NEED FOR INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF CORE RESOURCES FOR UN FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES STRESSED IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Press Release
ECOSOC/5908

NEED FOR INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF CORE RESOURCES FOR UN FUNDS AND PROGRAMMES STRESSED IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Nowhere was the need for immediate action more apparent than in the call for increased availability of core resources for the funds and programmes of the United Nations, the representative of India told the Economic and Social Council this morning.

As the Council began its consideration of the operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation, the speaker from India said predictable and assured resource levels, commensurate with needs, were a key and essential ingredient of effectiveness and impact. Of particular concern were the shortfalls and decline in core resources that were adversely affecting the capacity of the Organization’s system to contribute to national development, as well as its responsiveness to the needs of developing countries.

It was also disturbing that the role of the United Nations in development was constrained by an almost continuous decline in the volume of core resources at its command, he said. Immediate and effective remedial steps must be taken to redress that situation.

Introducing Addendum 1 to the report of the Secretary-General on “Operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation”, Patrizio Civili, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter- Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said the impact evaluation process was one of the key subjects covered by the report.

That process was both important, as a key and integral part of the comprehensive policy review exercise, and unique, as the only existing source of independent overview and assessment of the performance of the entire United Nations development system. The objectives of the process –- poverty eradication and capacity-building –- were central to development cooperation. A certain momentum had been generated, and an opportunity had been created that should not be lost.

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* Press Releases ECOSOC/5905 of 12 July should have been the 21st and 22nd meetings, ECOSOC/5906 should have been the 23rd meeting, and ECOSOC/5907 should have been the 24th meeting.

Economic and Social Council - 1a - Press Release ECOSOC/5908 25th Meeting (AM) 14 July 2000

France's representative, on behalf of the European Union, said that the Common Country Assessments and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) were powerful instruments for reinforcing the coordination and coherence of interventions on the ground by the Organization's agencies.

She said the progress in developing those instruments, harmonizing programme cycles and drawing up guidelines, was welcome, as was the new emphasis on national capacity-building, follow-up to global conferences and the establishment of indicators. Nevertheless, areas for improvement remained. Transaction costs were high, and thus limited the reform’s impact. Development fund framework plans should lead to a system of joint programming of funds, programmes and agencies in the field.

The Council also considered the reports of the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's' Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The Council will meet again on Monday 17 July at 10 a.m. to continue its considerations of operational activities of the United Nations for international development. At the opening of the high-level part of this segment on that same day, Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, will introduce the report of the Secretary-General on funding operational activities for development; and simplification and harmonization of programming, operational and administrative procedures.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning to continue considering operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation by reviewing follow-up to policy recommendations of the General Assembly and the Council: progress report on implementation of the triennial comprehensive policy review (to be held during the 2001 General Assembly session).

The Council had before it a number of reports by the Secretary-General on the follow-up. One is his report on funding operational activities for development of the United Nations system and United Nations funds and programmes: oversight role of the Council; another is on progress in implementing General Assembly resolution 53/192 concerning the Council’s management of operational activities for international development cooperation; a third, including a corrigendum, concerns comprehensive statistical data on operational activities for development for the year 1998. The Council also had before it reports of the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The Secretary-General’s report on funding for operational activities for development of the United Nations system (document A/2000/46) presents a summary of the financial status for funds and programmes, including the UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the WFP. The report also presents a summary of recent decisions by the Executive Boards of those funds and programmes with regard to funding arrangements and their assessment, the impact of funding trends, structural and management changes, pledging conference activities and recommendations.

In addition, the report describes measures taken to simplify and harmonize programming as well as operational and administrative procedures. This includes a summary of the call to simplify and harmonize rules and procedures in General Assembly resolutions; issues at stake with regard to cost, quality and accountability; rationale for simplified and harmonized procedures; and results, both with regard to progress and potential.

Finally, the report contains an analysis of the Council’s oversight role with regard to United Nations funds and programmes. This includes a survey of the Council’s impact on annual reports, list of issues, executive board meetings, resources and decisions taken. The information in the report is supplemented by presentation in tabular form.

The Secretary-General’s report on progress in implementing General Assembly resolution 53/192 concerning the Council’s management of operational activities for international development cooperation (document E/2000/46/Add.1) contains an overview of progress in meeting General Assembly guidelines, targets, benchmarks and time frames in preparation for the triennial comprehensive policy review of development cooperation by the United Nations system scheduled to be undertaken by the Assembly in 2001.

