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01 September 2010 Helen Clark: Statement to the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPARemarks by Helen Clark Mr. President, It is a great pleasure to be with you for the third Executive Board session this year. Advancing
the Development Agenda The next few months will be especially important ones for promoting internationally
agreed development goals, with the high level meetings scheduled on the Millennium Development Goals and on climate change
being of particular significance for development. In three weeks,
the MDG Summit will get underway. This is a not-to-be missed opportunity for Member States to agree on an action plan to drive
progress towards reaching the Goals by 2015. At UNDP, we believe that there is a range of tried, tested, and proven
policies which, adapted to national contexts, will ensure progress where there is the leadership, political will, capacity,
and resources to implement them. What is important now is for all development stakeholders to focus on what works, and
support replication of proven interventions tailored to national circumstances. We also need to innovate and bring fresh ideas
to the table. This is especially important given the impacts of the economic crisis on the poorest and most vulnerable,
as well as the funding constraints facing developing countries, donors, multilateral organizations, and other development
practitioners alike. A little over two months ago in Geneva, I briefed the Board on UNDP’s International Assessment
of what it would take to meet the MDGs by 2015. I highlighted the eight priority areas which should ideally form part
of action plans for the next five years to accelerate progress towards the MDGs. In July, our International Assessment
was welcomed by the G8 leaders’ meeting in Canada, and was referred to positively in their Muskoka Declaration. To
drive action on the ground, UNDP has been piloting an MDG Acceleration Framework, together with other UNDG agencies, in a
number of countries. The aim is to speed up progress on MDG achievement. A number of the pilots are being concluded,
and we will showcase some of the results at the UNDP side event during the MDG Summit. UNDP has been participating
in a number of high profile MDG-related events in recent months, including in Indonesia, Spain and Turkey, and at the African
Union summit in Uganda. This is all part of our ongoing effort to ensure an action-oriented outcome from the MDG Summit. It
is to be hoped that Member States will agree on a concrete agenda which reflects both the evidence of what works and includes
bold initiatives in the priority action areas UNDP has identified. Looking
further ahead, the next rounds of climate talks will get underway in Tianjin in October and Cancun in late November. It remains
our hope that progress will be made for both the climate and development. UNDP’s work on climate obviously has a strong
development focus. We seek to promote climate-resilient development in which fighting poverty is consistent with the preservation
of our ecosystems. Consistent with that approach, the Associate Administrator signed a landmark agreement on behalf
of UNDP with the Government of Ecuador in early August. It establishes the Yasuni ITT Trust Fund, which has been set up to
receive contributions in support of Ecuador’s decision to forego indefinitely extraction from the Yasuni ITT oil fields, which
are located in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world. The initiative aims to protect that biodiversity, along
with the livelihoods, rights, and cultures of the area’s indigenous peoples. It also aims to avoid the emission of over 400
million metric tons of CO2 which would result if the resource were to be exploited. Ecuador is seeking contributions
to cover fifty per cent of the income it is foregoing —$3.6 billion over a 13 year period— to finance renewable energy and
social development projects. Contributions to the Yasuni initiative will be administered by UNDP, by combining a Management
Services Agreement with our multi-donor trust fund mechanism. A Government-led Yasuni Fund Steering Committee will
be established, and will include representatives of contributing countries and civil society. The funding it approves for
programmes will be passed directly to national entities, in accordance with national budgetary and accountability frameworks,
provided they are consistent with UNDP’s financial regulations and rules. This is a good example of how fresh thinking
combined with strong partnerships can advance sustainable development. Recent
disasters such as the severe flooding in Pakistan and China, and in Niger and its neighbourhood following serious drought,
and the extreme heat and widespread fires in Russia are potent reminders not only of the kinds of serious implications climate
change and environmental degradation can have, but also of the importance of disaster risk reduction and preparedness. The
people of Pakistan are very much in our thoughts now, following the devastating monsoon flooding which has left millions in
need of humanitarian assistance and affected millions more. The emergency response plan launched by the UN and Pakistan
almost three weeks ago appealed for some $460 million for the first 90 days to support priority needs such as food, water
and sanitation, shelter, and medical care. Working together, UN agencies are supporting the Government and people of Pakistan
to respond to the immediate needs of the affected communities. UNDP has helped district disaster management authorities
to evacuate populations from affected areas, and to set up district disaster resource centres to monitor the situation and
disseminate information on the availability of disaster-related resources. At the same time, we are working to ensure
that there is as seamless a transition as possible between the relief period and early recovery. Families and communities
need support to rebuild their lives and livelihoods as quickly as possible. It is unfortunate that this component of the international
response to complex emergencies is all too often poorly funded. Given the unfolding disaster, the ninety day emergency
response plan is currently being revised by the UN system, and will be ready by mid September. It will take into account new
and continuing relief needs, as well as early recovery needs. To this end, the interagency community restoration cluster,
led by UNDP, is finalizing an assessment on overall early recovery needs. UNDP has already developed a $40 million
early recovery programme which will be launched soon. It focuses on restoring community infrastructure, basic services and
livelihoods; and cleaning-up flooded villages and homes, including through cash-for-work initiatives related to waste removal.
