Pivotal Year for Organization as It Races to Achieve Millennium Development Goals, Sets Course for New Agenda, Speakers Say in Economic and Social Council
System Chiefs Consider Operational Readiness to Craft Sharp Framework
While “sprinting towards the last mile” in achieving targets set out under the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations must also prepare for the “marathon” challenge of improving life for the most vulnerable in the post-2015 era, said the heads of the Organization’s Funds and Programmes in a dialogue with the Economic and Social Council today.
This was a “hinge year”, they said, which brought together the remaining priorities of the last development agenda — adopted at the turn of the millennium — and the birth of a new one.
Indeed, 2015 presented unique opportunities to find synergies across different development contexts, said Helen Clark, Chair of the United Nations Development Group and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The new sustainable development agenda would require “an ever more joined-up United Nations development system”, she said, urging “a truly system-wide approach” at all levels. Besides poverty eradication, she said, there must now be a shift towards a significant reduction of inequality and exclusion, as well as respect for the environment.
Ms. Clark joined other heads of United Nations Funds and Programmes to discuss whether the Organization’s operational activities for development were “fit for purpose” in the post-2015 era. Among other things, they discussed the policy guidance set out in the 2012-2016 Quadrennial Comprehensive Period Review — the mechanism through which the General Assembly assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of its development activities — which had called for a “scaling up” and “harmonizing” of those activities.
“We have a historic opportunity to look at the progress and results we have made, but also what still needs to be done,” said Amir Mahmoud Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). While the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 per day had dropped under the Millennium Development Goals, progress had not been inclusive. “We need a development assistance framework that is sharply focussed on the poorest, most marginalized and most vulnerable members of society,” he said.
Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), agreed, citing a clear call from Member States for the United Nations to deliver for the most vulnerable. For millions of children, mothers, and communities, life had not yet improved. Like other speakers, he stressed that development and humanitarian response were mutually reinforcing and must be treated as such in the post-2015 development agenda.
Also featured in the morning dialogue were Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).
This afternoon, the Council held a second panel discussion on the theme of mainstreaming South-South cooperation, and it held a general debate on the topic, “Operational activities for international development cooperation”.
Panel on Dialogue with Executive Heads of Funds and Programmes
The round table this morning, which was chaired by Vice-President María Emma Mejía Vélez, featured Helen Clark, Chair of the United Nations Development Group and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women); and Amir Mahmoud Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). The lead discussant was Fernando Carrera Castro (Guatemala), Chair, Executive Board, UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS.
Ms. CLARK said that the United Nations had rallied in support of countries in their implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Deeming it important to build on that progress, she said 2015 was a “once-in-a-generation year” to find synergies across different contexts, with such crucial upcoming conferences as the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa and the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris.
The new sustainable development agenda would require “an ever more joined-up United Nations development system”, she said, urging “a truly system-wide approach is called for at all levels”. The Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of the United Nations development system went a long way towards making the Organization fit for purpose. However, the focus must shift from just poverty eradication towards a significant reduction of inequality and exclusion, as well as respect for the environment. South-South and triangular cooperation were another top priority, she said, noting a trend towards ear-marked funding across the multilateral development system.
Taking the floor next, Mr. LAKE said that while processes were important, it was results that mattered. United Nations coherence in development was essential, he said, adding that the quadrennial review was already helping to provide the tools for that purpose. Without actions and results, enshrined rights amounted to little more than words on paper; for millions of children, mothers, and communities, life had not yet improved. Thus, the post-2015 development agenda faced multiple and interrelated challenges, including, for example, climate change, which produced disease and resource scarcity. Conflict interrupted education. In that connection, Member States were urging the United Nations to deliver for the most vulnerable. In humanitarian emergencies, all actions must be taken with an eye towards their long-term impact, including in development. Indeed, humanitarian response and development should reinforce each other, he stressed.
Mr. OSOTIMEHIN, speaking via video link, agreed that 2015 was a critical year, in which the international community was “sprinting towards the last mile of the Millennium Development Goals”, all the while committing itself to the new sustainable development agenda. With a world population of 7.2 billion, that agenda needed to directly address population dynamics and build a stronger United Nations system that was an “exceptional” partner to Member States. The current policy review was a “useful starting point”.
Simplification and harmonization of business practices could bring efficiency and cost-savings to the Organization, he said, noting that joint procurement had already been explored for the past few years. Indeed, 2015 presented a unique opportunity for the United Nations to move forward in a more coherent and efficient way. In addition, the “data revolution” and the promise of “big data” had important implications for the global development system. UNFPA was repositioning itself to react more proactively to a changing development landscape.
Ms. PURI said that there was an internal dialogue within the United Nations system on how to keep the organization fit for purpose. However, it was also critical to look at a number of historic normative processes, including financing for development, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance and responses to climate change, among others. “This is a hinge year,” she said, adding that transforming those normative processes and helping Governments translate them into laws, measures, policies and programmes was a major task at hand. UN-Women, which was a “child” of UN reform, was very much about integration, she said.