The report covers impact evaluation, common country assessment and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, the harmonizing of programming cycles, field-level coordination, country-level follow-up to global conferences and operational activities, gender and development, common premises and sharing of administrative services. It also covers the regional dimension and South-South cooperation through improving the effective incorporation of technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) into programmes and mainstreaming it along with economic cooperation among developing countries (ECDC) activities. Humanitarian assistance, peace-building and development are reviewed, as are monitoring and evaluation and capacity-building.

Countries in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) are listed in a table of the report. The Annex sets out the management process for the implementation of General Assembly resolution 53/192 and related resolutions.

On the subject of follow-up to policy recommendations, the Secretary-General’s report on comprehensive statistical data on operational activities for development for the year 1998 (documents E/2000/46/Add.2 and Add.2/Corr.1) summarizes contributions from governments and other sources to operational activities, expenditures on operational activities and procurement activities. The data are presented in tabular form.

The first Executive Board report before the Council is that of the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board on its first regular session of 2000 in New York (24-28 and 31 January) (document DP/2000/9). The report indicates that under its UNDP segment, the Board considered business plans, country cooperation frameworks and administrative-related matters. Under the UNDP/UNFPA joint segment, the Board considered implementation of recommendations by the Board of Auditors and field visits. Under the UNFPA segment, it considered country programmes, administrative- related matters and the technical advisory programme. Under other matters, it considered the WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Coordination Committee on Health and the address by the Chairman of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Also contained in the report is a summary of the joint meeting of the executive boards of UNDP/UNFPA and UNICEF, with the WFP participating. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework process in India is noted. Decisions adopted are listed and concern UNDP business plans, assistance to East Timor and funding.

Another report before the Council by the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board concerns decisions adopted at its second regular session of 2000 (3 to 7 April)(document DP/2000/19). The decisions concern the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), UNFPA sector-wide approaches and multi-year funding framework and an overview of the decisions. The report also contains the executive board’s tentative work plan for its 2000 annual session to be held in Geneva (13 to 23 June).

The decisions adopted by the UNDP/UNFPA executive board at its annual session (12-23 June, Geneva) are summarized in another report (document E/2000/34/28). Those decisions concern future programme directions for UNFPA, the UNFPA programming process, reproductive health in emergency situations, United Nations Volunteers, and the annual reports of the Administrator and of the Executive Director on activities of the United Nations Office for Project Services. The report contains an overview of decisions adopted and the tentative work plan for the third regular session (25 to 29 September).

The report of UNICEF’s Executive Board on its first regular session of 2000 (31 January to 3 February) (document DP/2000/34/Part I) describes the meeting as well as the Executive Board’s deliberations. Those concern the work plan and budget for the Private Sector Division, programme matters, multi-year funding framework and funding meeting, the Executive Director’s annual report to the Council and the second session of the WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Coordinating Committee on Health. The joint meeting of the UNICEF and UNDP/UNFPA Executive Boards with WFP participation is also described. Annexes contain a list of contributions and pledges plus a list of decisions adopted at the meeting.

An extract from the UNICEF Executive Board report on its 2000 annual session (22-25 May) contains the decisions adopted by the UNICEF Executive Board at its annual session (document E/2000/L.8). Those decisions concern activities and the budget for the General Assembly special session on follow-up to the World Summit for Children in 2001, modifications to the budget process, reports on field visits, the Maurice Pate Award for 2000 and the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Statements

PATRIZIO CIVILI, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced Addendum 1 to the report of the Secretary-General on operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation(document E/2000/46 Add.1).

He said the addendum presented an assessment of the progress achieved in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 52/192 on Operational activities for Development. Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, would introduce the report of the Secretary-General on operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation (document E/2000/46) at the opening of the high-level part of this segment next Monday. That report is entitled “Funding operational activities for the development of the United Nations system, simplification and harmonization of programming, operational and administrative procedures and the Organization’s funds and programmes; oversight role of the Economic and Social Council”.

