Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative - General Assembly, 80th session

Good morning.
I call to order the informal meeting of the plenary to hear briefing on the UNAD initiative.
I would like to welcome you all here and our briefers joining us remotely.
This is the sixth in our series of monthly briefings intended to keep the membership informed and to sustain the momentum as UN AD initiative advances.
While we have already achieved tangible progress across all three workstreams, significant work remains on our reform agenda, and I urge the membership to stay engaged with what lies ahead.
Today, we will hear an overall update on the UNAD initiative from Under Secretary-General Guy Reiner, followed by briefings on two work packages, Work package 14, Unified Service roadmap and work package 27, Environment.
As a first briefer, as in the last meetings, I have the honor to give the floor to Mr.
Guy Ryer, Under Secretary-General for Policy.
Thank you very much, Madam President, Excellencies, thank you all again for joining us to today's briefing.
As you said, President, the sixth in this series of briefings and I want to thank you for providing this space for our interactions.
Since the Secretary-General progress report in May, UNA has entered its decisive phase.
Between now and September in particular, the task is to turn proposals into decisions, and we must do that together.
Some proposals will require your consideration.
In others, it is the Secretary-General who has the authority to act.
But in either case, the aim is the same, a UN system, which is, as our slide shows, more disciplined in managing mandates, better in implementation of mandates, and clearer in reporting on impact.
Now, in recent weeks, I think it's fair to say that much attention has focused on two potential mergers, and of course, they matter, but they're not the whole of UN 80.
Today, let us step back and look at four points of progress along this mandate to impact chain.
I want to start first with greater discipline around mandates.
Resolution 80 stroke 251 asks the Secretary-General to improve how he assigns implementation responsibilities on mandates based on comparative and collaborative advantage.
We are taking a first step towards applying that discipline in the proposed program budget for 2027.
You might recall the heat map as we called it from last year's mandate implementation review.
It's on the screen now.
The a Darker areas showed where Secretariat entities cited the same resolution to justify their 2026 programs, and hence, at least the possibility of overlap or of duplication.
So on the basis of this evidence and the resolution for 2027, we issued stronger guidance and colleagues have worked diligently to remove outdated references and to sharpen their focus.
The result is on the next slide.
There it is.
The green areas mean improvement, they mean less overlap.
You see that we are acting on some of the areas of concern which have arisen in the UNAT process.
To be clear on this subject, this is not about any assessment of the value of mandates, it's about how we manage them, how we implement them.
It's about discipline in how we, in this case, implement the proposed program budget.
I have to say this is precisely what the resolution asks us to do and in July, we will update mandates.un.org and offer briefings to the ad hoc working group so that you can see this and more progress yourselves as we move forward.
But as the resolution also recognizes, discipline begins earlier and that is when mandates are drafted.
You asked for better support and to improve our support in the 81st session, we've established a new central point of contact and you can reach that at mandates at un.org.
Then let me move on to the second, the better delivery phase.
Once mandates are assigned, the question is whether the system delivers well on them.
That is why today's brief on the Unified Services roadmap matters.
Back office services are delivery infrastructure.
Finance, human resources, administration, and ICT determine how reliably we support teams and clients.
The new roadmap turns common needs into shared solutions.
For the first time, we have a joint approach across the system, pillars, global and country operations.
Here the point is not just about savings, it's about better quality, faster support, and more resources directed to the mandates that you set.
Third, the greater programmatic coherence phase.
The environmental work that we will introduce today shows that UN 80 reaches beyond efficiency, where mandates, expertise, and capacity are spread across the system, we need to work with you to bring them better together.
This is what we're seeking to do.
Fourth, stronger impact reporting.
Member states need to know what the system has done and what difference it has made.
As a first step, we will make the Secretary-General reports clearer, more data informed, and more user friendly, including by combining reports or adapting frequency.
We will share a written note on this with the ad hoc working group on mandate implementation review tomorrow.
Let me conclude, Madam President, by looking ahead.
This briefing is part of a sequence through to September and the next one will take place on the 22nd of July.
By then, we will also share more information briefs and reports by the Secretary-General and we will also support you with better digital tools.
I had the occasion to mention the transcripts U org in the ad hoc working group meeting on Friday.
Please have a look at it, try it.
It makes it easier to follow the many meetings competing for our attention.
And I would conclude with one request.
Please engage and give your attention to the QCPR resolution, which is now under development.
It is your most immediate opportunity to advance several UNAT reforms at once across the system from better country configurations to shared back office services.
Again, the thread across our work, I hope is evident, discipline at the mandate stage, efficiency in delivery, coherence across programs, and a better account of the difference that we do make.
That is the spirit in which I look forward to your guidance in today's discussion.
Thank you, Madam President.
I thank the Under Secretary-General for policy.
I now give the floor to miss Catherine Pollard, under Secretary-General for the Department of Management, Strategy, Policy and Compliance and chair of the high level Committee on Management.
Please.
Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, dear colleagues.
Thank you for this opportunity to brief you on progress with work package 14, the Unified Services roadmap.
Can we pull up the slides, please? We are presenting this roadmap at a moment of real constraint for the UN system.
Projected system wide revenue is set to decline by 21% over the three year period to 2024 through 2027.
The UN system workforce has already shrunk by 12% in a single year.
Three in four of the UN system entities expect that there will be further programmatic changes in 2026.
Consequently, the roadmaps intended goal is designing a leaner and more effective and resilient operational backbone for the UN system that can help it to continue to deliver on its mandate, even in times of increased pressure.
Next slide.
At the heart of the roadmap are two organizing questions for every operational service.
First, should a service remain entity led or should it move to a marketplace of approved providers, or is it mature enough to be consolidated under one or two providers? Secondly, are services best delivered globally or should a service be integrated locally through common back offices and country level agreements? These are not new questions.
In the past, the system built up substantial capacity to try and answer them.
What was missing was not capability, but coherence.
The roadmap is what organizes that capacity into a single navigable architecture.
The design of the Unified Services roadmap, the USR, is not based on abstract choices, but rests on strong data evidence resulting from two complementary assessments.
The high level committee on Management's framework that prioritize 18 far reaching efficiency initiatives based on impact and feasibility and the Global Shared Services feasibility study led by the UNSDG Business Innovation Group.
That evidence leads to one central conclusion.
There is no single model that fits every service.
The system needs a differentiated architecture where the operating model and global versus local delivery are matched and analyzed service by service.
For the level of consolidation, three operating models are used.
First, entity led delivery.
The services with a high policy specificity or limited share service potential would stay within individual organizations.
Secondly, a marketplace of providers.
Services where flexibility matters are offered through a common entry point with multiple approved providers.
Third, consolidation of high volume standardized services delivered by one or two providers that generates measurable efficiency gain.
Next slide.
So the first message that I would like you to take away is this, the Unified Services roadmap is the management framework that for the first time brings together under one architecture what had previously been advancing on separate tracks.
As to the scope, the far reaching efficiency initiatives are time bound, self standing transformation projects with broad but voluntary participation.
Global shared services are not time bound, location independent services pros globally, while common back offices instead are location specific consolidations of local service provision.
And we are doing this work in conjunction with the new humanitarian compact under Work Package two that is a proving ground for integrated services approaches.
Models validated in complex humanitarian settings can then be scaled up across the wider UN system.
Next slide.
I can assure you that the USR is not prospective.
Implementation is already underway across all four tracks.
Among the far reaching efficiency initiatives developed under HLCM and Artificial Intelligence Powered Language Services Project is advancing technical and policy solutions, and a system wide ICT procurement initiative has completed negotiations on a major software contract with further contracts expected by August 2026 and a new UN system Services hub is fully operational, providing one stop access to booking 20 operational services through online servicing.
So as you can see, the far reaching efficiency initiatives are only one part of the roadmap.
My colleague from the World Food Program will speak to the coordinated supply chain Initiative in conjunction with the new Humanitarian Compact.
And on the global Shared Services, the co chair from the Business Innovation Group, they have agreed to a three tiered operating model and launched implementation in five priority service areas.
Also, under the BIGs work on common back offices, the self starter approach is already generating momentum.
Let me emphasize a key point on accountability.
We are tracking progress and making sure that we are accountable across all three tracks through public dashboards that are available to you, the member states, and all interested parties on an ongoing basis, not just through periodic reporting.
Before closing, I would like to stress an important point which we should acknowledge.
It is about what efficiency gains can and cannot do.
The enabling functions, which are the administrative and operational functions that we're discussing today, represents only 12% of UN system expenditure.
Gains in efficiencies will not offset declining resources.
What they can do is free up funding and management attention so that entities can protect mandate delivery and program impact.
That is the practical reasoning and justification for this roadmap.
Madam President, Excellencies.
In summary, the roadmap translates the UNA to ambition of a more coherent, united UN system into a practical and accountable plan, one that simplifies where complexity has grown, integrates where duplication persists, and frees up resources for the programs that the UN system exists to deliver.
Madam Chair, with your permission, I would hand over the floor to miss Sona Leon Cohn, who is a co chair of the Business Innovations Group, who will speak to the global and local perspective across services under the roadmap.
I thank the Under Secretary-General for Department of Management Strategy Policy and Compliance.
As mentioned, I now give the floor to miss Sonya Lighton Cohn, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Project Services, and Co Chair of the Business Innovation Group.
We will hear her remotely.
Thank you, Madam President.
Next slide, please.
Distinguished member states and colleagues, the Unified Services roadmap is the UN systems evolution in responding to a question member states have been asking.
Where are the efficiencies and how will we know? Today, for the first time, we have evidence and data across the system and we have a framework to act on it.
As USG polled has just outlined, the work package 14, where BIG leads jointly with HLCM covers global and local services and their connections with enablers like mutual recognition.
So let me take each in terms, starting with the global shared services.
The UN system already has a significant shared services footprint, 24 global shared service centers, four regional service centers, and 18 antenna hubs.
The global Shared Services feasibility study confirms what this footprint can deliver.
And it also highlights how much we're still leaving on the table through fragmentation.
The evidence is precise.
For example, one transaction for non staff contracting costs up to 80% less when delivered through consolidated market provision than when handled in house.
That is not a projection.
This is the cost of the current system every day we do not act.
Next slide, please.
Here is what the data is also telling us.
The efficiency gains from agency to agency transactions, that is, where one entity genuinely buys from another remain far below their potential.
Entities we have found are willing to provide services, but they're far less willing to receive them or buy them from other.
Member states can help change that.
You have the leverage through bilateral engagement, through QCPR, through the expectations you set to ask your UN partners not just what services they offer, but which ones they actually use from others.
On the slide, you see the list of services on offer Nature.
Next slide, please.
At the country level, the new S Starter common back office methodology gives UN country teams the flexibility to build shared back offices at their own pace, selecting locally relevant services with common premises as the catalyst and country governance as the foundation.
The model operates on a clear principle, no gain for any service provider, no loss.
Service providers are to recover costs.
They do not generate revenue.
Full cost transparency is mandatory before any MOU is signed, and the UN country team under the auspices of the resident coordinator, governs collectively.
Uganda, the Philippines, and Gabon are preparing for launching.
A high impact survey tool has identified 56 priority countries, 24 in humanitarian settings, 32 in development where the gains are greatest.
We are going to coordinate with the humanitarian cluster to bring efficiencies together across humanitarian and development e.
But opt outs after commitment remain the biggest obstacle to scaling.
Abrupt or uncoordinated disengagement often leads to severe inefficiencies.
We do ask member states to be active sponsors of this change to signal directly to your UN country partners that self starting CBOs are what you expect because we need to ensure we optimize coordination and efficiency locally.
Next slide, please.
Mutual recognition is the connective tissue without which none of the scales.
36 of 37 UNSDG entities have now signed the commitment.
Signing is not the challenge.
Applying it daily is.
The newly formed interagency task force on mutual recognition brings together legal, audit, and human resource experts because that is precisely where the daily friction resides.
First priority has been mapping end to end HR processes to identify where bureaucracy blocks what should be routine, such as shared rosters or portability of background clearances.
Mutual recognition, we believe, serves as the vital lubrication underpinning operational efficiency.
The architecture is in place, the data is clear, the tools are ready.
What we ask of you today is to champion the work at the country level and in your bilateral dialogues.
United to deliver means exactly that.
Thank you.
I thank the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Project Services, also underlining the role and responsibilities and power of member states in their functions in the different boards and agencies with regard to the global shared services.
I now give the floor to Mr.
Carl Sku acting Executive Director of the World Food Program.
He is also joining us remotely.
Thank you, Madam President and Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, very warm greetings from Rome, literally warm.
It's really hot here in Europe.
I have the honor to update on our efforts to integrate supply chains and also to build a stronger system of shared common services.
