GA/EF/2917

UNITED NATIONS OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT MUST BECOME MORE FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE, SECOND COMMITTEE TOLD

If United Nations operational activities for development were to be effective and efficient, they must become more flexible and responsive to diverse national development requirements, the representative of Japan told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this afternoon as it began its consideration of operational activities for development.

At the same time, he said, the overall coherence of policies to achieve optimal use of resources and greatest impact should be enhanced. To achieve that, all development actors, including the Bretton Woods institutions, civil society, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, should undertake joint action to make the best use of their comparative advantages. Such action should employ common targets, measurable indicators and a results-based approach.

Cuba�s representative said that while operational activities for development had recently been the subject of far-reaching reforms in order to make them more attractive to donor countries, there was still a lack of funding. Cuba was concerned with the continued drop in funds by donor countries. This had a negative impact on the leadership role of the United Nations in the field and the overall credibility of the system. This had led to a growing bilateralization of funds, which had resulted in helping some countries over others. If this trend were not reversed, the very existence of programmes would be in jeopardy. All developing countries needed to increase their contribution.

Mozambique�s representative said that in the era of globalization, development must be carefully addressed. Operational activities for development were suffering from the reduction in official development assistance (ODA) and the decline in core resources. He hoped that the political will to reverse the situation would be translated into concrete actions, and that positive results would be reported during the 2001 financing for development event.

The representative of Colombia, speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said that the experiences of the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes had ensured the implementation of useful and successful projects in many countries. Latin America had not been an exception. Many of the projects had turned out to be important for national empowerment and for the improvement of social development policies. Despite the successful experiences and current reforms,

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resources for operational activities were not sufficient. Stronger political will and resources for development were needed.

Norway�s representative said that United Nations funds and programmes were key instruments in the fight against poverty. That was why his country was channelling a large share of its development assistance through the Organization, and why it would continue to promote a strong, efficient and financially sound development arm of the United Nations. It stood ready to contribute more than its share and had for many years been one of the five largest contributors to nearly all funds and programmes.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Nigeria, France, Guatemala, Belarus and Venezuela. The observer for Switzerland also spoke, as did Flavia Pansieri, Deputy Director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Also this afternoon, after hearing a statement by the representative of Bolivia, the Committee concluded its consideration of science and technology for development.

The Committee will meet again at 4 p.m. tomorrow to continue its consideration of operational activities for development.

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Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee met this afternoon to conclude its consideration of science and technology for development and to begin its consideration of operational activities for development. For background on science and technology for development, please see Press Release GA/EF/2916 issued on Friday, 6 October.

The Committee also had before it the report of the Secretary-General on activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (document A/55/271). The report provides a review and update on the programme and activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) for the year 1999. The year was characterized by a new Strategy and Business Plan for 2000-2003 and intense preparation for the five-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action.

The report highlights the three thematic areas of UNIFEM programmes -- strengthening women�s economic capacity, engendering governance and leadership, and promoting women�s human rights and eliminating all forms of violence against women. The three areas are addressed in relation to regional realities in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and, since 1998, in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and are also addressed within the larger global context.

According to the report, efforts continued in 1999 to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to support women�s empowerment and gender mainstreaming. The UNIFEM focused its efforts on strengthening the resident coordinator system at the country level, collaborating with United Nations agencies to share skills and perspectives, and supporting the engendering of the United Nations reform process. The preparatory process for the five-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action -- marked by United Nations regional and subregional meetings around the world -- offered unparalleled opportunities to gain visibility and renewed political will for gender equality initiatives.

In 1999, UNIFEM continued to focus on building a knowledge base on women�s empowerment and gender equality. In the course of developing the Strategy and Business Plan for 2000-2003, opportunities were explored for elaborating performance measures and incentive systems, an organizational structure, work processes, and technological infrastructure to support learning, so that the Fund�s commitment to learning is sustainable and directly relevant to operational programmes. The report also includes a section on UNIFEM�s financial management.