But this is only a first step. Much more will need to be planned for and funded to help give the affected communities a fresh
start. We are also working with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on the long term recovery and reconstruction
damage needs assessment, which we hope will be ready by October. The Country Programme Document for Pakistan 2011-2012
will be presented to the Board tomorrow. It has been designed to be a flexible instrument, and it can accommodate UNDP’s support
to the implementation of the existing Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan, the Post-Conflict Needs Assessment, and now, also,
our response to the floods. Moving forward, UNDP will redouble its efforts in Pakistan on the vital work of early recovery
and on strengthening Pakistan’s disaster preparedness. Given the immense damage to agriculture, livestock, infrastructure,
housing, and the environment, it is crucial that the international community provides the Government and people of Pakistan
with the support they need to recover from this terrible disaster and tackle other pressing development challenges. UNDP
also continues to accord very high priority to recovery in Haiti. The Government of Haiti created the Interim Haiti
Recovery Commission for a period of eighteen months following the 12 January earthquake. Its aim is to co-ordinate and
oversees recovery and development efforts in Haiti. Half of the IHRC’s members are Haitian, and half are representatives
of donor countries and international organizations. As the President of the Board informed you in his 5 August letter,
President Préval of Haiti invited the UN to participate in the IHRC. The Secretary-General designated me to represent the
UN on the body. At UNDP we do appreciate the support received from Members of the Board, through the Bureau, for our
participation in the IHRC on behalf of the UN as a full voting member. We have been working to ensure that the bylaws
of the IHRC fully protect the special status of the intergovernmental organizations participating in its work, including our
privileges and immunities. Two weeks ago the Associate Administrator participated on my behalf in the IHRC meeting.
$220 million worth of UN post-earthquake recovery initiatives were approved, including more than $80 million worth of UNDP
programmes. This paves the way for us to mobilise the resources not yet secured, and to increase the support we give to Haiti’s
recovery. We will keep the Board apprised of our participation in the IHRC. On 4 November I will be launching the 20th anniversary edition of the global Human Development Report
together with the Secretary-General in New York. The Report advances development thinking in new and important ways,
with some significant innovations in the measurement of human development. We hope that this Report will generate
constructive debate and discussion as its predecessors have, and that it will be of interest to development scholars and practitioners
alike. Moving ahead with change in UNDP I said in June that I would keep the Board regularly
informed on how we are moving forward with the business action plan, which aims to consolidate UNDP’s performance as a leading
development organization and as the manager of the Resident Coordinator system. I am pleased to report that there has
been progress in a number of areas, even though very little time has elapsed since I last addressed you. I would like to
update you on progress in five areas related to priorities in the action plan. The Board has been briefed in the past on the opportunities offered by the development
of 90 new UN Development Assistance Frameworks over the 2010-2012 periods. Through DOCO and the various UNDG mechanisms, much
work is being done to prepare UN Country Teams to make the most of them. It is also critical for UNDP itself to see
that its country offices are well prepared for the UNDAF process, and to infuse the UNDAFs with a clear results focus which
flows through to the country programmes and all activities pursued subsequent to them. To that end, the regional bureaux
in UNDP have been improving the quality assurance and oversight support they provide to country offices. The Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific will convene a similar
workshop in October. Other regional bureaux have already conducted training or initial orientation sessions for relevant
staff members. These initiatives will improve the contribution which UNDP makes to the development of UNDAFs and should
lead to more focused, well-positioned, and transformational UNDP assistance in line with country-led development agendas.
This is especially important for the emphasis which must continue to be placed on MDG achievement and sustainable development. Next month will see the official launch of the new Teamworks knowledge-sharing platform.