The key actions are under the work package 14, closely linked to work package two as well.
There has been excellent momentum behind these reforms.
Agencies are truly breaking down barriers, combining their strength, and finding practical solution to find the ways forward when challenges arise.
The goal is clear, together, we can stretch the resources further, strengthen also our distinct mandates and deliver more impact for those people that we serve and for the governments and countries that we serve.
And we are advancing quickly now from design to delivery as the Secretary-General has really asked us to do.
We have the emergency pilots and day to day operations are already showing what is possible when we replace this fragmented approach with a more integrated and system wide model.
It's quite exciting and let me start with the integrated supply chain approach, which I would say arguably is one of the most tangible and exciting opportunities now coming out of this UN reform effort, this UN reform agenda.
It promises game changing cost savings and real impact gains because 70% of the humanitarian spend is supply chain related.
It is a massive opportunity here.
The premise is simple.
Agencies will come together and deliver as one, not as a new entity, but by drawing on the best supply chain services of the leading agencies that is already available.
The more agencies that participate, the greater, of course, the economies of scale will be and the greater the savings, but most importantly, the impact of this project.
The model is being coordinated, as you may know by those the Department of Operational Support, IOM, UNHR, OCHA, UNICEF, and us WFP.
So together, we are now rolling this out and it's a three pillar approach focused on one, the integration of our agency's global procurement capacity, second, the global logistics, the freight forwarding, and also third and the harmonized in country logistics.
Any agency that is able to share these delivery services are being included, and we're now fast tracking this model, launching in five priority settings already by the end of August.
It's Afghanistan, it's Haiti, it's Palestine, it's Somalia, and it's Sudan.
These are obviously very complex humanitarian context, but it's also where the impact gains are the most urgently needed given the needs and the constraints around funding.
Our plan is that once we've launched this, we review the lessons learned from this initial phase, and then we should be ready to scale this model to additional humanitarian emergency settings in other countries by the end of this year.
Eventually, we hope to have a model that can also serve non humanitarian contexts, of course, on supply chain to bring this benefit to the full system.
And UN agencies have already been adopting this concept, if you will, of an integrated supply chain approach now on an ad hoc basis in other settings.
For example, over the past few months, we've worked very closely together in a joint engagement with maritime carriers to avoid what we estimate to be around some $2 million in surcharges, these emergency surcharges that was put on maritime carriers during the Middle East crisis.
We came together, we negotiated exceptions, and by that jointness, we got better deals and we were able to avoid these surcharges.
Another example is now our contribution in the Ebola response where agencies collaborated much faster and more efficiently by sharing the different essential tools available and platforms for this overall humanitarian response led by WHO, like for example, dashboards to track PPE levels.
So we expect really to see quick and measurable efficiencies as this model now matures and excited, of course, to come back to you and keep you updated and report on progress.
With that, I turn to the UN System Service Hub, which is already operational.
It was the foundation so it was created after the UN eight initiative called for our systems for our system to scale up more common services.
But it follows the success of what we had before, which was called the UN booking Hub platform.
That booking hub supported some 22 UN agencies and generated more than $18 million in efficiencies in 2025 alone.
So there's huge potential because now with the UN systems service Hub, we are extending this approach across a broader range of services and really with the potential to deliver efficiencies at scale.
It's currently operated by UNHR, by DOS, and by WFP.
It offers some 20 services.
It includes vehicles, it includes travel, engineering, asset management, and disposal.
There's a whole long list of menu of services that is provided.
It's really simple.
It's a platform that supports a marketplace model.
It connects agencies that has established services that they can provide with demand for that service on a web page.
We expect that this also down the road will create opportunities to also consolidate services, to bring them together once we have generated traffic on this platform.
And the UN fleet, for example, is a proven example where services have been successfully consolidated.
This fleet combines the vehicle leasing of WFP, but also UNHR in more than 100 countries and it's being used now and drawn upon by many, many agencies across the system.
We estimate that it already has an annual saving of some $1.6 million just by agencies, programs, projects not having to do huge procurements of vehicles, but leasing them from this joint system.
We really invite other agencies also to join us.
Use this platform offering their services to other but also identify further opportunities to consolidate these services down the road.
Colleagues, I will finish with two reflections.
I think first, really, and along the lines what Sonya said, The reform models are now voluntary.
But we really need agencies to participate and to do so consistently if we are to really realize the full benefits and the full opportunities on this.
We look to member states, we look to governing bodies to make sure that this happens by encouraging agencies to participate in these shared models and really providing, I would say the political and financial incentives for us to work this way, to come together in this way.
Secondly, just to remind that the new humanitarian compact is really a catalyst for broader reforms and emergency settings and humanitarian settings are now the testing ground for these system wide transformations.
Moving forward, we will continue to build on what works.
We will expand these approaches that reduce fragmentation and that we think will enable more cost efficiency in this UN integrated UN model.
A model that directs more resources towards our programs, towards our program countries, towards the people that we serve and that are counting on us to stretch every resource as far as possible.
With that, I conclude and thank you very much for having invited us from Rome, Madam President.
Thank you.
I thank the acting Executive Director of the World Fd in Rome and in full solidarity, we have also very high temperatures here today at the other side of the Atlantic.
We're all in this together.
I now give the floor to miss Ina Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, also joining us remotely.
Madam President, I'm joined by Simon Steele.
Together, we have been working on this, Simon Steel, of course, the head of UNF triple C.
While I'm speaking to you, Madam President, allow me to thank you for making the visit to Nairobi.
Also, many thanks to the member states present.
We're very, very keen to hear the views from member states on the environment package.
We have had two briefings in Nairobi, one in Bonn, and I had the opportunity to brief more generally on reforms in my earlier visits in March in New York.
I'll ask that the team in New York kindly brings up the slides.
Thank you, and we'll go to the next slide, slide two.
And what I would like to say here is that this work package is derived, of course, from the Secretary-General 2025 report, United to deliver, which stated that environmental issues are growing in importance and environmental responsibilities are dispersed across UN entities.
And therefore, Secretary-General said that we would undertake a thorough assessment of the current arrangement and make proposal for possible structural changes and program realignments on environmental issues.
And that is therefore what we have been doing.
So we will go to the next slide.
And the co chairs, as I mentioned, is Simon Steele and myself, and we have had a large number of UN agencies involved.
And what we have tried to do is essentially to look at how can we strengthen the coherence, reduce fragmentation, improve delivery across the environmental work of the United Nations system.
And fundamentally, we see this as an opportunity to work to address the environmental crisis.
Climate crisis, the nature and land loss crisis, and of course, the pollution crisis that we are facing as a civilization.
The briefing that we are giving you today will provide an overview view of the findings as well as the recommendations that are under consideration.
The process has been a very inclusive one in this work package as I'm sure all the others have been.
The breadth of participation means that we have findings and recommendations that carry across system, and this we're very happy about.
They give it broad legitimacy, not just one or two agencies' views.
And throughout this process, we've obviously had a chance to exchange with member states.
As I mentioned, we briefed in UNEP here at our Committee of Permanent Representatives in April, again, just the other week on the 19th of June, and Simon Steel briefed UN FAC parties on the 16th of June.
We'll go to the next slide.
And the context is why this review.
Well, as we know, the environment that we all depend on for our very own existence and well being is under stress and is deteriorating.
Environmental degradation impacts, yes, ecosystems, of course, but it very much also impacts human health and well being and You're now sitting in extreme heat in a number of locations, and we've seen temperatures go significantly above 50 degrees and in Pakistan and other settings, is the new realities, but it's also impacting our economies and therefore sustainable development.
That impact therefore reaches far beyond just the environmental bubble or sphere, and it has become that broad issue for health, for economic development, for jobs, for food production, yes, for human rights, for peace and security, for migration, and so much more.
And our UN environmental architecture, as we know it, has grown significantly since when UNT was established in 1972 in the Stockholm Conference 54 years ago.
It has become broad, deep, complex, and somewhat fragmented across agencies, funds, and programs, multilateral environmental agencies, and specialized organizations.
So next slide kindly.
What are then the findings? We're going to present four streams of findings.
The first slide here deals with two such streams, and we looked first at the science, governance and two other streams.
Allow me to speak to each stream.
Um, The Package 27 in the science side, we looked at the fact that science is produced on a number of beams.
We know of IPCC, of course.
We know, I think, of IPBES, which is the sister to IPCC but deals with biodiversity and land degradation.
There is a new panel that deals with the science of pollution, waste, and chemicals.
But there is more to that in the UN system.
Our friends in UNESCO, as an example, deals with ocean science, and I could go on.
How can we ensure that the science that rests in different agencies across that touches upon or deals directly with environment is somehow united? That is an area that we have talked a lot about, and there are some specific proposals in this regard.
On governance, um, The abbreviation MEA, that is an abbreviation we use in the environmental space.
It stands for multilateral Environmental Agreements.
There is a multitude of these.
17 such agreements are hosted with UNP, but UNF TAC and UN desertification Convention are also that as are many a series of others, BB&J being a case in point.
These are multilateral agreement in a landscape that is complex and there is a degree of overlap.
A degree of synergy and a degree of gaps across some of these mandates.
The multilateral environmental agreement really have the potential to improve the coherence through stronger coordination, administrative and programmatic synergies, program of work synchronization, and so on.
In addition to that, we also believe on the governance side that UNA, the conference that you have established, the assembly, that is the only universal assembly that deals with a broad span of environmental policy, the assembly of the conveyor belt of which most of the environmental policies and governance that you know of has rolled, but we believe still that it could be realizing its full potential as that universal body by some tweaks to how it operates.
We'll go to the next slide where the other two streams of findings will be presented, and that deals with coordination and implementation.
First on and coordination, on the coordination side, there is the environmental management group, which was established by a UN resolution in 1999, a group that is about 50 agencies, the head of UNEP is the chair of that group.
But that group could also Be increased in terms of its role that it plays.
It could be reporting to UNA or to Uga and to the Secretary-General.
There are a number of opportunities.
It could be using digital and interagency tools.
It could create AI enabled support centers, or it could not create, but it could take information from some of these new ideas that are coming out.
The environmental management group brings together these 50 agencies and works on topics that are topical and relevant.
For example, the issue of plastic pollution.
How can each agency from ICAO and aviation, through agriculture, WFP, and FAO and IFAD through WHO deal with plastic and the elements around plastic pollution.
Taking that common approach across all agencies.
But how can we go the last mile and provide the real technical expertise to agencies as they set about to do that? Some of the key cross cutting findings, therefore, is that the challenge is not about the absence of institutions, but weak alignment amongst them.
And so we feel that there's a real opportunity here to not work in these silos, but to find a way that we can have better MEA governance, better coordination across, and better work to ensure that the duplication and the siloing does not happen.
We'll go to slide seven, please.
So what then this work package 27? What are the recommendations? There are currently ten recommendations, and they fall into under three global goals.
And the next slide, please, slide eight.
So the first goal deals with elevating the environment in the multilateral system.
This goal has four recommendations, each targeting a different dimension.
Recommendation one deals with recognizing that a healthy environment undergirds the UN charter pillars.
There can be environment is a dimension of ensuring peace and security.
Environment is a dimension of human rights.
It is certainly a dimension of sustainable development and each of these, when the environment is collapsing, chances are that there will be conflicts over water, over grazing, or whatever it might be.
Of course, then it is not infrequent that human rights are infringed upon and that development is halted or stunted.
So that's recommendation one.
Recommendation two speaks to UNA as the Universal Environmental convening platform.
This is nothing new, really, it is a role by which UNA was established in the enabling UGA resolution.
So that is as it is.
But Work Package 27 did find that UNA has yet to realize that full potential as that universal body.
Yes, all new treaties in the environmental space has to a degree, as I said, been cooked in UNA or its predecessor, but there is more that UNA could do to ensure a coherent and system wide action and calls, therefore, on member states to consider how UNA can move beyond deliberation to that system wide agenda setting with stronger links to UGA, to Acosto and to the multilateral environmental agreements processes.
The third recommendation in this go under this goal deals with repositioning as science as a shared UN asset.
We would like to seek a more systematic joint production of scientific assets that require across the system and across nexus areas through cooperation and collaboration.
This recommendation also calls for more structured coordination amongst the key scientific and technical bodies and proposes what we call a federated knowledge ecosystem with a more modern user driven repository of environmental science, that is produced by UN entities so that these can be and today with AI and good systems, this should not be impossible.
Of course, for the systematization of UNPs role as well as other science based UN entities in developing environmental standards, benchmarks, and guidelines that promote alignment of other entities programming so that they take the meteorological sciences as it emerges from the WMO and put that to use in programmatic work, that they take the ocean related science that emerges from UNSCO or the science that emerges out of those three panels, IPCC, IPBES and ISP, that it takes the science and is interpreted and those who can best interpret it is, of course, the hosting entities of these relevant science bodies.