Statement on Operational Activities for Development

FLAVIA PANSIERI, Deputy Director UNIFEM, highlighted the priorities for UNIFEM that required strong commitments and collaboration from the global community. They included undertaking applied gender analysis of local and national budgets, bringing women to the negotiating table and eliminating gender-based violence. In an era of globalization, it was more critical than ever for women to take part in shaping the policies and practices that governed national, regional and global agreements.

As the Secretary-General�s report illustrated, UNIFEM�s programme encompassed far more than the three actions cited above, she said. In order to see gender equality as an achievable goal, it was important to build on the good practices and lessons learned over the five-year review process. Partnerships would be key to achieving this agenda. It was an undertaking that required the pooling of all human strengths and sources of creativity, and it was a responsibility that men and women must share equally. Together, UNIFEM stood ready to work with Member States, civil society, and United Nations organizations to make the twenty-first century free of violence and poverty.

Statement on Science and Technology

ROBERTO JORDAN PANDO (Bolivia) said that his country endorsed the Ministerial Declaration of the High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council�s 2000 substantive session, which made it possible for the United Nations to move into twenty-first century. Access to technology and its use needed to be expanded to developing countries, so that they would not be deprived of participating in the new economy due to lack of knowledge. It was also necessary so as not to further widen the gap between developed and developing countries. Programmes at the national, regional and international levels were required to ensure such access. It was also necessary to take into consideration local specificities, with regard to language and culture, in developing strategies.

It was not enough, he said, to place information and communication technologies at the service of development. It was also necessary to have effective cooperation between governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, the private sector and others to increase the benefits of information and communication technology. In other words, to develop strategic partnerships. The Ministerial Declaration had specifically referred to the United Nations and the Economic and Social Council as bodies which could contribute to greater coordination of activities in the field of science and technology. An international forum for information technology for development should be established.

Statements on Operational Activities for Development

A.P. ETANOMARE OSIO (Nigeria), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77� developing countries and China, said that the Group was impressed with the universal scope of UNIFEM's activities and its concerted efforts to match its programme to the specific peculiarities of each region. The Group recognized that UNIFEM had managed to achieve a measure of success in the area of strengthening women�s economic capacity. The promotion of innovative uses of new technologies to empower women, the increased advocacy to influence policy- makers and the attendant effect on gender sensitivity in policy formulation would certainly go a long way in breaking old and new barriers against women.

In the area of engendering governance and leadership, the Group supported the efforts of UNIFEM to foster women�s participation in the decision-making process. The activities of the Fund in the area of peace-building were particularly important in view of the fact that women were disproportionately affected by conflict. By involving women in the peace process, a more durable peace could be achieved. The Group appreciated the efforts of the Fund to take into account the religious and cultural sensitivities of different communities. The Group hoped that donor countries would increase their funding for this worthy global enterprise.

CATHERINE GRAS (France), speaking on behalf of the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Turkey, said that as the single largest donor in terms of official development aid, the Union had long made a substantial contribution to the financing of United Nations funds and programmes, funding over half of them. The pursuit of operational activities for development through the work of funds and programmes was essential. They must of course be adapted to the requirements of the new challenges of a constantly changing world and particularly be redefined to work alongside other institutions, such as the Bretton Woods institutions.

The human rights approach, she said, was particularly relevant to the UNIFEM. The agency had a particular role to play in promoting the effective implementation of international conventions, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The rights of women and girls formed an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The increased participation of women in decision-making in all spheres �- public, economic and social �- was a decisive factor in strategies for poverty reduction, growth and development. In that context, she emphasized the importance of access for girls to quality education.

The elimination of all forms of violence towards women was a top priority, she said. The UNIFEM must continue its efforts to promote the adoption and implementation of national legislation penalizing, among other things, rape, genital mutilation and domestic violence. The Union welcomed the establishment of a trust fund to support the implementation of innovative strategies for putting an end to violence against women. Improved statistical data and the breakdown of data by gender was a strategy which would facilitate the proper assessment of local situations as well as the progress made. She hoped that the UNIFEM would continue its efforts in that area, particularly in preparing country assessments.

ALFONSO VALDIVIESO (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said that the experiences of the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes had ensured the implementation of useful and successful projects in many countries. Latin America had not been an exception. Many of the projects had turned out to be important for national empowerment and for the improvement of social development policies. Despite the successful experiences and current reforms, resources for operational activities were not sufficient. Stronger political will and resources for development were needed.

