Addressing Imbalances between Core, Non-Core Resources Critical, Speakers Stress, as Second Committee Discusses Operational Activities for Development
The United Nations was faced with a “unique opportunity” to retool itself to ensure it was fit to play a key role in fulfilment of the post-2015 development agenda, the representative of the United States told delegates in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today.
The quadrennial comprehensive policy review served as a critical step towards that goal, with United Nations bodies addressing several areas of their business operations to ensure they were delivering the best service possible.
“Strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations development system has long been the critical task of the international community,” said Ethiopia’s representative in agreement, adding that the timing was fitting to reflect on how system-wide coherence could be further strengthened to effectively implement the new global development goals.
While Guyana’s representative agreed on the timeliness of the discussion, he said it was clear that much work had to be completed to ensure the United Nations development system was well placed to follow up on mandates set out in the review.
The importance of monitoring and evaluation was stressed in that regard, notably by Viet Nam’s representative, while the need to focus operational activities for development on poverty eradication was prominent in the statement delivered by Malawi’s representative. He recalled the Rio+20 Outcome Document, which stated that poverty eradication was the greatest challenge, and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
As well as tackling the root causes of poverty, operational activities should also take his continent’s development needs into account, he said. South Africa’s representative added that operational activities should always address national priorities.
He said it was time “to address the persistent imbalance” between core and non-core resources, with the latter continuing to “create fragmentation, competition and overlap” among United Nations bodies, while the former remained “the bedrock of operational activities for development”.
Several other speakers stressed the importance of addressing the issue of funding, and Japan’s representative, while fully appreciating the significance of core resources, warned that the debate on balance between core and non-core resources should not lead to a decrease in the total amount of funds.
Brazil’s representative, meanwhile, looked to the growing contributions of third-party funding, earmarked voluntary contributions and associations with philanthropic institutions, and stressed the importance of accountability. He also called for better mainstreaming of South-South cooperation into activities but noted that it followed “a different rationale” to North-South cooperation.
India’s representative agreed, stressing that South-South cooperation’s core ideals were fundamentally different than those of North-South cooperation. It could not replace North-South assistance, nor could its emerging patterns be harmonized within the traditional framework of North-South aid. “South-South cooperation can only be seen as a useful supplement to North-South cooperation, not at all as its replacement,” he said.
Despite the differences between those varieties of development cooperation, some speakers outlined their efforts in that field, with the representative of the Dominican Republic saying South-South cooperation made a significant contribution and was “an important driver for the recovery of the world economy”. While boosting productivity, there was also a “direct correlation” between increased South-South cooperation received and undertaken in his country and the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI).
Kuwait’s representative also stressed his country’s commitment, in the form of concessionary loans and infrastructure investment in Africa. Kuwait had consistently exceeded the United Nations aid target for developed countries of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP), with an average of 1.3 per cent of GNP between 1990 and 2003.
Reports were introduced by the Chief of the Development Cooperation Policy Branch, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Inspector of the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations System, the Senior Adviser on Information Management & Policy Coordination of the Secretariat of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), and the Secretary General’s Envoy on South-South Cooperation.
Also speaking today were representatives of Bolivia (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Norway, Mexico, Malaysia, Belarus, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Switzerland, Mozambique, Thailand, Myanmar, Canada (also on behalf of Australia), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iran, China, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, and Cameroon.
A representative of the delegation of the European Union also spoke.
The Committee meets again at 10 a.m., on 30 October for a joint meeting with the Economic and Social Council on “A renewed global partnership for development successor arrangements for the Millennium Development Goal 8”.
Background
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met today to consider the issue of “Operational activities for development”. The Committee had before it 8 documents relating to the issue (documents A/69/215, A/69/63-E/2014/10, A/69/125, A/69/125/Add.1, A/69/392, A/C.2/69/2, A/69/153, and A/69/39 (Supplement)).
Introduction of Reports
ZINA MOUNLA, Chief of the Development Cooperation Policy Branch, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced 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) on behalf of the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. She described key funding trends, the sources of those contributions to the United Nations operational activities for development, non-core funding modalities, expenditures, and estimated funding flows for the United Nations operational activities for development in 2013.