And then recommendation four on the elevating the environmental management group, I spoke to that.
The idea is really that it takes a greater profile, and we believe that it is underutilized and we propose a strategic upgrade, better connecting it to other coordination bodies across the UN, as well as to governing bodies such as UNA and or Uga and strengthen the exchanges as are already taking place at each COP process and also have a direct reporting line to the Secretary-General.
We'll go to the next slide nine, and here we're discussing goal B, the strengthened multilateral environmental governance.
This goal really addresses the architecture of the multilateral environmental agreement landscape itself.
How do these agreements relate to each other and can they work more efficiently in tandem? The recommendation five speaks to explore consolidation options where feasible.
Now, I would just put a note to B here.
We're not talking about the big conventions, climate and so on, that should be self evident.
But there are many smaller conventions that nevertheless do important work and consolidation is entirely doable, and we have some good experience already of this from the chemical convention where three conventions came together, and therefore, drawing on the successful experience from the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions, The recommendation explores whether member states might wish to consider opportunities for consolidation, for example, in the biodiversity space.
Where the adoption of the Kunming Montreal Global biodiversity Framework really has created an umbrella for action.
That would be one area that we think member states may wish to explore or that of Mercury, which has a standalone convention which we think could potentially be considered to be drawn into the BRS, the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions.
I will stop here now and hand over to my dear colleague Simon who was speaking to you from Bonn, I believe, for him to take it further.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So, President.
Sorry.
I first wanted to thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program and also underline whoever wants to see UN AD reform right at work should go to the headquarters also with rebuilding and restructuring on the ground while delivering not only on the efficiency targets of UN AD, but also on implementing on the environmental SDGs on the ground.
I would like to use also the opportunity to um Say goodbye to your dear colleague and friend, UP ASG, Liquid Nerona.
It's her last day in office, as we just learned here on the podium.
It's an honor to spend it with you and we wish you all the best for your next chapter of life.
Now I give the floor dear Simon to Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn.
I learned that also in Germany, it's very hot at the moment, so thank you for joining us.
It's sweltering over here.
So thank you, Madam President and thank you, Inga for setting the context to work package 27.
The remaining elements that I will cover focus on improving the effectiveness of the environmental governance system and how we accelerate implementation at scale.
And that is across the UN system through to in country on the ground.
It's built around the general proposition that we're not creating new structures or institutions.
This is about making what already exists work better and how we work together far more coherently.
Um, and it's recognizing that countries are having to navigate increasingly complex and fragmented MEA landscapes.
We have countless agreements and reporting requirements, multiple and overlapping implementation processes, which are all working in parallel.
And the other fundamental principle that we are working to is that all measures that are proposed, Fully, and this is notwithstanding the elevation of UNA, but it's fully respecting the existing governance arrangements and mandates of the different entities that are involved in this.
Recommendation six and seven, therefore focus on strengthening programmatic and administrative synergies across the MEAs.
Starting with recommendation six, it seeks to improve efficiency and reduce programmatic duplication across the MEAs again, fully recognizing member states party driven nature and autonomous decision making arrangements of each MEA.
So some of these programmatic synergies would include integrated or more integrated planning with strengthened coordination and cooperation across MEAs, expanding joint mechanisms, again, speaking to that increased coordination.
And coordinated work programs and across MEA task forces with more harmonized monitoring and reporting.
Recommendation seven covers the operational efficiency gains across UT administered MEAs.
This will speak to institutionalizing across MEA communities of practice for greater peer to peer learning, the streamlining of common functions, for example, registration or where the rules apply, NGO accreditation.
The pooled meeting support with surge capacity, especially looking across many of the international meetings and cops within the MEAs how we can work better support each other in common service areas.
And then considering if and how in country reporting can be simplified or harmonized.
We've done an inventory of reports across the entire environment space, nature, climate, pollution, and there are in excess of 40 different reporting mechanisms which are burdensome on countries and there are some very clear ways in which some of that reporting can be simplified can even be consolidated, again, to reduce that burden on countries, which we're constantly hearing from member states.
If we now move on to slide ten, recommendations eight and nine, here we're focusing on scaling implementation of country commitments through a stronger coordination architecture, better supporting the science policy and implementation areas and bringing greater coherence across all environmental priorities of climate, nature, and pollution.
This is really how we connect the MEAs with practical implementation, bridging the gaps between the multilateral process and what's happening within the real world, what's happening in country on the ground.
This includes the creation of support centers starting with an initial climate pilot support center, and we are working with UN DSA and OTD in how this can be developed.
This is about connecting expertise, knowledge, tools, support, and implementation, partnerships, and the different coordinating mechanisms that align policy making with mandates and then mandates to actual implementation.
Here, with the proposed support centers, there is strong complementarity with the joint Knowledge Hubs under work package seven.
There again, we're working very closely with UNDSA and IntAD in ensuring the synergies between the two are fully optimized and coordinated.
Now to recommendation ten, which speaks to institutionalizing direct engagement with real economy actors.
When we look at private sector engagement with MEAs it's highly fragmented.
The financing that is projected to support all MEAs per year is somewhere in the region of fivellion $7 trillion.
The need for better coherence and clarity as to how MEA decisions and link, that there is a clear link to implementation pathways for investors, for private sector actors and significant opportunities to strengthen that, to ensure that those finance flows, recognizing them all coming from the same pots are effectively and efficiently aligned.
Recommendation ten proposes that that engagement with the private sector, more directly is through four entry points.
The first is UN convene sectoral partnerships.
Some already exist, some need to be built on, more need to be created.
The second is through the various MEA hosted implementation fora, the third, streamline procedures for private sector engagement, better coordination across the UN system in how we engage the private sector.
And then the fourth and final is much earlier government and private sector engagement on MEA implementation plans.
So in a nutshell, this is how do we make the UN system work better as a whole in implementing the MEAs for greater impact on the ground.
Now to the final slide, slide 11.
Um Slide 11 shows that work package 27 is not working in a silo.
There are multiple other work packages, that complement support for work that we are doing within work package 27.
Whether that is the knowledge hubs, expertise on demand, country team configuration, regional resets, these are all part of how we connect the policy mandate pieces to implementation on the ground and we're working closely within each of those work package leads to ensure that those synergies are fully recognized and we are coordinated in terms of what the final presentation will look like.
And so then finally, in terms of our next steps, as Inger outlined, highly collaborative, inclusive with the other 27 entities that have provided significant inputs into the current report.
Um, Inger and myself have presented to our respective member states and parties on where we currently stand.
We presented to the SG chair steering committee and receive feedback there and basically now open to members for further input.
We will go into our final report, which is scheduled to be delivered at the end of this week to the Secretary-General.
There will be one further iteration of that before incorporation into the SG's final report.
At the end of July.
In the meantime, our working group continue to identify the different implementation parts for work package 27 and what the next level of detail will be required in building this out.
I will end my presentation here.
Thank you.
I thank the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
I now open the floor for comments or questions.
This meeting will not have a pre established list of speakers.
Delegations wishing to take the floor are invited to press a microphone button.
Members are requested to limit their interventions to 5 minutes when speaking on behalf of a group and 3 minutes when speaking in a national capacity.
Time limits will be strictly enforced through an automatic microphone cutoff.
A timer will be projected on a screen.
Those speaking on behalf of a group should approach the Secretariat to be given priority in the speaking order.
As a first speaker, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uga on behalf of the group of 77 and China, followed by Palau and the European Union.
Madam President, I have the honor to deliver this intervention on behalf of the group of 77 and China.
The group appreciates the overview provided by the Under Secretary-General for P, Mr.
Gay Rider, on the UNA initiative, as well as the updates received on work packages 14 and 27 by the other panelists.
The group wishes to acknowledge efforts to provide member states with pre briefing materials and relevant reports and reiterates its request to receive them with enough time in advance of these briefings in order to facilitate more substantive exchanges.
At the outset, let me reaffirm the group of 77 and China's continued support for the UNIT initiative as well as its overarching objective of achieving a paradigm shift in how the UN system organizes its work in order to deliver greater impact on the ground for the people we serve.
The group also wishes to reiterate that any reform proposal should not lead to the dilution of development mandates, nor jeopardize longstanding country level work carried out by UN development entities.
Any structural adjustments should respond to clearly identify challenges and respect the operational realities of field presences.
Whenever possible, efficiency gains should be redeployed to development activities in program countries with a view to fulfilling the UT vision of strengthening impact on the ground.
The group of 77 and China sees particular merit in Work package 14 and takes note with appreciation of the pre briefing material entitled UN 80 Unified Service Roadmap.
The group welcomes the efforts undertaken under the leadership of the Secretariat to improve efficiencies and reduce costs through a consistent and evidence based framework aimed at enhancing the delivery of operational services and agrees on the need to free up resources for program and delivery.
The group further takes note of the four areas of ongoing work and acknowledges the finding that no single delivery model fits every services.
Taking into account the different national context and needs.
The group looks forward to receiving the full unified services Roma by 30 June, as well as the outcome report to be submitted by the end of October.
Regarding work package 27, the group takes note of the pre briefing material entitled UNAT Initiative Environment, the ten recommendations contained therein, and the goal of strengthening the UN systems environmental architecture to deliver environmental support more coherently, maximizing country impact and improving effectiveness and efficiency.
The group looks forward to receiving the Secretary-General information brief in August.
The group of 27 and China would appreciate it if you could elaborate on how the proposals or recommendations under this work package would contribute to advance resource mobilization and fundraising in order to support developing countries in their implementation of their national commitments under the diverse multilateral environmental agreements or MEAs.
The group remains firmly committed to engaging in all relevant deliberations actively and constructively with the aim of ensuring that all processes are transparent and inclusive, thereby enabling a more effective, efficient, equitable, and truly representative United Nations system.
If I may just in an additional capacity, I would like to thank also of this presentation, the ideas of reposition environmental science as as UN asset, and also the idea of reducing the burden of reporting to member states on the MAA.
Thank you so much.
And thank the distinguished representative of Oubre on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Palau, on behalf of the Association of Small Island Development States.
Madam President, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, AOS.
At the outset, AOS Thanks, Executive Director of UNP and Executive Secretary of the UNF Triple C for today's briefing on UN AD Work Package 27 on environment.
As AOCs noted during the previous briefing on this workstream, while we recognize the value of enhancing coherence and coordination on environmental issues, we stress that any structural changes to existing arrangements, particularly those with well established mandates and intergovernmental processes must fully respect prior agreements and decisions adopted by their respective governing bodies.
In this regard, proposals emerging from this process must be considered through a member state driven process.
Madam President, allow me to highlight a few reflections on the proposed goals and recommendations.
First, AOS welcomes the aim to elevate the environment in the multilateral system.
Nonetheless, we would welcome further clarification regarding several of the recommendations presented.
While AOS recognizes the value of UNA as a universal convening platform, we emphasize that consideration of UNAs role and functions should remain fully consistent with the mandate established by member states, including through UNEPs Governing Council decision 27 slash two.
In this context, AOS recalls General Assembly Resolution 55 slash 198, which encourages the conference of parties and the Secretariats of the Rio Conventions and other multilateral environmental agreements MEAs and UNEP, including through the involvement of the environmental management group, to continue enhancing complementarities among them.
Importantly, such efforts must fully respect the status of the Secretariat of the conventions and the decision making prerogatives of the respective conference of parties.
As such, AOS request further details on the Environmental Management Group 2.0, specifically how this differs from the coordination functions already mandated to the EMG.
Second, on strengthening multilateral environmental governance, AOC recognizes the potential benefits of enhanced cooperation among MEAs where this can facilitate implementation and reduce burdens on parties, particularly SIDS.
However, we recall that each MEA operates under distinct legal, institutional, and governance arrangements.
They do not all share the same Secretariat structures, administrative frameworks, and reporting requirements.
Therefore, AOC stresses that any consideration of consolidation or enhanced synergies must be fully member state driven and respect autonomy, mandates, governance arrangements, and decision making prerogatives of the governing bodies concerned.
We would appreciate further clarifications regarding the recommendations relating to consolidating options, programmatic synergies, administrative synergies, and harmonized reporting, including how they would operate in a manner that fully respects the distinct institutional arrangements of the various MEAs without altering treaty specific arrangements.
Third, on scaling implementation of contract commitments and priorities, AOS welcomes to focus on strengthening implementation support.
For CTS, the principal challenge is not a lack of commitments, but rather the persistent constraints related to finance, capacity building, technology transfer, and technical support.
