Economic and Social Council: 18th plenary meeting - 2026 Operational Activities for Development Segment

The 18th meeting of the Economic and Social Council is called to order.
I invite the Council to continue its consideration of sub Item A, follow up to policy recommendations of the General Assembly and the Council of Agenda Item seven, which is entitled Operational Activities of the United Nations for International Development Cooperation.
The Council will consider the report of the chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group on the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system as contained in document E, Stroke 2026 Stroke 67.
Before I give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General to introduce the report, I would like to invite delegations who wish to participate in the ensuing interactive discussion to press the microphone button on the console.
I now invite the Deputy Secretary-General and the Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, to make a presentation.
You have the floor.
Your Excecy Vice President Ecosc Excellencies.
We all meet at a moment of extraordinary pressure and rising expectations for sustainable development and our UN system.
Countries are currently grappling with escalating crisis, rising debt burdens, and widening inequalities across regions, even as the urgency to deliver on the 2030 agenda intensifies.
Just as demands are escalating, sharp declines in official development assistance are forcing difficult decisions on UN operational presence and capacity across the globe.
In many countries, entities are scaling back their presence, which makes access to the UN specialized capacities all the more important.
It is precisely in such a moment that coordinated support matters most.
It is what ensures member states continue to have access to the UN's expertise, whether or not the entity sits in the country.
Eight years ago, member states tasked the resident coordinators with leading this effort and the Secretary-General reiterated the progress in this regard earlier today.
The evidence in the reports leaves little room for doubt dedicated, independent, and impartial development coordination delivers.
Under the leadership of Resn coordinators, the UN development system scaled up its supports to meet ever higher expectations and grew more effective at it.
93% of our host governments reaffirmed that rest coordinators provided strengthened leadership, an increase of nearly 30 percentage points since the reforms in 2019.
Recognition of resident coordinators as the entry point to the entire UN system rose from 62% to 90% over the same period.
We have continued to empower resident coordinators to strengthen their leadership and we've increased the representation of rest and coordinators from program countries now 59% and 55% of resident coordinators are women.
These results are down to your leadership, the guidance that you've given to the system through successive resolutions since 2019, and your robust engagement with the system at every level.
Let me turn to the road ahead.
Through UN 80, there is a clear imperative to keep strengthening the resident coordinator system.
The Secretary-General and I heard resounding support for this last week at the meeting that was hosted by the president of the General Assembly.
The success of many of the UN 80 packages will rest with the resident coordinators and their teams putting these changes into practice in country, from shaping UN country teams in close coordination with national governments to bringing in non resident capacities through the expertise on demand mechanisms.
Rest and coordinators will have a vital role in delivering on the ambition of UN 80 and helping the system deliver these changes in over 160 countries.
They stand ready to work with the system to leverage the opportunities presented to better connect to the regional architecture through the regional reset, harness the work of the data commons, and bring in the thematic knowledge and analysis through the joint knowledge hubs.
Excellencies, we must also be attuned to the challenges before us and the imperative to address them.
Let me start by highlighting four ways the RC system has supported more effective system wide responses to needs in countries.
First, the resident coordinators drew on the systems policy expertise to drive shifts to advance national development priorities and the SDGs.
Resident coordinators work with UN country teams across diverse country contexts, from our LDCs to the LLDC mix to CTS and more.
Across all developing countries, UN country teams under the leadership of resident coordinators, continue to support the SDG acceleration through integrated policy advice.
Second, restern coordinators brokered partnerships to scale up development support and to unlock catalytic financing.
They worked with country teams and partners to open the door to public and private investment and continue to bring together diverse sets of stakeholders to advance national SDG efforts.
They unlocked resources of the joint SDG fund and other pool funding to deliver more coherent programming.
This past year, the fund supported the expansion of social assistance to more than 1 million people in Uzbekistan, delivering over 1 million health treatments for adolescent girls in Kenya and launched Jordan's first national food security information system.
And third, residen coordinators bridge development to humanitarian and peace building action in countries that have been beset by compounding crises, risking their development trajectory.
Across the world, we have 28 resident coordinators who also serve as humanitarian coordinators or deputy Special representatives of the Secretary-General in mission settings.
When disaster struck, Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, wildfires in Chile, resident coordinators led the first response while humanitarian assistance was being scaled up.
In Cameroon, the retern coordinators convening role produced a single support framework coordinating humanitarian development and stabilization efforts.
Where missions closed in Iraq, Mali, and Sudan, Resn coordinators have taken the lead guiding UN country teams with fewer resources at a critical juncture of transition.
The RCs are reinforced by DCO search capacity, which has been critical.
Based in the regions, this search capacity allows DCO give rapid support to countries when the context changes, bringing in the skills that are needed at a time of urgency.
Fourth, rest and coordinators help the UN development system deliver efficiencies and greater transparency for member states.
In 2025, the share of UN buildings operating as common premises in countries rose by 33%, accommodating 57% of UN personnel.
Part of these efforts contributed to the $981 million in efficiency gains in 2025, more than three times the target that was set at the outset of the reform and the highest total that has ever been reported.
While this figure is striking and has seen triple checked, our journey does not end here.
Resin coordinators will be at the forefront of efforts to keep bringing UN entities together in countries behind the system wide efficiency initiatives.
Last but not least, transparency on the work of the RC system and UN country teams has been unprecedented.
Digital platforms and annual reporting by UN country teams now provide a clear window in progress advancing cooperation frameworks in countries.
Importantly, all member states today have visibility and can guide the work of the RC system with unparalleled oversight through EcoSOc and the General Assembly.
Excellency, Western coordinator system has undoubtedly delivered on the guidance that you have given for their leadership in country.
However, the demands placed on it, the evolving global context, and the stark diagnosis of what is needed to deliver on the 2030 agenda has necessitated a review of the system.
The recalibration is meant to strengthen the capacity and the effectiveness of the system and to sharpen its ability to respond to the mandates you, the member states have set.
Your feedback and insights on shaping its design, and we will keep engaging with you as it advances.
We envision change across three reinforcing levels.
At the country level, RCO profiles of core functions will be tailored to specific country needs and the share of national staff raised.
The aim is to bring in the right capacities for the specific country context, reflecting on the specific needs of LDCs, LLDCs and STS, and the complex settings.
More specific capacities were brought in to match, for example, a specialist in the World Bank collaboration or convening for SDG financing.
At the regional level, DCO teams will be reconfigured to deliver faster and more targeted support to resident coordinator offices, support to sub regional entities and priorities and enable better policy coherence, particularly for SDG financing.
Headquarters, DCO will streamline its leadership structure, consolidate data and digital capacities, step up support for efficiency efforts across the UN development system, and strengthen accountability to member states.
Across all three levels, the focus will be on embracing innovation, stepping up efforts to make better use of data, digital solutions, and foresight to inform decision making.
This is about delivering an RC system that can support countries as they respond to not only today's challenges, but future ones.
Excellencies, a word now on what is making this much harder.
The system has never been fully resourced to the $281 million a year and has had to keep implementing cost mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the shortfalls.
The system remains largely dependent on voluntary contributions, which in 2025 fell to their lowest level since the system was established.
The 1% levy on earmark resources has structural flaws, low compliance rates, high administrative costs, and an over reliance on aid flows.
The variability of these two streams continues to hamper the ability of the system to plan and deploy resources.
Only 64% of RC offices were fully staffed in 2025.
Despite funding cuts, UNSDG entities have paid their shares of the cost sharing arrangement.
The $53 million from the regular budget granted in 2024 and renewed in 2025 provides an essential backstop for the system.
But it did not close the funding gap.
In 2025, the system faced a shortfall of $46 million.
Funding reached just 236 million against a requirement of 281.
The comprehensive review of the funding model, which the General Assembly takes up in the fall at its 81st session is the moment to act and to strengthen the RSC system.
Initial analysis was already presented to you in the Secretary-General QCPR report and will be detailed further in his forthcoming report to the General Assembly.
The RSC system is the most cost effective investment we have for delivering sustainable development at scale at roughly 1.3% of the total UN operational expenditure, a really modest cost for system wide coherence, impact, and results at the ground.
Excellencies, we have entered the final stretch of the 2030 agenda, and we simply cannot afford to lose the ground that we have gained.
The UN 80 initiative offers fresh momentum to consolidate the system support to countries and turn the page on the unfinished business of the 2018 reforms.
The question before us is no longer whether coordination works.
The question is whether we will equip our coordination and its system to deliver with the scale and the urgency and ambition that you need and have continued to tell us you require.
For that, I hope that the discussions that we have this afternoon will take that discussion a little further and result in the support that we will need to deliver on the ambition that you've laid out.
Thank you.
I'd like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General.
The Council will now hold an interactive discussion with the Deputy Secretary-General.
Before I open the floor, I would like to remind delegations to observe the time limit of 5 minutes for groups with a grace period, of course, and 3 minutes for national statement as well.
I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay speaking on behalf of the G 77 in China.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Distinguished Excellency delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
I'm going to read a shorter version of the statement.
The longer one will be made available for the whole membership.
The group thanks the Deputy General in her capacity as chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group for the presentation of the report on the Development Coordination Office and the Resn Coordinator system.
The group reaffirms its strong commitment to a strengthened, accountable, transparent, effective, and development oriented United Nations development system that supports developing countries in the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and nationally determined development priorities.
We reiterate that the repositioning of the United Nations development system, including The RRC system must remain firmly guided by the mandates provided by member states, particularly General Assembly Resolution 72 slash 279 75 slash 233, and 79 slash 2026, as well as other relevant QCPR resolutions.
The group recognizes the important coordinating role played by the RCs in the supporting program countries through enhanced coherence, integrated policy support, coordination of UN country teams, and assistance in addressing complex and multidimensional development challenges.
In this regard, we take note of efforts to strengthen support to program countries through integrated cooperation frameworks, joint programming, pool funding mechanisms, enhance coordination capacities, and greater emphasis on data, digital transformation, and policy support.
This efforts should contribute to strengthening national capacities and advancing nationally identified development priorities.
The group also notes the role of RCs in supporting countries facing crisis and multidimensional vulnerabilities.
However, responses to crisis must not come at the expense of immediate and long term development investments as sustainable development remains essential to addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities.
At the same time, RCs must remain impartial, objective, transparent, and accountable to member states.
The primary purpose of the RC system is to support sustainable development in program countries while avoiding mandate overlap, duplication, and unnecessary reporting burdens.
The group takes note of the information contained in the report regarding the functioning and financing of the DCO and the RC system.
We reiterate our longstanding concern regarding persistent funding challenges and stress the importance of ensuring predictable, transparent, and sustainable financing through the funding model established by the General Assembly, including the coordination levy, cost sharing arrangement, and voluntary contributions to the dedicated trust fund.
Any financing arrangement should not be at the expense of developing countries.