ACHAMKULANGARE GOPINATHAN, Inspector of the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations System, introduced, on behalf of Inspector Istvan Posta and his own behalf, the Unit’s report entitled “Selection and appointment process for United Nations resident coordinators, including preparation, training and support provided for their work”, transmitted in a Note by the Secretary-General (document A/69/125). He described the report’s three recommendations. The first, addressed to the General Assembly, called for the establishment of long-term targets on diversity, as regards to North-South balance and organization of origin in the composition of resident coordinators. The second, addressed to the executive heads of United Nations Development Group organizations, called for the development and implementation of appropriate guidelines for the identification, screening, and preparation of potential resident coordinator candidates by the respective human resources management officers of the organizations constituting the United Nations Development Group. The third, addressed to the Secretary-General in his capacity as the Chair of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board of Coordination (CEB), called for a review and revision of the standard operating procedures of the Inter-Agency Advisory Panel.
KEN HERMAN, Senior Adviser on Information Management & Policy Coordination of the Secretariat of the CEB, introduced a Note conveying comments by the Secretary-General and CEB members about a Joint Inspection Unit report on “Selection and appointment process for the United Nations resident coordinators, including preparation, training and support provided for their work” (document A/69/125/Add.1). That document offered a “positive view of the process of selecting and appointing resident coordinators” while identifying most issues and challenges connected to the process. Organizations generally agreed with the report’s recommendations, which were, to establish diversity targets for resident coordinators, to develop and implement guidelines for identification, screening and preparation of candidates, and to review and revise the standard operating procedures of the Inter-Agency Advisory Panel.
YIPING ZHOU, Secretary General’s Envoy on South-South Cooperation, and Director the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), presented the Secretary-General’s report on “the State of South-South cooperation” (document A/69/153), which reviewed trends and progress made by the United Nations development system in support of South-South and triangular cooperation for development. It recommended establishment of an inter-agency coordination mechanism, under the United Nations Development Group, to enhance coherence and coordination of South-South cooperation by the United Nations system, as well as the development of more guidance tools to mainstream cooperation. It called for implementation of the Unit’s recommendation on updating the working of the High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, the need for United Nations support to focus on areas where it had proven most effective, and for the increased involvement of Governments, foundations and the private sector.
Statements
SACHA SERGIO LLORENTTY SOLÍZ (Bolivia), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said it was important that operational activities for development incorporated the need to promote national capacity-building in developing countries. The quadrennial comprehensive policy review resolution gave a unanimous mandate to the United Nations development system to eradicate poverty in all their programming activities. As the Organization’s seventieth anniversary summit approached, the Group of 77 and its 133 member States needed to know what concrete measures had been taken by the United Nations development system. It had been more than two years since the recommendations of the UNDP evaluation of its poverty reduction were given, but “unfortunately nothing had been done so far to ensure compliance with the same.”
He reiterated the Group’s position that South-South cooperation was a complement, rather than a substitute, for North-South cooperation and a collective endeavour of developing countries, based on the principle of solidarity. The Assembly’s High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation was the central policymaking body in the United Nations system to review and assess global and system-wide progress and support for South-South development cooperation, including triangular cooperation, and to provide overall guidance on future direction.
TROY TORRINGTON (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said the agenda item was very timely, particularly in view of the links between the creation of a post-2015 development agenda and the United Nations system’s operational activities for development. As the half-way point approached for the implementation of the mandates emanating from the review, it was clear that much work had to be completed to ensure the United Nations development system was well placed to effectively follow up on the mandates set out in the review.
On funding for the United Nations system, he said that CARICOM was concerned that the adequacy and predictability of monies for operational activities for development had not been approved. “This had created a host of limitations which stand to be worsened by a range of existing and new challenges,” he added. The Caribbean Community was concerned about the significant imbalance between core and non-core funding. The multilateral framework of development assistance was weakened by the imposition of conditions tied to funding. The imbalance in core and non-core funding had led to a degree of incoherence in programme delivery that undercut development effectiveness, and had an adverse impact on recipient countries. It was important to ensure an equitable balance between core and non-core funding resources and an increasing and even-handed approach, based on development assistance from the United Nations system and other sources.
