'These Results are Tangible': UN Deputy Secretary-General on the Recalibration of the Resident Coordinator System

Excellencies,

Today we gather for an update on our shared efforts to strengthen this system. But first, I want to thank you for your partnership in this journey over the last 9 years.

Back in 2017, you told us to do the impossible – to advance structural changes. 

You asked us to create a dedicated, independent, impartial and empowered coordination function – reforming the Resident Coordinator system for greater efficiency and impact.

8 years on, the Resident Coordinator system is the core of United Nations country teams – coordinating and convening in over 160 countries and territories.

Along the way, Member States guided critical functions to maintain the system’s independence and ensure alignment with the priorities of host countries.

Together, we delivered. 

Resident Coordinators were given enhanced authority, direct reporting to the Secretary-General and responsibility for leading implementation of the Cooperation Framework, ensuring Member State priorities remain central to our work.

These efforts established a fully dedicated development coordination function – designed to support the integrated, cross-sectoral approach required to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. It also enabled the RC to convene across the UN system and its partners in support of the sustainable development agenda. 

The delinking of this function from UNDP has allowed the agency to fully focus on its mandate and key role as the lead UN field agency for sustainable development. 

The outcome is clear. Surveys, independent evaluations and system-wide reviews consistently show that the strengthened Resident Coordinator system has improved coordination, mobilised collective action and strengthened support to countries. It has also convened across sectors and constituencies – key to delivery of the SDGs, including the private sector. 

A recent synthesis by our System-Wide Evaluation Office of 33 evaluations from 2021 to 2024 found that Resident Coordinators have enabled integrated policy coordination, strengthened joint programming and facilitated engagement by smaller entities and those without a country presence.

The reformed system has quickly proven its value in times of crisis. During COVID-19, the global impacts of the war in Ukraine and now the repercussions of the Iran conflict, Resident Coordinators have enabled rapid, coordinated responses. Across regions, they are activating contingency measures, providing real-time analysis and working with the UN system navigate cascading impacts on energy, trade and development programming.

Excellencies,

Against this backdrop and through your engagement, we have worked to further recalibrate the Resident Coordinator system.

We have taken stock of the General Assembly’s guidance in resolution 79/258, examined the resource requirements and workload needs of the offices, and reviewed the one-size-fits-all approach to ensure that the teams are tailored to the context and needs of host countries. 

We have also followed through on the resolution’s requests, including for updated performance frameworks for the Resident Coordinator system and reviewed the funding stream. Our team will give detailed briefs on these in subsequent engagements. 

These efforts build on eight years of reform and underpin the Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative. Many of the changes envisioned under UN80 rely on the Resident Coordinator system to be strengthened at country level.

Since delinking from UNDP, Resident Coordinators are accountable to all Member States, with full transparency through ECOSOC, ACABQ and the Fifth Committee. We have reported annually through the QCPR on progress and results.

These results are tangible.

Eighty-nine per cent of host countries report that Resident Coordinators now focus more on common results – a 29 per cent jump since 2019. This means more resources are being mobilised collectively, rather than through fragmented, agency-specific initiatives, to support nationally defined SDG priorities. Through the Joint SDG Fund, the UN system – under the leadership RCs – unlocked over $8 billion in additional resources for the SDGs – with a leverage rate of 1:20. 

Eighty-four per cent of host countries say the Resident Coordinator is now a strengthened gateway point to the United Nations – rising to 95 per cent in multi-hatted settings. These gains show that Governments increasingly rely on Resident Coordinators to navigate the UN system, with lower transaction costs and closer alignment between UN support to national and regional priorities.

Excellencies,

While the system is delivering, the global context has evolved. Countries face mounting climate pressures, soaring debt, rising humanitarian and development needs, and constrained fiscal and operational space – even as the timeline to 2030 narrows. Sustainable development remains our most effective tool for prevention, and demand for coordinated UN support continues to grow.

Resident Coordinators today play a broad and demanding leadership role. They:

• Work with Governments to implement the 2030 Agenda.
• Lead Country Team implementation of integrated responses to national priorities.
• Oversee the development and implementation of Cooperation Frameworks – providing continuous support across the lifecycle – and ensuring alignment of agency-specific plans.
• Broker transformative partnerships and financing with the international footprint in country, including IFIs and the private sector.
• Support governance and management of pooled funds.
• And drive system-wide operational efficiencies and transformation.

Demand is also growing in areas such as integrated national financing frameworks, pooled funding mechanisms and partnerships with international financial institutions. 

Resident Coordinators are increasingly convening Governments, international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society to support coordinated responses and sustainable financing pathways.

Despite growing demands, the fiscal context of the Resident Coordinator system has not improved. There continues to be a high degree of variability in the levy – $36 million projected for 2025 but not all of it has been received, while agencies are indicating they may not be able to pay their cost-sharing commitments.

Voluntary contributions have also continued to fall short – by $61 million in 2025 – but the assessed contributions have provided an essential lifeline. I want to acknowledge the Member States that have continually supported the RC system. 

The Secretary-General has been clear from the outset in 2018 that this system needs predictable funding to deliver. In its absence, operations will be perpetually strained and impact will be reduced or delayed – undermining the ability to deliver on Member State and UN country team’s expectations. 

Resident Coordinator Offices remain stretched between growing expectations in country and constrained, unpredictable resources. 

Recruitments have been paused, surge assignments have been shortened when countries need them most, and intake into the RC recruitment pool was paused for 2024 as a result. 

Excellencies,

It is against this background and the success achieved that we have undertaken the recalibration exercise. The objective is simple: to ensure the system is configured to enable Resident Coordinators to deliver the leadership role envisioned by Member States.

Several takeaways emerged from these consultations.

First, there is strong agreement that the Resident Coordinator system is delivering and remains essential for delivering on the countries’ priorities for SDG implementation. 

Resident Coordinators must be enabled to focus on strategic leadership and policy coherence.

Second, new capacities must be strengthened – including data, digital, innovation, behavioural insights and foresight.

Third, economic expertise, partnerships, planning, communications and reporting are critical – along with flexibility to tailor capacities to country context.

Fourth, the recalibration must position Resident Coordinators to deliver on the UN80 agenda – including better configured country teams, stronger regional support, expanded expertise-on-demand and mergers that deepen our response to women, girls and youth, and coherent SDG policy and project delivery.  

Fifth, accountability to Member States must continue to be strengthened.

Finally, system-wide efficiencies remain central – including UNINFO, common back offices and common premises.

Excellencies,

These findings call for a shift in capacities within Resident Coordinator Offices and stronger alignment with DCO headquarters support. In complex settings and multi-country offices, this will mean additional coordination and convening capacity. This will be complemented by enhanced regional surge support available for countries as needed.

At headquarters, we are reorganizing to better align support with country needs. Two divisions will be established – one focused on partnerships, pooled funds and regional engagement, and another on SDG coordination, policy and programme support. Efficiencies will also be strengthened and linked directly to the ASG’s leadership – enabling delivery across the over 160 countries and territories.

We are now seeking your guidance on several key questions that have arisen during our consultations:

• How have you seen demands on the Resident Coordinator system evolve?
• Where has the system delivered, and where can it improve?
• What skills and expertise should be strengthened?
• What are your expectations for the Resident Coordinators’ role in coordinating UN country teams?
• And how should Resident Coordinators facilitate access to expertise, particularly as some entities scale back their presence?

We will follow today’s discussion with technical-level engagements.

I welcome your frank feedback and continued guidance to ensure the Resident Coordinator system delivers for you – the countries we serve.

Thank you.

This statement was delivered at the briefing with Member States on the recalibration of the Resident Coordinator system.