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Delivering as One High-Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence

Delivering as One High-Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence. UN Retreat: Skopje, FYR Macedonia Thursday 1 st March 2007 Presented by: CJ Ozga, UN Coordination Officer, FYR Macedonia. Overview of the presentation. The High-level Panel : Mandate and Composition

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Delivering as One High-Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence

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  1. Delivering as One High-Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence UN Retreat: Skopje, FYR Macedonia Thursday 1st March 2007 Presented by: CJ Ozga, UN Coordination Officer, FYR Macedonia

  2. Overview of the presentation • The High-level Panel: Mandate and Composition • The Panel Process: Focus on consultation • The Panel’s “Case for Reform” • The Panel’s Recommendations: • Development, Humanitarian assistance, Environment and Cross-cutting issues • Funding, Governance, Business Practices • HLP Follow-up process

  3. Mandate of High-Level Panel (HLP) • HLP established as a direct result of the World Summit Outcome Document in September 2005 • It called for much stronger system-wide coherence across the funds and programmes of the UN • It invited the SG to further strengthen the management and coordination of UN operational activities (in the field of environment, humanitarian assistance and development)

  4. Mandate….continued… • Specifically, it called on the UN to maximize its contribution to achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs, and proposals for "more tightly managed entities“ • It also continued support for existing reform initiatives including: a strengthened role for SG’s Special Representatives and RCs; strengthening of UNCTs through a common management programming and monitoring framework

  5. HLP Panel Timeline • February 2006: SG appointed High-level Panel on UN system-wide Coherence in the Areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance and the Environment • SG requested the HLP to provide recommendations on how gender equality perspectives could be better addressed in the UN’s work • Highest-level UN Panel “ever”: members included 3 Prime Ministers, 2 former Presidents and 10 high ranking experts (incl. 2 UN ex-officio members)

  6. HLP Panel Timeline • November 2006: Presented to the General Assembly • 2007: Implementation expected to begin • HLP recommendations will complement the existing reform agenda

  7. How can the UN System most effectively respond to the challenges of the 21st century?Are we still meeting the expectations of countries and peoples? The Panel Process- Guiding Questions -

  8. The Case for Reform- Why now? - Significant challenges ahead … • Unprecedented global change • MDG deadline in 2005 is drawing closer • Increase in victims of natural disasters • Environmental threats on the rise … but

  9. The Case for Reform- Why now? - … also windows of opportunity • Reform momentum of the 2005 World Summit • Millennium Declaration, MDGs, Monterrey, Paris Declaration • Increases in ODA – to be spent wisely

  10. Expected roles of the UN • Trusted partner with the capacity to act as convener and neutral broker • Guardian of norms and standards • Value of ‘different voices’, speaking out on themes or in specific sectors • Advocate for “sensitive” issues • Operational/Technical Assistance

  11. … instead the Panel found a UN system characterized by • Fragmentation at country, regional and global level • High transaction costs for both national partners and donors • Inadequate and unpredictable funding, undermining UN’s multilateral character

  12. Figure 2: Contributions to the UN system’s operational activities for development (core and other resources)

  13. HLP Recommendations-- Underlying Principles -- • National ownership and people-centered approaches • Core comparative advantage • Maximum effectiveness and accountability

  14. Development The Panel recommends the establishment of One UN at country level, with one leader, one programme, one budget and, where appropriate, one office … but how?

  15. Humanitarian Assistance The Panel calls for … • Stronger partnership arrangements between the UN, national governments, Red Cross and NGOs • Full funding for Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)…Target: $500 million • Clarify mandates for Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) • UNDP lead on early recovery • Greater investment in risk reduction

  16. The “How” of the One UN • Establish five “One UN” pilots by 2007 (20 by 2009, 40 by 2010 and all other ‘appropriate’ countries by 2012) • Enhance RC authority to lead the One Country Programme (matched by clear accountability) • UNDP to consolidate and refocus its operational work • UNDP to establish an institutional firewall between management of RC system and its programmatic role

  17. Environment The Panel calls for … • Stronger role for UNEP: “Real authority as the environmental policy pillar of the UN” • Independent assessment of international environmental governance • Strengthened Global Environment Fund (GEF)

  18. Cross-cutting issues The Panel calls for … • Greater focus on Sustainable Developmentin UN country activities – partnership between UNEP (normative) and UNDP (operational) • A stronger voice for gender equality and women’s empowerment – creation of a dynamic, fully and ambitiously funded gender entity (to absorb UNIFEM) • Clarify responsibilities for Human Rights