As such, we hope to see recommendations that address these particular challenges.
In this context regarding recommendation eight, what gap is the proposed coordination architecture intended to fill that is not already addressed by the EMG and how is it related to the proposed EMG 2.0? Further, if this coordination architecture is intended to coordinate implementation across MEAs, then further clarification will be needed regarding its governance arrangements, especially considering the existing authority of individual MEAs within their respective governing bodies.
We are also keen to learn more on the proposed creation of AI enabled support centers.
Specifically, how does the proposed climate Support Center relates to and avoids duplication with technology mechanism under the UF AC, in particular, the Climate Technology Center and Network.
For AOCs, it is important that we avoid the creation of parallel or over complicated structures that duplicate existing functions or arrangements on various MEAs.
Any new tools should build on and strengthen existing mechanisms, remain party driven and support rather than fragment the implementation support architecture.
Lastly, on the next steps, AOS would appreciate further clarity on the timelines for and modalities for decision making on each recommendation as well as appropriate decision making mechanism.
We look forward to receiving in greater detail more concrete information regarding these recommendations contained in this work package.
I thank the distinguished representative of Palau, on behalf of the Association of Small Island Development States.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union on behalf of the EU and its member states, followed by Solomon Islands.
Thank you, Madam President, Distinguished colleagues.
I delivered a statement on behalf of the EU and its member states, the candidate countries, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
We thank all briefs for your updates, and we are very grateful for your efforts to bring about a more effective, cohesive, resource efficient, and above all, impactful United Nations.
Today's session underscores a fundamental truth about the UNAD process.
Our success hinges on our ability to work together across work packages, programmatic teams, and UN entities.
Work Package 27 on the environment is a clear example of this, a cross cutting team that touches on all of the UN three pillars, bringing together up to 29 entities, working on issues ranging from sustainable growth and health to peace and security.
This work package thus offers a unique opportunity to strengthen coordination across UN entities and bring coherence to implementation.
Similarly, Work package 14 has the potential to be a game changer for the UN's delivery on the ground.
If implemented at scale, this initiative will allow organizations to redirect scarce resources from administration to program delivery, an important outcome of the UN reform.
First, the EU fully supports the Secretary-General ambitions on the Unified Services Roadmap, Work Package 14.
The UN system should continue to leverage existing centers of excellence and mature service providers to deliver at scale for the benefit of multiple entities.
In this regard, we commend WFP and UNICEF's leadership in developing integrated and shared supply chains on common logistics arrangements and pull back office functions.
We encourage all agencies to continue these efforts at global and country level, as well as to scale up where pilots demonstrate clear gains and enhanced impacts.
Second, on the environment work package, the EU commends efforts to strengthen multilateral environmental governance and acknowledges the ten recommendations based on a thorough assessment led by UNEP and UNFCCC.
We reiterate that the environment represents a system wide priority that should be adequately reflected across the UN three pillars.
Accordingly, the reform should result in a more effective, coherent, and better coordinated multilateral environmental architecture that enhances the UN's impact on the ground while remaining consistent with existing mandates.
The EU recognizes that this is not a simple task.
We are especially supportive of a stronger nexus between science, policy, and operational delivery, as well as a strengthened UN environment assembly.
We underline that we should build upon existing mandates and structures, not add new institutional layers to the system.
On recommendation eight, the EU reaffirms that reform must be led by legal feasibility, governance implications, cost efficiency and effectiveness.
Could you maybe clarify the next steps in the process, including when and how the member states will be informed and consulted about concrete proposals here? Madam President, taken together, these work packages represent a shift from institution specific optimiation to system wide optimation.
The Unified Services roadmap invites us to measure success by how effectively the UN system delivers services collectively.
The work package on the environment represents a systemic opportunity to maximize impact on a key cross cutting issue through increased coordination and specialization.
Alignment and collaboration across work packages is indeed called for in the UNA process.
The EU reiterates its steadfast commitment to the success of this reform.
As always, we are eager to hear from you on the role that member states can play to accelerate implementation and make sure that UN AD delivers on its promises in line with the UN charter.
I thank you.
I thank the Distinguished representative of the European Union on behalf of the EU and its member states.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Solomon Islands on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum, followed by the first speakers in national capacity, Japan and the Russian Federation.
Madam President, I'm honored to speak on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum members.
We thank the Secretariat for today's briefing and welcome the opportunity to consider the Unified Services roadmap and environment work packages.
These areas, while less explored to date, holds significant potential to strengthen how the United Nations delivers on the ground.
For Pacific Island foreign member countries, the effectiveness of the UN system is measured by how accessible, responsive, and relevant it is on the ground.
These reforms are therefore not technical, they directly affect our ability to engage the system and deliver for our people.
On the United Services roadmap, we welcome a more integrated system wide approach to operational services.
Consolidating back office functions, expanding shared services, and developing one stop access points can reduce fragmentation and make the system easier for small states to navigate.
Simplifying administrative processes will help address capacity constraints, particularly for small countries engaging in multiple UN entities.
A more coordinated approach can lower transaction costs, improve access to expertise, and enable governments to focus limited resources on implementation and results.
We see particular value in scaling common back offices, expanding system wide service hubs, and tailoring country level configurations to context.
For Pacific Island countries, accessible and integrated service delivery supported by regional and sub regional arrangements can significantly enhance reach and effectiveness.
At the same time, implementation must remain grounded in evidence and accountability.
Clear performance metrics, transparent reporting and demonstrative efficiency gains will be essential to ensure reforms deliver tangible benefits.
Efficiencies should translate into stronger, more responsive support at the country level.
Turning to the environment work package, forum members welcome the Secretary-General assessments of the current architecture and the consideration of potential reforms.
For the Pacific, the environment is central to our security, livelihoods, and future.
Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and ocean health are existential challenges.
Strengthen the coherence, coordination, and effectiveness of the UN's environmental work is therefore critical.
We support efforts to address fragmentation across mandates and institutions and to improve how countries access environmental expertise and funding.
More integrated one stop shop approaches could make it easier for pacific countries to engage the system and access support.
At the same time, reforms must preserve and strengthen critical normative policy and technical functions, including at the country and sub regional levels.
For the specific proximity matters, support must be accessible, context specific, and flexible to respond to local needs.
We would welcome further information on the proposed reforms, including how they would strengthen system wide environmental governance and link global process with national implementation.
We also encourage the UN to work with our regional organizations in the Pacific and support regional coordination.
Greater clarity will support informed intergovernmental consideration.
Madam President, Pacific Island Forum members remain committed to ensure that these reforms deliver a UN system that is simpler to engage, better coordinated, and capable of meaningful impact, particularly for small island developing states and those most vulnerable.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Palau on behalf of the Solomon Islands on behalf of the Pacific Island Forum.
I now give the floor to distinguished representative of Japan.
Thank you, Madam President.
At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation for the informative briefings by the distinguished briefers today.
In the face of masity difficulties, we must discuss how we can make the UN more efficient and effective by eliminating duplications, fostering closer collaboration among the entire UN system by preventing cos.
Ultimately, the organization must function as one UN to address complex global challenges more efficiently.
In this context regarding Work package 14, the unified Services roadmap, Japan particularly expresses its strong support for the integration of UN system wide operational services.
We hope this initiative will mitigate fragmentation across entities, thereby enhancing over our management and promoting greater efficiency.
We believe delivery of assistance on the ground should not be affected, but we welcome reduction of duplication in procurement and administration, which enables reallocation throughout its core missions.
We recognize this as a crucial technical reform that Secretariat is well positioned to proactively undertake.
Japan looks forward to receiving the roadmap tomorrow and also receiving updates on the progress and anticipated outcomes in due course.
Japan acknowledges ongoing efforts on work package 27 regarding the environment.
Our expectation is that any new initiative will help to maximize the efficiency of the delivery of environmental support by including greater system wide coordination, coherence, and science based effectiveness, as well as programmatic synergies.
In that context, we'd appreciate a further clarification regarding the proposed one stop shops under the recommendation nine.
For example, expertise on demand in the context of regional research is designed to address the needs of member states.
Also, there are existing support mechanisms such as regional collaboration centers provided by the UNF WPC Secretariat, and related entities.
We'd like to ask how the proposed one stop shops will differentiate itself from these other mechanisms.
Japan stands ready to engage constructively and appreciates continued transparency to assess proposed reform initiatives.
I thank you, Madam President.
I thank the Distinguished Representative of Japan.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, followed by Australia and Kazakhstan.
Distinguished Madam President, we would like to thank you and the representatives of the Secretariat for this briefing.
As regards the Unified Services roadmap work package, we note that improving the effectiveness of the administrative processes is an important objective.
Nonetheless, Any change to the organization of service provision, including humanitarian provision should be carried out while maintaining full accountability with member states and the respective mandates from different UN system organizations and based on intergovernmental considerations.
We're looking forward to the publication of the full text regarding the roadmap, including information about proposed implementation management and accountability mechanisms and its consideration by member states.
As regards the proposals on the multilateral environmental agencies as part of the UN, we agree with the Secretariat regarding the comprehensive and multi step nature of its architecture.
This system is the outcome of decades of intergovernmental negotiations and reflects the complex balance of interest between different states.
In this context, the key condition for further progress in this area is compliance with the relevant mandates of existing international legal mechanisms with the central role played by the Rio Convention.
We believe that UNA should not replace the existing system, but rather it is an important addition to it.
However, decision making functions should remain with the highest level bodies of the various environmental agreements.
At the same time, we underscore that recommendation one goes beyond the purview of the thematical scope and does not pertain to issues of international peace and security.
We also believe recommendation three to be unjustified regarding the repositioning of the environmental science structure and also recommendation ten.
We seek to be cautious about that because representatives of the real economy should or rather engagement with that should occur with respect to the intergovernmental nature of the UN and member states should maintain the primary responsibility for upholding international obligations.
We would also like to support what was said by Palau on behalf of Oasis and what was said by the Solomon Island, namely, that we would like to get information, please as to how the intergovernmental format is going to discuss and approve the proposals submitted today.
This information is not sufficient, I thank you.
I thank the Distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Australia on behalf of Kent.
Thank you, President, and thank you for all our briefs today.
It's been a very, very useful session.
As mentioned, I speak on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
It's clear from today's discussion that the two packages we're talking about, 14 and 27 holds significant potential to strengthen efficiency, coherence and impact across the UN system.
Each reflects the breadth of the UN effort and points in different ways to the same underlying need, which is that we need to create a UN system that is better aligned and more coherent across its structures as well as more effective in supporting delivery at country level in an increasingly constrained and demanding environment.
I make five key points today.
First, on the USR, CAS welcomes the establishment of one system wide framework.
Putting existing efficiency efforts under one structure is an important step towards delivering services in a more streamlined way, particularly for those most in need.
We support tailoring service delivery to context and linking global efficiencies to more integrated country level delivery through common back offices.
Second, we stress the importance of keeping up momentum and moving to full implementation so that the entire system can realize these benefits.
We encourage wider use of the UN System Services Hub as a single access point for operational services, expanding common back offices beyond the current pilot countries and scaling up global shared services beyond the initial priority areas.
I think the UNP presentation today was a very helpful example of that.
Third, CAS underscores that implementation must stay grounded in evidence and accountability and be flexible and context specific.
Decisions should be based on robust cost benefit analysis and clear performance metrics.
Monitoring, supported by transparent, accessible reporting and dashboards will be essential to track progress, build confidence, and assure that efficiency gains lead to real improvements in service delivery and responsiveness.
Fourth, on the environment work package, CAS welcomes the Secretary-General review of current arrangements and proposals for strengthened coherence and structural change.
We agree that environmental action is central to development, peace and security, and environmental science as a shared UN asset key to informed action.
We encourage efforts to streamline overlapping mandates, strengthen coordination across institutions, and better connect global policy, regional platforms, and country level delivery.
Organizing and accessing support in a more integrated way will be key to helping member states navigate the system, get timely expertise, and build the capacity they need to deliver on environmental commitments.
More coherent coordination models and one stop shop approaches can simplify access, close gaps between global processes and national implementation, and better match support with country priorities.
Fifth, we would welcome more information from the Secretary-General in a timely manner on the recommended reforms.
For example, we see potential in enabling UNA to fully play its role as the UN's system's universal convening platform for coherent system wide environmental action, and we'll welcome further clarity on the specific reforms proposed.
This will help support informed discussion among member states and let them assess how best we take reforms forward through existing processes.
President Cans remains committed to working constructively on these important reforms.
Thank you so much.
I thank the Distinguished Representative of Australia on behalf of Kens.
I now give the floor to the Distinguish representative of Kazakhstan, followed by Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.
Thank you, Madam President.
