Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Norberto Moretti, at the high-level dialogue with the SG António Guterres on his report about the implementation of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review, in the context of the 2024 Operational Activities for Development Segment of the ECOSOC - May 14th, 2024

Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Mr. Vice-President of the ECOSOC,

This is a crucial year for multilateral cooperation for development as a new funding compact has just been finalized and the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) is set to be renegotiated. The QCPR negotiations once again offer a prime opportunity to reinvigorate the United Nations Development System as an indispensable means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Secretary-General report on the implementation of the QCPR and its annexes provide pivotal guidance for the identification of priorities for the negotiations, as it sheds light on areas where progress has been noteworthy and should be consolidated and those where trends suggest rethinking, pivoting and course-correcting.

Repositioning efforts have made important strides, with a new generation of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framewors (UNSDCFs). Tailoring of support and assets to countries´ priorities, and support on resource mobilization for the SDGs and South-South and trilateral cooperation have been enhanced. More attention has been given to delivery on SDGs 2 and 3. Much remains to be done, however. Resource allocation is concentrated on a small number of countries, and funds are being provided by a narrow base of contributors. Spending on humanitarian activities has surpassed that on durable, long-term development.

We should aim at crafting a new QCPR that effectively induces and underpins a well-resourced, fit for purpose, results-oriented and accountable UNDS. It is essential that the system is fully capable of supporting countries in reversing setbacks and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, bearing in mind poverty eradication is the overarching objective of the Agenda, the world´s greatest challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. The UNDS also needs to be able to provide both operational and policy support in full alignment with UNSDCFs, strategic plans as approved by governing bodies as well as the QCPR and the repositioning mandates, in a comprehensive, integrated and balanced fashion and in tune with program countries´ needs, priorities and plans. That means, for instance, helping countries address climate challenges in a manner that simultaneously eradicates poverty and hunger and bridges inequalities between countries and individuals.

Now turning to the Funding Compact, we were pleased to notice many of the commitments and indicators in the final iteration are properly designed to tackle core issues and shortcomings in the system as evidenced in SG and executive board reports. These include incentives to raise the share of core resources, enhance the flexibility of earmarked resources, ensure alignment of programmes and funding to priorities in cooperation frameworks, and make more visible the contribution of the UNDS to the SDGs. We truly hope the incentives built into the new pact will help secure a sufficient pool of regular resources for agencies where they have become scarce, such as UNDP and UNICEF.

We further welcome the inclusion of indicators that stimulate an expansion of traditional donor contributor base, and larger and more predictable and flexible contributions from traditional donors, as well as a softening of earmarked funds and a reduction in funding gaps in Cooperation Frameworks. All of those developments send out the right signals in support of implementation of multilateral mandates in a balanced and comprehensive fashion and in line with host country priorities.

Even if these are not featured in the new compact, we also encourage stronger incentives in terms of coordination with cooperation focal points in host governments, and capacity building for all stages of a project lifecycle.