NGUYEN PHUONG NGA (Viet Nam), speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, stressed that development cooperation was “instrumental to consolidating and enhancing the mutually reinforcing pillars of the work of the United Nations”. She hoped for closer cooperation on implementing the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Partnership with the ASEAN Economic Community, to be established in 2015. Monitoring and evaluation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review implementation was vital, particularly on progress, activities, and challenges faced by the United Nations. Stagnant funding for operational activities and the imbalance between core and non-core resources hampered United Nations efforts, especially at the country level, with core resources being particularly vital, as they ensured “independence and neutrality” of the United Nations system.
The United Nations would be central in addressing emerging development challenges, she said, and it needed support in strengthening system-wide coherence and adopting the United Nations Development Group standard operating procedures related to “Delivering as One”. Simplification and harmonization of business practices remained a challenge and Headquarters needed to commit to that, and to the principle that “no one size fits all”. South-South and triangular cooperation was growing and added to the ways countries worked together to promote development. It was no substitute for North-South cooperation, however, with developing countries’ contributions to operational activities still only 5 per cent of overall funding. Implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration continued and she looked forward to sharing experiences and best practices.
CHARLES P. MSOSA (Malawi) spoke on behalf of the African Group and associated himself with the Group of 77 and China. He said operational activities for development that addressed the root causes of poverty and took his continent’s development needs into account were important for the African Group. The Group recalled that the Rio+20 Outcome Document and resolution 67/226 of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review stated that poverty eradication was the greatest challenge, and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. He underlined that paragraph 71 of the review asked organizations of the United Nations development system to make poverty eradication a top priority. The African Group would be grateful if those organizations could give Member States a comprehensive update detailing their concrete steps towards that goal.
The African Group welcomed the Joint Inspection Unit’s report on the selection and appointment process for United Nations resident coordinators, he said. Geographical diversification was important and should be applied to resident coordinator pools. The Group also reaffirmed the importance of the evaluations, launched by the Assembly during its sixty-eighth session, and looked forward to additional details during consultations. It also supported the trend towards weaving South-South triangular cooperation into strategic planning.
TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia), speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries, and associating himself with the African Group, and the Group of 77 and China, said that “strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations development system has long been the critical task of the international community”. He was pleased that several United Nations entities had aligned their new strategic plans with the quadrennial comprehensive policy review. The timing of the first operational activities for development segment could not had been more fitting to reflect on how the system-wide coherence of the United Nations development system best be further strengthened to effectively implement the new global development goals.
All those efforts, however, “would not bring about the desired results unless the challenges surrounding funding are fully addressed”, he said. The funding had been stagnating since 2009, with the ratio of core resources declining. As much as cost recovery work was critical to address the declining trends of the United Nations funds, it was time to “take bold measures within the new global partnership framework to address the challenges surrounding core resources”. As the share of resources allocated to the least developed countries had remained constant, at a level of just over half of the total development-related expenditures, he urged development partners to increase their contributions to achieve the targets set for those countries. On South-South cooperation, he said it played a crucial role in providing support to the development process of developing countries.
AMERICO BEVIGLIA ZAMPETTI (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union Delegation, said the review represented a significant milestone in collective efforts to ensure the United Nations system delivered coherent, effective and efficient development results. The United Nations system should work together to ensure the framework for monitoring and reporting clearly laid out the progress, while keeping transaction costs and reporting burdens to a minimum. The Union urged all funds, programmes, and specialized agencies to carry out and monitor the cost-sharing arrangement which supported the resident coordinator system, so necessary resources were made available. The aim was to achieve more impact at the country level.