We note ongoing efforts to improve efficiencies across the UN development system through common business operations, shared services, and common premises.
While these measures may contribute to greater coherence and efficiency, they should remain flexible, country specific and driven by operational effectiveness without creating additional burdens for program countries or diminishing the mandates and capacities of individual entities.
The group stresses that reform of the UN development system should contribute to more effective support for developing countries by reducing fragmentation, minimizing transaction costs, and strengthening system wide coherence at the country level.
Resources allocated to coordination must not come at the expense of resources dedicated to operational activities for development, which must remain sufficient, stable, and responsive to national needs and priorities.
We further underlined the importance of enhancing the quality, effectiveness, and accountability of resident coordinators, including through improved geographical representation and gender balance, particularly from developing countries, while ensuring adequate expertise and understanding of national and regional development context.
We also emphasize the need for greater transparency in the RC performance assessment framework and clearer delineation of responsibilities among RCs, UN country teams and the DCO The group recalls the importance of the funding compact and as an instrument to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of the UN development system.
We stress the need for both member states and the UN system to fulfill their respective commitments, including through the provision of adequate, predictable and flexible funding for operational activities for development with poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions remaining the overarching objective of the UN development system.
The group remains concerned about the widening financing gaps faced by developing countries amid multiple and interconnected global Thank you very much.
Togai speaking on behalf of the G 77 and China.
The next speaker is the European Union.
Thank you, Vice President, Deputy Secretary-General Excellencies, have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states.
Thank you for the presentation of the UN SDG Chairs report.
Eight years into the UN development system reform, the report clearly demonstrates that significant work remains to achieve our shared objectives.
The EU and its member states welcome this opportunity to advance these critical reforms, particularly regarding the resident coordinator system, which stands as a cornerstone of the broader UN AT reform process.
Our priorities for the next phase focus on three key areas.
First, we must fully empower resident coordinators to transition from coordination to genuine system leadership.
While progress has been made since 2019 in recognizing RC leadership, persistent fragmentation continues to undermine our collective impact.
RCs must become the main authoritative entry point for governments and donors delivering a unified UN offer through the Sustainable Development Cooperation framework fully aligned with national priorities.
The EU reiterates its commitment to engaging RCs as the first entry point for all UN development activities and urges all partners to do the same.
This requires granting RCs real authority over UN expertise deployment, ensuring that country needs and ownership drive all decisions.
The unfinished business of shared premises, common back offices, and joint operations must be completed to create the efficient, cohesive system we all seek.
Empowered RCs as the gateway to the UN must also be equipped to uphold coherence across the UN's three pillars, human rights, peace and security, and development in coordination with relevant advisors.
Second, UN AD must deliver concrete operational improvements that transform how the UN functions at every level.
We welcome the report's identification of three critical actions and urge their immediate implementation.
Regional DCO teams must be strengthened to provide RCs with faster, more targeted support, particularly on SDG financing where needs are most acute.
Headquarters leadership must be streamlined with better data and digital tools to sharpen decision making.
Most importantly, we need clear accountability mechanisms that make results measurable and transparent to member states, including through EcoSoc and its operational activities segment.
We welcome this week's presence of RCs and dedicated sessions with our season agencies, but stress the need for greater interaction between the General Assembly, EcoSc and executive boards as reform success depends on political buy in across all governance channels.
Finally, sustainable financing remains critical for the RC system's effectiveness.
The current reliance on short term funding undermines stability and long term planning.
We must collectively pursue realistic, efficient financing solutions that provide RC offices with the predictable resources they need to fulfill their mandates.
The EU remains committed to advocating for quality funding and providing strategic guidance throughout the UN 80.
We also look forward to the Fifth committee's report on recalibrating the RC system towards a leaner, more efficient model rather than a one size fits all approach.
Madam.
The 2030 agenda is requiring significant changes.
The resident coordinators and sustainable development are absolutely crucial.
We need a UN system measured appropriately and financing that measures the impact.
The EU is prepared to examine the outcome of the UN 80 review as part of the EcoSx operational segment, and In order to give clear impetus to the Secretariat to make progress, from this standpoint, we would like to get more details on specific changes that the Secretariat is proposing for the recalibration of the resident coordinators and also the timescale for its adoption and implementation.
We'd like to take this opportunity to see that the reforms are come into being and the SEG promises come to fruition.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Palau.
Speaking on behalf of AOCs, followed by Malawi on behalf of the African Group.
Mr.
Vice President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, I have the honor to deliver these remarks on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, AOCIS.
AOS extends its gratitude to the Deputy Secretary-General as chair of the Sustainable Development Group and to the Development Coordination Office and resident coordinators across our regions for their continued efforts to support our members in navigating increasingly complex development realities.
For CITS, the UN development system is central to whether international support reaches our countries in ways that are responsive, coherent, and aligned with regional and national priorities.
As such, the report aptly recognizes that SITS continue to face a widening gap between ambition and implementation amid escalating climate impacts, debt burdens, constrained fiscal space, and declining development assistance.
Therefore, AOS welcomes the report's continued recognition that the resident coordinator system, including its recalibration, must include capacities and approaches tailored to contexts with specific attention to SITS.
For SITS, these tailored approaches must mean development coordination and support that fully reflect our structural vulnerabilities and unique circumstances.
As both the Caribbean and Pacific regions are currently considering their respective regional development cooperation frameworks, AOS reiterates that DCFs must remain country led and nationally owned, shaped by national priorities and not the reverse.
Equally important is ensuring that resident coordinators and resident coordinator offices operating in sits possess the expertise and capabilities needed to respond to our realities.
Tailoring capacities to country context must be reflected not only in structures, but in skills, experience, and deployment.
In this regard, we welcome the steps taken by the coordination office to improve the pool and cadre of resident coordinators with more expertise and skill sets relevant to the context within which they are expected to function.
This is particularly important as the report recognizes that resident coordinators are increasingly expected to convene financing solutions, broker partnerships, and strengthen policy coherence across development pillars.
For CTs, this role is indispensable.
AOS therefore appreciates efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Antigua and Barbda Agenda for CTS, including catalytic funding financing through the joint SDG fund in the areas of the blue economy and resilience building and supporting the first pilot exercise of the multidimensional vulnerability index in St.
Kitts and Neves.
While these are concrete examples of what effective coordination can achieve, more remains necessary.
In this regard, AOCs underscores that resident coordinator system serving CDs, including multi country offices, require predictable, adequate, and sustained financing.
Funding constraints cannot come at the expense of development coordination capacity, especially in multi country offices.
Mr.
Vice President, Deputy Secretary-General, as the UN development system adapts through recalibration and broader UNAD reforms, SITS must not be an afterthought.
Our countries requires a development coordination architecture that recognizes a multidimensional vulnerability, strengthens resilience, supports implementation of the ABS, and ensures that no SIDS is left behind due to scale, geography, and structural constraints.
As such, AOS will continue to engage constructively on the various reform proposals, and ongoing adjustments to the development system.
At the heart of these efforts must be accelerated implementation of the quadrann comprehensive policy review, strengthen country ownership and tailored support that responds to the unique circumstances and priorities of SDS.
In the end of CoreOSS effectiveness will ultimately be measured not by institutional reform alone, but by whether coordination translates into stronger resilience, greater access to finance, accelerated SDG progress, and long lasting sustainable development outcomes for our peoples.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Malawi, speaking on behalf of the African group.
They'll be followed by Belgium on behalf of Benelux.
Mr.
Vice President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General Excellency, Distinguished delegates, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group.
The African Group thanks the Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group for the report on the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system.
We also express our appreciation to resident coordinators, resident coordinator offices, and Development coordination office teams for their continued support to developing countries, particularly across Africa.
The African group welcomes the progress achieved since the adoption of the General Assembly Resolution 72 stroke 279.
Mr.
Vice President, today, resident coordinators are increasingly recognized by host governments as trusted partners, effective convenience and important entry points to the United Nations system.
The progress achieved since 2019 demonstrates the value of a stronger and more coherent coordination architecture at country level.
We welcome the efforts to strengthen the core functions of resident coordinator offices and to ensure that the system remains responsive to evolving national priorities.
Measures to better tailor capacities to country contexts, increase the share of national staff, strengthen regional support, and improve search mechanisms will help ensure that the system remains fit for purpose.
For Africa, the regional dimension is particularly important.
Stronger links between regional expertise and country level needs can help countries address shared challenges and advance regional priorities in a more integrated manner.
Mr.
Vice President, the Africa Group recognizes the growing responsibilities entrusted to resident coordinators.
Beyond their traditional coordination role, they are increasingly expected to mobilize expertise across the UN system and support integrated responses to complex development challenges.
This will become even more important as the various UN HO work streams move towards implementation at country level.
We also support continued efforts to improve efficiencies across the UN development system through common premises, shared services, and common business operations.
However, efficiencies should strengthen delivery and effectiveness, not to reduce support to program countries.
Coordination capacities at country level must be preserved and strengthened.
Mr.
Vice President, the African group remains concerned by the persistent and By the persistent funding shortfalls facing the resident coordinator system, the continued dependence on voluntary contributions and volatility of the current funding model continue to undermine the sustainability of the coordination architecture supporting the UN government system.
We therefore stress the importance of providing the resident coordinator system with sustainable, predictable, and adequate funding commensurate with the responsibilities entrusted to it by member states.
Preserving and strengthening core capacities within resident coordinator offices remains essential.
We also reiterate the importance of maintaining regular budget support at an appropriate level in order to safeguard the sustainability, independence, and effectiveness of this core coordination function.
To conclude, Mr.
Vice President, the African group believes that a strong resident coordinator system and a well resourced Development Coordination Office remains indispensable to enhancing the effectiveness and coherence of the UN development system in support of developing countries.
I thank you.
Thank you very much for the statement.
The next speaker is Belgium on behalf of Benelux, followed by South Africa and then Angola.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and my own country, Belgium align ourselves with the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to add the following.
Madam Deputy Secretary-General, we thank you for your briefing and welcome the 2026 report of the Development Coordination Office.
It underscores the indispensable role of the resident coordinator system in advancing the 2030 agenda and as a catalyst for dialogue on human rights, governance, and peace building.
The 2018 reforms have delivered tangible progress, yet implementation remains incomplete and insufficient to address deeper systemic challenges.
In this regard, we offer three reflections and related questions.
First, on strategic coherence.
Country level programming continues to be largely driven by individual agency programming and earmarked funding rather than shared outcomes.
Cooperation framework must serve as the primary, costed system wide strategy at the country level grounded in the common country analysis and systematically linked to humanitarian planning instruments with individual entity programs strategically derived from it.
This requires choices.
A cooperation framework that tries to reflect every programmatic element and satisfy every institutional priority risks becoming an unwieldy document that guides no one.
Genuine coherence demands focus and prioritization, as well as appropriate incentive structures.
