Mr. President,On behalf of the Swedish Government I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Ms. Helen Clark on her appointment as new Administrator of UNDP. Ms. Clark, we are convinced that your political aptitude and vast executive experience will serve this organization well and look forward to a close cooperation with you.
Sweden has a strong and longstanding commitment to UNDP, which is reflected in our financial contributions as well as in our active participation and dialogue with the organization. Let me briefly outline some of our priorities for UNDP in the years ahead.
UNDP is a much more professional organization today than ten years ago and yet we expect from you a leadership that can transform the organisational culture from one driven by resource mobilization and project implementation to a culture where results based management and learning from experience are key features.
In your leadership we also foresee clear messages regarding some important issues, such as UNDP’s role in human rights’ and gender mainstreaming. This organization has a unique role in connecting UN norms and values with its operational work on development and poverty eradication. We expect that this link is continuously being considered a top priority at all levels of the organisation.
UNDP needs to further strengthen and articulate its role within climate change and development. Ideas about critical tasks for the UN were recently presented by the international Commission on Climate Change and Development, led by Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation. The Commission identified numerous gaps and called for a UN focal point at country level, providing advice on issues from water and crop management to insurance and disaster risk reduction. Sweden would welcome UNDP’s engagement, together with the rest of the UN system, in the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations.
UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) plays a pivotal role in its field and provides essential support particularly to many of the poorest and most vulnerable societies. Since its inception in 2001, BCPR has been operating as a separate entity in UNDP, at headquarters as well as in the field. We would like to see the important work of BCPR becoming more of an integral part of the UNDP structure, financially as well as organizationally. I hope you will be able to ensure that this part of your organisation can benefit from increased allocations from core resources, as well as strong political support, both inside UNDP and externally.
In September last year, this Board reached a milestone decision on an Accountability Framework that clarifies divisions of responsibility and improves conditions for results and risk management. We hope that the Board this year will reach an agreement on budget cost classification. This promises to bring an important issue of additional transparency and efficiency.
Your role as chair of UNDG is critical at a time of major UN transformation. Delivering as One has proved its relevance and now needs to be rolled out broadly. The UN system must come together at HQ level in support of RCs and UN Country Teams to deliver effectively on a highly competitive development “market”.
Mr. President,At a time of multiple global crises and challenges affecting the world’s poor, UNDP’s role in advancing human development and eradicating poverty is more pertinent than ever. Let me assure you of Sweden’s support in making UNDP an even more effective and relevant development actor for the benefit of the poor.
We are looking forward to continuing our close cooperation and dialogue with UNDP and again, we warmly welcome Ms Clark at the helm of the organization.
Thank you.