On funding, he said Member States were responsible for providing adequate and timely funding of the work plan budgets approved by the governing bodies of the development agencies. All funding — core and non-core — should be delivered in a coherent way that responded to the needs of programme countries and was effective. In addition to its operational role, the United Nations system was also the guardian of internationally agreed goals, and brought Member States together on critical global agreements. Yet its system remained complex and fragmented. The implementation of the review was more important than ever with the post-2015 development agenda taking shape.
LIZWI NKOMBELA (South Africa), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and the African Group, stressed the need for the quadrennial comprehensive policy review implementation to be accompanied by close alignment of the Organization’s operational activities for development with national priorities. Core resources were vital and it was time “to address the persistent imbalance” between core and non-core resources. The latter continued to “create fragmentation, competition and overlap” among United Nations bodies, while the former remained “the bedrock of operational activities for development”. Further consultations were required on the principles of “critical mass” to reach an amicable and workable solution. A strengthened resident coordinator system was needed, with greater diversity, and business practices needed harmonizing and simplifying to reduce costs and boost efficiency in provision of support services.
FAHAD MOHMMAD HAJJI (Kuwait) associated himself with the Group of 77 and China. Welcoming the upcoming third International Conference on Financing for Development, he said the forum would help stress the importance of consolidating South-South cooperation and recognizing the important role of official development assistance (ODA) in financing development. As part of his country’s commitment to South-South cooperation, Kuwait in November 2013 hosted the Third Arab-African Summit and launched several initiatives. Among those initiatives, one granted $1 billion in concessionary loans to African countries over five years; another allocated $1 billion for investment projects, emphasizing infrastructure, in cooperation with the World Bank and other international financial institutions. Kuwait had consistently exceeded the United Nations aid target for developed countries of 0.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP). Its average between 1990 to 2003 stood at 1.3 per cent of GNP. Kuwait urged developed nations to live up to their ODA commitments.
BERIT FLADBY (Norway) welcomed what she called a quick response by the United Nations development system to recommendations for reforms by the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, but also noted some shortcomings. She expressed concern, in particular, that not all entities were paying their share for the Resident Coordinator system. She called for stronger efforts to put in place funding modalities that allowed the development system to carry out its mandates in an efficient way. She welcomed the structured dialogues on that issue. Beyond such incremental reform, Member States needed to ensure that the system was well-positioned for an appropriate role in the implementation of the post-2015 development framework.
GABRIELA COLÍN ORTEGA (Mexico) said it was essential to ensure coordination between the work of the Economic and Social Council, and the Assembly. The United Nations system must support middle-income countries, which should be a key area for allocating resources within its operational activities for development. She stressed the importance of the effectiveness of the operational activities of the United Nations development system, and welcomed the results-based approach. The system must work as a mobilizer of external resources, and involve non-conventional stakeholders. Various development challenges required different models of cooperation. However, despite its growing relevance and distinctive nature, South-South cooperation must remain complementary and not a replacement for North-South cooperation.
SITI HAJJAR ADNIN (Malaysia), associating herself with the Group of 77 and China, and the ASEAN, welcomed the efforts made by the United Nations funds, programmes, and specialized agencies which had aligned their new strategic plans to the ambition of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review. However, the state of funding of the development programmes was still a cause for concern, and the growing imbalance between core and non-core resources threatened the effective operation of the United Nations development system. In that context, donor countries should provide financing for United Nations operational activities, particularly for the “core resources”. She welcomed the increasing importance of triangular cooperation, which had greatly facilitated South-South initiatives through the provision of funding, training, and management of technology and systems. Her country remained committed to South-South cooperation, and had been sharing its knowledge and experience with fellow developing countries through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme.
JILL DERDERIAN (United States) looked forward to a “momentous year” in which significant intergovernmental agreements would be signed. That gave the United Nations system a “unique opportunity” to retool itself to ensure that it was fit to be a key player in the new agenda. The quadrennial comprehensive policy review was a critical step towards that goal, with United Nations bodies addressing several areas of their business operations to ensure they were delivering the best service. Alternative forms of development cooperation would play “ever more important roles”, while it was also important to remember the specific strengths of each, different agency, working cooperatively to enhance comparative advantages, rather than competing for “market share”. She welcomed discussions on the long-run positioning of the United Nations development system, and stressed the importance of monitoring and evaluation of the results of their operational outputs. It would allow tracking of development results against inputs and investments and foster a “culture of evaluation”.