At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretariat for organizing this important briefing.
I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to the co chairs of Work Package 27 for their substantive and useful briefings.
Kastan welcomes this timely discussion on how to make UN environmental architecture more coherent, effective, and better equipped to support member states.
We particularly value the focus on possible structural changes and program realignments on environmental issues.
The briefing demonstrates that environmental challenges are no longer separate or sectoral.
They are directly linked to sustainable development, economic resilience, Human security and peace.
We also share the assessment that the current institutional landscape remains complex with overlaps, gaps, fragmented mandates, and uneven links between global coordination, regional platforms, and country level delivery.
In this broader context, Kayah believes that the global water agenda deserves particular attention.
I'm sure it resonates with many delegations here today that water is one of the most pressing environmental and developmental challenges of our time that urgently needs more effective and better coordinated water resources management at the global level.
Just imagine that water related mandates within the UN system remain dispersed across 36 UN entities and 54 programs and funds.
UN water plays an important coordination role.
However, the scale of today's challenges requires this mechanism to be further strengthened.
We need to reduce duplication, strengthen coordination across the UN system, improve institutional effectiveness, and elevate water to the level of political priority it urgently deserves.
This approach is also supported by the UN systems SDG six Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026.
It recommends considering the evolution of the UN Water Secretariat into a more formalized coordination body.
Against this background, we respectfully invite the co chairs of Work package 27 to consider reflecting the water dimension in the final proposals under this track.
Understand that any institutional solution will require time, careful consultations, and broad support among member states.
However, Work package 27 offers a useful opportunity to acknowledge the strategic importance of water governance and to create a platform for its further consideration.
In our the world agenda could become one of the important issues in the next phase of UN reform, including as part of the agenda for the next Secretary-General.
Strengthening the Uwa architecture could contribute to conflict prevention, accelerate the achievement of SDG six by 2030 and support sustainable development.
I thank the distinguished representative of Kazakhstan.
I now give the floor to the distinguish representative of Saudi Arabia.
Thank you, Madam President.
We express our appreciation to the BFRs and Secretariat for their work.
We would like to underscore that the current environmental architect has evolved over decades of negotiations and reflects carefully negotiated mandates, obligations, and principles tailored to different issue areas and contexts.
Diversity across processes does not necessarily indicate fragmentation.
In many cases, it reflects specialization and responsiveness to distinct challenges.
With regard to recommendations, we will share brief reflections and submit our detailed analysis via email.
On recommendation one, We should refrain from reframing environmental issues through lenses that alter or expand the established foundations, particularly those enshrined in the Rio Declaration.
On recommendation two, we believe UN EA is meeting its potential, and we do not see that expanding its role to coordinate action across the system would lead to better outcomes.
Certain topics such as climate change have their own regime which should be preserved.
On recommendation five, we believe any consolidation should be approached with caution and only be guided by parties to the relevant agreements.
On recommendation eight, we underline that diversity of environmental action or policy must strictly remain nationally determined.
On recommendation nine, given ongoing discussions on AI governance, we think it is immature to integrate such tools.
Finally, in recommendation ten, engaging stakeholders must remain in line with the existing arrangement.
We express reservation about any approach implying that implementation is primarily dependent on private capital.
This recommendation appears to assume a role that it doesn't hold as these matters remain within the mandate of each agreement and the relevant UN processes.
Finally, we remain committed to engaging constructively, and we believe that the UNAT initiative should remain focused on its defined mandate rather than advancing recommendations that risk increasing complexity and delaying action, particularly where decisions on such matters rest with the parties to the I thank the distinguished Representative of Saudi Arabia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe, followed by Latvia and Sweden.
Thank you, Madam President.
Zimbabwe reiterates its gratitude for the convening of these meetings, which provides us with an opportunity to be apprised on the implementation of Workstream three.
We also thank the briefs for their updates.
My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the g77 in China and we share the following reflections in our national capacity.
We note the recognition that the one size fits all approach does not promote efficiency, and impactful mandate delivery can be better realized through the deployment of a differentiated architecture for operational services.
As a unified services roadway is set to be shared, our interest will be in tracking the operationalization of the system services app, the implementation of the global shared services in the five identified areas, as well as the progress on the self start approach to the development of the common back offices.
The assessments under Work Package 27 point to fragmentation, siloed approach and overlaps compounded by limited delivery and uneven information access.
Predictable structured programming at country level aligned with country priorities and supported by systematic cooperation at global level will be vital in advancing the environmental agenda in a coordinated manner.
Our questions to the briefers are, how does the UNFC TAC intend to align its climate related support with the proposed coordination structure, specifically the AI enabled Climate Support Center to ensure that African countries receive streamlined, demand driven implementation support that reduces duplication and strengthens national capacity? And second, what concrete steps will UNP take to operationalize a stronger UNEA, particularly in improving science access, harmonizing the reporting frameworks of multilateral environmental agreements, and ensuring that regional and country level delivery becomes more coherent less fragmented and better aligned with national priorities.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Latvia.
Thank you, Madam President.
Distinguished briefs, distinguished colleagues, we align with the EU statement and would like to add a few brief remarks in our national capacity.
Allow me to begin by confirming the full support of Latvia to the ongoing UNA reform process.
We strongly believe in this singular opportunity to meaningfully strengthen the organization, making it more agile and more resilient.
The UN must be fit for purpose in the face of both long standing and as well as new and emerging issues.
We have already seen important savings and optimization across the organization, as well as important progress on mandates.
Successful steps in the reform process breed enthusiasm for more advances, and these in turn generate even more success in reforming the organization.
The Unified Services roadmap is a prime example of seemingly simple yet crucial reforms that promise direct and valuable impact on our operations.
Bringing together the various operational efforts of the UN system under a single common architecture creates complementarity, predictability, efficiency, and most importantly, accountability and transparency.
We welcome the considerable progress achieved so far through the Global shared Services and Common Back offices Initiative, among others, and we look forward to receiving the full unified Services roadmap.
Environmental challenges such as triple planetary crisis demand a coordinated and coherent approach.
We welcome the ongoing efforts under this reform package to coordinate our work on the environment and streamline our efforts at a system wide level in order to deliver the necessary impact.
Our other efforts that we have discussed previously, such as expertise on demand, the reconfiguration of UN country teams and establishing joint knowledge hubs are equally important.
Examples of streamlining and system wide coherence, not just for the sake of organizational aesthetics, but in order to deliver more for the most vulnerable on the ground around the globe.
We look forward to more information on both of these reform packages as well as others and on the overall process as we come closer to the next GA session.
We need to take advantage of the current momentum and deliver worthwhile, impactful reforms as soon as possible.
But we must also ensure that the work on the ground and the important mandates governing our efforts do not suffer in the process.
As cliched as it sounds, we must in fact avoid reform just for the reforms sake and do more with less.
Finally, let me once more thank the Secretariat for their continued efforts and encourage all states and encourage all states to engage constructively and actively in the UNIT process across the three workstreams in order to deliver UN that can continue to address the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Latvia.
I now give the floor to the distinguish representative of Sweden, followed by Brazil and Libya.
Madam President, Excellency, analyzed itself with the statement made by the EU on behalf of its member states.
I'd like to add the following in national capacity regarding Work package 14.
We welcome the Unified Service roadmap as an important step towards a more coherent, evidence based, and accountable approach to operational efficiency across the UN system.
Bringing together the far reaching efficiency initiatives, global shared services, common back offices, and the new Humanitarian Compact under one framework is a positive.
We also welcome the Secretary-General recently reported efficiency gains of $981.1 million in 2025.
These efforts help safeguard funding and management attention for programmatic activities, particularly in the current financial context.
While efficiency gains cannot compensate for declining resources, they are essential to safeguard pragmatic activities and strengthen effectiveness.
They also demonstrate the UN system's ability to work together, build confidence that the UN can collaborate across entities, reduce fragmentation, and deliver more coherently at country level.
At the same time, there is much more potential at country, regional and global levels.
Common back offices are still implemented in only a limited number of countries.
This shows that such arrangements are possible and scalable.
We welcome the self start approach, but faster uptake will require senior management attention to barriers to implementation.
From our embassies, we understand that constraints relate to a headquarter level regulations and procedures, including different procurement rules and limited delegation between entities.
Even resident coordinator offices may face restrictions in making use of common back office arrangements.
This raises an important question for member states.
What concrete decisions are needed and in which governance fora to remove these bottlenecks? We encourage more active pursuit of co location at country and regional levels, particularly as entities relocate staff to more cost efficient dutiations.
This can strengthen coordination and generate economies of scale.
We support the roadmaps ambition and look forward to clear recommendations on changes needed to accelerate implementation.
These reforms are key to enabling the UN to deliver more effectively also on its normative mandates in line with the UN charter and across the UN's three pillars.
Thank you.
I thank the Distinguish Representative of Sweden.
I now give the floor to the distinguish representative of Brazil.
Thank you, Madam President.
My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of g77 and would like to make the following observations in our national capacity.
We would like to thank the Secretariat, especially Under Secretariat Guy Ryder for the briefing on the measures be undertaking and the challenges involved in improving coordination across the United Nations systems, especially on environmental issues.
We believe this area deserves a particular attention as the fragmentation of initiatives and activities ultimately diminishes their overall effectiveness and impact.
My delegation stands ready to work closely with the Secretariat on the proposals presented today which provide a solid basis for further discussion.
With regard specifically to climate issues, we should seek even bolder moves.
President Lula has consistently underscored the need to explore the establishment of a climate council as a permanent board body responsible in particular for advance and implementation of decisions adopted by the UN system, including the COPs of the UNF triple Cs.
It would not substitute other agencies or processes, but only connected the various ones.
Brazil believes that a body of this nature could lend greater continuity, institutional permanence to the international climate agenda while helping to accelerate the implementation of mitigation adaptation and other climate related measures.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
I thank the Distinguished Representative of Brazil.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Libya, followed by Switzerland and Surina.
Thank you, Madam President and thanks to you and colleagues for their briefings.
Very useful.
I have two comments and questions maybe on the process.
First of all, the presentations were beneficial, but I think we need more time to review.
We appreciate getting these things in advance, but we see potential of the way forward and we thank the teams for all what they have been providing.
My first part will be for you, Mr.
Ryder, in terms of the mandate overlaps.
I just wish to know if you can share with us, how did you manage to extract the information from those various resolutions in order to be able to have tangible points in terms of those mandates and the overlaps happening, knowing that the text is sometimes not clear and cross cutting issues show up there and it's hard sometimes to verify those overlaps.
So it will be interesting to know your methodology in that.
That being said, I was wondering maybe that this is the time and this was an idea that I presented before, but why not to have a proper template or questionnaire online system for member states when entering resolutions or presenting draft resolutions, to be able to introduce specific fields in their process in order to be able in the future for you to analyze easily and for us to be able to get data that is really tangible for further review and study.
It is very hard now, I'm sure, to do so, and I think this is something beneficial.
The same line, was there any attempt or is there any attempt to do this same study and useful study in terms of mandate overlaps, but to look into UN agencies programs and projects overlaps and to see how we can have also graphs with as useful as the ones you presented to see such overlap, especially when it comes to core budget funding for those projects.
Because this is another thing.
We do talk about overlaps, but I don't think we have clear data to show exactly how much we're spending and these various outcomes.
The other part in my question or maybe observation, miss Catherine, it was very useful also to hear from you the various attempts to try to address the operation side quickly.
Is there any attempt to have a unified portal or system for UN agencies to be working on the same platform when it comes to HR, finance, procurement and program issues.
Today, we're wasting a lot of money on this matter because there's so many tools out there, but we're not unified in our platforms.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Libya.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland.
Madam President.
Madam President, thank you for this briefing on areas that will help us to increase efficiencies and thank you for the information on the new platform for transcriptions.
Allow me to address the following points.
Firstly, with regard to the roadmap and unified services, Switzerland welcomes the primary role given to WHO and US in developing the shared supply chains, the common logistics network, and we encourage you to continue these efforts, particularly by supporting the resident, humanitarian coordinators that are able to strengthen the system.
Switzerland would like to see more of these kinds of partnerships, particularly with regard to interoperability of data along the lines of efforts underway, such as the UN data comments and joint knowledge hubs so that decisions can be taken on data.
With regard to administrative services, um, this is one of the most promising things to prevent overlapping and to bring about a economies of scale in Geneva, this means that we can increase cooperation and produce reliable indicators, thus strengthening transparency and knowing what resources are available, clearly mapped out within the UN.
Secondly, on the environment, Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to a UN system that is adapted to current and future needs.
Environmental governance must be strengthened and within the existing clusters, there needs to be a better coordination where relevant.
