EU Statement – United Nations General Assembly: UN Resident Coordinator System

28.10.2021
New York

28 October 2021, New York – European Union statement as delivered by Mr. Axel de La Maisonneuve, European Union Delegation to the United Nations, at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly 23rd Plenary Meeting on the Review of the Resident Coordinator System

 

 

Chair,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

We would like to thank the co-facilitators Ambassador Mimouni and Ambassador Hermann as well as their teams for their commitment to this process, their tireless work and their efforts to accommodate our different views and positions, guiding us through a cumbersome consultative process with resilience, perseverance and determination.

We would also like to recognize and thank all delegations for their commitment to the process, for their engagement and for their continued support to the UN Development System reform. The reform is the only way forward to an effective and efficient UN system in order to get back on track towards reaching the SDGs and to tackle the huge challenges faced by the international community as a whole. The RC System passed its first stress test in the COVID-19 pandemic and it really proved its added value. We see that same determination of the UN system in other crisis like with climate change or in their joint support for the people of Afghanistan.  More joint action, not less, of the UN development system under the impartial and neutral leadership of the RC is crucial to reach these goals and therefore for the UN system to keep its relevance.

Collectively we came to the conclusion that the only way forward was to support the proposal of the co-facilitators, sticking to the existing funding model for the time being. Some among the Membership, including in the EU, were hoping to find consensus on a more creative solution with an adjusted funding model. We do hope however that the UN membership can keep its political promise to the UNDS reform agenda and ensure that the RC system has predictable and sustainable funding even with a formula that continues to rely heavily on voluntary contributions by UN Member States. This is crucial in order to guide the UN Country Teams towards a system that delivers more effective and efficient support to MS to reach the SDGs.

We also would like to urge all UN member states to share the burden of financing this system. It serves all of us, by delivering a more effective and efficient UN on the ground. It is the task of all of us to provide predictable and sustainable resources to the RC System, even if on a voluntary basis. All MS should be encouraged to live up to their expectations and provide funding based on a fair or relative share.

We stand ready to engage in the future again on these matters.