Our question, what can be done to reinforce the cooperation framework as a normative and strategic anchor for all United Nations programming at country level without compromising intergovernmentally agreed UN principles, norms and standards, and the UN charter.
And how do we ensure appropriate intergovernmental oversight over this instrument consistent with the accountability expectations we hold for all UN programming.
Second, on leadership, accountability, and talent.
The resident coordinator must be formally recognized as the highest ranking United Nations representative at country level with structured input into country team membership and a system wide 360 degree performance approach.
Recruitment of NRC must prioritize strategic vision, coordination skills and diversity underpinned by standardized career pathways and stronger onboarding.
If RCs receive more responsibilities, it goes without saying that oversight of an RC's functioning also needs reinforcement with proper 360 degrees evaluations from the agency heads.
The normative sides, RCs need to receive enhanced means, backing and job security that allows them to promote and advocate for the fundamental values, standards, and principles of the UN Charter, including in difficult and fragile environments.
Our question, what concrete steps can be taken to build a more professional system for selecting, developing, shielding, and holding accountable the leaders of the United Nations requires at country level? Third, on fit for purpose presence, UN CT membership should reflect the priorities of the cooperation framework and the comparative advantage of each UN entity in that specific context.
The resident coordinator should play a structured role in recommending UN CT composition, ensuring configurations are fit for purpose.
Standard staffing blueprints should give way to configurations aligned with each cooperation framework.
Sufficiently staffed and bespoke resident coordination offices would allow for coherent support to host countries and modular country teams, combining in country presence, non resident entity contributions, and multi country office arrangements tailored to each context.
Our question, what concrete steps can be taken to ensure that presence regarding both country team and RC office is determined by strategic needs.
Mr.
President, to conclude, We see opportunity in strengthening the oversight role of the operational activities for development segment through closer alignment between its resolution and meeting agenda and greater coherence across governing bodies to reduce fragmentation.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is South Africa, followed by Angola and then India.
As itself with the statements delivered by Malawi and Uruguay respectively on behalf of the African group and the group of 77 plus China.
We thank Honorable DSG Mohamed for the insightful report on the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system.
We appreciate the important role of the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system within the UN development architecture.
The RC system remains highly valued by a number of whose governments for advancing national development priorities, including fostering coherence across humanitarian development and peace building efforts, as well as responding to the increasing demand for support.
Having said this, key challenges remain.
These include the status of resident coordinators related to that of other UN entities that represent the UN at country level.
Continued donor practices that bypass the RC system, fragmentation across UN entities, concerns regarding staffing composition in RC offices, and the need for predictable and sustainable funding.
Adré these issues is essential to strengthening the system's effectiveness to focus on sustainable development with poverty eradication as its overarching objective in line with the 2030 development agenda.
We encourage the Secretary-General to enhance equitable geographic representation among RCs and to strengthen medium term workforce and succession planning to support system renewal.
We also see merit in recalibrating the RC system, particularly, ensuring better integration with the broader UN presence at country level.
Increasing the proportion of national staff and aligning staffing policies with country specific contexts would help improve responsiveness and effectiveness.
In conclusion, Predictable, adequate, and sustainable funding is critical to ensuring a coherent, efficient, and accountable RC system aligned with national priorities.
We look forward to discussions on reviewing the current RC system funding model during the 81st session of the FIF committee.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Angola, followed by India.
General, Excellencies, Angola aligns itself with the statement delivered by Malawi on behalf of the African group, and Uruguay on behalf of G 77 plus China and wish to add the following remarks in its national capacity.
We thank the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed for the presentation of the report on the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system.
My delegation welcomes the progress achieved since the reform of the United Nations Development System, pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 72 slash 279.
The resident coordinator system has become an increasingly effective mechanism for promoting coherence and ensuring that United Nations support responds to national priorities and development needs.
In Angola, we are particularly valued the contribution of the resident coordinator O to the development and implementation of United Nation Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, 2024, 2028.
This framework guides the United Nations support to the implementation of Angola's National Development Plan 2023, 2027, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the African Union Agenda 2063.
We will also welcome the effort to strengthen strategic planning, economic analysis, financing for sustainable development, partnership, and integrated policy support.
This focus remains essential to accelerating progress towards sustainable development goals.
Mr.
Vice President, as expectation placed on the resident coordinator system continue to grow, it is important that the resources available to support its work evolves accordingly.
Angola therefore reiterate the needs for adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding commsurable with the mandates entrusted to the system by member states.
Maintaining and strengthening the core capacities of the resident coordinator offices is critical to ensuring effective coordination and support at the country level.
In this regard, discussion under the UN Aid initiative should enhance efficiency and delivery while preserving the development support available to program countries.
A strong, responsive, adequately resourced resident coordinator system remains indispensable to supporting developing countries in advancing sustainable development and accelerating progress toward the achievement of the SDGs.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker will be India, followed by Guyana, and then Guyana speaking on behalf of Carcon.
Mr.
Vice President, we thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her leadership and for the report of the Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
The report provides a useful overview of the progress made by the resident coordinator system over the past year.
Allow me to make four observations.
First, India continues to support a strong and effective development system with the resident coordinator system, serving as an important coordination mechanism.
We note the positive feedback reflected in the report.
We also recognize the contribution of resident coordinators in facilitating integrated policy support, partnerships, and coordination across the UN system in support of national priorities.
Second, as noted by Uruguay as chair of the G 77 and China, on recalibration of the resident coordinator system, it is important that all proposals remain firmly anchored in General Assembly mandates, particularly Resolution 72 slash 279 and subsequent QCPR resolutions.
Any proposal on regional and country level restructuring should demonstrably strengthen the UN development system's capacity to support member states on the development pillar, including poverty eradication, energy transition, use of technologies like artificial intelligence, et cetera As in the past, we call for risk assessments and ways to address such risks to enable member states in making informed decisions.
Third, we agree that national ownership must remain the central organizing principle of the UN development system.
The report rightly notes that resident coordinators derive their value from aligning UN support behind national priorities and development plans.
Cooperation frameworks must continue to be driven by host government priorities, national circumstances, and development strategies.
There can be no one size fits all approach.
Fourth, we note with interest the report's emphasis on strengthening capacities in areas such as data, digitalization, innovation, and financing for development.
These are increasingly important enablers of sustainable development.
Chair, we also take note of the continuing discussion on the funding model of the resident coordinator system.
Any consideration of financing arrangement should be accompanied by continued efforts to improve efficiency, transparency, accountability, and value for money.
As member states prepare for the forthcoming review of the RC system funding model, it will be important to have a comprehensive assessment of both the costs and the demonstrated development impact of the system.
In conclusion, India remains committed to a strong, effective and development oriented United Nations.
We appreciate the important role played by development coordinators in supporting national development efforts and look forward to constructive discussions on ensuring that the system remains responsive to the needs and priorities of member states.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is going to be Kayana on behalf of Carcon.
Deputy general.
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean community, Cicom.
We welcome the convening of this important session amidst a moment of profound uncertainties and challenges.
For Cicom, this is not an academic debate.
It is an existential reality.
Just a few examples.
Last year, Hurricane Melissa caused damages equivalent to 41% of Jamaica's GDP.
For Dominica, the damage from Hurricane Maria exceeded 200% of GDP.
Despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions, we are paying 14% interest rates on loans to rebuild while developed nations pay at average three to 4%.
Therefore, for Cecum, resilience is not only about recovering from crises, it is about building societies that are equitable, inclusive, and capable of withstanding future shocks.
The theme of this segment from innovation to impact is therefore a lifeline and not a slogan.
Caricom recognizes the important role of the resident coordinator system and UN country teams in supporting national priorities.
However, greater coherence, flexibility, and tailored support are still needed, particularly for small island developing states with limited institutional and technical capacity.
We need the UN development system to shift gears from addressing vulnerability to building resilience.
To achieve this, Caricm calls for urgent action in three specific areas of UN operational activities.
First, the current international financial architecture is structurally biased against our resilience.
Our prospects for achieving the SDGs would be considerably enhanced if the UN system support were fully integrated, including with the Bretton Woods institutions.
The UN development system must leverage its normative role to advocate for the multidimensional vulnerability index, the MVI, as the universal standard for accessing concessional finance.
Second, innovation must evolve from fragmented small scale pilots to coordinated regional transformation.
For this, we need a UN development system to facilitate technology transfer at scale.
Arm is an emerging leader in environmental governance with two member states currently presiding over the UN Environment Assembly, yet our transition to renewable energy and a circular economy is hampered by a lack of accessible technology.
The UN must act as the broker to bring the private sector and research institutions to the table, ensuring we are not just absorbing innovation, but co creating it with greater involvement of our youth.
Third, enhanced support for digital transformation, capacity building, and technology transfer is imperative to ensure that innovation contributes meaningfully to sustainable and inclusive growth.
In closing, Mr.
Vice President, Deputy Secretary-General colleagues, the United Nations development system must continue, evolving to meet the realities of our time.
But as we work together to ensure that the United Nations can continue to support the most vulnerable countries, we are equally committed to ensuring a high performing organization fit for purpose.
Hence, reform must avoid a one size fits all approach that fails to account for the unique vulnerabilities of small island developing states.
For Caricom, it is imperative that the recalibration of the UN country presence and the regional reset safeguards, local presence, secures predictable financing and prioritizes delivery effectiveness tailored to the specific developmental needs of our region.
Caricom remains committed to working constructively with all partners to advance sustainable development, climate justice, and a multilateral system that enables real improvement of the lives of our people.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
To Guyana, speaking on behalf of Caracon.
The next speaker will be Dibbouti, then Mozambique, and then Sweden.
Mr.
Vice Chair, Madame DSG, Dui aligned itself with a statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 in China, and by Malawi on behalf of the Afghan group and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity.
My delegation thanks, Madam DSG as chair of USDG for the presentation of the report on DCO and RC system.
Dioti attached great importance to the RC system as a central pillar of the reposition UN development system.
And empower resilient coordinator is essential to ensure coherent, integrated and demand driven support fully aligned with national development priorities.
We welcome the progress reflected in the report, including the strengthened leadership of resident coordinator, improved coordination of UN country team, and closer alignment of cooperation framework with national plans.
These achievement matters as developing country face climate change, food insecurity, displacement, depth vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space.
For Dibbouti, the value of the resident coordinator system lies in bringing the full United Nations development system together in support of nationally owned priorities.
This is specifically important for small developing countries where needs are multidimensional and support must be tailored, responsive, and effective.
The RC system can play a valuable role in supporting the implementation of Djibouti vision, the Microns.
Beyond coordination, the resident coordinator should serve as a strategic entry point for the government to assess expertise, technical capacities, and policy advice across resident and non resident UN entities, as well as relevant expertise beyond the UN system.
Through this convening role, the resident coordinator can mobilize diversify support align with Dibouti's long term development vision.