Then The existing clusters, chemical waste and pollution, for example, those clusters are essential.
The Basel Convention, Stockholm conventions, and the biodiversity convention and the Burn process should be reproduced in this cluster.
With regard to recommendation three, the main political deficiency is not the lack of policy, but it's fragmentation.
We need to better connect existing capacities rather than creating new structures.
Any reform must be based on an independent evaluation and based on evidence with member states being informed upstream.
Coordination must be strengthened.
Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to participate constructively in the UN 80 reform process.
Thank you.
Thank you very much of Switzerland.
I now give the floor to the Distinguished representative of Serina, followed by Argentina and China.
Thank you, Madam President.
I thank the Secretariat for the updates on the United Nations AT Initiative, including the overall overview, the Unified Services road map on the Work Package 14, and the Environment Work Package 27.
Sami supports efforts to ensure that the United Nations remains fit for purpose, a visions, and responsive to member states.
As a small developing country with vast natural resources and a strong commitment to multilateralism, we see the United Nations 80 Initiative as an important opportunity to strengthen the organization while upholding its core principles.
On the Unified Services roadmap, we recognize the value of streamlining administrative and support services.
Greater efficiency, transparency, and cost effectiveness are goals we share.
At the same time, reforms must remain inclusive and responsive to diverse realities of member states, especially developing countries.
On the environment work package, CNM welcomes the focus on sustainability.
As one of the most forested countries in the world and a carbon negative nation, we attach great importance to environmental stewardship.
Sustainability measures should be ambitious, practical, and supportive of program delivery.
Madam President, across all pillars of the United Nations initiative, we stress the importance of transparency, regular consultation with member states, and equitable geographical representation.
Reform must be guided by data and by the experiences of counts on the ground.
We look forward to continued engagement and remain committed to constructive dialogue to ensure that the United Nations emerges stronger, more efficient, and better equipped to serve all.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Suriname.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Argentina, followed by China and Tajikistan.
Argentina, sorry.
Thank you very much, President.
Argentina believes in an efficient, pragmatic, and responsible multilateralism that respects the sovereignty of states, manages its resources responsibly, is accountable, and concentrates its energy on concrete mandates.
In this regard, we have been accompanying and supporting the UN AT initiative.
The organization must regain focus.
It must review overlapping mandates, redundant structures, goals that are rescheduled without results, and agendas disconnected from reality.
President, we thank you for the reports presented.
We encourage the Secretariat to continue progress within its prerogatives with clear, pragmatic, and efficient goals.
We take note of the progress of the work on work package 14 on unified services.
We encourage continuing to implement mechanisms for greater efficiency, effectiveness, and coherence in the management of the organization.
With regard to Work Package 27 on the environment, we would call for political caution.
The proposals under this work package should be aimed at generating greater administrative efficiencies and synergies.
As well as to facilitate access to means of implementation for countries.
On the other hand, we should not reopen debates of a political nature on environmental governance as seems to be suggested in goal A of the report received, nor is it the Secretariat role to put forward political proposals, such as mainstreaming the environmental agenda across the three pillars of the charters work, as mentioned in recommendation one of goal A of the report.
President, we must respect the very legal nature of environmental governance as already established through the various multilateral environmental agreements, duly negotiated and agreed by states.
In closing, President, we reiterate our support and accompaniment for the UAT initiative.
Once again, we'd like to thank you for organizing this meeting and for the presentation of the briefings.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Argentina.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of China, followed by Taikistan.
Wan.
President, thank you for convening to this meeting.
I also thank the briefers for their briefings.
China aligns itself with the statement by Uruguay on behalf of G 77 and China.
Over the past year, the Secretary-General, the Secretariat, and the broader UN membership have continued to advance the UN A reform, achieving important milestones at the same time as the reform process deepens with solid progress.
The tasks are now increasingly complex and daunting.
We look forward to all parties making sustained efforts with a firm conviction to continue advancing the reform in an inclusive, transparent and constructive manner so as to achieve positive results regarding the unified Services roadmap.
China supports the Secretariat in advancing its implementation.
As an innovative service delivery model introduced by the Secretariat under the UN AD framework, the roadmap will help strengthen interagency coordination, avoid duplication, save financial resources, leverage complementarity, and ensure the effective, efficient, and accountable implementation of mandates.
It should be stressed that the roadmap implementation should be tailored to specific circumstances with due respect for the mandates and operational requirements of different entities.
Service delivery models should be designed based on actual needs rather than a one size fits all approach.
We call on the Secretariat to continue in depth study and broad consultations on institutional reform so as to enable all UN entities to fully discharge their respective functions with better efficiency and results.
Chin looks forward to the issuance of the complete road map by the end of June and the outcome report in October so as to keep member states up to speed regarding reform in the environmental field as the global environmental challenges become increasingly severe.
China has recognized the need for comprehensive assessment of the UN's current work in this area with a view to enhancing coordination and reducing duplication and fragmentation.
China has taken note of the ten recommendations by the Secretariat and hopes that further information will be provided on the assessment.
Criteria and the proposed next steps to facilitate consideration and discussion by member states.
China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties to advance reform in a direction that serves the long term development of the UN and the common interests of the member states.
Thank you, President.
I thank the distinguished representative of China.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tajikistan, followed by Colombia and Republic of Korea.
President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we welcome work Package 27 of the UN A Initiative for Tajikhsan, the environmental pillar is not a technical add on.
It is the foundation of our development, our security, and our future.
As a mountainous land of developing countries hosts the majority of Central Asia glaciers, our people live every day with the realities of climate change, melting ice and increasing water stress.
The rate of our glaciers directly shape the livelihood, food security, and energy prospects of millions in our wider region.
In this context, Tajikhtan supports efforts to improve coherence among multilateral environmental agreements and to reduce fragmentation in the UN's environmental work.
We see clear value in strengthening pragmatic synergies and in improving administrative efficiency provided that the legal integrity and hard won achievement of existing agreements are fully respected.
Efficiency must serve ambitions and equity, not replace them.
At the same time, as World Package 27 move into decision on consolidation options and administrative streamlining, Tajikhstan wished to in the last three points.
First, any explanation of consolidation must be inclusive and gradual structural change should not weaken the ability of smaller, landlocked and vulnerable countries to participate meaningfully in environmental decision making.
Our experience showed that process become faster but more complex, with limited capacity is being left behind.
A second pragmatic synergy across means need to translate into stronger support on the ground for Tajikstans that means greater attention to high mountains regions, glaciers, and transboundary water system and better alignment between climate, biodiversity, and desertification agendas with the development financing and technology transfer.
Third, administrative synergy must be designed with the participation in mind.
Digital tools and common services can reduce costs, but they should also expand, not restrict the access of delegation that do not have a large permanent presence in key duty station.
Tajikistan stands ready to engage constructively with all partners on Board Package 27.
We believe that if built on inclusion, solidarity, and scientific evidence, these reforms can help the UN deliver more coherent and impactful support to member states facing environmental and climate crisis.
We will look carefully at the Secretary-General forthcoming proposals, and we hope that they will reflect the concern and priorities of the countries like ours.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Tajikistan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of Colombia.
Or President, distinguished briefers Excellency, colleagues.
Colombia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G 77 in China, and we're very grateful for the information presented today.
The challenges facing the planet, including the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity, the degradation of ecosystems, and pollution Are profoundly interconnected given their nature.
This is why what is needed is a multilateral response that is robust and based on the best science available, as well as international cooperation and better links between the various institutions, programs and existing agreements.
Colombia takes note of work package number 17, particularly the complexity of the multilateral environmental agreements and the possible overlappings between mandates and initiatives within the United Nations system and the difficulties faced by countries in getting access to scientific and technical support in implementation.
Colombia believes that this process should contribute not only to improving the efficiency of the system, but mainly to strengthen its capacity to achieve concrete results in countries, particularly developing countries.
That means we need to have better access to technical cooperation, capacity building, and implementation that is adapted to national needs.
Along the same lines, Colombia would highlight the need to strengthen synergies and cooperation between the Climate Change Framework Convention and the Biological Diversity Convention and the United Nations Convention Against Desertification.
All of these address similar challenges.
Finally, Colombia would stress that any process to strengthen the international environmental architecture should preserve the leadership of member states and guarantee processes that are inclusive and transparent and that fully respect the main mandates and specific principles and governance rules covered in the various environmental agreements.
We also recognize the potential of strengthening the UN Assembly for the environment as a platform for environmental global coordination, as well as help us to improve relations between various aspects of the UN system.
This should lead to more effective support so that countries are able to meet their environmental obligations.
Finally, Colombia would highlight the importance of ensuring the significant participation of indigenous peoples, those of African descent, local communities, and other key actors that play a key role in the protection of nature.
Their knowledge, experience, and contributions should continue to be recognized.
Thank you very much.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Colombia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of Korea, followed by Ireland and Mexico, Republic of Korea.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
We'd like to begin by expressing our appreciation for the briefings and for the continued efforts to advance the UN Aid initiative.
At a time when the entire UN system is facing significant financing constraints, we support efforts to consolidate administrative support services with a view to enhancing the organization's efficiency, effectiveness, and coherence.
In this regard, we would like to reiterate that the patient's gain must be measurable, appable and sustainable.
We would therefore appreciate further clarification on how the patient's effected from the roadmap will be measured, validated and deported in due course.
We welcome the fact that the road map takes an evidence based and differentiated approach.
We note that the progress has already been made in several areas, including joint ICT procurement and AI enabled language services.
You would also welcome the ongoing efforts within the Secretariat, such as the establishment of common administrative platforms and payroll consolidation and request further clarification on their relationship with the roadmap.
You'd also be interested in hearing more about the long term implication of these efficiency measures from a human resource management perspective, including the effects on step productivity.
Turning to the Environment Wad package, we welcome the proposal to make a better use of the potential of the United Nations Environment Assembly as the universal body of environment matters.
This can help address the limitation of the fragmented international environment governance system.
We hope that the UN EA will further develop into a central platform where issues such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution, and circular economy can be discussed in a more integrated manner.
At the same time, these efforts should translate into more effective and efficient support for countries, particularly developing countries in implementing their environment goals and obligations.
This context, we think the proposal to establish AI enabled support centers to assist member state is worth further exploration.
You would appreciate additional information on how these support centers would avoid duplication with existing support mechanisms.
I thank the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland.
Thank you, President, and thank you to all of our briefers for the very useful input here this morning.
As reminded by Under Secretary Guy Rr, this is our sixth briefing.
I think our first one was at a time of extreme cold and snow and now that we're at the heat, it shows that we've stuck through this throughout the seasons and so well done to everyone for that.
You also reminded us, undersecretary, that now is the decisive phase and that's to be welcomed because the bringing together of all of the work packages and bringing about coherent impacts on the ground is more important now than ever.
Really appreciate the push that's going on across the board in terms of making these reforms a reality.
I want to leave time for the feedback, but one question we had, by the way, we align with the statements of the European Union.
Which is important.
One particular aspect I would like to bring out is with regards to the common back offices.
The reporting speaks about the self starter approach, letting country teams build common services at their own pace and choosing what is relevant.
It's very good to have an adaptive approach for each condition that a country is in, but it doesn't scream urgency really to speak about the country teams moving at their own pace.
And perhaps maybe it's just the phrasing, but there is a real need for the common back offices to be put into effect across the board.
Now, I note that there are four countries who are implementing and there are a number of others targeted for outreach.
Perhaps if it could be explained what that outreach is.
Um, I think the point that Sweden made in terms of removing the bottlenecks and also looking at what are the incentives to get these common back offices working across the board because they will bring efficiencies, they will bring more effectiveness.
As the G 77 and China said, they will free up resources for program and delivery.
So anything that we can do to fast track that and ensure it takes place and that the country teams have the wherewithal to actually implement it would be very much appreciated and necessary.
Thank you very much.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Ireland.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of Mexico, followed by Croatia.
Thank you very much President.
Mexico welcomes the progress in Work Package 14 related to the Unified Services roadmap, in particular, the operationalization of the United Nations System Services Hub, the promising experiences of common services in the countries of teams of Uganda, Philippines, Gabon, and India, and the initiative to integrate supply chains within the new Humanitarian Pact.
In light of liquidity challenges and the contraction of funding, it's imperative to accelerate all administrative measures that enable economies of scale, strengthen the UN's bargaining power with suppliers, and promote a common administrative logic across the entire UN system.
We would appreciate it if the Secretariat could report in a timely manner on the financial results of the implementation of the Unified Services roadmap, preferably through public digital platforms.
Mexico fully agrees with the three goals of work package 27, enhancing the environment within the multilateral system, strengthening multilateral environmental governance, and scaling up the implementation of commitments and priorities at the country level.