Mr. Civili said the present segment would review progress in gearing programming processes and execution and evaluation arrangements for operational activities to maximize the support of the system’s activities in national development and national efforts to further the follow-up to global conferences at the country level. He believed that it would be increasingly important for the Council to reinforce those kinds of linkages in selecting themes for its various segments and in conducting deliberations under its various agenda items. That was a key condition to ensure that the different segments of the Council, at any given session, reinforced each other, and helped maximize the overall impact of that body’s work in development.

He said one of the key subjects covered in the addendum was the impact evaluation process. That process was both important, as a key and integral part of the comprehensive policy review exercise, and unique, as the only existing source of independent overview and assessment of the performance of the entire United Nations development system. The credibility of the process was now well established. The process had generated a great deal of interest both within the system, and in programme countries and the donor community.

He said the objectives on which the process focused -– poverty eradication and capacity-building -– were central to development cooperation. A certain momentum had been generated, and an opportunity had been created that should not be lost. Overall, the report showed that the system had continued to make steady progress in adapting itself to the changing requirements of developing countries and in improving coherence, efficiency and impact.

ATUL KHARE (India) said nowhere was the need for immediate action more apparent than in the call for increased availability of core resources for the funds and programmes of the United Nations. Predictable and assured resource levels, commensurate with needs, were a key and essential ingredient of effectiveness and impact. He expressed concern that the shortfalls and decline in core resources were adversely affecting the capacity of the Organization’s system to contribute to national development, as well as its responsiveness to the needs of developing countries. It was therefore disturbing that the role of the United Nations in development was constrained by an almost continuous decline in the volume of core resources at its command. Immediate and effective remedial steps must be taken to redress the situation.

He said India supported the need for impact evaluation as an input to the next triennial policy review. It must also include an evaluation of the impact of the UNDAF, including its performance in the decreasing transaction costs of dealing with the United Nations development system in recipient governments and enhanced effectiveness through resource mobilization.

He said he was perplexed by the assertion in the addendum that supporting governments, in achieving the goals of the major United Nations conferences, were at the core of the Organization’s systems’ work at the country level. He was equally surprised by the contents of paragraph 64, which stated that the focus of conference follow-up, including the five-year review implementation, had in the recent past shifted to national implementation. The outcomes of all conferences were comprehensive and holistic in nature. Undue emphasis on the national level, when the commitments for resources and transfer of technology, as well as for the creation of an enabling environment at the international level was still unfulfilled, was neither desirable nor acceptable.

He also reiterated that any mechanism in New York should not attempt to take decisions, which were best taken in New Delhi or other capitals of the world. He also cautioned against attempts to operationalize such decisions through UNDAF in a prescriptive manner. The priorities of both donors and recipients for grant and loan assistance, were different, and should not be integrated, he added.

CATHERINE GRAS (France), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey, Liechtenstein and Iceland, said the Common Country Assessments and the UNDAF were powerful instruments for reinforcing the coordination and coherence of interventions on the ground by the United Nations agencies. The progress made in developing those instruments, harmonizing programme cycles and drawing up guidelines was welcome, as was the new emphasis on national capacity-building, follow-up to global conferences and establishment of indicators. Also welcome was the growing participation of the Bretton Woods institutions and of civil society in preparing the documents.

In light of that progress, she said, areas for improvement remained. Transaction costs remained high, limiting the reform’s impact. Development Fund framework plans should progressively lead to a system of joint programming of funds, programmes and agencies active in the field. There should be a joint country programme based on national development priorities. The intervention of each agency would be determined based on comparative advantage and resources able to be mobilized. That would increase the impact and coherence of United Nations interventions, avoid redundancy, simplify programming for recipient countries and increase their capacity to coordinate and appropriate. Coherence between agency programmes and UNDAF should be improved before the next triennial review.

Increased coordination would enhance both the impact and visibility of the United Nations system in the field, she said. Joint meetings of the UNDP/UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP Executive Boards were welcome but needed better planning with an eye toward implementing both General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions about coordination. A joint annual report should be prepared on that closer coordination.

Dialogue and cooperation between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions should be stepped up on development assistance strategies and objectives for an effective division of labour, she said. Impact evaluations of operations development activities for building national capacity and eradicating poverty were important. They should be covered by the regular budget and should constitute a priority of the economic and social department programme of work. The 2001 Economic and Social Council substantive session should be a round-table to discuss their outcomes.

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