GUILHERME DE AGUIAR PATRIOTA (Brazil), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and CELAC, said the United Nations development system needed to adapt to the vision set at Rio+20 to tackle sustainable development after 2015 — including an evolution in the set-up of UNDP. The Open Working Group’s report provided the “blueprint” for the future and it was time to discuss means of implementation. The United Nations was still needed for poverty eradication in developing countries, so preparedness for new challenges had to proceed alongside maintenance of a more traditional approach. South-South and triangular cooperation should be better mainstreamed into the work of the United Nations. He noted that it followed “a different rationale” to North-South cooperation, emphasizing “partnership among equals, solidarity, local ownership and non-conditionality”. The development system used three times the resources allocated to peacekeeping, he said, stressing the importance of accountability in the context of increasing third-party funding, earmarked voluntary contributions and association with philanthropic institutions. Questions remained over the impact of the “partnership facility” on existing partnerships, and a “discussion on an adequate accountability framework” was needed, if the intention was to scale-up the outsourcing of financing.
VADIM PISAREVICH (Belarus) said the United Nations provided one fifth of all global development assistance and that its quantitative contribution was growing. The qualitative contribution was concerning, however, because most growth was occurring in the area of non-core resources, while core resources contracted, hampering predictability and reliability of funding and impeding opportunities for United Nations agencies to implement mandates. A pressing issue remained the concept of creating a “critical mass” of funding. It was fitting that most development resources were directed towards least developed countries but it was also important to remember the specific needs of middle-income countries; they had their own specific development issues, and their stability and development would positively affect least developed countries. He supported establishment of an inter-agency plan of action on cooperation with middle-income countries, and praised cooperation with the United Nations on a framework for assistance to Belarus for 2016-2020.
AMIT NARANG (India), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said the operational activities of the United Nations system must “respond and adapt to local conditions in developing countries, feed into their national development plans and avoid conditionalities”. Concerning South-South cooperation, he mentioned two parallel trends. First, there was an expectation that it would fill the place vacated by North-South aid, and eventually replace it. Second, there was an attempt to harmonize the emerging patterns of South-South developmental cooperation with traditional frameworks of North-South aid. However, as the core ideals behind the two were fundamentally different, both the above trends were misplaced. Even more misplaced was the attempt to monetize South-South flows, and bind larger developing countries into some form of “aid” commitments. “South-South cooperation can only be seen as a useful supplement to North-South cooperation, not at all as its replacement”, he said.
HEND AHMAD AL-FADALAH (Qatar), associating herself with the Group of 77 and China, said that cooperation between Southern countries was essential, and formed the basis of triangular cooperation. South-South cooperation must be consolidated to achieve sustainable development, and solidarity across Southern countries must be enhanced through cooperation and shared projects, tackling challenges in the fields of their common interest. Her country had hosted the development conference of the Arab States to boost the capacity of bodies responsible for taking decisions in development, and to encourage them to exchange good practices across the countries of the South. Qatar was committed to consolidating South-South cooperation through the group of Southern partners, in coordination with the United Nations.
MELISSA ANN MARIE BOISSIERE (Trinidad and Tobago), associating herself with the Group of 77 and China, CELAC and CARICOM, shared concerns expressed over core resources. She stated that reforms on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review were welcome, and initial steps had improved the “effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and relevance” of operational activities for development. Improved engagement and synergy between the national development agenda and United Nations system deliverables was always pursued, and national development priorities were integrated with the sustainable development goals and targets. Working with the resident coordinator, United Nations operations were under review with efforts to establish common premises for the United Nations agencies, in order to boost efficiency and harmonize business operations. The country programme system needed more resources, with assistance on the basis of national leadership. The structural challenges in middle-income countries and the particular vulnerabilities of small island developing States should be better accounted for in the United Nations development system.
