“Show Us the Impact”: Resident Coordinators Rewrite the UN’s Accountability Story

In a world where development challenges are growing more complex, countries increasingly expect clarity on what is working and why. Resident Coordinators are leading a new era of transparency, showing how coordinated UN support is delivering measurable results for people and planet, and strengthening the trust that underpins effective multilateral cooperation. 

Across regions, UN Country Teams (UNCTs) are refining their annual UN Country Results Reports into sharp, evidence-driven accounts of where progress is accelerating, which gaps remain, and how UN support is shaping national systems and policies. What was once a technical reporting exercise is becoming one of the UN’s clearest tools for demonstrating impact. 

A clearer picture of results for people and planet 

Countries want to see how the UN’s work translates into real improvements in people’s lives: safer schools, stronger health systems, expanded social protection, and greater climate resilience. Today’s UN team Results Reports increasingly provide that clarity. Resident Coordinators have been guiding teams away from activity lists and toward impact-focused storytelling grounded in data, foresight, and national priorities. 

This shift is strengthening mutual accountability and helping governments plan more effectively. Reports now outline not only what has changed, but how UN coordination reduces duplication, aligns expertise, and mobilizes collective action behind national strategies. 

Celebrating excellence in results reporting 

At UN Headquarters, the Development Coordination Office presented the 2025 UN Country Results Report Awards, recognizing teams that exemplify this new standard. DCO Deputy Director Rosemary Kalapurakal highlighted that this year’s winning reports stand out for strategic clarity, analytical depth, compelling visuals, and a clear explanation of how UN support contributes to system-wide change. 

The 2025 winners include: 

• Africa: Kenya, Guinea-Bissau
• Asia–Pacific: Viet Nam
• Arab States: Jordan
• Europe & Central Asia: Azerbaijan
• Latin America & the Caribbean: Colombia
• Complex settings: Ukraine, Afghanistan 

Several of these UN teams were also recognized for publishing in national languages, a practical step that expands public transparency and ensures communities we serve have direct access to information on results that affect their lives. 

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Insights that inform policy and strengthen systems 

Recent system-wide evaluations show that governments value the UN’s ability to influence policy, strengthen institutions, and deliver results at scale. In response, UNCTs are sharpening how they capture and communicate progress. Reports are increasingly focused on long-term development trajectories, explaining how evidence, digital tools, and interdisciplinary expertise contribute to national decision-making. 

This approach allows governments and development partners to understand precisely where UN support is making the most meaningful difference. 

Resident Coordinators bringing local realities into global discussions 

During the 2025 RC Global Meeting in New York, more than 100 Resident Coordinators brought insights from their country contexts into discussions with UN leadership. They highlighted the challenges families face amid rising costs, the opportunities governments see in digital transformation, and the urgent need to anticipate climate and economic shocks before they become crises. 

These conversations reinforced a central message: global reforms must translate into stronger outcomes for people on the ground. RCs emphasized that predictable financing, rapid access to the right expertise, and efficient support systems are essential to delivering timely, coordinated action. 

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UN 2.0: faster, smarter, and more responsive 

RCs also discussed how the Development Coordination Office is evolving under UN 2.0 to better support country teams. Predictive analytics, digital platforms, and stronger data systems are enabling earlier warning, more coherent planning, and more effective partnerships with governments. 

These innovations are already making a difference, from improved early warning systems to more accessible, results-focused reporting that helps countries make informed decisions. 

This is UN 2.0 in practice: agile, anticipatory, accountable, and designed to support national priorities with clarity and precision. 

A UN defined by the impact it delivers 

The award-winning Results Reports of 2025 demonstrate what becomes possible when leadership, evidence, and storytelling come together. They reflect a UN that is clear about its contributions, transparent about its challenges, and focused on results that improve lives. 

Above all, they show a UN increasingly defined not by the breadth of its activities, but by the impact it delivers for people and planet, and by the growing trust that comes with demonstrating that impact openly and confidently. 

Read about earlier initiatives to recognise impactful country results reports in 2024, 2023 and 2022.