Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at Member State dialogue with Resident Coordinators

Deputy Secretary-General's welcome remarks at the Interactive Dialogue between the Member States and the Resident Coordinators on 15 November 2023. 

President of ECOSOC, Excellencies,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this interactive session between Member States and Resident Coordinators.

The Secretary-General introduced this dialogue as an essential component of the Resident Coordinator Global Retreats. It reflects the spirit of the repositioned development coordination system – one that is born out of a genuine partnership with Member States. One that grounded in transparency, accountability and transformation.

I want to thank the President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Paula Narváez Ojeda, for her presence here today. ECOSOC’s role in providing oversight for the Resident Coordinator system is absolutely critical.

Excellencies,

The Global Retreat of our Resident Coordinators is an important time for the Secretary-General, myself and other UN senior leaders, to connect on how Resident Coordinators are leading UN country teams to support Member States ambitions, needs and priorities for SDG implementation.

This 2023 Resident Coordinator Global meeting comes in the aftermath of the SDG Summit - at a time of urgency to deliver the rescue plan for people and planet.

Across the world, countries are working to translate the commitments in the political declaration into national action in an increasingly challenging context. The demands and expectations of the Resident Coordinator – and UN country teams at large - are huge.
 
Over the course of the week, the Resident Coordinators have been discussing how the UN development system can best support Member States in this endeavor.

They have exchanged on what skillsets, tools and resources are most needed to bring to fruition the key transitions that will enable the acceleration of the SDGs.

They have interrogated headquarters on enhanced support to maximize their convening power to mobilize the means of implementation that will make or break our efforts.

Resident Coordinators are building on achievements already made in transforming the UN development system. They have been leveraging their empowered roles and the strengthened but limited capacities available in their offices. Resident coordinators are working with entities across the wider UN development system to act as catalysts for accelerated SDG implementation.

Feedback from your capitals continue to propel us forward. In 2022, 92 per cent of host governments said that Resident Coordinators are contributing to the creation of effective partnerships in support of national efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda and achieve the SDGs. This is up from 85 per cent in 2020.

87% of host countries found that the Resident Coordinators serves as a strengthened entry point to the UN, a remarkable 35% increase from 2019.

But success in the second half of the SDGs will require so much more from all of us.

From transformation of food systems, expanding access to energy, enhancing digital connectivity, to strengthening education, creating jobs, ensuring social protection, and tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

We will all need to adapt faster than we have done in the past seven years. It will not be easy – but the Secretary-General and I are confident that you will find in the UN system a partner of choice to get you there. And if we are confident today, it is because the new Resident Coordinator system is confirming its potential.
           
Excellencies,

The discussion today will be an opportunity for you to engage with our Resident Coordinators on the results achieved and how we can better support you for the second half of the 2030 Agenda.

Resident Coordinators will share with you concrete results and examples of the impact and added value of the Resident Coordinator system to support government needs and priorities for the implementation of the SDGs.

They will emphasize actions they have taken or plan to take, to adapt the UN country team’s offer to meet countries’ needs and priorities, at the scale that need to reach the vision of the SDGs. 

They will also highlight where they require support to carry out their important tasks, and what challenges remain.

They will be ready to respond to any questions you may have. They are looking forward to hearing any guidance, reflections or concerns you may wish to present. 

As part of the on-going consultation on the Resident Coordinator funding model , I also hope that you will reflect on what you hear today as you consider how Member States can best resource the Resident Coordinator system and mitigate the worst impacts of the gaps.

I hope our session will offer an opportunity for a frank discussion on both our successes and challenges, to take us even further in our transformative journey.

Thank you!

To hear more from the Member State dialogue with Resident Coordinators click here.