Joined by civil society representatives from the environmental, humanitarian and social spheres — as well as participants from academia, private sector and the UN — the meeting looked at the important drivers of change effecting the next development agenda and discussed how the UN can best be “fit for purpose”.
At the dawn of the post-2015 development agenda, the process for UNDS reform is taking on more urgency. Next year will be an intense year at the UN with the aim of shaping the future direction of the organisation. Participants reflected on the key things that would position the UNDS for real change in terms of function, finance, governance and partnerships.
While opinions vary on the way forward, there was consensus that the UN and its agencies will need to have better clarity on their roles, responsibilities and synergies. With universality at the heart of the new development agenda, the world body will also need to change the way it views itself. A number of issues were raised around the UN’s monitoring functions, the organisation’s normative work, the nexus between sustainable development goals and global public goods, the need for stronger and more strategic partnerships and the viability of different funding mechanisms.
The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation will continue to play an active role in current reform processes in New York and the outcomes of this meeting will, together with other seminars organised by the Foundation, contribute to these processes.