1 United Nations Reform at country level INTERREGIONAL INFORMATION SEMINAR FOR NEW SECRETARIES-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONS FOR UNESCO (Paris, 26 February - 2 March 2007) Presentation by Ms Lamia Salman-El Madini Director, Bureau of Field Coordination (BFC)

2 Background Calls for much stronger system-wide coherence by -General Assembly’s 2004 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of operational activities (TCPR): strengthened Resident Coordinator System and joint UN planning and programming World Summit Outcome Document: “strengthening linkages between the normative work of the UN system and its operational activities” and “implementing current reforms aimed at more effective, efficient, coherent, coordinated and better performing UN country presence with a strengthened role for the senior resident official, includingappropriate authority, resources and accountability, and a common management, programming and monitoring framework”

3 Background Establishment by the Secretary-General in February 2006 of a High Level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence with the aim to develop a common vision among the various stakeholders 3 co-chairs : Prime Ministers of Pakistan, Mozambique and Norway HLP’s report issued on 9 November Not yet discussed by the General Assembly

4 HLP report structured around: The three pillars of the UN action: (i) development, (ii) humanitarian assistance and (iii) the environment. Cross-cutting issues: sustainable development, gender equality and human rights. Governance, funding, management of the system The development pillar addresses country- level coherence and impacts on all UN agencies

5 HLP Report Development pillar: country-level coherence Country ownership as a basis for all development action. Deploy normative and policy capacity in support of countries’ development efforts. Need for the UN to position itself in a larger market of expertise (NGOs, private sector, growing presence of bilateral donors). For that, a more coherent and effective framework needed: the concept of the One UN at the country level, i.e. integrated and coordinated responses

6 HLP Report The One UN approach at country level –One Programme –One Leader –One Budgetary framework –One Office

7 HLP Report - One Programme: country-owned; signed off by Government; responsive to the national development framework; strategy and vision including internationally agreed development goals built on UN country team’s common country assessment, reflecting UN added value in the specific country context strategic, focused and results-based, with clear outcomes and priorities drawing on all UN services expertise, including those of non-resident agencies (NRAs) in order to deliver and country-specific added value to deliver as one; negotiated by RC

8 HLP Report - One Leader : UN Resident Coordinator authority to negotiate the One Country Programme with Government on behalf of the entire UN System and to shape the One Country Programme (including authority to allocate resources from pooled and central funding mechanisms). Clear accountability framework for Resident Coordinators and effective oversight mechanism for the RC system. Resident Coordinator authority to hold members of the team accountable to agreed outcomes and to compliance with strategic plan. The RC should also be accountable to the members of the UN Country Team (UNCT). Strengthened RC capacity with adequate staff support to manage UNCT processes and ensure effective dialogue and communication with partners. Competitive selection of RC candidates, drawn from the best talent within and outside the UN system

9 HLP Report - 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 UNCT preparing and implementing a strategic One Country Programme. The budget should be completely transparent, showing clearly the overheads and transaction costs of the UN and all of its funds, programmes and specialized agencies in the country

10 HLP Report - 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

11 HLP Report – Other recommendations Establishment of a UN Sustainable Development Board to oversee the One UN Country Programmes. Appointment by the Secretary-General of a UN Development Coordinator with responsibility for the performance and accountability of UN development activities. Establishment by the Secretary-General of an independent task force to further eliminate duplication within the UN system, and consolidate UN entities, where necessary Establishment of a MDG Funding Mechanism to provide multi-year funding for the One UN Country Programmes UN organizations committed to and demonstrating reform to receive full, multi-year core funding. Funding must follow performance and reward results both for the One Country Programmes and for Headquarters funding Establishment of a UN common evaluation system, based on a common evaluation methodology to promote transparency and accountability

12 January 2007 : annoucement of the first One UN Pilot in Vietnam February 2007 : annoucement of other pilots

13 One UN pilots: the rationale Pilots should serve as experiments to try and analyze new modalities and approaches, draw lessons and learn from mistakes. They will not constitute binding « precedents » or « models » for other countries Pilot experience will inform intergovernmental discussion on possible wider application/scaling up and faster rollout of the ‘One UN’ approach Pilots have been selected on the basis of the policy defined in the 2004 TCPR resolution and not on the basis of the HLP recommendations (not yet discussed by the General Assembly) Criteria for pilot selection (in line with TCPR): –Strong government commitment –Well-functioning UN Country Team –UN policy work at both the global and national levels seen as useful and relevant to national concerns

14 One UN pilots: implementation schedule 2007: 8 country pilots (Viet Nam, Pakistan, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Tanzania, Uruguay, Albania, Rwanda) moving in 2009 to 20 One UN countries and in 2010 to 40 One UN countries 2012: all others

15 One UN pilots: scope In order of priority: –One programme/ plan (strategic) –One budgetary framework (mapping of agencies’ core and extrabudgetary funds, and identifying unfunded needs gap, based on a rigorously costed strategic programme) –One leader (of the UNCT: empowered RC) –One office (and joint business practices), where appropriate Other “ones”: –One communication strategy –…more to follow…

16 One UN pilots: UNESCO involvement UNESCO is/will be participating in all pilots UNESCO is resident in 5 out of the 8 pilots, and non-resident in Albania, Cape Verde and Rwanda and will have to find different modalities of interaction with the UNCTs concerned, in addition to the Non-Resident Agencies’ focal points being established within the RC’s offices UNESCO is one of the 10 members of the Steering Committee established by UNDG (UN Development Group)