Making Cooperation Frameworks count nationally and regionally
In countries, RCOs leverage Cooperation Frameworks—a joint roadmap to accelerate the SDGs—to align UN support national priorities.
Strengthened national SDG financing ecosystems across 25 African countries by supporting RC-led Funding Compact dialogues that embedded government financing priorities into Cooperation Frameworks.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, DCO and the RCs in the region are working together to share financing information and insights into tools and funding opportunities. This regional coordination strengthens how the UN engages with International Financial Institutions and private investors, minimising duplication.
Regional teams supported Resident Coordinators as crises erupted, continued, or deepened across several areas, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Myanmar.
As transboundary risks intensified, the Africa regional team helped broker a regional African Development Bank programme to ensure coherent investments aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and SDG acceleration.
Regional teams helped countries strengthen planning and implementation of Cooperation Framework.
In the Arab States, regional support helped advance a regional disability inclusion strategy in Common Country Analyses and Cooperation Frameworks. Through these frameworks, more structured partnerships with Gulf Cooperation Council stakeholders were established.
In Africa, regional teams helped link Cooperation Framework implementation to national budget cycles and Integrated National Financing Frameworks.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, 25 RCOs came together to improve data reliability in the design of Cooperation Frameworks. The regional team supported a coordinated response to migration dynamics on the Haiti–Dominican Republic border, addressing cross-border migration pressures.
Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, foresight—a forward-looking analysis—identified socioeconomic risks linked to oil dependency, shaping the Cooperation Framework’s stronger focus on economic diversification.
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, behavioural insights and evidence helped identify low-cost, high-impact interventions to deliver on the Cooperation Framework priorities.
Translating global commitments into national action
DCO supported RCs and countries in engaging in the Second World Social Summit, the Financing for Development Forum (FfD4), the UN Food Systems Summit+4, and COP30. RCOs organized inclusive national consultations, supported national delegations and linked summit preparations to national development planning and SDG acceleration.
These commitments are now translating into national plans, policies and programmes.
Djibouti and Egypt
RCs linked Social Summit preparatory processes with new National Development Plan consultations in Djibouti, and supported development of the New National Social Protection Framework in Egypt.
Panama
The Resident Coordinator convened the Government, development banks and private sector leaders to mobilize investment in education, entrepreneurship and agriculture. A $90 million partnership involving CAF, UNDP and UNFPA is helping transform technical education into real job opportunities, with more than 200 companies joining efforts to connect business investment with social impact.
Niger
The UN, along with the Government, is leading four mutually reinforcing programmes allowing for joint resource mobilisation to tackle food systems, education, youth jobs, and governance.
Supporting LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS
Resident Coordinators have mobilised expertise from across the UN system to support the distinct priorities of least developed countries, landlocked nations and small island developing states, spanning public services, jobs, entrepreneurship and trade.
Accelerating global programmes of action:
In collaboration with OHRLLS and DESA, RCs, supported by DCO, accelerated implementation of the global programs of action for least developed countries, landlocked and small islands development states, reaching the countries that need the most tailored support.
RCs in these countries have helped ensure that UN support is hardwired to address specific, multidimensional vulnerabilities from climate change, trade, and geographic isolation to name a few.
In SIDS, RCs are linking resilience, finance and growth to help tackle structural constraints and climate risks.
In Saint Kitts and Nevis the RCO in collaboration with DESA, ECLAC and OHRLLS helped advance the first global pilot of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index.
With the support of the Joint SDG Fund, hosted by DCO, RCs in the several SIDS unlocked catalytic funding, including in Cabo Verde, Suriname and Timor-Leste, where support advanced global commitments on blue economy, sustainable development and economic resilience.
In LDCs, RCs are advancing priorities under the Doha Programme of Action, with a focus on structural transformation and graduation readiness.
Zambia and Lao PDR
In Zambia and Lao PDR, this included strengthening national capacity on financing for development and aligning policy, financing and partnerships to support sustainable transition from LDC status.
Advancing climate action
RCs played a pivotal role in bringing together UN climate support and expertise under the Climate Promise Initiative 2025. Leveraging the convening powers of the RCs and the technical leadership of UNDP, UN teams supported countries in the formulation and submission of their NDCs. This has resulted in a new generation of climate commitments that focus on climate action across sectors, including energy, transport, and agriculture, with stronger social inclusion and country ownership.