OLIVIER MARC ZEHNDER (Switzerland) said it was evident that the United Nations development system needed to become more “fit for purpose”, in response to the emerging post-2015 agenda. Member States must continue to provide guidance in that regard in relevant forums, including the quadrennial review. Welcoming steps that had been undertaken to implement the 2013 Review, he pointed, however, to many mandates that had not yet been addressed, including those on harmonizing business practices and system-wide evaluation. He expected that the next report of the Secretary-General would include progress in that regard, as well as showcase efficiency gains from the “Delivering as One” approach.
NOBORU SEKIGUCHI (Japan) said that significant progress had been made over the past two years in response to the quadrennial comprehensive policy review. Furthermore, there had been an improvement in the simplification and harmonization of business practices among the United Nations entities. While his country appreciated the importance of core resources, the debate on the balance between core and non-core resources should not lead to a decrease in the total amount of funds. On South-South and triangular cooperation, Japan had always been their supporter. For example, in several Latin American countries, the idea of direct community policing, which had originated in Japan, had been achieving impressive results. South-South and triangular cooperation benefited developing countries not only through the transfer of technology and knowledge, but also by supporting their accumulation of experiences in implementing and developing their capacities as development partners.
FRANCIS LORENZO (Dominican Republic), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and CELAC, said South-South cooperation was “an important driver for the recovery of the world economy”. It contributed, at the national level, to productivity and expanded markets for domestically produced products. There was a “direct correlation” between increased South-South cooperation received and undertaken in his country and the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI). The report estimated the value of South-South cooperation in 2011 to be between $16.1 and $19 billion but the figure could be much higher as support took different forms, not all of which were recorded. Infrastructure projects received the bulk of funding, with the remainder channelled towards vulnerable groups. United Nations support for South-South cooperation should be strengthened and country-led systems should be as well, to allow better monitoring.
ANTÓNIO GUMENDE (Mozambique), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, the African Group, and the Group of Least Developed Countries, noted with satisfaction that in 2012 the funding of operational activities for development accounted for $23.9 billion. That figure represented 60 per cent of all United Nations system-wide activities. The system played a positive role in his country’s development efforts through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework. The effects of the Framework and the “Delivering as One” initiative on the United Nations enhanced delivery were “unquestionable”. National leadership and ownership of the development processes at the country level had been strengthened, social services had improved, and the country was on track for most Millennium Development Goals. “Stimulating joint programmes and cooperation activities among UN entities have been relevant to tackle interrelated and complex development challenges that require multisectorial responses and holistic solutions rather than fragmented interventions,” he said.
RATHANAND VICHAIDIT (Thailand), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and the ASEAN, said operational activities for development must be universal, neutral, and independent. He supported the call for “internal reflection”, as well as greater global partnership so as to better mobilize the financial resources developing countries needed to meet their sustainable development objectives. Further, United Nations entities and States should address the growing imbalance between core and non-core resources. Noting that Thailand had always supported South-South and triangular cooperation, he urged the United Nations office for such work to take the lead in coordinating inter-agency efforts and to better use resources. For its part, Thailand would intensify South-South and triangular cooperation. His country continued to extend technical cooperation at the bilateral, subregional, regional, trilateral, and multilateral levels.
PHWE MON KYAW (Myanmar) said available financial resources were essential to carry out operational activities for development, and that her country was concerned about the stagnation of overall ODA for development funding since 2009. In addition, the core contribution for operational activities for development had declined from 48 per cent in 1997 to 28 per cent in 2012. Myanmar urged donors to prioritize core funding, which was important for the review’s efficient implementation. She commended United Nations agencies that had aligned their new strategic plans with the review. Those agencies played a critical role in mobilizing funding from the donor community to support key national strategic priority areas. Myanmar was pleased that the Myanmar Regular Country Programme resumed in 2012, after two decades of suspension. A team comprised of executive boards from six agencies had visited Myanmar in 2013. Following the visit, the United Nations country team had emphasized the need to reposition Myanmar in the United Nations system to align it with the Government’s priorities.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS GRANT (Canada), also speaking on behalf of Australia, said the quadrennial comprehensive policy review was a relevant step in the United Nations reform, and they were committed to its implementation. The next phase should enable the United Nations development system to deliver on the post-2015 agenda. On funding of operational activities, he said the flexibility of the non-core funds should harness the potential of new sources of financing, and more reflection was needed on how to best mobilize contributions from States with emerging economies. There needed to be more coordinated United Nations support for countries in crisis, post-crisis, and transitioning situations, and for gender equality to remain high on the development agenda. Progress had been made on a number of functional reforms of the United Nations development system. However, certain areas lagged behind, including the simplification and harmonization of business practices.
