This includes efforts to generate efficiencies within the United Nations Secretariat, strengthen the creation, implementation and review of mandates (decisions made by Member States that direct the work of the United Nations).)and explore ways to strengthen coherence and collective delivery across the United Nations system.
The briefing on February 27 focused on proposals to streamline humanitarian support and the possible merger of some of the United Nations’ training and research bodies.
Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, addresses the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative.
Guy Ryder, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy, began Friday morning’s briefing with an overview of the UN80 Initiative’s progress over the past 12 months and an acknowledgment that the complexity of the work has been a challenge for Member States to stay on track.
He promised to provide clear information and a complete view of the process in a future report.
Duplicated UN humanitarian efforts ‘no longer sustainable’
Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, led a briefing on the New Humanitarian Pact, a process of reforming the organisation’s humanitarian operations, which are under exceptional strain as they attempt to address multiplying conflicts, intensifying disasters and pressure on international humanitarian law.
Tom Fletcher (on screen, centre), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, addresses the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative.
Mr. Fletcher was joined by several senior officials from the United Nations system (Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund; Amy Pope, Director General of the United Nations Migration Agency; Barham Salih, Head of the United Nations Refugee Agency and Matthew Hollingworth, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme). All officials explained how their agencies are stepping up cooperation and, in Mr. Fletcher’s words, “working as one unit.”
Ms Russell said a system where humanitarian agencies operate parallel warehouses, fleets, contracts and logistics networks is no longer sustainable. “We are taking a real step towards meaningful coherence,” he said. “When supply chains are integrated, children receive assistance more quickly. When nutrition systems are aligned, fewer children suffer from malnutrition. When diplomacy is coordinated, access improves.”
Fletcher, who praised the efforts of the five UN aid agencies to work more closely, noted that at a time when humanitarian needs are increasing faster than available resources, the collaboration already underway is making a tangible difference on the ground.
“It is absolutely vital that we reform,” the humanitarian chief said, “because we know the impact of what we do. The reset is about more clearly defining our work around life-saving priorities, first and foremost, radical reform to improve efficiency in the way we deliver and defend our values and our principles, which are under sustained attack.”
Repair a fragmented training and research system
Training and research are vital functions of the United Nations system, but the landscape is fragmented, with overlapping functions, high costs and financial vulnerabilities.
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Chancellor of the United Nations University (UNU), and Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), outlined reform proposals that would involve the merger of training and research bodies and a United Nations system coordination mechanism aimed at more efficient use of resources.
Marwala also shared ideas about an artificial intelligence platform to help tackle misinformation and strengthen links between research and training. “In a complex organization like the UN, knowledge and operational experience are often dispersed across entities,” he said. “Such a platform could connect the operational experience and needs of Member States with research priorities and, at the same time, translate research results into practical training tools.”
Newly displaced people queue for WFP assistance in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Next steps towards a UN ‘fit for purpose’
The next major update on the work of the UN80 Civil Society Initiative is scheduled for late March at a town hall. A high-level event co-designed with civil society is also planned for the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July.
The Secretary-General aims to be able to demonstrate to Heads of State and Government by the high-level week of the General Assembly in September (UNGA 81) that the United Nations system is effectively fulfilling its responsibilities, changing and improving with serious levels of ambition.
“What is at stake,” Mr. Ryder said, “is nothing less than whether the United Nations system can rise to this moment and deliver on its commitments to building a United Nations that is truly fit for purpose and capable of responding effectively to the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow.”
The progress of the UN80 Initiative can be tracked through a public dashboard, which provides an overview of actions, timelines and implementation across the system.