My delegation welcome the emphasis on recalibrating the system to better respond to country contexts, including through stronger capacities in strategic planning, SDG financing, economic analysis, data, partnership, and communication.
These capacities are essential to translate global commitment into concrete development results.
At the same time, recalibration must remain guided by member state consistent with GA Resolution 70 2279 and 70 9226 and encore in national ownership.
Any adjustment to the resident coordinate system and UN country team configuration must be inclusive, transparent, and based on host country priorities.
Reform and strengthen country level and support, not reduce it.
Mr.
Vice Chair, predictable, adequate, and sustainable financing remain essential.
Coordination cannot be effective if it is chronically underfunded and resources for coordination may not come at the expenses of operational activity for development.
In conclusion, Dibouti reaffirm its support for an independent, empowered, accountable, and adequately resourced resident coordinated system.
Its success will be measured by its impact on the ground, enabling countries like Djibouti to advance national priorities and accelerate progress toward the SDGs while leaving no one behind.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Mozambique, followed by Sweden and then Costa Rica.
Madam Deputy Secretary-General, we echo the statements by the African group and the 77 plus China.
But let me first commend your personal leadership and that of the Secretary-General in steering the UN development system towards becoming more responsive, coherent, and fit for purpose.
Someone who has been at the forefront of this global reform processes, you have witnessed firsthand both the progress achieved and the complexities involved.
We therefore look forward one day to your reflections on the trials, tribulations, and lessons of this reform journey.
We also listened very carefully to your candid appeal this morning for more proactive member state engagement in alignment and oversight.
Mozambique fully agrees with you that alignment cannot remain voluntary.
ACs can convene, coordinate, encourage coherence, but they cannot alone, as you said, heard the cuts.
If governing bodies, funding streams, accountability frameworks continue to pull agencies in different directions.
DSG, you have been a valuable partner throughout the years and know our national context very well.
In Mozambique with 25 agencies, funds, and programs working with us in support of our national development ambitions and to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
The RC is in many ways the proverbial Swiss knife of the UN system.
As a representative of the Secretary-General, the RC is the main interlocutor between the government and the UN system in the country.
He or she also serves as a humanitarian coordinator.
These proved lifesaving during the recent flood related emergency in Mozambique.
When requested by government, the RC promptly mobilized regional and global capacities as well expertise across the UN system in support of our country, and we are very grateful for that.
The RC also co chairs the Development Cooperation Partners platform.
And provides a unified entry point for dialogue.
At the same time as we hear this morning, these gains remain fragile.
The funding model of the RC system continues to generate insufficient financing for the RC.
Finally, let me also comment on the progress in diversifying the resident coordinator CAD.
We wish the proportion was higher, but this is an important step towards a development system that better reflects the realities of the countries it serves.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Sweden, followed by Costa Rica and Cuba.
Mr.
Vice President, Deputy Secretary-General Excellencies, Sweden aligns itself with a statement delivered by the European Union and would like to add the following in our national capacity.
Madam DSG, Sweden wishes to express our deepest appreciation for your dedicated leadership of the UN Sustainable Development Group.
We also commend DCO and resident coordinator offices across the globe for their continued efforts in delivering on the SDGs.
Extensive consultations with Swedish embassies worldwide confirm the findings of your report and echo the views expressed by many member states here today.
Across regions, the multilateral system remains indispensable.
At the same time, our embassies note, among others, factors such as constrained resources, limited operational capacity, and coordination challenges across the UN entities.
These all constitute risks that could widen protection and capacity gaps in already vulnerable settings.
In this context, the UN AD offers important opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness, while also requiring careful attention to safeguard the UN's normative role at country level.
Delivering greater coherence will depend on a strong resident coordinator system, which continues to enjoy broad support, including from host governments.
We take note of and strongly support the ongoing recalibration of the RC system at all levels.
Beyond ensuring core capacities, the ability to effectively draw expertise from across the wider UN system is key.
In this regard, we would welcome further reflections on the main challenges to the expertise on demand function and on how member states could best support progress in that area.
We know that the cooperation framework is a central tool to drive many of the unfinished reforms, such as the UN country team configuration.
We would welcome ideas on how we could move away from a supply driven process, where the present UN team is the one that creates the next cooperation framework, and honestly, making it highly likely that the UN presence remains more or less the same.
Sweden remains a committed supporter of the RC system.
Its central role and the value placed on it by member states should, in our view, be fully reflected through increased joint ownership by having an increased share of assessed contributions as its financing base.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Costa Rico, followed by Cuba and then the UK.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
Thank you, Madam DSG.
Thank you for your work on this report.
We are convinced that a strong coordination system is indispensable for translating mandates into concrete results, particularly in increasingly complex contexts.
I would like to highlight three key messages.
First of all, consolidating coordination as a driver of transformative results.
Costa Rica's experience shows that effective system wide coordination makes it possible to expand impact.
23 entities work in an integrated manner with more than 200 initiatives implemented, and reaching 90% of the national territory.
These results confirm that strategic coordination produces tangible outcomes in reducing inequalities, strengthening institutions, and enhancing resilience.
Secondly, it's critical to ensure alignment with national and territorial priorities.
The territorial approach has enabled the concentration of efforts in 17 priority areas and among populations in vulnerable situations, including women, young people, and people on the move.
However, system evaluations continue to identify persistent gap between the design of cooperation frameworks and their implementation.
We need to reinforce their central role as instruments for planning and implementation.
Thirdly, ensuring sustainable financing and capacities for coordination.
It is clear that the lack of predictable resources limits the system's capacity to deliver results and support decision making.
We need to ensure the strengthening of the Development Coordination Office and the RC system through a clear mandate, adequate technical capacities, and access to stable financing, together with the mobilization of strategic partnerships as well.
Vice President, an effective development system combines coordination, evidence, and action on the ground.
Costa Rica reaffirms that these three elements constitute the foundation for accelerating the SDGs and ensuring that development benefits all people, leaving no one behind.
Thank you.
We'd like to thank you, sir.
The next speaker is going to be Cuba.
Thank you, President.
Vice President, Madam GSG, we align ourselves with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G 77 and China and Palau on behalf of AOSS.
We recognize the progress that has been made within the RC system to align UN bodies with national priorities and to maximize the impact in spite of the reduction in the available financial resources.
Cuba has been able to observe directly the positive results of this system through the work of the RC, Mr.
Francisco Picon, we'd like to thank him very much for his constant support and commitment, particularly in the wake of natural disasters and the serious consequences of the embargo.
In spite of the tightening of the economic blockade against Cuba, the United Nations system has been able to continue to mobilize resources and cooperation to the benefit of our people.
The agencies funds and programs that are present in Cuba are witnessing the adverse impact of this criminal policy on a daily basis, its impact on the day to day life of our people and the effective implementation of projects as well.
The UN today is facing unprecedented financial pressure, which is exacerbated by the failure of its main contributor to fulfill its financial obligations.
We are concerned about the sustained reduction in voluntary contributions to the RC system, which is currently at its lowest level since its establishment and a financing gap of currently $45.7 million.
Developing countries cannot nor should they continue to assume the cost of cooperation on their own to achieve the SDGs.
It is urgent that international commitments be honored when it comes to financing for development, and we need to ensure the strengthening of international cooperation as well.
Otherwise, we will continue to weaken the operational capacity and effectiveness of the United Nations development system, which would only leave millions of people behind.
Thank you.
I thank the representative of Cuba.
The next speaker is going to be the United Kingdom.
Thank you, Vice President.
Deputy Secretary-General, thank you for presenting the report on the Development Coordination Office and the Resident Coordinator System Results framework.
As a member of the Alliance of Supporters of the UN Development System, the UK sees 2026 as a crucial year for the resident coordinator system and the UN development system more widely.
UN 85th Committee negotiations later this year offer a vital opportunity to strengthen the RC system and ensure it can deliver fully on its mandate by ensuring it is appropriately supported at country, regional, and headquarters levels, and that it is adequately and sustainably funded.
Regarding the UN SEG report, while there are encouraging signs of progress in some areas, we continue to see a mixed picture in terms of overall performance.
Many of the areas showing year on year regression or slowest progress are rightly a focus of reform efforts.
A concerning downturn in percentage of host governments considering UN configuration in country to be adequately tailored to their needs emphasizes the need for UN AT reforms to be ambitious in reforming UN CT reconfiguration.
The continued lack of progress in implementing common back offices demonstrates the need for a concerted push to roll these offices out globally.
Nevertheless, we welcome the continued positive results shown in the report on RC performance in key areas like leadership, capacity to coordinate, and being an effective entry point to the UN system.
It was also welcomed the RC talent pipeline was resumed in 2025, as it is key that rigorous and proactive recruitment of the most talented potential RCs is always prioritized.
The recalibration of the RC system is an important step, and the four priorities that have been set out for the recalibration are worthy points of focus.
A strong, well resourced resident coordinator system is fundamental to the effectiveness of the entire UN development offer.
This must mean an adequate and sustainable funding model for the RC system, a clear role for RCs in ensuring the configuration of their office and the wider UNCT are appropriate to deliver on the nationally agreed cooperation frameworks and strengthened accountability mechanisms between UN agencies and the RC to ensure the shared responsibility across UN entities to work together as one is formalized.
We also welcome efforts to ensure the system can draw effectively on resident and non resident expertise, joint knowledge hubs, and regional capacities.
We encourage continued progress in making UN CTs more adaptable and results focused, and we'll be following the implementation of these actions closely.
In this critical year, the last of your tenure as DSG, we support you doing all you can to ensure the entirety of the UN system seizes this moment for the renewal and strengthening of the UN development system so it can truly deliver for those who need it B.
Thank you.
I thank the representative of the UK for her statement.
I now give the floor to the DSG to respond to this first round table.
Vice President, thank you very much to all of the excellencies that have given us great feedback.
I think the main message here is no going back on the RC system, but there is room for us to improve and there are challenges to that.
In a way, there are contradictions.
One thing we want the ambition, but at the same time, we are dealing with financing, we're dealing with all the tools that need to be effectively being able to be deployed.
I Some of that came back in, yes, the corporation framework is led and directed by member states.
It's national priorities.
It's actually incredibly exciting to see that.
But we did see that when we started to look at the corporation frameworks and the country project documents that were to implement, then the alignment started to slip.
I've said this for over a year.
The language looks the same.
This is a program for food security or a program, but then when you get into the details, it then starts to become less about a national priority, but where the earmark funding is going.
Um, I think that has to be addressed.
We have to have a really constructive conversation around that.
I heard earlier about how do we communicate what we do that gets closer towards the SDGs and the many other frameworks that we have committed to.
I think that that's not so difficult, we just have to be very specific about it and we have to have a conversation with our program countries and with our donors.
There are considerable cuts to what we have seen, but we're also saying that we're putting our shoulder to the wheel on the international financial architecture, which is really what will get us the resources to do the development at scale.