Through Teamworks, UNDP can contextualize and share the accumulated knowledge of its staff, the many thousands of others
who work on its progammes, and its external partners. The measures we are adopting aim to strike a better balance between oversight and timely action. In
accordance with audit recommendations we have introduced new guidelines governing how contracts are awarded. These are expected
to reduce significantly the time needed to buy goods and services without diminishing transparency and accountability. High-volume
procurement contracts, which were previously reviewed by up to three different committees, will now only be reviewed by one.
This will avoid duplication of effort and create time savings for the organization —without in our view compromising the quality
of the assessment. UNDP’s fast track policies to accelerate delivery in challenging and other pressing circumstances
have now been put into practice in sixteen country offices across all five UNDP programmatic regions. They remain available
to all country offices as needed, especially when responding to emergencies and ongoing crisis. We are also taking
other steps to ensure that we are better prepared to respond swiftly where time is of the essence. Among them are measures
to enable the speedier deployment of personnel needed to reinforce a country office’s capacity in a crisis. And to help country
offices collaborate more easily with select non-governmental partners, such as international and national NGOs, particularly
when crisis arises, we are starting a process of pre-preparing long term agreements with such partners. We will also
shortly be signing a new agreement with the World Food Programme to bolster our collaboration in supporting countries to move
from humanitarian response to recovery. Candidate pools for key
positions are being created, covering in the first instance the positions of Country Directors, Deputy Country Directors for
programmes and operations, and their headquarters equivalents. The candidate pools may be expanded to other areas in time.
They will help us to improve succession planning, and they could reduce recruitment timelines by at least four weeks.
That means that critical positions will not lie vacant for so long in the future. Where we can draw from the pools, the need
for interviews will be eliminated. They have been taking as much as half a day of four senior managers’ time for a single
position. Further to what I said in June, a new simplified staff performance management system has now been developed.
It will promote more effective performance dialogue between managers and their staff, and reduce the time taken for
each individual performance assessment by over 50 percent, freeing up many valuable hours for senior management to apply elsewhere.
It will also ensure better alignment between individual work plans and UNDP corporate objectives, enhancing the organisation’s
results focus. The Leadership Development and Management Skills Programme, which has been approved, will help build
the leadership and managerial skills, competencies and abilities of national and international UNDP staff at different levels.
Through a mix of online and in-person courses, it will train staff on issues such as strategic leadership and people management.
The first cohorts will begin the programmes shortly. We have been reaching out to major emerging
economies which are active in development co-operation, to look for synergies between their work and our work and mandate. At
the end of July, the Minister of External Relations of Brazil and I signed a partnership agreement. It formally establishes
UNDP as a partner of Brazil in international development co-operation, while also reinforcing the importance of UNDP’s work
within Brazil. More such agreements are expected. UN Development Co-ordination On UN development
coordination, the UN Development Group’s work is being guided by its strategic priorities for 2010-2011. These emphasize
the importance of supporting national achievement of the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals, including
by developing high quality UNDAFs which are closely aligned with national development priorities. They also cover the
important task the UNDG has undertaken with the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) to increase country-level operational
efficiency. The joint UNDG-HLCM high-level mission on harmonization of business practices recently completed its fourth
country-visit, to Albania, following visits to Mozambique, Malawi, and Viet Nam earlier this year. From its recommendations
has come an implementation plan aimed at improving the operational effectiveness of the UN development system on the ground.
It will be presented for endorsement at the first joint UNDG-HLCM meeting later this month, which I will co-chair with Josette
Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme and Chair of the HLCM. This issue of harmonisation of business
practices was one of a number of important topics covered by the recent General Assembly resolution on system-wide coherence. So
was the establishment of UN Women. That was an important milestone in the UN’s ongoing efforts to promote gender equality
and women’s empowerment around the world. UN Women can help magnify the impact of the UN’s work on gender equality.
