improvements in functioning and impact of development activities would lead to a reversal of that trend. He added that multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and regional development banks and funds were actively competing for ODA resources, which clearly underlined the need for more collaborative, integrated action among United Nations entities.

MOHAMAD SIDDIQUE KHAN KANJU (Pakistan) said that operational activities should be flexible enough to respond to specific national development requirements. The process should be demand-driven. While his country supported the steps being undertaken for programmatic coherence and mutual enforcement, it was extremely important to ensure full ownership and the approval of the UNDAF process by the government concerned. Operational activities should be increasingly focused on providing support in the coordinated follow-up to global conferences. Internationally agreed strategies and targets should be integrated into operational activities. The United Nations had an important role in assisting the implementation of those conferences, but governments were the key actors. Implementation of global conferences should be pursued in accordance with the policies of each programme country.

BERHANU KEBEDE (Ethiopia) said that government ownership of development activities could be best obtained if cooperation programmes were integrated into national planning and budgeting processes. During the triennial review meeting, modalities on how to accomplish that integration should be seriously considered and explored. Another major concern was the lack of timely disbursement of funds due to varied executive board procedures and complicated reporting requirements. That, coupled with limited execution capacity at the national level, entailed delays in programme implementation and affected output. It was also important to explore the wide-ranging regional opportunities available in finding common solutions to complex transboundary development problems. Progress achieved to date in that area was not satisfactory, given its potential. YUAN SHAOFIN (China) said that operational activities for development should adhere to the principle that they are country-driven. The coordination and collaboration among United Nations organizations and agencies should proceed in such a way as to effectively enhance the capacity-building of the recipient countries and increase the ability of the entire United Nations system to respond to the needs of the programme countries in a flexible manner. The UNDAF would have a profound and far-reaching impact on future operational activities for development and should, through adequate pilot

Second Committee - 8 - Press Release GA/EF/2825 13th Meeting (AM) 15 October 1998

programmes and comprehensive evaluation, be steadily and gradually implemented across the board. It should be jointly formulated based on full consultation between relevant United Nations aiding agencies and the government of the recipient country. Also, the framework should take into account the national development plans and priority areas of the recipient countries, so as to increase the recipient country's sense of ownership and identification and to enable UNDAF itself to play its due role in the process of implementation.

FEZA ÖZTÜRK (Turkey) said, on technical cooperation, that coordination between relevant international and national organizations stood out as an important issue. Coordination within the national structure also led to efficiency. Due to continuously changing United Nations procedures, the intensity of work made it difficult for the already strained personnel to follow and keep up with changing procedures and norms. The system often took too many decisions, which might turn out to be difficult to implement and which were sometimes irrelevant for the specific realities in the field.

It was important that complementarity and harmony be maintained between the mandates, mission statements and general priorities of United Nations funds and programmes involved in operational activities. Those activities should also be carried out on a demand-driven basis, taking into consideration the policies and priorities for development of the beneficiary country.

YOUNG-SEOK KIM (Republic of Korea) said it was imperative for the United Nations to identify ways to adapt and involve itself with the rapidly changing environment of the world economy. His Government supported the institutional modifications of development operations made during the last three years.

He said that it was necessary in the future that specialized agencies take part in UNDAF. That would increase the coherence of the development operational activities of the entire United Nations system. His country considered the real value of UNDAF was its potential to serve as a basic framework not only for funds and programmes, but also for other international development partners such as the Bretton Woods institutions and civil society.

KWABENA OSEI-DANQUAH (Ghana) said operational activities for development helped provide vital underpinnings for the creation of modern competitive economies in many developing countries. Capacity-building in the public and private sectors, as well as improvements in governance, would lead to efficient management of resources and the expansion of opportunity. Also, deeper coordination on the ground between the United Nations system and local stakeholders would lead to greater coherence and effectiveness in the implementation of development cooperation programmes. Operational activities should seek to integrate internationally agreed strategies and targets as determined by each programme country. The effectiveness of the resident coordinator system and the capacity of local stakeholders would be critical in ensuring successful implementation.

* *** *