Our country recognizes the Frank diagnosis presented by the Secretariat in its June 2022 update.
The landscape of multilateral environmental agreements is complex.
The environment Assembly has not yet fulfilled its potential as a universal governing body for the environment.
Multilateral environmental action is growing, but in a fragmented and siloed manner.
Coordination at the global, regional, and country levels is fragmented, making it difficult for countries to quickly identify who can respond with what mandate and under what conditions.
Mexico promotes strengthening the governing role of the Environment Assembly, the leadership of UNEP and Nairobi, the only UN headquarters in the global South as the political, technical, and operational center of environmental multilateralism.
The expansion of UN infrastructure offers a strategic opportunity to transform that vision into real capacity.
The regional reset diagnosis identifies 242 regional offices and a high degree of fragmentation.
Moreover, Kenya is already the main African operations hub.
Mexico promotes the selective placement and consolidation of environmental capacities in Nairobi, complemented by regional networks.
Likewise, the environmental architecture must apply to its own meetings, the standards it promotes.
The Cop 27 Sustainability Report calculated a footprint of 62,695 tons of CO two.
Equivalent and conference reports identify air transport as one of the main components.
Mexico proposes a comprehensive rationalization exercise for global environmental meetings and um Notes, the idea received support from a polarity of delegations at the subsidiary bodies meeting.
We advocate for the work package to be aligned with the proposal of joint knowledge hubs to integrate scientific assessments.
Thank you very much.
I thank the distinguished representative of Mexico.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Croatia, followed by Cameroon and France, Croatia.
Mr.
President, thank you for convening this briefing and I also thank all the briefers for updating us on the progress of the UN 80 process, particularly on packages 14 and 27.
Croatia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and I would like to add a few remarks in my national capacity.
The Unified Services roadmap represents an important opportunity to address a longstanding structural challenge, fragmented, duplicative, and resources intensive support functions across the UN system.
The UN 80 process has once again highlighted that fragmentation and insufficient coordination have over time led to parallel administrative structures and unnecessary duplication diverting valuable resources away from program delivery.
Our common objectives should now be to ensure that any efficiencies generated through this reform and translated are translated into better results on the ground.
Resources freed through greater integration should strengthen the UN's ability to deliver for the people it serves while making the organization more agile, efficient, and accountable.
In this regard, we would welcome a simple and transparent framework demonstrating the tangible impact of these reforms, including measurable improvements in management, accountability, and program delivery.
Turning to Package 27, we appreciate the executive directors presentation of the proposed measures to strengthen the environmental dimension of the UN's work.
This is particularly important because environmental challenges cut across peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
A stronger environmental dimension will improve policy coherence, reduce duplication, and better reflect the priorities identified by member states.
UN AD cannot achieve a credible and lasting reform without integrating environmental risks and opportunities across all three pillars of the organization.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are increasingly important drivers of instability, inequality, and displacement.
Adré them is therefore essential for effective prevention, crisis response, and long term resilience.
Going forward, environmental considerations should be systematically integrated into planning, reporting, and mandates while ensuring the UN country teams have the expertise needed to support integrated action.
Clear delineation of responsibilities between multilateral environmental agencies, UNEP, and the wider UN system, together with streamlined reporting and stronger accountability would further strengthen environmental governance.
At the country level, implementation should be reinforced by strengthening UN country team capacities, improving access to climate and biodiversity finance, and aligning support with nationally determined contributions, national action plans, and national biodiversity strategies.
Finally, mainstreaming environmental considerations is a shared responsibility.
It should inform our work across all three pillars of the United Nations and not be confined to discussions during the United Nations Environmental Assembly alone.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I thank the distinguished representative of Croatia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cameroon, followed by France and Zambia, Cameroon.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I would like to thank the Secretariat for all the presentations made this morning.
We endorse what Uruguay said on behalf of the G 77, and we also support what was said by Palau.
Here are our comments on coordination and coherence.
We mustn't forget that things happen on the ground to deliver as one, the Secretariat should know that we don't receive as one.
They deliver as one, but we don't receive as one.
Necessitate Thus, there is a need not to ensure that everything is the same.
There's no one size fits all solution.
Now, on resources, it's curious to see that the more efforts that we make in UN 80, the more resources decrease, they don't meet the challenge.
Now on intergovernmental processes, we mustn't lose sight of the fact that everything that has been said needs to be presented to member states as part of the intergovernmental process.
So that thanks to our advisors, such as the CPC, the ACABQ or the CEB, we can decide with as much knowledge as possible.
We must also recall that the aim of these meetings, as we were saying, is to turbocharge program 2000 no de We need to ensure that everything that is done be turbocharged.
We, particularly those in Africa, we will ensure that everything that is said should be a way to turbocharge the agenda 2063.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished Representative of Cameroon.
I now give the floor to the distinguished Representative of France, followed by Zambia and Uzbekistan, France.
Mercis.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The statements from the Secretariat today have confirmed that UN reform is making progress.
We commend the progress made by the different parts of the UN system and under your coordination, ladies and gentlemen, under Secretary-General.
For France, this is the very spirit of the UN 80 approach and the working method that we want to see applied systematically throughout our organization.
I have several comments on the topics here, the deployment of the unified services.
We support the Secretariat in the rapid extension of pooling the various different services, intangible and procurement, especially at the local level.
We need to push ourselves further.
We need to draw from what each entity does the best.
Bearing in mind is geographical imprint on humanitarian issues, improving the humanitarian supply system that represents 60% can free up resources directly to the benefit of the people.
As I said in Evian, we want to have a key transparent process here.
Now, on environmental issues, the reform is guided by something that is obvious that climate change and environmental degradation are key challenges.
These challenges are interdependent.
They're transforming our economies, our societies, and our daily lives in a profound way, peace and security, the respect for human rights, and all sustainable development goals are severely compromised in a planet that is in poor health.
Our organization needs to reflect this reality and needs to organize itself, thus, give consistency to the mosaic of organizations in charge of the environment.
We need sure impartial science support for the implementation of our commitments and access to financing facilities.
Thus, we support the recommendations of the executive director and the executive Director, we need to have a better ability to respond quickly to environmental issues.
This is the role of the UNEP.
We want to highlight that more.
You have our full support to explore better synergies, bringing together scientific panels working together harmonizing international frameworks.
We need to address the fragmentation of environmental financing.
This is limiting our responsibility today, and we need your proposals to respond to that.
Mr.
President, France respects your commitment to make the UN a better equipped organization that can better meet the needs of future generations and to respond to all of these needs.
Thank you so much.
I thank the distinguished representative of France.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished Representative of Zambia, followed by Uzbekistan and Zambia.
Mr.
President, Excellencies, thank you, Mr.
President, for convening this timely briefing to provide updates on the UN 80 initiative.
I have the honor to deliver this statement in my national capacity.
Zambia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Group of 77 and China.
Zambia appreciates the overview provided by the Under Secretary-General for Policy, Mr.
Gay Rider, as well as the updates on work packages 14 and 27.
We also welcome the timely provision of pre briefing materials to facilitate more meaningful engagement by member states.
At the outset, Zambia reaffirms its strong support for the UN 80 initiative and its objective of driving a transformative shift in how the United Nations system operates to deliver greater impact on the ground.
Mr.
President, Zambia underscores that any reform proposals must don't result in the dilution of development mandates, nor undermine longstanding century level work undertaken by UN development entities.
Structural adjustments should be grounded in clearly identify challenges and fully responsive to the operational realities at the field level.
We further emphasize that efficiency gains should, wherever possible, be revisited in development activities in program countries to strengthen impact on the ground.
With regard to work package 14, Zambia takes note with appreciation of the unified Services roadmap and welcomes the efforts to enhance efficiency and reduce costs through a coherent, evidence based framework for delivering operational services.
We concur on the need to free up resources for better support program delivery.
At the same time, we stress that no one size fits all approach should be applied and that implementation must reflect diverse national context and development needs.
On work package 27, Zambia takes note of ongoing efforts to strengthen the UN's systems environmental architutorial to deliver support more coherently, maximize country level impact and improve overall effectiveness and efficiency.
In this regard, we underscore the importance of ensuring that these proposals contribute meaningfully to enhanced resource mobilization and financing.
In conclusion, Zambia remains firmly committed to engaging actively, constructively in all relevant deliberations and emphasize the need to ensure that processes are transparent and inclusive.
I thank the distinguished representative of Zambia.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan, followed by the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
First of all, Uzbekistan expresses its full support for the ongoing UN 80 reform process led by the Secretary-General aimed at building a stronger, more effective and efficient and responsive United Nations that is better equipped to deliver on the mandates entrusted to it by member states.
We thank the briefers for their informative presentations as well.
Today's meeting provides an important opportunity for member states to better understand the reform agenda, exchange views, and contribute to a transparent and inclusive process.
We believe that a modern, coherent, and fit for purpose United Nations is essential to addressing today's interconnected global challenges.
Regarding Work package 14, Uzbekistan welcomes the efforts to strengthen coherence, reduce duplication, and ensure that more resources are directed towards program implementation and support for countries.
We appreciate the evidence based and differentiated approach reflected in the Unified Service roadmap.
Reforms should remain flexible, responsive to different country context, and respectful of the mandates and comparative advantages of individual entities.
We also support stronger country level cooperation, including through common bank offices and other integrated service models, provided that they enhance efficiency and improve delivery on the ground.
Uzbekistan, operational reforms are not an end in themselves, but a means to enable the United Nations to better serve people and advance the implementation of the SDGs.
Turning to Work package 27, Uzbekistan welcomes the assessment undertaken and supports efforts to strengthen coordination, coherence, and effectiveness within the UN environmental architecture.
For our country, environmental issues are directly linked to sustainable development and regional stability.
Tragedy of the RLC clearly demonstrates that environmental challenges require coordinated international action and strong support for affected countries.
We therefore fully recognize that a healthy environmental environment underpins peace, development, and human well being.
We support efforts to improve synergies across the UN system while respecting the mandates of existing institutions and multilateral environment agreements.
Reforms reforms should simplify access to support for member states, strengthen science based policy making and harness innovation and modern technologies, including artificial intelligence.
At the same time, national ownership and the country specific priorities must remain at the center of all initiatives.
Uzbekistan stands ready to contribute constructively to building a more coherent, effective, and impact oriented environmental system within the United Nations.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.
Thank you to the President and Under Secretary-General for your very helpful updates and amazing reform efforts.
It's really very encouraging to hear the progress that has been made, and I agree with the representative from Cameroon that we need to keep focus to really turbocharge this agenda this year.
We support the Unified Services roadmap and we welcome the progress that has been made on Work package 14.
We think it's one of the furthest along under the UN AT initiative, and we also welcomed the join up with the Humanitarian Compact.
It is critical that unified services are truly system wide and that the UN specialized agencies and country offices are also bound into this.
We would just like some greater clarity on the difference between the far reaching efficiency initiatives and the global shared services.
On work package 27, we also welcome progress on improving the UN environmental support.
We would welcome more information on how these recommendations will be brought to life and what will be tangibly different through them, particularly through the August briefing.
We would also welcome greater delineation of which actions are for the Secretariat to take forward or which require member state approval that will help us prepare for discussions that are coming up at the annual subcommittee in September and also any that might happen under high level week.
Um, and then finally, we would like some greater clarity on the recommendation to establish a coordination architecture for the UN system wide policy coherence and delivery in this area.
And while we support the aim for better coherence, I think at this stage, we don't necessarily agree that more structures will help to deliver that.
So some greater clarity there would be helpful.
So, we continue to be committed to working with all of you to drive these reforms forward here and also via the post that we have in various countries to achieve a more efficient, effective, and impactful UN, which can deliver better for people and planet.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tim OLs, which will be the last speaker of today.
Tim OLs.
Mr.
President, Excellency's distinguished delegates.
Tim OLS aligned itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the group of 77 in China and by AOsS.
We thank all the briefers for the updates and we would like to highlight the following points.
Regarding the work package 14, stimulus welcomes the unified services roadmap and its objective of strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations system.
We agree that no single operational delivery model can respond equally well to the adverse realities of program countries.
Greater coherence, reduced duplication, and more efficient service delivery should ultimately reinforce, not weaken the organization's ability to implement the mandates and trusted to its by member states.
We therefore support efforts to streamline operational function provided that the resulting efficiencies are translated into stronger support for country level programs and development priorities.
As the UN eight initiative advances, we believe the focus should increasingly include also how member states will ultimately assess the impact of these reforms.
With respect to the environment work package stimulus to believe that the success of any institutional reforms will ultimately depend on whether they better support countries in addressing the practical constraints that continue to impede implementation, particularly predictable financing, capacity building, and technology transfer.