  19. Governance-- at inter-governmental level -- The Panel calls for … • A high-level forum for strategic guidance on sustainable development policy and global public goods (L-27) • A UN Sustainable Development Board to provide oversight of the “One UN” at country level

  20. Governance-- at organisational level -- The Panel calls for … • A new Development Coordinator • A new UN Development Policy and Operations Group (UNDPOG) to support “One UN” at country level (replacing UNDG) • Chief Executives Board (CEB) to review its functions

  21. Governance-- at regional and national level -- The Panel calls for … • Regional level: (a) reorganization of UN regional setting around two functions, and (b) co-location and standardization of regions among all UN entities • National level: (a) “all-of-government” approach, and (b) benchmarks for good multilateral donorship • WB & IMF formal agreements • Enhance partnerships between government and civil society & private sector

  22. Funding The Panel calls for … • Full, multi-year core funding for agencies committed to reform • One Country Programme to be consolidated within a single budgetary framework with two funding sources

  23. Business Practices The Panel calls for … • Harmonized business practices • Independent evaluation mechanism • Updated and harmonized human resource policies (incl. greater staff mobility)

  24. HLP Follow-up Process • Inter-governmental: SG presented the report to the UN General Assembly for inter-governmental follow-up (GA Working Groups, governing bodies) • SG requested UNDG to go ahead with: • (1) 5 “One UN” country programme pilots and strengthening of RC system. ……In fact there are now 8 pilot countries: Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay and Viet Nam • (2) Business Practices • (3) CEB functioning self-review • (4) Strengthening the gender architecture

  25. HLP Follow-up Process • Inter-agency review: Report expected to be on agenda of first CEB meeting in Spring 2007 • The Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR) debate: in September–December 2007

  26. www.un.org/events/panelThank You!

  27. DEVELOPMENT Box 1 (p22-23) One United Nations at the country level — key features: One programme • Country owned and signed off by Government, responsive to the national development framework, strategy and vision, including the internationally agreed development goals. • Building on the United Nations country team’s common country assessment or national analysis and reflecting the United Nations added value in the specific country context. • Strategic, focused and results-based, with clear outcomes and priorities, while leaving flexibility to reallocate resources to changes in priorities. • Drawing on all United Nations services and expertise, including those of non-resident agencies, in order to effectively deliver a multisectoral approach to development (with due attention to crosscutting issues).

  28. One leader • Resident coordinator authority to negotiate the One Country Programme with the Government on behalf of the entire United Nations system and to shape the One Country Programme (including the authority to allocate resources from pooled and central funding mechanisms). • Clear accountability framework for resident coordinators and an effective oversight mechanism for the resident coordinator system. • Resident coordinator authority to hold members of the team accountable to agreed outcomes and for compliance with the strategic plan. The resident coordinator should also be accountable to the members of the United Nations country team. • Strengthened resident coordinator capacity with adequate staff support to manage United Nations country team processes and ensure effective dialogue and communication with partners. • Competitive selection of resident coordinator candidates, drawn from the best talent within and outside the United Nations system.

  29. One budgetary framework • Transparency, management, and the effective implementation of the One Country Programme through one budgetary framework. • Funding should be linked to the performance of the United Nations country team preparing and implementing a strategic One Country Programme. • The budget should be completely transparent, showing clearly the overheads and transaction costs of the United Nations and all of its funds, programmes and specialized agencies in the country. One office • One integrated results-based management system, with integrated support services. • Joint premises (where appropriate). • A common security infrastructure and clear lines of accountability.

  30. Background to UN reform • UN has been undergoing reform for the last decade • Since 1997, the reform agenda has included several key reports: • “A Programme for Reform” (1997), • “An Agenda for Further Change” (2002), • “In Larger Freedom” (2005 World Summit). • A number of landmark reform oriented reports followed the 2005 World Summit. The first of these was: • “Investing in the UN: For a Stronger Organization Worldwide” (March 2006)

  31. ..continued…Background to UN reform • Three further reports elaborated on this vision: • “Comprehensive Review of Governance and Oversight”, • “UN Redesign Panel on the UN Internal Justice System”, and • “Delivering As One” review by the High-Level Panel on System Wide Coherence. • All three of these recent reports contain far-reaching recommendations on key management processes and structures • The “Delivering As One” report is the most relevant to UN reform at the country level

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