But to do that then needs a lot of capacity at the country level to support even those discussions on funding and how we go about it.
The corporation frameworks continue to improve.
For one, and I know Oscars sitting next to me here are far from happy with the corporation frameworks.
I'm the first corporation framework I looked at over ten years ago was my own country.
And I knew that it was streets apart.
I was looking at it as a minister and saying, this is not my priorities.
I don't know whose priorities they are.
That was ten years ago.
But today, we are so much nearer those priorities because we hear time and time again from countries, how that has actually fed into their own planning processes, and we have been able to leverage so much more.
We don't underestimate how important it is to have country cooperation frameworks that are national priorities.
We have to have our country project documents derived from them.
That means we need the help of the boards.
We need the help of member states to get that done and to make sure that's aligned.
We have some work that we will be sharing with you on how we will better align in terms of the timing so that we have um, you know, more opportunities for agencies, funds, and programs to have those discussions and get behind the national priorities.
Delivering on the 2030 agenda, that is the framing.
We have a few years to go.
From everything that I'm hearing, I'm pretty excited about what we can do in spite of all the challenges that we have.
The caliber and the quality of the.
You've been caught up.
Just when I talked about the RCs, must be one of the agencies.
Okay, I So back to my RCs.
The quality and the caliber we have of RCs today, it's not just coordination.
They are convening, they're responding on a sixpence when things happen like a hurricane.
They're drawing on every single asset that they can possibly find and we're seeing the gaps because, of course, Oscar hears about them every day and we're trying to fill them.
An RC job today, the majority of our RCs come from the system, in a sense, they have a fallback.
They can go back to their agencies.
We've increasingly got a number of RCs that have come in from the outside and that has really improved where we are in terms of being able to respond to realities on the ground.
But they don't have so much job security.
I think we need to have a look at that within the Secretariat so that we are encouraging younger RCs to come who have got a career perspective in the system and can do more, and then you will see the quality of RCs come up.
The performance review is extensive.
I don't think there is more of a 360 degrees that happens with an RC in any agency fund or program anywhere.
We are the standard to beat.
Um, and we're still saying that we have no real oversight over who comes into a country team.
Here you are saying to the government, this is the country team is the best that we've got to give you, and here it is, for us, no input, quite frankly, to what we get there.
We are insisting that as we come to country configuration, that the corporation frameworks need to determine what kind of skill sets are we really looking for and what level.
A lot of the funding that comes in for projects and programs are project.
A project officer, a project management person.
It's not the kind of policy and depth of expertise that you have a person from any one agency that will be able to, for want of a better expression, eyeball the minister and have a discussion on an energy transition or aggreg one.
You'd have to bring them in and to bring them in takes considerable amount of time.
We really need to think about what composition we have as core.
We have six or seven big agencies with big footprints and spend.
I think we can improve what they do.
I do think that we should still keep saying we need more core.
I say that more specifically for UNDP because it has the widest remit for development, and then it would have more access to expertise that it could deploy as needed.
The expertise on demand shows us a marketplace that we would bring leverage financing to come in from different places, sometimes within the budgets that already exist and others leveraging from pool funding.
But one for agencies themselves to be able to request that expertise on demand across agency specific bilaterally.
But more importantly, when a country asks for a set of skills and expertise, the RC should be able to go to that pool of expertise on demand and bring that team in as expected and have that paid for.
I think's when we will really see the difference when we are responding to countries as we should.
The context matters.
The context is evolving really fast in many areas.
This afternoon I spent before coming here with the System Wide Evaluation Office looking at the evaluation that was done on the Sahel.
But that could be said for any other sub region where we have huge issues around conflict and crises.
We have a lot that we need to do in finding the right expertise to deal with these cross border issues in many of these countries.
Um, it's the time now, I think for how do we do this and more of it that leap of faith that you need in the system for us to do it.
The country configuration will be one and so will the regional reset.
The difference of the regional reset from what we've had with the RCPs is that we now know that a lot of what challenged us was the interoperability.
We did not have that.
Data hubs, the knowledge hubs, the expertise on demand.
All of that was a really huge challenge and we're trying to address that in the UN 80 context.
But we were also, I think not leveraging as much as we could the hosting and that ability for UN system to be anchored with the regional economic commissions.
At the end of the day, the sustainable development agenda will be about how well our economies grow, how inclusive they how we make sure that from the normative agenda to delivering on the SDGs happens seamlessly.
I think here, our regional economic commissions can be leveraged far more than we do right now.
It's not a question of the three pillars being guided to work, but it is a reality that in many of our situations, we do have crises, whether it is climate or it is our refugees, it is conflict.
These are realities that we need to do and they are increasing.
They are evolving fast, and so we need to have that capacity at the regional level to respond to it so that countries have got the best um that is coming to them.
In some cases at the regional level, they're better able with regional entities, whether it is maybe it's Cec, maybe it's the African Union.
It's better to deal with those institutions to get the responses that we need at the country level, far easier to deal with them.
I think that is important.
There are a number of questions that have been asked to us, but let me say that on the funding, Again, come back to that.
I mean, we will have a discussion about where we ought to be with that and there are a couple of options that we have put forward to you.
I think they are the best because there is a reality.
There's a practical reality.
The resources are just not there anymore that are predictable.
How do we find a way to ensure that and that there is a an ownership.
I hear in the room those that don't want us to increase on the coordination.
But again, here goes the contradiction.
Are we going to get more the investment that you put in the coordination and convening, what we pay for that and what we are paying for not having it? What are the consequences of not having it? I think that we will be further back from achieving the many goals that we've set if we don't continue to have this coordination and convening function at the level it ought to be.
Um, the funding for development, the skill sets that need to be at the country level to help us to leverage that are important.
We are seeing regionally now many institutions taking up what we had said was looking at the international financial architecture, but now regions are saying, well, actually, let's look at the regional financial architecture and how we can leverage the changes that need to be made that have come out of the severe commitment.
Those need skill sets at the country level, core capacities, yes, but in addition to those core capacities that we have in the the rest and coordinator's office have to be country specific.
The countries need different things at different times.
They don't need to be there permanently, but you might need for a year, you might need to six months or 18 months depending on really what the ask is of the country.
We continue to try to do that in the best way that we know how.
Yes to the UK, I think the last comment there, 2026, look, the SG has said to us up to the 31st of December, don't take any prisoners, so we're determined to make this work.
We think it can and I really have to tell you, ten years and where we were in 2018 and where we are now, thanks to member states and remember member states that are program countries, the program countries are telling us it's working, but the program countries also have a stake in the UN and multilateralism.
They play both sides that they are leveraging to make sure that we get to do what we need to do and all other member states who believe in what we are doing to try to actualize the charter is really important.
It's never been more important.
I think that we talk down how effective this has been.
Many countries that we've had to step out of.
Yes, there have been huge um implications for that and in some cases, lives lost.
But what I will say is that in many countries, actually, we did well and we are recovering faster than we thought because the UN has been there for 20, 30 years, and so we should be able to leave.
Is this an agenda that we are trying to work ourselves out of a job? Absolutely.
That's what we're trying to do.
But what we need is the investment now and we need to stop the reversal of the gains that we've invested in over the years.
That's where we need to lean in and not back.
It requires a leap of faith, but please do it.
I know things that capitals are difficult, they are in my country.
But this is a time not to lean back but to lean in.
We've got the foundations.
We are building.
This is a strong system, but it could very quickly one thread, two threads, you keep pulling away at them and the whole thing will collapse.
I think this is what we are here when UK says 2026, let's do it, please let's do it.
We have four years to go with the SDGs.
If we're talking about what next, let's at least lay the foundations for sustainable development and the opportunity for us to build even bigger and better for future generations.
Thank you very much indeed, Madam DSG, for your comments.
We will now proceed to the next round of questions.
The first speaker is Morocco.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Chair.
Mr.
Chair, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Sams colleagues.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, for your briefing.
We appreciate your personal engagement and continued commitment to ensuring that the system remains responsive to country needs and adapted to diverse development realities, particularly as we advance the different tracks of the UNAT process.
Today's dialogue within the framework of the EcoSOoerational activities for development segment provides an important opportunity to advance the central role of the EcoSO in oversight and follow up of the positioning of the United Nations development system.
Allow me to highlight four points.
First, over the past eight years, the resident coordinator system has clearly demonstrated its crucial added value in aligning UN country teams with nationally owned priorities and strengthening coherence and coordination of delivery at country level.
Two, we welcome uniform to recalibrate the RC system.
We agree that this is the appropriate moment to adjust capacities at country, regional and headquarters levels so that the system remains fit for purpose in the context of UN 80.
At the same time, this exercise must be guided by realism and pragmatism and anchored in a solid sustainable and predictable funding basis, as we emphasized this morning with the Secretary-General.
We look forward to a tangible solution to a robust funding model of the RC, both within S and fifth committee deliberations.
Three, clarity regarding the core functions of the resident coordinator system, as well as the principles of impartiality, neutrality, and continuous consultation with host government must remain fully safeguarded throughout the recalibration process.
Mr.
President, as discussions continue on the RC funding model alongside the UN AT process and the EcoSec review, it will be essential to preserve EcoS central role within the governance architecture.
We look forward to engaging constructively in the negotiation on this year's ES OAS resolution, which will be instrumental in following up on the discussions this week.
Morocco remains fully committed to supporting a strengthen and empower the United Nations development system.
We look forward to an outcome of UNAT that places UNDS on a stronger footing to deliver more effectively on the ground.
I thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker It's Lao PDR, followed by the United States and then China.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General.
My delegation analysis services statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
We appreciate the comprehensive report of the UN SDG chair on the Development Coordination Office and the resident coordinator system, which demonstrate the RC's role in enhancing alignment of the UN development system with national priorities, strengthening integrated policy support, and improving coordination across the UN country teams and with national governments.
Recommend continued efforts to strengthen the RC system as the backbone of more coherent, effective, and responsive UNDS.
As for the La PDR, we value our close partnership and collaboration with the RC's office and the UNCT.
While welcoming the progress achieved under the UNDS reform, we affirm that such a reform has delivered tangible outcome at the country level.
The reform has enabled the RC system to deliver real benefits, including implementing joint programs across various sectors, mobilizing significant financing and strengthening national capacities.
The UN in the country has provided support for the formulation and implementation of our national socio economic development plans or in ACDP including monitoring, evaluation, and financing frameworks, as well as through the round table process.
We note the important achievement in developing the next generation cooperation framework for 2027 and 20 2031, which reflects a more integrated and consultative approach aligned with our tenth and SCDP, LDC graduation priorities, and the 2030 agenda.
Moving forward to sustain and build on these reform gains, we are of the view that the continued UNDS reform, including through the RC recalibration exercise, should address some areas pertaining to predictable and sustainable funding, strengthen expertise and capacity for the RC's office, and more flexible financing under the Funding compact, all of which are to support the strategic partnerships and complex national transitions, including our effort towards LDC gradation.
