Ambassador Sørensen reiterated the EU's support for the reform agenda in his opening remarks and underlined the reform's potential to make humanitarian action more effective. "The wider UN dynamics create a crucial opening for renewed efforts to improve the humanitarian architecture and make the humanitarian response more efficient and effective," he stated. The meeting was set up to discuss in particular the UN development system reform's impact on humanitarian affairs. "The reform, once implemented, will prevent cycles of poverty, reduce risks of vulnerability and more effectively build resilience," UN ASG Mueller explained. The Assistant Secretary-General detailed the aims of the reform process, such as achieving gender parity and making the UN development system more collaborative, coordinated and accountable. She also replied to HLWG members' questions on the interplay and link between the development system reform and humanitarian affairs.  

The UN is consistently undergoing change and reform to make its work more efficient, effective, transparent and strengthen its ability to meet new demands and challenges. While there are growing needs to be met the funding gap has continued to increase; hence the need to focus on prevention: prevention of conflicts, human rights violation, climate change induced disasters, etc.   The UN development system has been under review since the beginning of the year and will be realigned to provide more effective responses to these challenges and make sure the 'UN is fit for purpose'. ASG Mueller's briefing at the EU was preceded by a briefing by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Tuesday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva in which the EU participated as well.