Discurso do Representante Permanente Alterno, Embaixador Norberto Moretti, durante encontro anual entre coordenadores residentes da ONU e Estados-membros - 15 de novembro de 2023 (texto em inglês)
Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Norberto Moretti, at the annual meeting of UN Resident Coordinators and Member States
November 15th, 2023
We would like to reaffirm our steadfast support to the repositioning of the United Nations Development System (UNDS) and the reinvigorated Resident Coordinator System (RC System). Brazil is particularly keen on reform efforts geared towards more results-oriented actions by the entities of the UNDS and increased alignment between country programmes and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks – (UNSDCFs). They help program countries accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in line with national priorities, needs, plans and circumstances.
We also note the accomplishments in terms of greater coherence between and among agencies on the ground and efficiencies realized for the benefit of operational activities for development.
We also welcome the good results demonstrated by the Development Cooperation Office (DCO) and the Resident Coordinator System thus far. As reported, the RC System is now fully deployed and is just coming to fruition. It has become particularly important to ensure that it effectively delivers on its mandate and that member states are able to review and monitor closely results achieved by the system.
The results framework presented by the chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) and adopted this year after consultations with member States is a much welcome and helpful tool to this end. So is the checklist proposed by the DCO to facilitate oversight at by Member States, and through the Executive boards, of the contribution of individual entities of the UNDS to the implementation of the repositioning mandate.
Case studies showcased this year on coordination efforts and interventions of RCs in individual host countries also provided a glimpse of what to expect from the repositioning mandate. As important as those developments are, there is still ground to cover regarding enhanced transparency and accountability on results, operations, management and finances.
We are cognizant of the current financial challenges of the RC System. Accordingly, we favor timely, needs-based and sufficient funding of the system, to balance out revenues and expenditures, taking into account different responsibilities and capabilities across Member States. We are confident that more objectively identifiable and meaningful figures and results on the system will also help sensitize donor countries about the urgent relevance of predictable and sufficient funding for the RC system to be able to fulfill its mandate in a satisfactory fashion.
The contribution by the Resident Coordinator in Brazil has been much appreciated. Ms. Silvia Rucks coordinated the working group in charge of the formulation of our national UNSDCF in a rather conscientious manner, with due regard to Brazil´s priorities and needs, while seeking to reconcile and integrate diverse views. Reports issued on the contribution of the UNDS to Brazil´s efforts at weathering and recovering from the pandemic are equally praiseworthy.
Enhanced coordination, transparency and efficiency in operational activities for development is not an end in itself. The whole purpose of the repositioning of the UNDS and the reinvigoration of the the RC System is to engender heightened impact of the UN development activities on the ground for the attainment of the 2030 agenda. That should be the focus of the RC System and of Member States’ oversight.
In concluding, I would like to leave a few questions for the panel:
- How could one better measure the gains of scale of the Resident Coordinators system in terms of the cost requirements for its operation at the country level?
- Is it fair to say that LDCs benefit more from the system compared to middle income countries? If that is the case, should we focus our scarce resources primarily on them?
- Based on your experience as RC, how could transparency be increased with regard to the system’s financial needs and the necessary oversight of the expenditures?
I thank you.