We look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with the Secretariat and fellow member states to help ensure that UNA initiative deliver practical, measurable and lasting improvements in the United Nations support to its member states.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of T Moles.
We have heard the last speaker of the day.
I would now like to invite the briefers to respond.
Now, I would like to invite miss Katherine Pollard, under Secretary-General for the Department of Management Safety Policy and Compliance and chair of the high level committee on Management.
Miss Katherine Pollard.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
President and thank you to all the distinguished delegations for your comments and your positive encouragement in this important work that we are doing.
I'll just make some general points first before going to some of the specifics.
The work that we are doing in the Unified Services roadmap and in the Global Shared Services and Common Back Office are all going to be within the existing mandates of the respective UN organizations.
If there are any changes or in terms of structures or how we deliver, then different organizations will have to go through the governance mechanisms within their individual organizations.
Speaking for the UN Secretariat, if there are going to be any changes, then we will then go through the budgetary processes for which we have well established procedures and where we fully engage member states.
I just want to be very clear on that point and to reassure and to reassure member states.
We are going to be using dashboards so that we can track the implementation and those dashboards will also be made public so that member states have access to them.
The idea is behind that that US member states will be able to hold us accountable to the commitments that we make to deliver.
We will have the Unified Services roadmap available by the end of June as promised, and the full report by the end of October.
Now, there were some there were some specific questions.
The work that we are doing in Workstream three under work package 31, just to go back to what I earlier said, we are continuing that work, and that is within the Secretariat and if there are going to be any outcomes of those proposals that would then require changes in structures or functions, then we will present those through the budgetary proposals of the UN Secretariat for member states to be able to be able to review.
There was a question about how do we plan to measure and report on achieve savings that we are going to be using data, and we are going to track that through the centralized dashboards, as I mentioned.
Those dashboards will consolidate the self reporting.
We will have regular updates from the various initiative leads, as well as the status and milestones, and most importantly, the uptake on services.
There's also a question about the technology platforms and whether we would be moving to have single technology platforms for services such as human resources and others in administration.
The answer is not at this stage.
There has been a lot of debate for a long time within the UN system about interoperabilities of ERP systems.
That has been judged to not be feasible.
However, what has been decided is that we will operate within the technology platforms that we currently have, that there will be three and three platforms where we have SAP, Oracle and Workday.
And as organizations do upgrades, then we will limit in terms of the variety of platforms that there are.
That way, then we will be able to look at how we can better exchange data among the organizations.
There was another question on, how are the far reaching efficiency initiatives different or related to the global shared services? Now, the far reaching efficiency initiatives and the GSS, they are linked, but they play different roles.
The efficiency initiatives are time bound, they're system wide transformation projects, and they're designed to accelerate change in some of the priority areas, and they're innovative and they're delivery vehicles, either testing, whether scaling or establishing new or improved shared service solutions across the UN system.
By contrast, GSS are the steady state delivery platform for shared services, and they provide ongoing location independent operational services such as, for instance, in Human Resources administration, finance administration through either consolidated providers or marketplace arrangements.
I think I think I will stop there in the interest of time, Mr.
President, because I know that other colleagues will have to speak.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, miss Katherine Pollard and the Secretary-General.
I now give the floor to miss Sonya Leighton Cone, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Office of Project Services, and co chair of the Business Innovation Group.
You have the floor.
Thank you very much, Mr..
Thank you very much, Mr.
President.
Couple of quick points to complement USG.
0.1, I also want to thank all the very positive, supportive comments that we've received on the work package and the work going forward and I wanted to confirm that we are using data, efficiency tracking, and engagement with resident coordinators to address bottlenecks or skepticism that may exist at local country level around efficiency gains or cost avoidance, but also to share how challenges can be overcome so that we make it easier to replicate.
The second point is, I just wanted to reassure that notwithstanding the challenges we have had, it is gaining momentum.
We can see it.
Pakistan CBO is almost there.
Zimbabwe has just formalized its commitment.
We have others in various stages of interest and planning from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Barbados, Colombia, Gabon, El Salvador, and many others.
So in terms of outreach because there was a question around that, I mentioned briefly, but just to underscore, we have 56 countries that we have identified as high impact countries that are being contacted to review their data and start discussing the processes to establish.
We also have a very active supported with DCO support process for peer connections.
For example, Brazil could speak to Colombia because Brazil is an existing one.
Gabon talks to Philippines.
We are creating bilateral synergies for learning and stronger multilateralism.
On the concern that was raised by a distinguished delegates about if self pace is undermining urgency, actually, thank you for raising that.
We would like to clarify actually to the contrary.
We have found that the approach that we've taken now with the self S has actually works to fast track and move quickly because it has gained relevance and political be instead of it being what it was perceived as a top down approach, it is now allowing the UN system to incentivize all the players at the local level and to engage as providers and recipients and they also understand the cost drivers better.
That is something that's there.
Final two points, mutual recognition is now working to determine the critical junctures in HR processes to create the one platform that the delegate from Libya mentioned or the interoperability that Switzerland underlined and to strike the balance of pace between urgency and accountability mentioned as I heard by Cameroon, G 77 and EU.
Finally, if I can conclude with a repeat of my call to member states to please engage and champion the work at the country level and bilateral dialogue when you ask what you can do, it's very important that they know that this is something that is of significance and value.
We also welcome if countries wish to consider appointing focal points in relevant ministries to support local UN country teams to champion the operational efficiency work at country level that they can do so, and the RC would be the good entry point for that.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I thank miss Sonya Leighton Cone, Deputy Executive Director.
I now give the floor to miss Inga Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.
Miss Inga Anderson.
Thank you very much indeed.
First, let me also thank member states and distinguished delegates for the helpful comments that we have received.
Allow me first to give some general comments and then to respond to a few specific questions and observations.
Just to say that as UNP, as the host of 17 multilateral environmental entities treaty bodies, we are acutely aware that those bodies and their cops are the highest authority that could take any decisions pertaining to any convention.
But that has not stopped in the past some of the conventions that UNP has the privilege to host for these conventions to engage precisely in a conversation about how they could consolidate.
And so I mentioned to you here the Basel Convention that deals with illegal transboundary transport of hazardous waste, the Rotterdam Convention that deals with free prior and informed consent on hazardous waste, and the Stockholm Convention that deals with persistent organic pollutants.
These three had separate secretariats.
And then member states through the respective cops, took the decision to consolidate into one secretariat.
And that is a proceeding that stands.
Obviously, it was not UNEP nor staff that took these decisions, but a lot of the engineering behind the works, obviously, getting this convention secretaria into one was supported by UNEP when member state had so decided.
So what we are saying is for some of the smaller conventions, there are real opportunities and very real cost savings that member states may wish to consider.
Far be it from us to say what they might be in terms of which could consolidate with what, but there are still opportunities in the biodiversity space and in the chemicals space.
And we think that this is something that should be explored, and that is what the report would mention, but there's no doubt that the final decision lies with member states.
And the same goes, of course, for uplifting UNA and make UNA come to its full promise.
I think again here, having a conversation at the next UAA under the Jamaican presidency could be very interesting and something that I know that President uda the president of the next UA is interested in.
On some of the specific points, Palau, on behalf of oasis.
I mentioned about the clarification on consolidation options because indeed it belongs with member states.
But there are also administrative synergies that are very real.
We UNEP provide the IT, HR, the procurement and so on to these 17 convention secretariats.
Might we not be able to do that more efficiently by not having individualized actions in each of the secretariats? The same for things such as those that Simon Simon Steel mentioned, such as registration, et cetera, badges, and so on.
They are platforms.
It could just bring down costs and get greater efficiency.
These are some of the issues that we're putting forward.
On the harmonized reporting, we've been working on the harmonized reporting within the biodiversity related conventions, and there are a fair number.
Is there more that could be done here? I believe that there is.
When I meet with your national environmental counterparts and those that actually have to write these 20 odd reports, the burden is heavy and I do believe that it's incumbent upon us to find ways that this burden can be lightened so that member states in the COPs can take decisions accordingly.
But the analysis needs to be done by us because it's hard for 193 member states to do that analysis, obviously, but it is a big cry for that.
On the Environmental Management Group, also a question brought by Palau, just to recall established in 1999 by the General Assembly and it works to ensure the harmonization of understanding of environmental dimensions.
Let's, for example, take plastic.
The EMG decided 50 agencies to work on the issue of plastic pollution.
Now UNICEF would deal with it from a children's angle, WHO from a health angle, ECO from the angle of aviation and so on and so forth.
That is what the environmental management group does.
But there is a missing link.
That link, when we have gotten the common approach to an issue, say plastic pollution, how does that then get delivered to the front line of the country team? That is the missing link, and that is what EMG 2.0 will deliver because it's there that the reality needs to be delivered by the national authorities.
It is not a new structure.
It is enhancing and c and crafting through the other work packages that missing link so that the EMG can reach to the very front line.
Um, On the next steps in the process, I think Simon mentioned that, but let me just say again, we will, as he reflected in the next few days, seek to incorporate strengthen our report to the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General will then incorporate what he wishes into his broader report, and beyond that, we expect that the Secretary-General might wish to issue a a briefing a small report in August that would consolidate his views for the next steps in the environmental reform package.
It is clear, however, that, yes, we will need to clarify in that package what kind of reforms belong on which side of the fence, Cops, UNA, Uga, other places, or indeed with the Secretary-General himself or with various governance entities under the UN agencies.
Um, and miss Anderson, I'm sorry to Simon.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, miss Inga Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.
Now, I would like to invite Mr.
Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, followed by Mr.
Guy Rider.
Mr.
Simon Steele, I would also like to request that respondents to be short, precise and because we have limited time available without taking much time myself, Mr.
Simon.
You have the f.
I'll be as brief as possible.
I just wanted to make three points building on Inga's comments.
First, what we're hearing clearly is that the issue is not about lack of mandates or initiatives, but it is that support of those mandates remains fragmented and not easy to access.
The objective of Work package 27 is practical, not political and it is to improve coherence, reduce duplication, and make the UN system easier for countries to navigate.
Second, is to do with the support centers.
These are not new institutions.
It is building on what currently exists and making them work better.
It is conceived as a networked demand driven access function, connecting what we already have The third point is delivery to developing countries.
The fundamental principle is about increased impact to developing countries on the ground, simpler access, more responsiveness, greater equity.
Then There were about the need for greater clarity and specificity and how this will work in practice.
As we finalize the report, we will move from recommendations that have been put forward to some more concrete implementation pathways, which we believe will help member states better understand the direction that is proposed.
And the comment, I think it was from the UK is distinguishing between what decisions require member state decisions and, in terms of coherence and better working arrangements, what decisions can be made within the respective secretariats.
And then this point that constantly came across, um It is to underscore the autonomy of mandates and the existing governance structures and the nationally determined nature of member states obligations and commitments.
That is an absolute red line within the work that we're doing.
Then the final point, I think the representative from Cameroon summed it up.
This is about turbocharging delivery.
This is about ensuring that the impact across the UN system is optimized and is as great as possible in a moment where there is need for urgent acceleration of implementation across the board.
Thank you.
I thank Mr.
Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the UNF TLC.
I now give the floor to Mr.
Gay Aida under Secretary-General for P.
Thank you, Chair.
I'll be very brief.
Really and above all, to thank member states for their continued engagement, their encouragement and their guidance today.
I think also, if I might add to that, the recognition that we are indeed advancing and advancing importantly in different areas of the UN 80 initiative.
Many of your interventions also have underlined the interaction, the linkages between different work packages under UN 80.
This I think also surfaces the underlying logic.
It was set out in the Secretary-General progress report of last month that drives UN 80.
As has just been said, if you skip over the ideas of efficiency, coherence, et cetera, it's about the impact that we can deliver for those that we serve a shared objective that we can continue to work together upon.
Um, I was asked one specific question which I just want to respond to.
Libya asked about the methodology underpinning those graphics I presented at the beginning, showing the concentration of mandates in different areas.
Just to be clear, this was a simple objective representation of the number of times that the same mandates are cited by multiple entities in their budgetary documentation, suggestive, if not conclusive evidence of overlap not in the content of mandate, but in the manner in which the system manages those mandates.
We've been able to show how we're improving on that in the current budgetary process.
The second question put by Libby was about how we can assist members in the formulation of mandates through templates, but indeed, we're doing exactly that in the context of support to the working group currently working on mandates.
That's all Chair, very encouraging session.
Thank you to you all.
I thank Mr.
Gay Rider and the Secretary-General for policy for his responses.
The informal meeting of the plenary is now concluded.
I thank the delegations for their participation in the briefing and the briefers for their briefing.
The meeting is adjourned.