The Rio Group believed that financing operational activities for development should be an opportunity for the international community to put into practice the principle of shared responsibility on matters like eradication of poverty, environmental conservation, social development and humanitarian matters. South-South cooperation was also an important instrument. The use of national technologies and experiences in the implementation of operation activities ensured more efficient and rapid absorption of technical cooperation. Projects should be implemented with flexibility in order to take into consideration the specific needs of each country.

JOSTEIN LEIRO (Norway) said that the United Nations funds and programmes were key instruments in the fight against poverty. That was why Norway was channeling a large share of its development assistance through the United Nations, and why it would continue to promote a strong, efficient and financially sound development arm of the United Nations. It stood ready to contribute more than its share and had for many years been one of the five largest contributors to nearly all funds and programmes. Further, it had recently announced substantial increases in the core contributions for next year to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He urged all partners who were in a position to do so to increase their contributions.

He commended the UNIFEM for its work in the three focus areas �- strengthening women�s economic capacity, engendering governance and leadership, and promoting women�s human rights and eliminating all forms of violence against women. The UNIFEM also had a particularly important role in ensuring gender mainstreaming in the United Nations system. He was pleased with the UNIFEM�s emphasis on lessons learned and its ability to adapt to changes and developments in the United Nations environment, such as greater focus on inter-agency collaboration and integrated conference follow-up. In addition, he welcomed the continuing increase in UNIFEM�s resources.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that operational activities for development had recently been the subject of far-reaching reforms in order to make them more attractive to donor countries. Nevertheless, there was still a lack of funding. Cuba was concerned with the continued drop in funds by donor countries. This had a negative impact on the leadership role of the United Nations in the field and the overall credibility of the system. This had led to a growing bilateralization of funds, which resulted in helping some countries over others. If this trend were not reversed, the very existence of programmes would be in jeopardy. All developing countries needed to increase their contribution.

There had been a feminization of poverty, he said. Among the 2 billion people living in poverty, 70 per cent of them were women. Of the 34 million people with AIDS, 15.7 million were women. Two million girls from the developing world had been forced into prostitution.

He said it was important to strengthen the role of women in the world. Cuba supported the UNIFEM and hoped that more countries would participate in development activities. Cuba also attached great importance to the outcome of �Beijing+5�. The Cuban experience had shown that it was possible to integrate women at all levels of society.

SILVIA CRISTINA CORADO-CUEVAS (Guatemala) said that the operational activities of the United Nations continued to be of importance for Guatemala, not only for its impact on the country�s development, but also for the conservation of peace after the civil war. On 15 August, the United Nations country team in Guatemala had submitted a report on its experiences under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The United Nations had always supported Guatemala, particularly during the peace process. However, the task was far from complete. The consolidation of a lasting and durable peace required further efforts. Despite recent efforts at reform, the amount of core resources had not increased.

She noted with pleasure that the UNIFEM�s work in Guatemala stressed the defence of women�s rights with regard to the implementation of the peace agreements, she said. While the Secretary-General�s Millennium Report entitled, �We the Peoples�, was considered a guideline for future activities of the United Nations, she was concerned with the absence of any mention of operational activities for development. While operational activities helped to implement activities that countries had set forth, nothing would be successful unless the recent trend in the collection of resources was turned around.

VALERY ZHDANOVICH (Belarus) said that the operational activities of the United Nations system were invaluable to developing countries. Currently, when many countries were experiencing crisis situations, operational activities geared towards national priorities took on special importance. His delegation advocated the UNDP�s increased role in providing emergency assistance. In that context, he welcomed the activities of the UNIFEM. Along with supporting natural disasters, it was also important to give assistance for environmental disasters. In Belarus, a lot of women and children lived in the effected territories of the Chernobyl fall-out. His country was interested in the more active involvement of the UNDP and the UNIFEM in monitoring the long-term consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

In order to stabilize the financing of development work, it was important that the United Nations work in partnership with the Bretton Woods institutions as well as the private sector. Attention should be given to the area of communications with a view to intensifying dialogue between governments. He pointed out that the UNDP office in Belarus had a number of programmes underway. He expressed his delegation�s positive appraisal of the operational activities of the United Nations system.