The second generation of the “Delivering as One” programme presented a major opportunity, she went on, calling on Resident Coordinators to fully support integration. That process also required innovation, she said, adding that more risk-taking was necessary for better investment. In many countries, inequality had not been reduced, but had actually deepened. “The mother of all inequalities is gender inequality,” and insufficient investment in those issues remained a critical concern.
Mr. ABDULLA agreed that while the international community was indeed sprinting towards the Millennium Development Goals deadline, it must also be preparing for what would amount to a “marathon” — achievement of the sustainable development goals. “We have a historic opportunity to look at the progress and results we have made, but also what still needs to be done,” he said. Asking what it would truly take to leave no one behind, he said that progress had not been inclusive. The Organization needed a better understanding of the root causes of poverty and a development assistance framework that was sharply focused on the poorest, most marginalized and most vulnerable members of society.
The development gains made in times of stability could be wiped out in times of disaster or other shocks, he said, stressing that the emergence of the resilience agenda had shown that development was not linear. Investments and support should accelerate to minimize the damage caused by backwards swings. The international community had a moral obligation to address the longstanding divide between humanitarian and development issues, and building on each other’s strengths and competencies was the way forward for the United Nations system.
Following those presentations, Executive Board Chair Mr. CASTRO agreed that “we are facing a once-in a generation challenge”. Development was now aimed not simply at eradicating poverty but also at reducing inequalities and protecting the planet. It was clear that States must lead the way in development, he said. In a post-2015 world, per capita income should not be the only criteria for Official Development Assistance (ODA); inequality within countries, natural vulnerability to climate change and other factors should be considered. Member States needed to enhance, through the policy review, the mobilization of domestic resources. The Economic and Social Council could be the major platform for oversight for United Nations programmes and funds, he suggested, adding that the Resident Coordinator function should be revised to respond more closely to the Council and Secretary-General.
During the ensuing dialogue, many speakers agreed that the existing United Nations development system was a good starting point, but underscored the importance of cohesion and raised questions on specific issues. For example, the delegate of Japan asked how the United Nations development system could build a better working relationship with the Organization’s environmental entities, such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Some speakers focused their comments on the Resident Coordinator system, which the representative of Switzerland called the “backbone” of the United Nations development system. He was concerned that some Resident Coordinators had shown resistance to the “Delivering as One” programme. He asked Ms. Clark how she would ensure that the Coordinator’s voices were heard, and how she intended to address their concerns.
Other delegates, including the representative of Sweden, said that implementation of the policy review was broadly on track, but that harmonization — especially that of business practices — must accelerate. Like other speakers, he asked about differentiated funding and how it worked in practice. The representative of Brazil asked about ways to streamline United Nations procurement, as well as to promote development through procurement itself.
In response, Ms. CLARK said that the Resident Coordinator system was critical. The Secretary-General had been very supportive of Resident Coordinators, and “clear reporting lines” existed in that system. Concerning the environment, she said that funds and programmes were engaged in-country at the programme level. That work, however, could not be done without the technical expertise of UNEP and other United Nations environmental entities.
Ms. PURI said that it was not only about the United Nations’ fitness of purpose, but about how the Organization could also support Member States and other stakeholders to be fit for purpose to achieve the post-2015 development agenda’s goals. She cited a number of in-country examples of cohesion in action.
Mr. LAKE agreed with speakers that South-South and North-South cooperation were crucial. Mr. OSOTIMEHIM addressed the issue of ODA and the graduation of countries from least-developed status, stressing that strategies for that reclassification should be country-specific. Finally, Mr. ABDULLA said that “cohesion” was not just a New York event, but should exist through all regional and, most importantly, country offices.
Also speaking during the interactive dialogue were the representatives of Yemen, Colombia, Syria, Panama and Australia.
Panel on South-South Cooperation
In the afternoon, the Council held a panel discussion on “Opportunities and challenges to mainstream South-South cooperation by the United Nations development system in order to maximize its impact on national capacity development”.
Moderated by Yiping Zhou, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and the Secretary-General’s Envoy on South-South Cooperation, the panel featured presentations by: Koki Muli Grignon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations; Tubagus Achmad Choesni, Director for International Development Planning/BAPPENAS of Indonesia; and Jorge Chediek, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Brazil.
Welcoming panellists, Ms. VELEZ said there was much demand from programme countries for the United Nations to support South-South cooperation, a point made clear in the Secretary-General’s report, which noted that they were requesting access to other countries’ experiences. Among the challenges, United Nations entities relied on extra-budgetary resources in providing such support. Insufficient in-house capacity at the country level and lack of a Government focal point for such cooperation also hindered efficiency.
Mr. CHEDIEK said that in 2007, Brazil became the first country to incorporate South-South cooperation as an axis of its programmatic work. “It is central to our mandate and to the Government vis-à-vis its cooperation with the United Nations system,” he said, noting that his office had identified Government “projects of excellence” and subsequently implemented South-South cooperation initiatives. Between 2012 and 2014, 44 such projects were implemented by 14 United Nations entities. The providers and recipients had to have a uniform perspective on how the United Nations could foster collaboration. Providing examples, he said Brazil’s school feeding programme had been so successful it was transferred to Africa and Latin America, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). Another programme — “A World without Poverty” — was a partnership of UNDP, Brazil and the World Bank and aimed to share Brazil’s experience in reducing poverty.