In closing, the La P underscores the importance of ensuring that the UNDS remains fit for purpose and responsive to evolving challenges, taking into account our country specific context.
We look forward to the continued UNDS reform and the impact of the outcome.
I thank you.
Lo Las, thank you very much.
The next speaker is going to be the United States.
Thank you, Vice President, thank you, Deputy Secretary-General.
Allow me to make the following few points.
First, the United States supports the report's focus on efficiency, accountability, and localization.
We echo our remarks from this morning to endorse a recalibrated resident coordinator system tailored in expertise and capacity for specific country contexts.
This is long overdue.
Empowered RCs and a fit for purpose RC system is the key to delivering on reform from matching in country presence to specific country context and needs to preventing duplication and fragmentation, to winding down activities when appropriate.
What do you need to move forward with this approach? First question.
With respect to financing, the report states that the 1% coordination levy is plagued by structural flaws, low compliance rates, and high administrative costs.
Recognizing that this is a rather small overall share of funding, we would still be interested in hearing how this finding may influence the forthcoming review requested in 79 slash 258 in terms of resource requirements and funding models.
Next, we note the progress towards common UN premises, common back offices, and global shared services.
How can this progress be expanded and accelerated? Third, the report highlights workforce rejuvenation and localization.
The plan to increase the share of national staff and shift toward lower cost entry level positions makes fiscal sense and supports national capacity building.
We support this as a step towards self sufficiency.
Finally, the core of all UN cooperation frameworks must be to transition to complete national ownership and financing as soon as possible rather than institutionalizing long term aid dependence.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is China, followed by Ireland and then the Republic of Korea.
Fu Xi Vice President, China aligns itself with the statements made by Uruguay on behalf of G 77 and China and thanks Deputy Secretary-General Amina for her report.
The RC system represents a significant achievements of the UNDS reform and has played a positive role in enhancing the synergy of UN country teams and providing support aligned with host country priorities.
On the way forward for reforms, I would like to make four points.
First, services should be provided in a scientific and targeted manner.
The primary mandate of the RC's alliance in development, they should focus on helping developed countries better achieve the SDGs in areas such as poverty reduction, food security infrastructure, and digital transformation and contribute to peace and security in human rights pillar from a development perspective.
Rather than expanding their functions into the peace and security and human rights domain, China supports strengthening the capacity of UN country teams to better fulfill their development mandates and address future challenges.
Second, on site delivery should be strengthened.
The primary task of reform is to effectively bridge the gap between delivery in the field and member states expectations.
Broad input from host countries maps must be sought and reforms should be carried out in a tailored manner based on the actual conditions of each country.
Reforms should also be evidence based and forward looking.
China supports advancing reform for combination of pilots, evaluations, and feedback mechanisms to ensure that reform fully respond to the concerns of member states in particular developing countries.
Third, it is imperative to build greater synergy.
China supports RCs in giving full play to their coordinating role, enhancing the representation and voice of developing countries and improving the coherence and overall efficiency of UN country teams.
Coordinations at both headquarters and regional levels must be strengthened.
The role of the regional economic commissions should be fully leveraged, ensuring complementarity between their distinctive functions.
The functional division of responsibilities between RCs and UN cities should be clearly defined to effectively harness the comparative advantage of each entity.
Fourth efficiency and accountability must be improved.
China agrees to provide stable, predictable, sustainable, and diversified funding support for the RC system.
ODA should be scaled up.
It is essential to use funds more efficiently uphold the principle of streamlining for cost effectiveness, strengthen accountability and governance mechanisms, and maximize the impact of limited resources.
We hope that the DCO will continue to provide timely updates on the progress of the reform.
I have a question.
Member entities of UN country teams each operates under their own specific country cooperations and management frameworks.
How do RCs enhance coordination effectiveness while respecting the independence of individual agencies? The reports indicate that while country team satisfaction with the support provided by regional coordination offices is on the rise, it still falls short of expectation what steps will be taken to address this going forward.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Ireland, followed by the Republic of Korea.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General.
Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and has the following to add in a national capacity.
Today's meeting comes at a critical time as we continue the journey towards meaningful UN reform and as we seek to urgently ramp up engagement aimed at delivering the sustainable development goals by 2030, especially for those who are furthest behind.
For Ireland, that remains the North Star.
It is disappointing to see from the report that ODA and the financial contributions to the UN system are on a downward trajectory, just at the time when we need it most.
We must continue to make the case, therefore, to lean in, as you said, Deputy Secretary-General, or even to march forward confidently, to put it in more even action orientated terms.
Funding for the RC system and the giant SDG fund is important because these are key enablers of change.
RCs need to help partner governments to identify opportunities for public and private investment.
Let's try and make that a key aspect also of our work.
We see in the report that this could be enhanced even further.
The report also illustrates the urgency of adequate and sustained resourcing of the RC system and we look forward to engagement in that regard, across all the levels in the coming period, especially in the fifth committee.
We expect a lot from the RC system rightly, but let's resource it properly, if so, and ensure that the right system, the right people, and the right incentives are in place.
That includes across the boards and the agencies that are working at the country level as well.
Now is the time to push ahead with the UN Ay reforms.
These have the potential to achieve even greater impact on the ground.
For Ireland, this means concentrating on the UN country team reconfiguration, the regional reset, common business systems and back offices, and advancing on the new humanitarian compact.
We encourage continued engagement with member states in that regard.
The findings of the report give testimony once again to the more agile, coherent, effective, and impactful UN led at the country level by capacitated and predictably financed RC, empowered to guide strong and accountable country teams towards shared goals and guided by the needs and priorities of host countries.
Finally, a question.
Paragraph 60 of the report highlights the importance of evaluation and the follow up to evaluation recommendations and some challenges in that regard.
How can we ensure that this gets the attention that it needs? Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is the Republic of Korea, followed by Turkey and then Mexico.
Mr.
Vice President, I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the Deputy Secretary-General for presenting this comprehensive report.
Welcome to candidate assessment.
Since the adoption of GA Resolution 272279, the Republic of Korea has continued to support the RC system, recognizing its role in providing strategic leadership and guidance toward a stronger, more cont, coordinated, effective, and accountable UN development system.
In this regard, I would like to highlight the following points.
First on the humanitarian development linkage, RC are needed to serve as an effective bridge between development action and humanitarian assistance.
It is vital that they focus on stronger coordination of UN City activities to prevent vulnerable populations from falling back into cycles of humanitarian aid dependency.
While taking note that 89% of host governments found UNDS activities effective in building resilience to shock, we expect that RC further lead the UN City towards deeper engagement with humanitarian actors.
Maintaining a holistic and coordinated approach across humanitarian development and peace tracks remain equally crucial.
Second, on resource mobilization, we take note of the decline in ratings for partnership and resource mobilization in the report.
In today's constrained financing environment, RC should demonstrate tangible results in leveraging diverse resources and unlocking private sector financing vehicles for UN City and partner countries.
Third, regarding funding for the RC system, the report acknowledged persistent funding shortfall several times.
While Korea has also provided annually voluntary contribution to this system, we see the current financing landscape requires a more realistic and pragmatic approach.
In the near term, it would be prudent to identify and prioritize the key areas where RC can achieve the greatest result and impact.
We expect further dialogue on this issue through ongoing discussion on the recalibration of the RC system and the review of a refined report at the 81st session of the General Assembly.
Lastly, as each donor country cooperate with UNDS under distinct circumstances, we look forward to better utilizing the RC system to enhance the visibility, results, and overall impact of our cooperation.
To this end, we welcome more dialogue with this UNIC.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Turkey, then Mexico then Guatemala.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General for their leadership and continued efforts to advance the reform of the United Nations development system.
We would also like to thank Madam Deputy Secretary-General for the USDG Chair's report and her briefing today.
Turkey supports the objectives of the UN AT initiative.
We believe that ongoing reform efforts should continue to strengthen coherence across the UN development system, reduce fragmentation, and enhance UN support at both regional and country levels.
In this regard, we take note of the proposed regional reset and the efforts to better connect regional capacities with country level needs.
We believe that country configurations and regional arrangements must be tailored to the specific realities, priorities, and circumstances of each country.
A one size fits all approach would not be consistent with the spirit of the reform.
Reform.
Regional capacities should complement and reinforce country level support, not substitute for it.
Ultimately, the success of the regional architecture should be measured by its ability to deliver better, faster, and more effective support to program countries.
Turkey recognizes the important role of the RC system in enhancing the coherence, effectiveness, and impact of the UN at the country level and supports efforts to further sttngen its ability to respond to the needs and priorities of program countries.
As discussions on the regional reset continue, we would welcome further information regarding the proposed co location in the report, including where feasible, as well as the envisaged virtual and hybrid arrangements between these two regional teams and the Regional Economic Commissions.
Turkey attaches particular importance to the regional dimension of development cooperation.
Istanbul has evolved into an important hub connecting regions and development partners, providing a strong platform for regional engagement and cooperation.
In this context, we are pleased to host the regional presence of the DCO in Istanbul.
We believe that reforms on the regional reset should build upon existing strengths and should be implemented in a manner that preserves and enhance effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Turkey remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at enhancing the UN development system and we look forward to continuing our engagement as these important discussions move forward.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Mexico, followed by Guatemala and then Pakistan.
Thank you very much.
Mr.
Vice President, Madam DSG, Mexico acknowledges that the reform of the resident coordinator system has made it possible to have greater clarity between the different functions, which has made it possible for there to be a more strategic approach to the work on the ground.
Strengthening the RC system and the reconfiguration of the country teams should ensure that the capacities of the UN meets the real needs on the ground, such as issues of debt, climate vulnerability, human mobility, employment, social protection, and data gaps, to name just a few.
The development architecture will be successful if it complements countries capacities and if it reduces red tape as well.
Mexico sees the UN system common as an opportunity to reduce data gaps to ensure that the system is more resilient, more accessible, and more interoperable and useful for member states.
President, We are concerned to see that there hasn't yet been a sustainable financial base achieved.
That's why we think it is critical to strengthen the role of the resin coordinators offices through key actions.
This includes strengthening the accountability mechanisms and also move forward innovative financial mechanisms which must also be transparent and which must make it possible to broaden the support base.
This is particularly critical in countries with complex contexts.
Two, we must foster multi stakeholder alliances together working with academia, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen the efforts of the UN system.
Thirdly, we should promote greater synergies.
Between UN agencies geared towards projects that are linked to national development plans.
Four, we should make sure that the system is tailored increasingly to addressing challenges with limited resources.
The UN must act commensurate with circumstances to have a greater optimization of operational expenditure.
Lastly, five, it will be important to look at the review of the results of the review that will be presented at the GA during the 82nd session, which will make it possible to tailor the resources that there are with the needs that exist within the system and to make it financially sustainable over time.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Guatemala, who will be followed by Pakistan and then Armenia.