ANTONIO MACHEVE (Mozambique) said that in the era of globalization, development must be carefully addressed, taking into account the unequal distribution of wealth in the world and the serious problem of poverty. The question had often been raised in the past and a number of international conferences had been held and commitments made. Globalization must become a central and positive force for the benefit of all. That required increased official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment, access to markets and reform of the United Nations to put operational activities for development at the centre of its activities. He supported the results-based approach to ensure that projects did produce tangible results. United Nations operational activities for development could be instrumental in combating poverty and fighting deadly activities. It was also important for fostering international cooperation for development.

The United Nations reform process could not be successful without sufficient resources, he said. Operational activities for development were suffering from the reduction in ODA and the decline in core resources. He hoped that the political will to reverse the situation would be translated into concrete actions, and that positive results would be reported during the 2001 financing for development event. UNDAF activities in Mozambique had been very successful and had played a careful role in coordination of international assistance to the country in the wake of devastating floods. Almost at the end of the UNDAF cycle, the United Nations country team and the Government had met last week with all development partners to discuss the common country assessment, which would be the basis for the elaboration of the next UNDAF cycle.

OLIVIER CHAVE (Switzerland) said that funding of operational activities was a particular challenge. Many countries were reluctant to take multi-year commitments. His delegation would appreciate a briefing by the United Nations Development Group on the issue of allocation of resources for the Resident Coordinator system at the country-level. Concerning the UNDAF, it should strive to be results-oriented and should only be undertaken on the basis of harmonized programme cycles. The UNIFEM had become a leading expert and partner for governments, NGOs and international organizations, without losing its important character of being experimental and catalytic. Switzerland had been prompted by the Fund�s good work to increase its core contribution to the UNIFEM by 14 per cent.

His delegation agreed that the second UNIFEM Strategy and Business Plan for the years 2000-2003 should build on the 1997-1999 plan. In particular, there was an important role to play in the following four areas. First, there was a need to mobilize debates and actions around emerging topics. Secondly, there was a need for the development of monitoring mechanisms. Thirdly, initiatives should be taken in the collection and publication of sex- disaggregated data. Finally, the linkages between the Beijing Platform for Action and other major United Nations conferences needed to be strengthened. Switzerland looked forward to continuing the good collaboration with the UNIFEM, and in particular with regard to the priority areas just mentioned.

HIDEAKI MARUYAMA (Japan) said that United Nations operational activities for development were facing immense challenges. If they were to be effective and efficient, they would have to become more flexible and responsive to diverse national development requirements. At the same time, the overall coherence of

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policies to achieve optimal use of resources and greatest impact should be enhanced. Increasing the impact and enhancing the effectiveness of operational activities for development at the field level should be the single-most important goal.

To achieve that, he continued, all development actors, including the Bretton Woods institutions, civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector, should undertake joint action that made the best use of their comparative advantages. Such action should employ common targets, measurable indicators and a results-based approach. In that context, Japan supported the idea of the Common Programme, proposed at the UNDP Executive Board Annual Meeting in Geneva, which would play a central role in promoting aid coordination in the operational activities of the United Nations.

He said that the eradication of poverty continued to be the top priority of the international community and the Japanese Government. Developing countries should be encouraged to integrate poverty reduction measures into all development policies and elaborate poverty reduction strategies with time-bound and clear goals. The international community, on the other hand, should further intensify its support for such efforts and, in collaboration with developing countries, monitor the progress made under poverty-reduction programmes and encourage appropriate policy adjustments based on the principle of ownership and global partnership.

MARITZA CAMPO (Venezuela) said that resources for development had decreased and were insufficient to carry out the basic needs of development. Her country felt that core and complimentary funds needed to be distributed equitably to all countries. In Latin America, there were many countries in need of development assistance. Her delegation appealed to the donor countries to increase funding and resources. She noted that there had been significant donors that had contributed money, but with specific instructions as to where to apply those resources. She stressed the important of intensifying consultations between national and civil society to find innovative solutions for development. There was also a need to follow up conferences with action.

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