UNITAR Training Course
United Nations Reform III
Operational activities for development
New York, 19 November 2010
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
Presentation outline
UN Operational activities for development
A. Overview
B. Historical milestones
C. Governance system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
A.
Overview
UN system-wide activities
(Based on average contributions 2006-2008)
Global policy,
advocacy, norms
and standards
14%
Humanitarian
Assistance 21%
Peacekeeping
22%
Developmentrelated activities
43%
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
A.
Overview
Major operational entities
(share of total contributions; 2008; $22.2 billion)
•
UNICEF 15%
•
UNHCR 7%
WHO 7%•
FAO 4%•
UNDP 23%•
UNFPA 3%•
•
UNRWA 3%
ILO 2%•
•
UNESCO 2%
•
•
WFP 24%
Others 10%•
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
A.
Overview
Destination of expenditures
(2008; $18.6 billion)
Asia/ Pacific
20%
Americas
12%
Western
Asia
11%
Europe 3%
Global
9%
Africa
38%
Not
attributed
8%
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
A.
Overview
Development-related expenditures by sector
(2008; $11.8 billion)
Social
Development
11%
Agriculture,
Forestry and
Fisheries 7%
Education 6%
Population 6%
General
Development
Issues 19%
Environment 5%
Human
Settlements 3%
Industry 2%
Health 28%
Others 9%
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1945
When UN was established it was not
envisaged that organization would become a
major player in delivery of operational activities
for development
Many of the “coherence” challenges which
have arisen in UN in recent decades can
therefore be traced back to original design of
organization
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1945 (cont.)
Functional approach, rather than a federalist
one was adopted to design of UN system
UN system organized around independent
specialized agencies, whose relationship with
ECOSOC was established by set of formal
agreements, with new organizations created as
needs arose
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1946
UNICEF established by GA to provide food,
clothing and health care for children
1960s
Many new entities established including WFP
(1961), UNCTAD (1964) and UNIDO (1967)
Major growth in operational activities of UN system
1965
UNDP is established to coordinate funding for
technical assistance provided by other UN entities
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1970s
Continued expansion in UN operational
activities for development
Post of Director-General for Development and
International Cooperation established in 1977 to
address growing coordination deficit in UN
development system. This function was
abolished in 1992
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1980s
UN system faces funding crisis as some donors
withhold contributions at height of Cold War
Funding for operational activities for
development becomes increasingly earmarked
System of execution by UN agencies comes
under pressure as programme countries opt for
national execution of UN technical assistance
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1990s
Centralized approach to funding through UNDP is
gradually abandoned in early 1990s
1995
UNDP transforms itself from a central fund to being
primarily a substantive organization
Specialized agencies start mobilizing resources
directly from donors, which contributes to rapid
growth in non-core funding and fragmentation of
UN system
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1995-2000
Step change towards Member States promoting
enhanced programmatic coordination and
coherence within UN system
1997
Major reorganization of UN system aimed at
strengthening programmatic cooperation and
common approaches among UN entities
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
1997 (cont.)
Creation of UNDG, chaired by UNDP
Administrator
Merging of three departments into DESA
Establishment of common UN houses
Introduction of UNDAF and Common Country
Assessment
Creation of post of Deputy Secretary-General
Establishment of Joint Meeting of Boards of funds
and programmes
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
B.
Historical milestones
2000s
Efforts to strengthen UN development system
generally consistent with thrust of 1997 reform with
focus on improving field-level coordination and
inter-agency cooperation and better measurement
of field-level results
2010
Adoption of GA resolution 64/289 on system-wide
coherence
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance
 General Assembly
a)Provides overarching normative frameworks for
UN development activities, e.g. MDGs, Monterrey
Consensus etc.
b)Establishes key system-wide policy orientations
for UN operational activities for development
through quadrennial comprehensive policy
review (QCPR)
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance
 Quadrennial comprehensive policy review
Main purpose of QCPR is to evaluate effectiveness
and efficiency of UN operational activities for
development based on extensive analytical
preparations and consultations with stakeholders
On basis of QCPR process, GA establishes key
system-wide policy orientations for development
cooperation and country-level modalities of UN
system for four-year period
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

ECOSOC
a) Coordinates implementation of global development
agenda
 High-level Segment
 Coordination Segment
 Subsidiary bodies (e.g. functional commissions)
 Annual Ministerial Review
 Development Cooperation Forum
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

ECOSOC (cont.)
b) Coordinates and monitors implementation of policy
guidance established by GA in QCPR
c) Reviews and evaluates reports on work of funds and
programmes
 These functions mainly discharged through
annual session of Operational Activities
Segment of ECOSOC
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

Executive Boards of funds and programmes
Responsible, inter alia, for providing
intergovernmental oversight of respective entities
in accordance with policy guidance established by
GA and ECOSOC and for ensuring that respective
entities are responsive to needs and priorities of
recipient countries
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

Executive Boards of funds and programmes
(cont.)
EBs report to ECOSOC and are expected to
bring to Council issues that require its attention
Executive heads of F/Ps appointed by SG
following consultations with EBs and confirmed
by GA
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

Governing bodies of specialized agencies
SAs are separate, legally autonomous
organizations with own policy-making and
executive organs, secretariats and budgets
Executive heads of SAs elected by membership
of respective entity
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Intergovernmental governance

Governing bodies of specialized agencies
(cont.)
Relationship of SAs with UN defined in special
agreement with ECOSOC and approved by GA
ECOSOC can coordinate activities of SAs
through consultations with and
recommendations to such agencies
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Executive direction and management
 Global-level
Chief Executives Board for Coordination
High-level Committee on Programmes
High-level Committee on Management
UN Development Group
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Executive direction and management
 Regional-level
UNDG Regional Teams
Regional Coordination Mechanisms
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA
C.
Governance system
Executive direction and management
 National-level
UN Resident Coordinator System
UNDAFs
Common country programmes (OneUN pilots)
Nikhil Seth, Director, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UNDESA