TIMBE BAKA ZOLAY (Democratic Republic of the Congo), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and the African Group, said that South-South cooperation played an increasingly important role, with the growth of trade and rapid development of his country’s regions attesting to its effectiveness. The production capabilities of developing countries should be strengthened through assistance in developing infrastructure, agriculture, education, and other priority areas. Due to repeated armed conflicts, his country was encountering greater challenges than its Southern counterparts in the creation of development projects and programmes in the framework of South-South cooperation. However, it was making major efforts to support such cooperation, and continued to strengthen partnerships with States and within private circles of those countries. He urged the international community to classify his country among those that benefited from priority programmes for development.
ALI HAJILARI (Iran), associating his country with the Group of 77 and China, said that decisions on the follow-up of future agreements needed to be incorporated in the new review policy as the post-2015 development agenda was advanced. His country regretted that, for the first time since the 1996-1997 period, ODA had declined in two consecutive years: 2011 and 2012. That drop in overall development aid had a negative impact on contributions to United Nations operational activities for development. Iran reiterated that addressing the imbalance between core and non-core resources was a necessary requirement. It believed that core, or unrestricted, aid was generally the most efficient way to build partnerships with programme countries when delivering operational activities for development. Those core resources provided the highest quality and flexible use of pooled funding.
WANG MIN (China), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that, although some progress had been made in the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review resolution, it had “yet to be implemented in a comprehensive manner”. In that context, he emphasized several points. First, poverty reduction and the promotion of development should be placed at the centre of the operational activities. Second, the total amount of resources should be increased and its structure improved constantly, and the priority of development financing should continue to focus on honouring ODA commitments. Finally, more support should be provided for South-South cooperation, the agenda of which “should only be led by developing countries”. KHANIM IBRAHIMOVA (Azerbaijan) said that her country was a supporter of South-South cooperation, and was pleased to see that the integrated means of implementation would be part of the post-2015 development agenda. It had been several years since Azerbaijan had embarked on a new road of ODA, and, up until now, more than 30 countries had benefited from its international aid. In addition to its bilateral aid, it also contributed in a multilateral setting. The international community was keen on committing to the full implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action. In that context, she shared her country’s achievements in the transport sector, including building new railway connections and the construction of a new trade seaport.
DILYARA S. RAVILOVA-BOROVIK (Russian Federation) said priority should be given to increasing the overall quality of quantitative reporting, and noted that agencies, funds, and programmes would report on implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review. In 2016, the mid-term review of integrated budgets would take place. Her country looked to increase cooperation to provide for the socioeconomic development of countries in need, focusing on areas including health, poverty, agricultural development and disaster risk reduction, as well as encouraging trade and investment. Operational activities for development should be brought into line with the real needs of countries rather than with the internal priorities of agencies. In that regard, her Government supported synchronizing the planning cycles of agencies with those of countries. South-South and triangular cooperation should be integrated into the activities of the United Nations system.
ALAIN WILFRIED BIYA (Cameroon), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, and the African Group, said the new development agenda had to be transformative, focusing on countries of the South, particularly those in Africa. Its principles should be integrated into the strategic plans of programmes, funds and agencies as soon as the new agenda was adopted. His continent needed a United Nations system that could respond to its many challenges, with stable, predictable resources necessary. Doing that was the cornerstone of United Nations operational activities for development and the imbalance between core and non-core funding needed urgent reversal. A more balanced budget would lead to the more harmonious projection of United Nations activities on the ground.