UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board 2010 First Regular Session

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000059 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/HS: CCHANG, RDOWNES, IO/MPR:BHACKET, LJACOBSON; PRM/PIM:GGRIFFIN, KD'AURIAVAZIRA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNDP UNFPA EAID ECON SUBJECT: UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board 2010 First Regular Session -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the flagship UN development agency with a billion-dollar annual operating budget, to which the United States contributes around $100 million yearly. UNDP works in over 130 countries, focusing on poverty, governance, environment/energy, crisis prevention, and disaster/conflict recovery work. The United States is a member of the UNDP Executive Board, which meets three times a year. This cable summarizes the January 18-22, 2010 session in New York. ¶2. (U) Ambassador Rick Barton, the U.S. Representative to ECOSOC, delivered the opening U.S. statement. He noted the progress UNDP has made in becoming more transparent and accountable, and pledged to work closely with UNDP management and Board members. USDEL and several donors led the way in adopting a budget decision that achieved two major U.S. objectives: 1) flexibility for the management in allocating and increasing funding for crisis response, and 2) sufficient resources to UNDP oversight functions. For the first time in recent memory, USDEL made three joint statements with several donor and developing countries addressing significant budget, program, and management issues. End Summary . -------------- U.S. Statement -------------- ¶3. (U) Ambassador Barton reiterated U.S. support for UNDP's work, and pledged to work closely with UNDP management and the Executive Board to achieve shared development goals. He made clear that helping African countries achieve MDGs is a top priority, and that UNDP can play a significant part through its focus on governance-related issues. He praised UNDP leadership for its continuing commitment to greater transparency and accountability to improve the organization's management and programming activities. He further requested that UNDP ensure that oversight functions, especially the newly established Ethics Office, receive sufficient resources to carry out mandated work effectively. ¶4. (U) Ambassador Barton's full statement can be found at USUN Website: http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/201 0/13537.htm -------------- Board Decisions and other Activities -------------- ¶5. (U) USDEL worked closely with like-minded countries in crafting two budget decisions that helped to advance several U.S. policy objectives: -- calling for a review for current resource allocation arrangements (which are formula-based) to provide greater flexibility in providing funding for least developed countries and for crisis response; -- calling for sufficient resources for critical oversight functions: the Evaluation, Audit, and Ethics Offices (Note: we had delivered this message to UNDP's top management prior to the Board meeting and raised it in our Board statement.) -- expressing concern with support budget increases and requesting for greater efficiency savings. ¶6. (SBU) USDEL was invited to join in three statements with several donor and developing countries, including the UK, Netherlands, and Sierra Leon. The statements commented on UNDP's programming and support budgets, and management's implementation of the audit recommendation. (Comment: This is the first time in recent memory that others invited us to join in their statements. It is particularly noteworthy that these statements highlighted the need for greater budget discipline, program effectiveness, and management oversight -- subjects for which the United States has traditionally been a lone advocate.) ¶7. (SBU) The Swedish delegation made a strong statement requesting UNDP management to provide full access to its internal audit reports. (Note: we understand that this position comes from the senior levels of the Swedish government. The Development Minister in particular is reported to be very interested in pushing for greater transparency and accountability.) RICE