united nations reform iii operational activities for development new york, 19 november 2010 unitar...
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United Nations Reform III
Operational activities for development
New York, 19 November 2010
UNITAR Training Course
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
UN Operational activities for development
A.Overview
B.Historical milestones
C.Governance system
Presentation outline
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
UN system-wide activities(Based on average contributions 2006-2008)
A. Overview
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
HumanitarianAssistance 21% Development-
related activities43%
Peacekeeping 22%
Global policy, advocacy, norms
and standards 14%
Major operational entities (share of total contributions; 2008; $22.2 billion)
A. Overview
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Others 10% •
UNESCO 2% •
ILO 2% •
UNRWA 3% • UNFPA 3% •
FAO 4% •
WHO 7% •
UNHCR 7% •
UNICEF 15% •
UNDP 23% •
• WFP 24%•
Destination of expenditures(2008; $18.6 billion)
A. Overview
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Not attributed
8%
Global 9%
Europe 3%
Western Asia 11%
Americas 12%Asia/ Pacific
20%
Africa38%
Development-related expenditures by sector
(2008; $11.8 billion)
A. Overview
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Others 9%
Industry 2%
Human Settlements 3%
Environment 5%
Population 6%
Education 6%
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 7%
Social Development
11%
General Development
Issues 19%
Health 28%
1945 When UN was established it was not
envisaged that organization would become a major player in delivery of operational activities for development
Many of the “coherence” challenges which have arisen in UN in recent decades can therefore be traced back to original design of organization
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1945 (cont.)
Functional approach, rather than a federalist one was adopted to design of UN system
UN system organized around independent specialized agencies, whose relationship with ECOSOC was established by set of formal agreements, with new organizations created as needs arose
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1946UNICEF established by GA to provide food, clothing and health care for children
1960sMany new entities established including WFP (1961), UNCTAD (1964) and UNIDO (1967)
Major growth in operational activities of UN system
1965UNDP is established to coordinate funding for technical assistance provided by other UN entities
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1970sContinued expansion in UN operational activities for development
Post of Director-General for Development and International Cooperation established in 1977 to address growing coordination deficit in UN development system. This function was abolished in 1992
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1980sUN system faces funding crisis as some donors withhold contributions at height of Cold War
Funding for operational activities for development becomes increasingly earmarked
System of execution by UN agencies comes under pressure as programme countries opt for national execution of UN technical assistance
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1990sCentralized approach to funding through UNDP is gradually abandoned in early 1990s
1995UNDP transforms itself from a central fund to being primarily a substantive organization
Specialized agencies start mobilizing resources directly from donors, which contributes to rapid growth in non-core funding and fragmentation of UN system
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1995-2000Step change towards Member States promoting enhanced programmatic coordination and coherence within UN system
1997 Major reorganization of UN system aimed at strengthening programmatic cooperation and common approaches among UN entities
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
1997 (cont.)
Creation of UNDG, chaired by UNDP Administrator
Merging of three departments into DESA
Establishment of common UN houses
Introduction of UNDAF and Common Country Assessment
Creation of post of Deputy Secretary-General
Establishment of Joint Meeting of Boards of funds and programmes
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
2000s
Efforts to strengthen UN development system generally consistent with thrust of 1997 reform with focus on improving field-level coordination and inter-agency cooperation and better measurement of field-level results
2010Adoption of GA resolution 64/289 on system-wide coherence
B. Historical milestones
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance General Assembly
a)Provides overarching normative frameworks for UN development activities, e.g. MDGs, Monterrey Consensus etc.
b)Establishes key system-wide policy orientations for UN operational activities for development through quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR)
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
Quadrennial comprehensive policy review
Main purpose of QCPR is to evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of UN operational activities for development based on extensive analytical preparations and consultations with stakeholders
On basis of QCPR process, GA establishes key system-wide policy orientations for development cooperation and country-level modalities of UN system for four-year period
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance ECOSOC
a) Coordinates implementation of global development agenda
High-level Segment Coordination Segment Subsidiary bodies (e.g. functional commissions) Annual Ministerial Review Development Cooperation Forum
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
ECOSOC (cont.)b) Coordinates and monitors implementation of policy
guidance established by GA in QCPR
c) Reviews and evaluates reports on work of funds and programmes
These functions mainly discharged through annual session of Operational Activities Segment of ECOSOC
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
Executive Boards of funds and programmes
Responsible, inter alia, for providing intergovernmental oversight of respective entities in accordance with policy guidance established by GA and ECOSOC and for ensuring that respective entities are responsive to needs and priorities of recipient countries
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
Executive Boards of funds and programmes (cont.)
EBs report to ECOSOC and are expected to bring to Council issues that require its attention
Executive heads of F/Ps appointed by SG following consultations with EBs and confirmed
by GA
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
Governing bodies of specialized agencies
SAs are separate, legally autonomous organizations with own policy-making and executive organs, secretariats and budgets
Executive heads of SAs elected by membership of respective entity
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Intergovernmental governance
Governing bodies of specialized agencies (cont.)
Relationship of SAs with UN defined in special agreement with ECOSOC and approved by GA
ECOSOC can coordinate activities of SAs through consultations with and recommendations to such agencies
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Executive direction and management
Global-level
Chief Executives Board for Coordination
High-level Committee on Programmes
High-level Committee on Management
UN Development Group
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Executive direction and management
Regional-level
UNDG Regional Teams
Regional Coordination Mechanisms
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Executive direction and management
National-level
UN Resident Coordinator System
UNDAFs
Common country programmes (One-UN pilots)
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA