2003 PLEDGING CONFERENCE FOR UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES SEES 15 MEMBER STATES ANNOUNCE CONTRIBUTIONS, ELECT OFFICIALS

2003 UN Pledging Conference

for Development Activities

PM Meeting

2003 PLEDGING CONFERENCE FOR UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

SEES 15 MEMBER STATES ANNOUNCE CONTRIBUTIONS, ELECT OFFICIALS

Fifteen Member States pledged their contributions in support of United Nations development activities and elected pledging officials during this afternoon’s annual Pledging Conference for Development Activities.

Opening the Conference, Patrizio Civili, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, noted that regular resources for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should continue to grow in 2003, when the agency’s regular income was expected to exceed $750 million.  However, regular resources remained fragile, and UNDP’s income still fell short of the agreed target of $1.1 billion, affecting its potential support for programme countries and its ability to invest in new initiatives.

He said that regular resource contributions from governments to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 2002 had come to $368 million, an increase of $17 million, or 5 per cent, over 2001.  That upward trend was attributable to a one-time legacy contribution of $56 million, increased contributions from governments, better private sector performance, and favourable exchange rates.  For 2003, UNICEF had a target of $400 million, a 9 per cent increase over regular resource income of $368 million in 2002, which it expected to meet through pledges and indications from governments.

Regular resources for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had reached a high in 1995, the year after the International Conference on Population and Development, exceeding $300 million, but had been since begun to decline, he said.  Resources of $269 million in 2001 had further declined to $260.1 million for 2002, due to the withdrawal of a major donor.  Regular resources were expected to increase to $289 million in 2003, primarily due to increases from major donors, the favourable exchange rate of the euro and other European currencies, and a sizeable increase in the number of donor countries.

In concluding remarks, Stephane Vigie, Deputy Director of UNDP’s Division for Resources Mobilization/BRS, noted positive developments since the last pledging conference, including increased sources of funding.  The Consensus reached at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey had yielded significant results.  Official Development Assistance (ODA) had risen in 2002, and has expected to increase further by 2006.

He said the agency’s regular resources had been growing steadily, although the voluntary nature of funding left it particularly exposed.  Some 14 countries had announced increased contributions for 2003, 31 had maintained their 2002 levels, and 19 had resumed their contributions in 2003.

Dan Rohrmann, Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Programme Funding Office, spoke on behalf of Executive Director Carol Bellamy, saying that pledges had come at a vital time as the agency was implementing its Medium-term Strategic Plan 2002-2005.  With respect to the multi-year plan, UNICEF would have its fifth annual pledging event during the first session of the Executive Board in January 2004.  While UNICEF had seen a positive trend in regular resource levels over the past two years, it depended more than ever on predictable and sustained growth to remain a truly global fund for the world’s children.

Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of the UNPFA, said the agency was doing quite well financially, even though it had lost a major donor.  It now had 120 donor countries and was striving for 135, she added.

Pledging contributions this afternoon were the representatives of Singapore, Russian Federation, Malaysia, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Indonesia, India, Bahrain, Estonia, Tunisia, Kuwait, Algeria and Iran.

The representative of Nepal said his country would maintain its 2002 contribution level, but declined to give a specific amount.  The representatives of Malta, Jamaica, China, Turkey, South Africa, Senegal and Pakistan said their Governments would release the exact figures of their contributions at a later date.

At the outset of the meeting, Agim Nesho (Albania) was elected President of the 2003 Pledging Conference for Development Activities.  Joe Robert Pemagbi (Sierra Leone), Radzi Rahman (Malaysia) and Bruno Stagno (Costa Rica) were elected Vice-Presidents.

Pledges Made

Singapore

UNDP                   $300,000

UNICEF                   $ 50,000

UNDCP                  $  5,000

UNIFEM                   $ 40,000

UNEP                    $ 15,000

UNEP-Asia              $ 10,000

UNCITRAL                $  2,000

Russian Federation

UNDP                    $450,000

UNICEF                  $500,000

UNFPA                  $150,000

UNDCP                  $500,000

United Nations Habitat           $200,000

UNEP                    $500,000

Malaysia

UNDP                    $385,000

UNICEF                  $ 84,000

UNFPA                  $ 15,000

UNDCP                  $ 20,000

UNIFEM                  $  5,000

Myanmar

UNDP                    1.08 million kyats

UNFPA                  60,000 kyats

UNDCP                  $  5,000

United Arab Emirates

UNDP                    $324,000

UNICEF                  $100,000

UNHCR                  $ 54,000

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

UNDP                    $ 31,168

UNICEF                  $  5,350

UNFPA                  $  1,500

UNDCP                  $  1,000

UNEP                    $  2,000

UNCDP                  $  1,500

Indonesia

UNDP                    $ 50,000

UNFPA                  $ 33,000

PGTF                    $  5,000

India

UNDP                    $4.5 million

WFP                     $1.92 million

INSTRAW                                         50,000 rupees

UNICEF                  31 million rupees

UNFPA                  9 million rupees

UNIFEM                  509,000 rupees

UNEP                    $100,000

Bahrain

UNDP                    $ 56,000

Estonia

UNDP                    300,000 kroons

UNICEF                  300,000 kroons

UNHCR                  300,000 kroons

UNFPA                  300,000 kroons

Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations 150,000 kroons

Voluntary Fund for the International Decade

of the World’s Indigenous Peoples           150,000 kroons

OCHA                    300,000 kroons

Tunisia

UNDP                    173,000 dinars

INSTRAW                   4,000 dinars

UNICEF                  37,000 dinars

UNHCR                    5,000 dinars

UNFPA                  25,000 dinars

Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture       2,000 dinars

Special Fund for Crime Prevention          1,500 dinars

UNITAR                    1,960 dinars

United Nations Volunteers          5,000 dinars

UNRWA                  12,000 dinars

Human Rights Fund for activities on the ground  3,000 dinars

United Nations Habitat                     976 dinars

United Nations Office in Tunis 234,000 dinars

UNCDF-Tunisia                   2,732 dinars

Kuwait

UNDP                    $570,000

UNICEF                  $200,000

UNFPA                  $ 10,000

UNDCP                  $  5,000

Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture     $ 10,000

UNITAR                  $ 20,000

UNIFEM                  $ 10,000

UNEP                    $200,000

Algeria

UNDP                    $100,000

Arid Lands/UNDP              $  3,500

UNICEF                  $ 24,000

UNHCR                  $ 50,000

UNFPA                  $ 10,000 and

300,000 dinars

UNDCP                  $ 10,000

Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations$  5,000

Voluntary Fund for the International Decade

of the World’s Indigenous Peoples           $  5,000

Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture     $  5,000

UNITAR                  $  5,000

UNDCP-Vienna            $ 10,000

United Nations Habitat           $ 10,000

PGTF                    $ 10,000

Iran

UNDP                    $ 10,000

UNICEF                  $ 53,500

UNFPA                  $ 50,000

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