Bureau Joint Statement Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Annual Session 2022

Madam President,
Dear Members of the Board,
Distinguished colleagues,

I make this statement on behalf of the four Bureau members of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kenya, Qatar, Peru, and my own country, Ukraine.

We thank the UNDP Administrator, Mr. Achim Steiner, for his annual report and comprehensive remarks delivered in this session.

We appreciate your leadership and the efforts of all UNDP staff members for the results achieved by UNDP in the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2018-2021.

In this regard, I would like to highlight the following areas:

First: The Annual Report of the Administrator confirms UNDP’s growing capacity to trigger transformative shifts in systems, that define the course of development. We encourage this development and the move towards bigger and coherent portfolios and programmes, rather than a multitude of projects.

We welcome the fact that UNDP is redefining how to achieve development that reaches far and lasts over time, through for example innovations in finance, digitalization, and climate action. Two examples that stand out are UNDP’s work on domestic resource mobilization for the SDGs, particularly through the integrated national financing frameworks, and last year’s global call for ending fossil fuel subsidies that are financing the end of the planet.

We note that UNDP also set in place a new service to assist countries in negotiating the complexity of fossil fuel reforms. The Fossil Fuel Reform Simulator explores country-level data to define how subsidies could be channeled towards different development priorities.

As climate action becomes ever more urgent, we encourage UNDP to strengthen its focus on sustainable and renewable energy to ensure countries’ energy security and a swift energy transition.

Second: The United Nations development system has a crucial role in helping countries build back better and overcome socioeconomic challenges.

We congratulate UNDP on the results achieved through the Strategic Plan 2018-2021. In 2021, UNDP reached its highest level of programme delivery in over a decade. The examples you cited vividly illustrate the scope and complexity of UNDP work. Strong coordination with national governments improves the agency's activity and achievement of development goals. That is why it is difficult to overestimate UNDP`s role in helping to close gaps that have persisted for too long and leave people vulnerable. We commend your work on social protection, conflict and crisis, and gender. It is critical that the new UNDP Gender Equality Strategy is not just about fixing disparities on the surface, but cutting the roots of discrimination and rebalancing power.

Particular respect deserves the UNDP work in Ukraine, where UNDP and the country team are working in challenging circumstances to support of the Government of Ukraine to maintain the country's economy.

In this context, it is essential that the UNDP adopt the necessary decisions to reinvigorate its contributions for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

Third: UNDP is an agile, effective, and efficient organization and a driver of results-oriented UN Reform, implementing the promise envisioned by the Member States.

Last year’s assessment by the Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment Network echoed the findings of UNDP independent evaluations, which confirm that partnerships with other United Nations entities improve programmes and effectively integrate multiple sources of expertise.

We witness the contributions UNDP makes to successfully implementing the repositioning of the United Nations development system. The advantages of collaboration within the UN become ever clearer, as the need for more joint efforts grows. Together, though partnerships and joint implementation, more powerful results are being delivered. And to address the challenges we face, we require more of those.

We share the UN Secretary-General‘s and your vision that „investing in development is the best way to prevent crises and maintain international peace.” Understanding the relationship between development and crises is vital. We cannot adequately address complex crises without understanding their full dynamics and without well-informed development programmes. UNDP’s work in this space is valuable and appreciated.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kenya, Qatar, Peru, and Ukraine fully support you, UNDP and its work, which is now more critical than ever. We will continue to stand with you on the journey forward, away from crisis and towards development.

Thank you.