Press relase from United Nations Information Centre in Jakarta on the Regional High Level Consultation on UN System Wide Coherence 29 March 2007.
02/04/2007 :: The greatest project humanity has ever embarked on, the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), requires not only discipline on the part of nations but also the effectiveness of the United Nations system in helping them achieve these goals, said H.E. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on opening the regional conference on System Wide Coherence. “We must therefore make sure that reform of the UN does not diminish the character of UN operations,” he added. UN operation must remain universal, voluntary, neutral and multilateral. And they must always be flexible enough to respond to the unique needs of the countries they are serving.
“And let us make sure that when the recommendations are implemented, no crosscutting issues are brought into UN country activities,” he said. The president also said he could think of no better example of how important UN presence is at the country level than what the UN has accomplished in Aceh. “Within days after the enormous tragedy in December 2004, the UN was already undertaking a massive humanitarian emergency operation. I personally salute the UN for such quick response.”
Top international development experts including senior UN officials, government and business leaders from 40 countries are holding a two-day (29-30 March) consultation to exchange views on UN coordination worldwide in Jakarta. The outcome of the consultation is expected to feed into the report of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel on UN System Wide Coherence to the 2007 United Nations General Assembly, which is being co-sponsored by government of Indonesia and the government of Norway.
“It is for the sake of those poor and destitute that we must have an efficient UN, one that is well governed, well funded, and which will remain a global repository of hope. That is why we are under an obligation to take a fresh look at the way we have come to build a fragmented UN, one that risks being weakened, marginalized and less relevant.” said the Norwegian Prime Minister H.E. Jens Stoltenberg.
“We have worked with the UN system to abolish disease such as smallpox, abolish repressive regimes such as apartheid, and we will continue our struggle to abolish poverty, child mortality, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment and also to achieve development goals,” he also added at the opening ceremony. “I agree with the Panel’s proposals to strengthen the UN’s gender architecture, and I encourage Member States to study the possibility of replacing several current structures with a dynamic, consolidated UN entity. Member States also need to consider how to continue strengthening the UN Economic and Social Council, so that it can provide the governance, funding and management arrangements at headquarters needed to improve our country-level presence,” said the Secretary- General in his message delivered by Mr. Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary- General for Economic and Social Affairs
Background
The recommendations of the Panel on System-Wide Coherence, a panel co-chaired by the prime ministers of Mozambique, Norway and Pakistan, were presented to the Secretary-General in early November 2006. The report aims to help the UN fulfill its potential in supporting countries reach the Millennium Development Goals by streamlining the currently large and diverse UN family.
The report recommends the UN “deliver as one”, in particular at the country level, where the UN could have a much greater impact if less fragmented. The President of the General Assembly is expected to initiate a process of consultation and dialogue on the Panel's recommendations. (UNIC – JAKARTA)