Aside from recurrent drought and climate induced emergencies, Somalia is facing other deep-rooted yet interlinked challenges, including violent conflict, corruption, poverty and rising numbers of internal displacement. For the Resident Coordinator and the UN country team, breaking these chronic cycles of crises and tackling the root causes of displacement, insecurity and climate induced emergencies and support Somalia’s development ambitions been a key overarching priority.
In a session like no other, against a background of urgent global crises and at the mid-point towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN leaders and Member State representatives gathered in New York at the ECOSOC Segment on Operational Activities for Development to take stock of the UN development system’s progress and challenges ahead from 23-25 May 2023.
The UN Development System stocktaking moment that happened last week in New York was marked by the strong support of the Member States with the concrete results achieved by the Resident Coordinator System and the UN development system at large.
"First, the objective of the Funding Compact holds true. Adjusting the quantity and quality of funding does have a multiplier effect on the implementation of the SDGs...These results do not happen in a vacuum. They can only be achieved through funding adequate expertise in UN development system entities and in UN country teams to provide advice adjusted to country needs and priorities. Yet, and this is my second point, the implementation of the Funding Compact commitments remains mixed overall."
"When we started the reform process, no one foresaw that our country teams would be operating in such challenging conditions. Despite that, four years on, the reforms have succeeded."
"Resident Coordinators are now our backbone to translate global commitments into effective action on the ground.
Before these reforms, this link simply did not exist and there was a gap between intergovernmental outcomes and action by UN Country Teams.
This is no longer the case."
“I have never seen climate carnage on this scale.” This is what United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said when he arrived in Pakistan in September 2022, witnessing first-hand how devastating floods left large swathes of the country under water.
Keeping markets like Agbogbloshie alive and smallholder farmers thriving to help feed the country, will depend on timely interventions to curtail rising fertilizer costs. The Government of Ghana with the support of the UN is now taking steps to promote organic fertilizer production and uptake among farmers.
UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, in her role as Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) presided over the Group’s annual session, bringing together all UN chiefs working on development.
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of priorities and initiatives — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians.