Thank you, Vice President, Guatemala acknowledges the progress that has laid out in the report.
We see the progress that has been made and we'd like to thank the DSG for her presentation.
The experience in our country shows that a robust office makes it possible to strengthen coordination with the system and to tailor actions to the country specific needs and have greater impact on the ground.
We in particular value the role of the resident coordinator to work with the country team and to mobilize capacities in the strategic analysis and innovation.
We think it would be useful for the next stage to focus on preserving the essential capacities of the RC offices to adapt them even further with the country specific needs.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is going to be Pakistan.
Mr.
Vice President, we thank the Deputy Secretary-General for presenting the report and for her continued stewardship of the UN SDG group.
We wish to speak from direct experience today.
In the aftermath of the catastrophic 2022 floods, our resident coordinator and their office, along with other entities, played an indispensable role in coordinating the UN's response and mobilizing international support at a moment of acute national crisis.
This support was invaluable.
Today, we are among the eight countries transitioning out of the International Humanitarian coordination architecture.
As the report acknowledges, such transitions often increase demands on RC offices, and we hope it will be carefully managed.
Turning to the proposed recalibration today, we note the overall direction at the national level, strengthening core coordination functions, increasing national staff, and building capacity in economic analysis, SG financing, and strategic planning.
We would require further details on how these changes would concretely affect RC office staffing in countries like Pakistan before endorsing them fully.
At the regional level, we support the exploration of co location of regional assets and look forward to concrete proposals in this regard.
However, we are not convinced with the proposal for regional platforms for integration and reiterate our concerns which were already raised this morning regarding their funding, governance, and value addition.
On joint knowledge hubs and expertise and demand mechanism, we agree that the system should better leverage system wide expertise.
However, we require further details such as how would these two proposals interact? How would they be funded beyond the pilots, and also, would we receive an objective assessment of whether the support these mechanisms provide is an adequate and more cost effective substitute and compared to in country presence.
More broadly, we would appreciate further clarification on what DCO regional recalibration means in operational terms in terms of how teams would be restructured, what would happen to existing staffing arrangements, how would duplication with RECs be avoided, and how program countries will experience this change on the ground.
We also reiterate our concern on the blurring between pillars and dilution of focus on development.
Headquarters, we support the proposal to streamline the DCO leadership structure.
On funding, we concur with the concerns raised in the report and look forward to engaging constructively in the upcoming comprehensive review of the RC system funding model.
Finally, while we acknowledge the diversity of contexts in which the RC system operates, we would prefer the use of intergonmentally agreed terminologies when referring to program countries in future reports.
I thank you.
Pakistan.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Armenia, the Vice President.
Thank you, Mr.
President and we thank Madam Deputy Secretary-General for presenting this comprehensive report.
Armenia welcomes the continued efforts to strengthen the resident coordinator system and adapt it to evolving development realities.
The RC system is an indispensable tool for delivering more integrated support at the country level, particularly amid increasing pressures on development cooperation.
We know the progress in joint planning, results reporting, common business operations, and system wide coordination owing to the leadership and convening role of resident coordinators.
We also welcome efforts to strengthen capacities in economic analysis, SDG financing, partnerships, and strategic planning, which are increasingly important in addressing complex and interconnected development challenges.
Armenia as a landlock and middle income country, the value of coordinated and integrated support in addressing increasingly complex development challenges is particularly evident.
At the same time, the report confirms that growing demands are being placed on the RC system.
For many countries, including countries in special situations, and middle income countries whose structural constraints are not fully captured by income based indicators, the need for coordinated policy support and investment mobilization continues to grow.
We therefore see value in efforts to make the system more tailored and responsive to nationally defined priorities and country specific contexts.
Also, take note of the proposed recalibration of the RC system in the context of the UNIT initiative, including efforts to strengthen country level capacities, improve regional support, and better connect countries to system wide expertise.
At the same time, Armenia remains concerned by the persistent challenges facing the RC system.
As highlighted in the report, declining voluntary contributions and broader pressures affecting the sustainability of coordination capacities.
It is important to ensure that the RC system is provided with adequate, predictable and sustainable resources, commsurate with the responsibilities and expectations placed upon it.
Finally, we believe that preserving a strong and impartial coordination function will remain essential for supporting nationally owned development priorities, addressing structural vulnerabilities, and advancing implementation of the 2030 agenda during the remaining years.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker will be Egypt, followed by Azerbijan Thank you very much, Mr.
Vice President.
I'd like in the outset to thank the Deputy Secretary-General for the remarks and for her leadership and continuous efforts in the crucial discussion on development cooperation.
Egypt aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the group of G 77 and China and the African group and would like to add the following remarks in our national capacity.
Egypt welcomes the efforts taken in the implementation of QCPR and in strengthening the UN development system.
We highlight the importance of the contribution of resident coordinators and UN country teams in promoting coherence and supporting national development priorities.
It is important to notice, however, that the discussion on financing the resident coordinator system cannot be separated from broader funding challenges facing the United Nations development system.
Despite repeated commitments by member states, the funding compact objectives remain only partially fulfilled.
We continue to observe a growing imbalance between tightly earmarked contributions and the core resources that are essential for delivering integrated and responsive support at the country level.
While earmarked funding can serve important purposes, excessive reliance on earmarking reduces flexibility, increases fragmentation, raises transaction costs, and limits the ability of the UN entities to respond to nationally identified priorities.
It can also create misalignments between available resources and the needs expressed by program countries.
Core resources remain the backbone of a multilateral development system that is impartial, responsive, and driven by country needs.
They provide the flexibility required to support integrated policy approaches, strengthen coordination, and address emerging challenges.
Egypt therefore reiterates the importance of reversing the decline in the share of core contributions across the UN development system.
Mr.
President, the sustainability of the resident coordinator system must also be considered within this broader context.
A coordination function that benefits the entire development system requires predictable financing.
As discussions continue, Egypt believes that greater progress towards the funding compact commitments including increased core contributions, more flexible funding, and stronger support for pooled financing mechanisms would contribute significantly to addressing both the financial sustainability of the resident coordinator system and the effectiveness of the UN development system as a whole.
A stronger development system requires not only adequate resources, but also funding architecture that promotes flexibility, coherence, national ownership and development impact.
I thank you.
Representative Hipo.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Azerbijan.
Mr.
Vice President, my delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of g77 and China and wish to add the following observations.
We thank the Deputy Secretary-General and chair of the UNSDG for the comprehensive report.
The adoption of Resolution 79 226 provides a vital framework through 2028, the final full QCPR cycle before the 2030 deadline.
We welcome the reaffirmation of poverty eradication as the central priority and its attention to the LDCs, LLDCs and STS.
Yet many of the mandates from the previous cycle on country level integration, South southern triangle cooperation, and digital means of implementation remain incompletely implemented.
Full and faithful implementation of Resolution 79 226 by all UN entities must be the operative standard.
The development pillar remains chronically underfunded.
The resident coordinator system alone faced the financing gap of nearly $80 million at the end of 2024, jeopardizing its operational capacity.
The funding compact 20 represents an important framework, but voluntary commitments alone are insufficient.
It's critically important to honor financial obligations and to meaningfully increase flexible core contributions to UN funds and programs.
We approach the UN 80 initiative with clear principles.
Efficiency gains are legitimate, but the proposed mergers must be subject to evidence based analysis, full consultation with program countries, and honest assessment of impact on mandate delivery.
Reforms should strengthen the organization's effectiveness, efficiency, and coherence among growing global demands and financial pressures.
Any reconfiguration of your country teams must be guided by the needs and priorities of host governments, not driven solely by cost reduction imperatives.
I thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker.
I Germany.
Mr.
Vice President, Madam DSG, distinguished delegates, Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and its member states.
We would like to add the following points in our national capacity.
Let me begin by sincerely thanking you and the DCO for presenting this candid 2026 report.
As we navigate the structural transformations of the UN 80 initiative, Germany remains firmly committed to achieving our joint vision of the RC system as the indispensable normative and operational backbone of a unified UN development system.
While Germany stands as a steadfast partner of these reforms, we must work together on several bottlenecks highlighted in your report.
I will focus on two points.
First, the RC system needs a sustainable funding base.
While host government satisfaction is at a historic high, voluntary contributions to the system have decreased severely.
The regular budget commitment provides an important funding baseline, but it cannot offset the border decline in voluntary funding.
Despite progress, nearly 40% of RC offices still lack the core staffing needed to fully deliver on their mandate.
Being the largest voluntary contributor, Germany remains strongly committed to the RC system and encourages other member states to also prioritize its funding.
Second, stronger coordination of UN entities at country level remains essential.
An empowered resident coordinator is key to greater coherence, stronger alignment with national priorities, and reduced competition between agencies.
Germany welcomes the proposals elaborated in your reports, including expertise on demand, joint knowledge hubs, and regional platforms for integration.
In this regard, we would like to raise two concrete questions.
First, how are these mechanisms expected to work together in practice, and how will they generate tangible added value for delivery on the ground? Second, how are these proposals expected to be taken forward? Could you kindly elaborate on the timelines for possible member state decision making and implementation of the proposals? Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Indonesia.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Indonesia appreciates your dedication in leading the UN Sustainable Development Group, as well as your continued efforts to strengthen coherence, transparency, and efficiency across the UNDS.
Indonesia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the group of 77 and China.
We also appreciate the report's recognition of Indonesia as an example of country level impact through the joint SDG Fund, including support for climate smart agriculture benefiting smallholder farmers.
Indonesia values the important role of the RC system in supporting program countries to advance the 2030 agenda in line with national priorities and circumstances.
Amid declining development cooperation, debt pressures, climate impacts, food insecurity, and widening inequalities, strong coordination between host governments, RCs and UN country teams is more important than ever.
In this regard, Indonesia wishes to highlight three points.
First, the RC system must reinforce national ownership.
RC should remain a trusted entry point and a reliable development partner for governments to access coherent UN sport while ensuring that cooperation frameworks are aligned with national development plans and priorities.
Second, recalibration should strengthen country level impact.
Tailored RCO capacities, data, digital tools, SDG financing, and expertise on demand should help deliver integrated, practical, and measurable support while avoiding duplication, reporting burdens, and mandate overlap.
Indonesia welcomes progress within the RC system, including increased representation of women and program countries.
At the same time, continued investment is needed to further diversify nationalities, attract new talent, strengthen generational renewal, and expand the use of national and local expertise.
Third, adequate, predictable, and sustainable financing remains essential.
Coordination is important, but resources for coordination should not come at the expense of operational activities for development.
Efficiency measures should remain flexible, country specific, and impact driven.
To close, Indonesia remains committed to working with the UNDS to deliver concrete nationally owned and lasting results.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The next speaker is Argentina.
Thank you, Vice President.
We're taking the floor to complement what we said this morning.
