Launched last year, the UN80 Initiative is a system-wide effort to reshape the way the United Nations works so that every mandate, dollar and decision creates greater impact for people and the planet.
Within the framework of the UN80 Action Plan, it brings together 86 actions to strengthen the way in which the entire system meets the objectives of peace and security, development, human rights and humanitarian assistance, grouped into related ‘work packages’.
Mr Ryder highlighted recent progress, including the General Assembly’s adoption last week of a landmark resolution to strengthen the way UN mandates are created, implemented and reviewed, as well as the completion of more than 80 per cent of the early milestones of the Action Plan.
A consolidated report will be published next monthHe added, it will establish “a clear and complete vision of our situation about each work package, and the pathways and deadlines for its completion.”
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (on screen) addresses the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the UN80 Initiative.
Consolidate experience in gender equality and reproductive health
One of the most followed elements of the briefing was the presentation of an initial assessment of a possible merger between UNFPA and UN Women.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed framed the discussion in a rapidly changing global context. “UNFPA and UN Women have demonstrated their ability to deliver consistent results for women, girls and youth over decades, but the context is evolving and complex,” she said. “So we know that the status quo is not an option.”
He Preliminary findings suggest that a unified institutional framework could bring together UN Women’s gender expertise and UNFPA’s mandate on sexual and reproductive health and rights on a single platform. with the potential to strengthen coherence, expand reach and improve delivery in more than 150 countries and territories.
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, emphasized that the question is not whether the two entities are functioning, but whether the current structure is sufficient for the challenges ahead.
“The question is whether… a different configuration could better equip the UN system to translate globally agreed commitments into more consistent, scalable and impactful outcomes for women, girls and youth,” she said.
For Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA, the evaluation pointed out both opportunities and complexity.
“A potential merger of this scale is very complex,” he said, adding that “gradual sequencing and explicit operational safeguards would be essential to ensure continuity of delivery.”
Ultimately, officials stressed, the decision lies with the member states.
Women and girls attend a digital literacy course, supported by UNFPA, in Bangui (Central African Republic).
Fixing a Fragmented Digital Backbone
If the merger proposal aims for structural change, the technology work package focuses on something more operational: how the UN actually works behind the scenes.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), described a system that requires large investments in technology and is limited by its organization.
“This level of investment underlines the strategic importance of ICT, but also underlines the opportunity to optimize the way these resources are used,” he said, noting that the UN spends about $2.5 billion a year on digital infrastructure.
The problem, he suggested, has less to do with the tools than with the structure.
“The main bottleneck is not the technology itself, but actually the fragmentation… funding constraints and the complexity of governance,” he said.
He The proposed solution is to expand shared services, reduce duplication, and build a system-wide platform to accelerate the use of digital and artificial intelligence tools.an effort aimed at making the UN more connected and ultimately more effective.
Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), addresses the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the UN80 Initiative.
Creating a single entry point for UN data
Meanwhile, under the data work package, the UN is developing a UN common dataa single public platform designed to bring together official data sets and statistics that are currently dispersed across agencies.
Li Junhua, Deputy Secretary-General of Economic and Social Affairs, said the goal is simple.
“Member states need timely, reliable and easy-to-use data,” he said, noting that fragmentation has made it difficult to fully use the UN’s vast information resources.
the platform, Expected to be operational in September 2026, it would provide a single point of access, reduce duplication and make data easier to compare and apply..
Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, said the effort also seeks to build a stronger foundation for how data is organized and shared.
“If we get this program right, Member States and other users will benefit from a place to find reliable data and a stronger basis for keeping that data reliable, usable and relevant over time,” he said.
Track progress
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.
The General Assembly continues to hold monthly informal briefings on the Initiative, with the next scheduled for April 29.