Sections:
The United Nations
We
need multilateral institutions like the
The
United Nations (UN) today more than ever because global problems demand
global solutions.
The UN, with its 192 member states, holds a unique legitimacy and convening power to lead on challenges such as climate change, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza, energy security and mass migration.
The UN’s mandate spans peace and security, development and human rights. It plays a vital role in establishing global standards such as those on human rights and international criminal law.
Its unbiased and respected position makes it the natural leader to broker peace, help fragile and conflict states recover from crises, and lead humanitarian assistance efforts.
The UN is also well placed to help developing country governments deliver basic public goods and services to their citizens such as education and healthcare and it is the overseer of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the first time the international community has united behind one set of development targets.
DFID and the UN
DFID works with individual agencies of the UN to try and optimise their role
in development and in post-conflict recovery. In 2005/06, DFID gave around £299
million to the headquarters of UN agencies. DFID offices in developing countries
also provide money directly to UN agencies in-country to deliver specific
projects. For example, our office in Mozambique supported
UNICEF
to improve rural water and sanitation.
We also work closely with other UK governmental departments when we have a
joint role to play with the UN, such as, the
Department
of Health in the
World
Health Organisation (WHO),
DEFRA
on the environment and the
FCO
in a number of areas.
UN reform
If we are to achieve the MDGs, urgent action is required. We need a UN that at over 60 years of age is fit to tackle today’s challenges and, a UN that is much more than the sum of its individual parts.
Change is necessary. UN delivery must be smarter and simpler. There should be a unified UN presence in-country, supported by planned long-term financing. Reform of the UN’s overall development system is a key area of DFID's engagement with the UN and one that underlies all our work with individual UN agencies. DFID is committed to delivering a UN that works effectively and coherently and follows developing country’s national priorities.
Following a call to action from the
2005
World Summit to review progress towards the MDGs, the UN Secretary General’s
High
Level Panel on System Wide Coherence produced a series of ambitious
recommendations to revamp the way the UN works in areas of development, the
environment and in humanitarian affairs. This package of reforms can bring a
change in the way the UN operates giving it a greater focus on performance,
efficiency, accountability and results.
The UK is a steadfast and vocal ally of these reforms. Change does pose challenges for donor countries like ours, but it is crucial to strengthen the UN. UN reform will directly benefit developing countries and give them a greater say in how aid works.
- UN reform to be piloted in Pakistan
- Reforming the international development system
(1 mb) - DFID's third White Paper
Links
Last updated: 4 April 2007