The presentation, held on 3 December at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, was co-organised by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTFO) and hosted by the Swedish and Spanish Permanent Missions to the UN.
Ambassador Nicola Clase, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN, underscored the report’s relevance:
From left to right: Nicola Clase, Alain Noudéhou, Executive Coordinator at MPTFO, Björn Holmberg, Executive Director at the Foundation, and Helge Elisabeth Zeitler, Director UN and European Union Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany.
‘We find this report timely, as we have just concluded negotiations of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR). At the same time, we’re also preparing for the fourth conference on Financing for Development next year. We hope that this report will be a continued dialogue between the UN and its Member States.’
Ana Jimenez, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Spanish Mission, emphasised the inadequacy of core funding levels and the need for multi-year commitments to UN pooled funds.
‘On the one hand, we have this dichotomy in which we are asking the UN system to get out of that more fragmented, project-oriented approach, but at the same time, we are not providing the system with adequate funding’, she said.
Björn Holmberg, Executive Director of Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, acknowledged the mutual responsibility of Member States and the UN system to address these challenges collaboratively.
‘We all share responsibility, Member States, the UN System itself, and civil society, to practice what we preach and to lead by example. The report provides facts, analysis, and guidance for policymakers and practitioners to deliver on our commitments’, he said.
Diana Fajardo Ardila, Data Analyst at the MPTFO, presented some of the key data, highlighting a total UN revenue of US$ 74 billion in 2022, an increase with US$ 8.4 billion from 2021. She noted however, that ‘in 2022, two-thirds of all resources were earmarked, significantly limiting the UN’s ability to operate and respond in a flexible manner.’
Diana Fajardo Ardila presenting data from the report.
Pedro Conceição, Director of the Human Development Report Office at UNDP and a contributor to the Marketplace of ideas in the report, explored the broader implications of inaction and the potential returns of strategic investment. He highlighted one of the key points in his article by asking about ‘the cost of inaction – how much money can be saved if we make the investments in the right things?’ Further illustrating the example of the eradication of smallpox.
‘The eradication annually generates US$ 1.5 billion in benefits in perpetuity. Moreover, three-quarters of these benefits go to low- and middle-income countries. Just think about it: US$ 300 million, the cost compared to the benefits, or US$ 1.5 billion every year in perpetuity.’
‘For my own little contribution to the report, I think it speaks to the title [Resourcing the Future].’ said Pedro Conceição as he picked up the report and pointed towards its heading. ‘It may be subtle, but it is about resourcing, not funding the future.’. To his left is John Hendra and to his right is Kaushal Kishor Ray, Deputy Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN.
Björn Holmberg closed the event by emphasising the importance of willingness and prevention in resourcing the future.
‘The revenue of Pepsi in one year is US$ 75 billion. Which is equivalent to what we invest in the future. So, it is about willingness and prevention — otherwise, the cost would increase in humanitarian assistance’, he said.
