At 2014 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, Member States’ Announcements of Contributions Surpass Previous Year

Twenty-six countries pledged approximately $560 million during a Headquarters event, in support of United Nations development activities, which primarily covered 2015.  The amount represents an increase of approximately $72 million in comparison to last year’s pledges.

Opening the 2014 Pledging Conference, Navid Hanif, Director of the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, noted that contributions for United Nations operational activities in 2012 had totalled $23.9 billion, with the share of core resources at 28 per cent.  About two thirds of total contributions had been for long-term development related activities, with the remaining one third directed towards activities with a humanitarian focus.

The long-term absolute funding trend for United Nations operational activities for development had been favourable, he said, with contributions having nearly doubled in real terms over the past 15 years.  However, almost all of that growth had been in the form of non-core resources.  The ratio of core funding had declined from 48 per cent in 1997 to 28 per cent in 2012.  Furthermore, total funding had grown by just 3 per cent in real terms from 2008 to 2012.

Turning to the sources of funding, he noted a significant increase in contributions by non-Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries to the United Nations development system, which had amounted to $1.2 billion in 2012.  Funding by multilateral organizations and non-governmental and private sources had increased by about 32 per cent in real terms over the past five years, and had amounted to some $4.7 billion in 2012.

According to preliminary figures, he also pointed out that a rise in official development assistance (ODA) had translated into an estimated 10 per cent increase for the United Nations operational activities for development in real terms in 2013, compared with 2012.  However, the increase had been entirely in non-core funding.  He then outlined funding trends of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Andreas Riecken (Austria), President of the 2014 Pledging Conference, said the capacity of the United Nations development system to deliver on its mandates depended on the quantity and quality of the funding it received.  The Pledging Conference was essential for ensuring more predictable, flexible and sustainable funding for United Nations operational activities for development.  Commitments remained “substantially below current needs”, especially with regards to core resource commitments.

Nick Hartmann, Director of the Partnerships Group, Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP, said a downward trend in resources was continuing.  In 2013, the $839 million received was $7 million less than the figures for 2012, and the figures for 2014 were expected to fall again, although the number of contributors had increased from 50 countries to 56.

He highlighted some of the results achieved by the Programme, pointing to support for employment through the Millennium Development Goals Acceleration Framework, the registration and participation of voters in elections, and the spread of justice, particularly in transition countries.  Programmes were implemented by UNDP, but the credit lay with Member States whose generosity and support he acknowledged.

Antonie de Jong, Director of Resource Mobilization, UN-Women, said that in the past 20 years, the Entity had made many strides forward, but much remained to be done.  For that, an increased investment was needed.  The commitments announced today showed that they were on the right track, and he voiced hope that even more countries would join the UN-Women donor base.

Dominique Hyde, Deputy Director of the Public Partnerships Division, UNICEF, said the magnitude of the current crises was reflected in the size of the Fund’s emergency operations.  Thankfully, unrestricted core resources gave it the “agility and flexibility to respond immediately” where the need was greatest.  They were the backbone of UNICEF’s funding structure, allowing it to deliver in the “most efficient and effective way by lessening administrative and transaction costs”.  The Fund’s current financial estimates for 2014 projected an increase of $69 million, or 12 per cent in core resources, from Government partners, compared with 2013.

Klaus Simoni Pedersen, Officer-in-Charge, Resource Mobilization Branch, UNFPA, outlined some of the activities conducted by the Fund in the field of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for women, adolescents and girls.  As of 1 November this year, the contribution revenue projection for 2014 was $479 million for core resources, and $499 million for co-financing resources. UNFPA was exploring ways to ensure full financing of their 2014-2017 strategic plan through “adequate core resources, increased quality flexibility and predictability of non-core resources, and diversification of donor base”.

The United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities was followed by the 2014 United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Pledging Conference for WFP.  Karin Manente of WFP described the Programme’s work over the previous year to tackle hunger and food insecurity.  Innovative methods had been used, and women and children were prominent among those reached.  Contributions for 2013‑2014 were $8.6 billion, a figure lower than in previous years.

At the outset of the Conferences, Mr. Riecken was elected as President of the 2014 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, as well as the 2014 United Nations and FAO Pledging Conference for WFP.  Palitha Kohona (Sri Lanka) was elected as Vice-President of both Conferences.

Delegates also adopted draft reports on the two pledging conferences (documents A/CONF.208/2014/L.1 and A/CONF.209/2014/L.1).

Mr. Riecken called attention to the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/226 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (document A/69/63-E/2014/10); a note by the Secretary-General on operational activities for development of the United Nations system (document A/CONF.208/2014/1); a note by the Secretary-General on contributions pledged or paid at the 2013 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities for 2014, as at 30 June 2014 (document A/CONF.208/2014/2), and background information on programmes and funds.

Pledges Made for 2014-2015

(Converted from local currencies into United States dollars)