EU Statement - ECOSOC: Meeting between the United Nations Resident Coordinators and Member States at the Ambassadorial level

Check against delivery

Excellencies, distinguished Resident Coordinators,

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

As we look toward the UN80 process across all 3 pillars in a balanced way, we see an important moment to  build on previous reform efforts in order to strengthen the UN development system, so that it can fulfil its role accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in an increasingly complex global context, delivering with more impact and effectiveness and leaving no one behind.

We support the UN80 initiative because we believe that a stronger, more responsive UN is not  just important — it is a necessity. We invest in multilateralism because we know that global challenges cannot be solved by fragmented responses. And we need a UN whose political voice is matched by its operational strength on the ground.

We therefore value the opportunity to exchange our views today.

We would like to make three points and ask one question.

First, as staunch supporters of multilateralism, we reiterate that UN in-country presence is key to peace and security, achieving prosperity and sustainable development and advancing the fight against poverty, with a governance based on human rights – objectives and values that we fully share.

As stressed in the Pact for the Future, we believe that the Resident Coordinator system must be at the core of the UN presence at the country level, representing the Secretary-General, including as effective SDG accelerators. 

Through the Resident Coordinator system, the UN is better positioned to be more coherent, agile, effective, and responsive to local needs. 

The UN80 process provides a timely opportunity to reaffirm this shared vision and to strengthen the role of Resident Coordinators as system leaders at country level. 

We want a UN that delivers. Therefore, we must empower those who lead delivery. We must strengthen your authority, tools, political backing, and accountability. We must ensure the system mobilises behind you, not around you. You are the entry-point for the UN at acountry level.

Second, we have been supporting the UNDS reform politically and financially from the outset. The EU and its Member States have collectively contributed close to EUR 300 million to the Resident Coordinator system since 2019, including a new contribution from the EU of EUR 16 million for 2024–2025.

We support the adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for the UN development system, including the Resident Coordinator system. We also support the call to advance the full and effective implementation of the Funding Compact.

The UN80 process should serve as an anchor to secure durable political commitment to this financial architecture, ensuring that RCs and Country Teams can fully deliver on their mandates.

Finally, just a week ago we adopted a resolution on Operational Activities for Development, in which we particularly value the importance placed on UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks, the recognition of the Resident Coordinator’s leadership in ensuring coordinated, country-driven support, and the call for continued improvement of country team configuration exercises and related system-wide efficiencies. This is equally important in humanitarian and conflict affected settings.

The Resident Coordinator System must be judged not by the breadth of its ambitions, but by the effectiveness of its outcomes. The efficiency and coherence we so often speak of must mean something. It must translate into fewer silos, fewer delays, fewer contradictions — and into faster, stronger, more principled and impactful action in the field. 

Putting this into practice and looking ahead at how to make the UN development system more effective, agile and fit for the future, we believe the UN80 process provides an opportunity to explore several forward-looking improvements to coordination and delivery for impact:

• Streamlining coordination arrangements at country, regional and global levels by transitioning from current structures toward a simplified and more focused support architecture and a more agile and leaner DCO. 

• Boosting the coordination and leadership role of RCs/HCs, including clearer oversight of agencies and a prioritised, strategic country engagement framework.

• Strengthening coordination with Regional Economic Commissions to foster integrated and coordinated regional development strategies, improve data sharing and enable stronger policy advocacy.

• Differentiating typologies of engagement —operational, advisory or otherwise—to ensure UN Country Teams are fit for purpose.

• Leveraging internal and external data systematically before deciding on in-country interventions.

• Consider flexibility in the set-up of individual RC structures to allow for the system to function in an adaptive and context specific manner including through peace and development advisors (PDAs) where appropriate in order to strengthen peace and development nexus.

• Transparent and efficient nomination procedures, and strong performance management to ensure proper representation and legitimacy.

These ideas merit collective reflection as we shape the next phase of the UN development system reform.

My question therefore would be (NB: depending on discussion): 

• How do you see UN80 reshaping the Resident Coordinator System and composition of UNCTs in order to improve the delivery of results by the development system on the ground? 

• If you could redesign one aspect of the current UNDS coordination system to make it more fit for purpose, what would it be and why? 

• What changes in your oversight role over agencies would most improve the UN Country Team’s ability to deliver a strategic, prioritized engagement framework with most impact?