UN coordination is crucial to tackle complex challenges

Four years ago, Member States agreed to boost development coordination to make the most of the UN’s offer to support countries and enable them to tap into the full UN expertise – at the country, regional and global levels – to secure hard won development gains and advance the SDGs. 

The reinvigorated Resident Coordinator (RC) system, fully staffed, operational and powered by a new generation of Resident Coordinators, has proven its worth, ensuring timely, coherent and effective UN support to countries during another year of extraordinary challenges, as developing countries continue responding to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, amidst increased global volatility. 

Enhanced coordination was pivotal to: 

  • Serve as first line of defense against the pandemic, guiding the UN development system’s collective efforts that protected, supported and serviced populations, partners, and clients 
  • Strengthen joint planning and programming through a new generation of Common Country Analyses and Cooperation Frameworks, going beyond sectoral approaches 
  • Harness the full expertise of the UN development system and other partners for sustainable development, including International Financial Institutions  
  • Scale up commitment to full transparency and accountability, including through a first-ever multi-annual results framework for the RC system 
  • Boost commitments to 2021 global summits and support national convenors of dialogues on critical SDG priorities 
  • Continue to advance UN development system reform implementation, including support for a renewed regional architecture and advancing the efficiency agenda 

Four years into the reform we clearly see:

Increased integrated policy response 

A more strategic needs-based approach to tackle countries’ development needs 

Better linkage of UN expertise at all levels to serve country needs 

Increased accountability and transparency for sustainable development results 

Improved ability to speak with one UN voice 

Increased efficiencies 

Evidence shows that coordination matters to speed up the SDGs

Host governments' and donor governments’ feedback on the Resident Coordinator system continued to improve

81%

of host Governments report that, since the UN development system repositioning in 2018, the UN development system currently works together better, a 4% increase compared to 2020

87%

of donor governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator system has improved coherence in UN activities, reducing duplication of efforts

75%

of donor governments consider that the Resident Coordinator system has leveraged the comparative advantage of individual UN entities

81% of programme country Governments report that, since the UN development system repositioning in 2018, the UN development system currently works together better, a 4% increase compared to 2020
81% of programme country Governments report that, since the UN development system repositioning in 2018, the UN development system currently works together better, a 4% increase compared to 2020
https://silofighters.undg.org/2022-unsdg-chair-report/overview?card=602

Host Governments' feedback: Resident Coordinators effectively lead UN teams on the ground

 
89%

of host Governments believe Resident Coordinators effectively lead UN teams to support countries' priorities, up from 88% in 2020 and 79% in 2019

Donor governments' feedback: The Resident Coordinator system has:

 
87%

of donor governments state that the Resident Coordinator system has scaled up collective action that supports the SDGs

87% of contributing countries state that the Resident Coordinator system has scaled up collective action that supports the SDGs
87% of contributing countries state that the Resident Coordinator system has scaled up collective action that supports the SDGs
https://silofighters.undg.org/2022-unsdg-chair-report/overview?card=1290

Donor governments' feedback: Since the repositioning of the UN development system, UN entities work more collaboratively together

 
86%

of donor governments state that, since the repositioning of the UN development system, UN entities work more collaboratively together

UN teams recognize better support and programmatic coherence from a wide range of tools

UN teams’ feedback: Tools and ways to improve the UN’s development offer

 

Governments' perception of how Resident Coordinators have led the UN teams’ responses to COVID-19 remained positive in 2021:

92%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinators have ensured a coherent UN response to the COVID-19 pandemic, just as indicated in 2020

87%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator-led UN teams’ response has been timely, a 11% increase compared to 2020 

78%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator-led UN teams’ response has been comprehensive, up from 74% in 2020

81%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator-led UN teams’ response has been effective, compared to 77% in 2020

83%

of host Governments indicate that Resident Coordinator-led UN teams' response has targeted at-risk groups, compared to 84% in 2020

84%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator-led UN teams’ response has been coherent with the Cooperation Framework/UNDAF, up from 81% in 2020

87%

of host Governments indicate that the Resident Coordinator-led UN teams’ response has been coherent with the humanitarian response, compared to 84% in 2020

80%

of Resident Coordinators believe that UN teams are providing support that is more coherent compared to the year before

To learn more visit the report's resource page and glossary