Countries supported in preparing new Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement
Of new NDCs address affordable and clean energy
Integrate gender equality and social inclusion
Of NDCs include just transition measures
NDC 3.0 and the oil and gas transition
DCO helped RCs and UNCTs prioritize NDC 3.0 support in coordination with UNDP and launched the RC System Network on Oil and Gas Transition to connect RCs in fossil fuel-dependent economies with system-wide expertise.
Advancing inclusion, rights and equal opportunity
RCs are bringing together expertise from across the UN system to establish and advance universal norms that benefit all including gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment and human rights protection.
More than 60% of new Cooperation Frameworks mainstream gender equality or include a dedicated outcome.
125 UNCTs reported in 2025 against the UNCT System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
In Chad, the RCO worked with government and civil society to develop the National Equality Policy 2026–2030.
UNCTs reported against the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy
Of UNCTs met or exceeded the Strategy’s requirements
Of CCAs meeting or exceeding requirements on disability-inclusion
Of UNCTs supported governments to engage young people in policymaking
Reported supporting them with integrating youth priorities and including young people in decision-making
The use of Universal Periodic Review recommendations rose from 89% in 2024 to 96% in 2025.
89% of UNCTs are applying “leave no one behind” analyses - particularly focused on populations at risk of exclusion - to shape programming and monitoring of programme implementation.
Brokering impactful partnerships
RC-coordinated partnerships among a wide range of stakeholders have helped unlock financing, services and policy reforms.
In Nigeria, partnership efforts by the RC mobilized an additional $250 million for health from public and private sources and supported a social protection programme reaching 18 million households.
In the Central African Republic, a joint effort with the African Development Bank mobilized over $30 million for recovery efforts.
In Ghana, coordinated support to UNCDF, UNCTAD and UNDP advanced a national e-commerce strategy, with additional co-financing from the Mastercard Foundation and the European Union.
Promoting early warning and preparedness
In 2025, 89% of host Governments reported that UN development system activities were effective in strengthening resilience to shocks. RCs acted as first responders in several countries, pooling together UN support for affected communities.
Jamaica
The RC in Jamaica coordinated the UN response—from early warning and preparedness to recovery efforts—in support of Government-led action and affected communities.
Chile
Climate-driven wildfires triggered a government-led response supported by the UN country team, with the RC aligning expertise across health, protection and ecosystem recovery.
Samoa
The RC played a critical role in embedding early warning systems into national planning, with support from WMO, UNDRR and ITU. Through sustained coordination, government institutions, UN entities, and technical partners have been aligned behind a single, nationally owned roadmap, backed by investments in risk knowledge, forecasting, dissemination, and preparedness.
Responding to Crises
In complex settings, the RC system bridges humanitarian response and long-term development. RCs serving as RC/HC or DSRSG/RC/HC convened governments, international financial institutions, civil society and communities around shared strategies.
Advancing the humanitarian-development nexus
DCO continued to serve, together with OCHA, as co-secretariat of the Joint Steering Committee to advance humanitarian-development collaboration, convening UN entities around shared priorities. In 2025, it supported RCs in eight humanitarian transition settings to develop Transition Vision Statements, which informed the JSC’s identification of systemwide support. DCO also hosts the Global Solutions Hub and the Internal Displacement Solutions Fund in support of durable solutions for IDPs.
Cameroon
The RC/HC’s convening role enabled a joint framework aligning humanitarian, development and stabilisation efforts
South Sudan
The work of the DSRSG/RC/HC facilitated agreement on voluntary returns of internally displaced persons
Mobilizing and managing development finance
Facilitating access to global funds
In 2025, RCs mobilised resources that allowed joint UN action across five countries by UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNESCO, and IOM, reaching over 2.2 million young people through dedicated programmes, engaging over 1 million men and boys in dialogue on gender equality and strengthening access to essential services for more than 1.3 million women and girls.
RCs facilitated the establishment and capitalisation of country-level pooled funds including the Georgia Thematic Pooled Fund for Civic Space, the CAR Sustainable Development Fund, and the Pacific SDG Acceleration Fund.
Throughout 2025, Funding Compact dialogues were held in 92 countries. These discussions are continually being enhanced, expecting longer term funding trends to demonstrate their efficacy, including in reversing the 2025 downward capitalization trend that sharply decreased pooled funding in 47 countries by nearly 60% compared to 2024.