Ms. GRIGNON, citing examples of the United Nations’ role, said the Organization helped Governments coordinate responses to climate change, sustainable development, poverty reduction and rights-based approaches to development. It used its convening power to help Governments leverage their resources, ensuring that beneficiaries’ interests were protected. It provided evidence-based policy advice, in line with international norms and standards. In turn, the development system should support the integration of those norms into national legislative and policy frameworks, and help States monitor implementation. The system also could help build information-sharing systems for evidence-based analysis, which was essential for South-South cooperation. Among the challenges to building institutional and technical capacities in developing countries was improving the quality of information that enabled better results. Countries that included South-South cooperation in national cooperation strategies had improved their ability to move quickly from projects to medium- and long-term programmes.
Mr. CHOESNI cited three pillars of development cooperation: traditional loans and grants; investment leverage to the private sector; and international cooperation, including South-South and triangular cooperation. Indonesia aimed to create a knowledge-sharing hub to impart its experience with other countries. In addition, lessons learned in one national district, for example, were shared with other districts, in order to improve planning quality and budget allocation. Those lessons could be shared with other countries. The national coordination team consisted of the Foreign and Finance Ministries, the Ministry of State Secretariat, which facilitated experts, and the National Development Planning Agency, which formulated the national coordination policy. In 2012, UNDP signed a partnership framework agreement with Indonesia, in which two of the four objectives aimed to strengthen that country’s involvement in international cooperation. To improve collaboration, the breadth of United Nations agencies could be better exploited. Programmes could be more integrated and involve more stakeholders, including the private sector and subnational government.
In the ensuing dialogue, delegates agreed that South-South cooperation did not need to happen at the expense of triangular or other types of collaboration. Many expressed an interest in knowledge-sharing among developing countries. It should have a regional component, Brazil’s delegate said, as some countries shared the same challenges or even the same natural ecosystems, such as water.
Others, including Colombia’s speaker, cited the need for more coordinated support from the United Nations that better incorporated South-South cooperation throughout the development system. The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation should be strengthened by adequate financial and human resources.
The representative of the United Kingdom said issues that emerged in South-South cooperation also emerged in North-South cooperation: national ownership, budget, and the best use of multi-stakeholder partnerships among them. He asked about examining the various types of development cooperation and working towards a set of principles that could guide efforts without infringing on the unique characteristics of each kind of cooperation.
Ms. GRIGNON, in response, said countries were learning best practices from others at different levels of development. Some principles had emerged in that dialogue that had enabled more efficient learning. “It is a work in progress,” she said.
Mr. CHOESNI said he had been involved in discussions of the Core Group of Southern Partners, during which some principles had emerged, especially around the issue of national ownership. South-South cooperation was a complement to North-South cooperation. It would be a good vehicle to chart the path towards the sustainable development goals.
Also speaking in the debate were the representatives of Japan and Mexico.
General Debate
The Council then held a general debate on “Operational activities for international development cooperation”, with delegates underscoring the importance of transparency, efficiency and “rational” expansion of the donor base in fostering effective collaboration.
Several said it was essential to address funding challenges amid an overall drop in ODA and an imbalance between core resources and extra-budgetary or non-core funding used for operational activities, with many arguing that “unrestricted” core resources were the bedrock of such work. Nevertheless, some said, core resources should not subsidize non-core or extra-budgetary activities. They suggested that full cost-recovery from both sources be the “guiding principle” for financing all non-programme costs.
In that context, the representative of the Russian Federation supported measures to facilitate interaction with new and emerging donors, a point echoed by the Republic of Korea’s representative, who supported unlocking investments from the private sector and civil society, as well as increasing coherence for results-based management of operational activities.
Others supported a “significantly” strengthened role for the United Nations in helping countries build national capacity, with South Africa’s representative, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, advocating access to the full range of services available in the development system, including regional commissions. The multidimensional nature of poverty should be reflected in the post-2015 agenda. All United Nations development entities should consider that agenda in the context of mid-term reviews and elaboration of strategic plans.
Along similar lines, China’s delegate, aligning with the Group of 77 developing countries, said the development system should improve the effectiveness of its targeted programmes. Adequate resources and a “rational” resource structure were crucial. The overall decline in aid and fragmentation among core and non-core resources had impeded the system’s mandate, causing concern among developing countries. Agencies should increase their core resource base and improve the quality of non-core resources, while developed countries should honour their ODA and other commitments.
Offering a broad perspective, India’s delegate, also associating with the Group of 77 and China, said poverty eradication was the overriding priority for developing countries, a point made clear in the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review resolution. The true meaning of operational activities lay in ensuring that mechanisms were in place to achieve that priority, including through capacity-building, job creation, education, vocational training, rural development and resource mobilization.
Also speaking in the debate were the representatives of Mexico, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia and Norway.