It will need to work closely with other UNDG members at the global, regional, and country levels to ensure that there is clarity
on the roles of different parts of the UN system on gender equality and women’s empowerment. UNDP and other UNDG agencies
have been actively supporting the Deputy Secretary-General as she has led the process of establishing UN Women, and we will
continue to do so. The system-wide coherence resolution also encourages the Secretary-General to proceed with the independent
evaluation of lessons learned from the Delivering as One pilots. Building on the country-led evaluations which were
presented at the intergovernmental meeting on Delivering as One in Hanoi in June, the evaluation is expected to take twelve
months to complete. It is not only in the Delivering as One countries, however, that we are seeing increased coherence
to deliver better results. The 2009 Synthesis of Resident Coordinator Annual Reports will be released shortly. It
provides more examples of steps which UN Country Teams around the world are taking to improve their co-ordination and help
countries meet their development goals. Another UNDG initiative has been to launch a review on the extent to which the
outcomes and outputs agreed in the Management and Accountability System’s Implementation Plan have been achieved. The
review will be undertaken by independent consultants, and should be completed by the end of this year. A senior group of UNDG
principals will work with me to oversee this exercise and its follow up. The system-wide coherence resolution also
covers the issue of improving the funding system of the UN’s operational activities for development. This brings me to a major
item on the agenda of this Board session. Resources and results First, I am very pleased to inform
you that UNDP is among the limited number of UN organizations to have received an unqualified, or ‘clean’, audit opinion from
the United Nations Board of Auditors for the biennium ended 31 December 2009. This is the second consecutive biennium
in which UNDP has received an unqualified audit opinion. It shows that we continue to take the right steps to ensure that
we operate transparently. It is also particularly encouraging in light of the upcoming IPSAS implementation. We will continue
to strengthen our controls and financial accountability further. My colleagues will be available to discuss our finances
with you in more detail shortly and respond to your questions. For now, let me highlight just a few points. In 2009,
total contributions to UNDP, including UNCDF and UNIFEM, were $5.34 billion. This represents a three percent reduction from
2008. Total contributions in 2009, however, exceeded the targets of the Strategic Plan. The ratio of regular “core”
resources to other resources is about 1 to 4, which is of ongoing concern. I cannot overemphasise that the ability of
UNDP to fulfill its multilateral mandate and to deliver effective capacity-building support for development is contingent
upon a critical mass of core funding. That enables UNDP to plan properly ahead, and to adopt flexible and strategic management
approaches best suited to helping countries achieve their long-term development goals. In 2009, core contributions fell
to $1.01 billion, short of last year’s target in the Strategic Plan of $1.25 billion. Current projections suggest a further
drop to $0.97 billion this year. That is approximately 30 percent below the $1.4 billion targeted in the Strategic Plan for
2010 approved by the Executive Board, and could drop further. While the effects of the economic recession continue
to be felt across the globe, I urge all Member States to support UNDP and its associated funds and programmes to reach the
resource targets set out in the Strategic Plan, and to commit their contributions to UNDP core resources for 2010 and onwards
as early as possible. Multi-year pledges are especially important —it is far easier to work strategically and effectively
where there is funding predictability. While always striving for top performance we will inevitably find it harder to meet
the Board’s expectations in this regard if our regular resources are kept on short rations. More broadly, meeting Official
Development Assistance targets is also fully in keeping with MDG 8 on global partnerships. As a result of the active
measures taken by UNDP to shift towards lower risk investments, we continued in 2009 to avoid any loss of principal as a result
of the economic crisis. These lower risk investments, together with generally lower investment yields, however, do lead to
reduced income from these sources. I should emphasize here, on behalf of the UN system, that UNDP has been providing
fund administration services to an ever-growing number of UN multi-donor trust funds since 2004. The total portfolio now amounts
to some $4.5 billion. This is best demonstrated by the MDTF Office GATEWAY, a new web-based tool. It provides what is essentially real-time
financial information from the UNDP Atlas system on donor contributions received, amounts transferred to participating organizations,
and certified annual expenditure reports. It also provides access to a growing number of progress reports and related documents.
I am pleased to announce that the GATEWAY portal, which has so far been working in a beta version, is now fully operational.
I invite you to join the Associate Administrator for a launch of the GATEWAY at a noon side-event tomorrow. Conclusion Looking
ahead, UNDP will continue to sharpen its tools to support the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and communities and
to help countries meet their development goals. We will continue to work closely with our wide range of partners within
and beyond the UN system to get the maximum coordination possible in development co-operation and to get results. We
are fully cognizant of our responsibilities within the UN development system for promoting system-wide coherence. With
sufficient and predictable resources for development, the appropriate policies, and strong leadership and capacity, we do
believe that the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals can be met. There is not only a moral imperative
to strive to meet them. It is also an important part of our quest to make our planet more just, secure, and peaceful. That
is in the best interests of all of us. I thank the Board once again for its ongoing support for UNDP. |
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