We are convinced that the resident coordinator system should be adapted to the specific priorities of each country and not vice versa.
We notice the comment about one size fits all and we think that differentiated approaches should be taken.
Any reform of the model should put alignment with national priorities at the heart and this should be decided by each government in line with its sovereignty.
We recognize the efficient work carried out by the resident coordinator system when they align with each country's national priorities.
However, the financial sustainability should be built on foundations that do not disproportionately fall on developing countries nor an increase in the regular budget.
That's why we stress the importance of maintaining the three fundamental elements within the design of the system, shared costs, the levy, and voluntary contributions.
We reiterate the need to have a deeper analysis about how to collect resources within this design before We consider alternatives that would imply additional burdens on member states.
We are open to work constructively in the quest for alternatives should that be necessary.
We also encourage the further reconfiguration of offices to make them more efficient, to avoid any overlap or duplication.
Lastly, we think it is critical for the RC system to continue to focus on facilitating the implementation of initiatives that can be translated into specific actions and tangible results on the ground in line with national priorities and respecting country sovereignty.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I now give the floor to Canada.
I Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
We thank the Deputy Secretary-General for continued leadership and for this briefing.
Canada welcomes the information provided in this report on DCO recalibration of the RC system and has questions on four areas.
First, we have heard the Secretary-General call for constructive engagement and further ideas and proposals for structural changes.
We are keen to consider approaches that improve coherence, coordination, accountability, and transparency across the UN development system.
For example, we are interested to hear how DCO and DPO are coordinating in context with mission closures and withdrawals to minimize the impacts of increasing financial resources needs and capacity demands on RCOs.
Similarly, how are DCO and OCHA working together to minimize impacts on the RC system due to humanitarian hyper prioritization? Second, with regards to increasing efficiencies, cost savings, and strengthening results within coordination of the UN system, are opportunities being explored within DCO and OCHA to see which functions and services could be brought together to better support coordination across development and humanitarian settings? Thirdly, on workforce rejuvenation, we would welcome more information on how the capacity and expertise needed to deliver complex reforms will be maintained and sustained.
Finally, Canada has been pleased to fund the deployment of peace and development advisors as part of DCO support to UN country teams in complex settings.
In our experience, this is a highly effective and functioning expertise on demand model with high demand from RCs, but one that is significantly underfunded.
We would welcome more information on how the surge mechanism will link to the expertise on demand reforms and what role is envisioned for resident coordinators and their offices in steering deployments.
Thank you.
Would you let us this a little bit.
Thank you very much.
We have heard the last speaker from the list, so I give the floor to the GSG to respond to the questions.
Thank you very much.
Thank you Excellencies for the feedback, I think much we had addressed in the first session, but let me come to a few more questions that were asked from our distinguished delegate from the US.
You asked us what we needed to know, what we needed for our CEO money.
Apart from that, I think really just to focus on, for us to get the expertise on demand because I think that really does help for the RC to be able to come back at country level with the demand driven requests for that.
You will see in the DCO 2.0 that we've put emphasis on the regional level, emphasis on HQ, a better division of labor on how to respond to country demands, and if that can be supported, that would be very helpful.
I think this discussion to be had on the expertise on demand, as I said earlier, There is expertise on demand that agencies amongst themselves will be asking for and we're hoping the interoperability in that marketplace will be available to them and they would have the resources, but I think we perhaps could see an expansion of the coordination fund that the RCs have to give them the capacity to respond to government's demands on special skill sets and expertise that they need.
That then would allow us to respond with the urgency that is often needed.
This expertise on demand comes when there are urgent responses that are required.
In terms of the levy, I mean, frankly, we have gone through year after year of trying to address collection of the levy.
It's very difficult, very complicated, very messy, very expensive, not happening anymore because we can see funding is going down.
It is incredibly inefficient, it is time consuming.
In the options that you will see as we go to the Fifth committee, we actually discount this as not a predictable way of funding the system.
Um, of course, the other big issue is voluntary and while we are getting voluntary funding and we are very grateful to those member states who have done so consistently, it is falling sharply, so no longer predictable.
What is predictable in the funding is assessed and the cost sharing from the system.
That's what's predictable.
The first ask of the SG in 2017 was assessed and we came back with a hybrid, member states came back with a hybrid and to date it has not functioned.
It has not been able to provide the resources that are necessary to get what you had intended out of the RC system.
I think we are going back to where we say predictable.
It is the cost sharing, it is assessed.
Everything outside of that is not predictable and we are being asked to do much, much more than we have done before.
In the Common Back offices, this is part of the efficiencies agenda.
We're very grateful to HLCM and the leadership of Catherine Pollard on this because she has reinforced the importance of that.
But it is building on work that we started with your ask of that a few years ago.
It is hard and This requires board support to agencies funds and programs that in a time when there is less resources, it's very difficult to sit and have a discussion about the upfront that needs to be put and we do need to see amongst the agencies if the costs of some of these services can be reduced.
But we are working with agencies to try to see how we can stay with this.
It definitely will give us the savings that we need in the mid and longer term.
On the workforce, of course, you will see when we talked about no one size fits all.
I've always argued that excluding the driver and the secretary.
Everything else is really, I don't know which one you would change, you need to add to.
Even as we have gone through this carefully, you have the RC, you have the head of office who is a planner, it's usually a P four or P five.
This is what we have.
We have the economist at a P four who does the SG SDG planning as well.
The communication, mostly the next three are national offices on the communication, on the data and results mapping.
We want to be able to say what is happening at the country level and on the partnerships, which is critical for convening.
We have in the In the review, complex settings added a coordination officer at that p3p4 level of the MCOs, we've also added a national coordination officer as well.
It's not enough.
That's why having that together with the surge capacity, which is the expertise on demand because obviously the surge itself had its own challenges and many of those challenges were taken up by the expertise on demand.
Let's look to the expertise on demand trying to fill those gaps.
But I still hesitate to say that that core that we have, it is not necessarily a one size fits all.
We will discuss with every country what are the changes that they want to make for other expertise there, but I find it very difficult for us to change any of it.
But there may be a few countries that they may find that expertise within the national government perhaps and can substitute it.
I think it's really important that we are bringing young people in.
A are looking at the different levels.
It is because we wanted to get more young people into the RCO and to your point of the transitions, we should be building capacity in our countries.
This is one way of doing it is giving young people a career, the experience and exposure to the UN and the work in the international system.
We hope that will happen.
Questions about, um, How will a number of the items that you see in UN 80, the knowledge, the technology, the data? Again, the first things first we have to ensure that we can actually exchange this knowledge and data across the system.
The technical capacities to the technical platforms and the interoperability of it is going to be the first challenge that we will have and we have mechanisms in place to try to make that happen and the resources that would come from pool funding to do so.
But this would considerably improve the way we report, the way we plan and a and making the case for additional resources once you're planning with different financing institutions.
These are the proposals and the timelines for much of the work in the 31 packages of who takes what decision has been outlined by the UN ATA Secretariat.
It's explicit in the report before last.
But if there are any more specific details on a particular timeline for a particular package, please and it's not there, come back to us and we you have that.
Then to Canada.
I think Oscar will give me some responses here.
There's a lot of work that's being done with DCO DPO, particularly on the transitions of many of these teams and with OCHA.
We do have the SPI, so we have the special program where both the RC system HC come together better at the country level.
This was not always so before, the co location, the strategy for that.
Is being implemented in a few countries that we've piloted.
I can say the same thing for expertise on demand, which we are taking money from the SDG fund to show how that will emerge in the coming months for that.
Azerbijan, you also raised issues around the mergers.
Absolutely.
We have put evidence and data there.
It's not sufficient for many member states, so we've asked them to look at a matrix that looks at where are the gaps, what additional information do we need? That you're not seeing there because I think general statements now will not satisfy you.
And I think that we have got the expertise, we've got the evidence and data that we've been able to glean from the system.
Remember that anything that we're getting from the mergers is from the agencies that are involved in these mergers and I If we can get more, we would get more.
I know that the boards have asked for a considerable amount of information as joint as possible, and so we will try to satisfy that as it should be.
Aside from that, I think that's it for today.
We have the rest of the week that we will go through.
Again, to really emphasize, I think our colleague from Egypt, very clear about the funding.
I mean, we It is not either or.
I mean, we have a funding dilemma and so it is less.
It certainly not more.
I think in time we can leverage more, but we have to find different ways of doing this and hopefully we're not having to say either or, but it is all going down and we have to look to see what are the priorities that we have as the UN to ensure that we protect this space to continue to deliver to have a footprint that is worthy of having on the ground that supports countries to get to the SDGs, to get to the more specific frameworks that we see on Abbas or on the financing for development.
These are priorities that we need to take up.
But with your permission, perhaps, do you want to say something on Great.
Thank you very much DSD and to the question about how we ensure a transition which many times, particularly in the context of the recent context of the sudden termination of special political missions or peacekeeping operations to state that precisely the internal working mechanisms of the UN that comprise a whole series of internal coordination mechanisms, starting, of course, with the SG's led executive committee meetings that actually try to anticipate and plan to address the three anticipation of the clips that we know to happen when missions leave, the capacity, the financing, and the political attention, if you will, to the issues that the countries are confronting.
To this effect, we have already rolled out together with OCHA with DPPA, DPO, and the UN country teams, a capacity assessment mechanism, actually, the issue of reconfiguring UN country teams is part of the experience that we have been learning with mission transitions.
It's actually to see how the country team, which was usually there before any of these missions deploy, can take over a lot of the activities that member states are expecting the UN to continue once these missions are shut down.
We've seen this to be the case in Mali, in Sudan, in Iraq.
An important component usually involves that the resident coordinator steps up actually to head the liquidation process and continue to address the issues of asset management and redeployment of the staff.
It also involves a mission and strategic plan.
Here, the internal joint steering committee that has been put in place by the DSG articulates the vision statement and actually undertakes a strategy that addresses the type of surge deployment, capacity reconfigurations, and actually, and as we are now seeing, a huge onerous expense that comes many times with addressing the insecurity that much of the staff have to deal with.
These are some of the dimensions that we're dealing and just maybe on the issue of how we're working with OCHA in this shared platform initiative, already we're accelerating physical co location.
As you know, only 50% co location right now, so there's work to be done.
Common performance management mechanisms.
Clear articulation of the RCHC accountabilities to the humanitarian country team and the UN country team.
Finally, these joint strategies for transition, especially on the eight countries that have now been D hated and which do place a huge onerous, how do you say burden on the RC, not just in time, but actually the cost of performing coordination functions that usually would have been supported by OCHA.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Thank you very much.
Now, I would like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her time, for the exhaustive responses to the questions, and for her active collaboration with the council.
I would like to thank all delegations for their contributions.
That thus concludes our program for today.
The council will convene tomorrow at 10:00 A.M.
In this chamber to continue with its program of work.
The meeting stands adjourned.
Thank you.
Three.