Support to the UNDS Reform 2022-2025


Switzerland has been a champion of the UN Development System (UNDS) Reform since its inception. In 2020, Member States confirmed the reform’s direction and provided new impetus. This intervention will strengthen the oversight of Members States over the progress of the reform, support system-wide evaluations and institutional learning and provide funding for joint action to deliver collective results across the UNDS at country level to accelerate the 2030 Agenda implementation.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Global
Governance
Other
nothemedefined
Public sector policy
Sector not specified
01.08.2022 - 31.05.2025
CHF  9’400’000
Background Important progress has been achieved in implementing the UNDS Reform since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for a coordinated and coherent UN Development System to provide effective support to partner countries to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. With only 8 years left and many SDGs off track, accelerating the impact of the UNDS and translating the reform into results at country level is critical. Switzerland’s support to implement the UNDS Reform at country level is an important contribution to Switzerland’s strategic goal of a more effective multilateral system that delivers results for people.
Objectives The UN Development System provides effective support to national partners at country level and fosters inclusive partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs through system-wide monitoring and evaluation systems and the increased availability of pooled funds for joint analysis and multi-sectoral programming.
Target groups

Direct: United Nations Resident Coordinators Offices, United Nations country teams, UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs, System-Wide Evaluation Office.

Indirect: UN Member States, populations, governments and civil society in UN programme countries, international financial institutions (IFIs) and private sector partners working with the UN in the field on Agenda 2030.

Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: UN country teams collectively support national partners to design interventions that address the multi-dimensional challenges of the 2030 Agenda. (Partner: UNDCO)

Outcome 2: Member states take informed decisions at the ECOSOC to guide the implementation of the UNDS Reform and QCPR resolution.(Partner: UNDESA)

Outcome 3: The UN System-wide Evaluation Office contributes to strengthened oversight, transparency, and accountability as well as to enhanced joint work and collective learning among the UNDS entities (Partner: EOSG)

Results

Expected results:   UN Resident Coordinators are empowered to provide coherent, system-wide support to national partners to achieve the 2030 Agenda with financial resources for collective action and UN country teams, under the leadership of the RC pool and leverage human and financial resources to support national partners in the design and implementation of policy solutions that address multiple SDGs. UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has the capacity to produce high quality monitoring frameworks and reports to Member States on the progress of the UN Development System reforms and the QCPR implementation through the ECOSOC. The System-Wide Evaluation Office as part of the EOSG conducts system-wide evaluations and strenghtens collaboration on UN system-wide evaluation products.


Results from previous phases:  

·         147 million people accessed new or extended social protection services,
          117 countries operated joint multi-sectoral programmes and USD 1.7 billion
         in additional finance catalysed thanks to the Joint SDG Fund.

·         Leadership of the Resident Coordinator and effectiveness and efficiency of
          UN country teams strengthened

·         Strengthened national capacities to accelerate SDG implementation across
          sectors.

·         Improved reporting and monitoring of the UNDS reform and QCPR
          implementation and revamped QCPR Monitoring and Reporting
          Framework 2021-2024

·         Funding analysis established to track implementation of Funding Compact

·         System-wide evaluation policy drafted

·        System-wide evaluations have resulted in recommendations to further
         improve and accelerate collaboration, effectiveness and efficiencies of the
         UNDS


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • Other UN Organisation
  • United Nations Department on Economic and Social Affairs
  • UN Coordination Office (UNDCO), UN De-partment for Social and Economic Affairs (UNDESA), Executive Office of the Secre-tary General (EOSG)


Coordination with other projects and actors

Contribution to the Special Purpose Trust Fund for the Resident Coordinator System (2021-2023)

Contribution to the Peacebuilding Fund (2021-2023)

Coordination with Swiss representations abroad to strengthen the integration of Switzerland’s multilateral and bilateral engagement (elevator approach) 

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    9’400’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    3’300’000