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Statement by Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System New York, 4 Novenber 2004 Mr. Chairman, First of all, my delegation, wishes to express our sincere appreciation for the report of the Secretary General, as contained in document A/59/387, on the triennial comprehensive policy review (TCPR) of operational activities for development of the United Nations system: conclusions and recommendations. My delegation would also like to associate itself with the statement made by the delegation of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The report provides us with a detailed analysis of the progress being made to implement General Assembly resolution 56/201 and points to a number of actions that requires consideration to enhance the role of the UN system in operational activities for development. Today’s deliberation of the TCPR is pivotal as we are reviewing the role of the UN system in development cooperation. Translating the Millennium Declaration and the internationally agreed development goals into national priorities is not an easy task and requires a collaborative process. In this regard, the TCPR should take this element into account in helping national authorities achieve this objective. We encourage various agencies of the UN system to align their operational strategic approaches within the framework of the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), and further recommend that agreement from national authorities should be obtained. We believe that the accomplishment
of the operational activities for development programs depends upon
a sense of shared responsibility by the national authorities and all
the UN field agencies that are involved in the UNDAF process. Following
implementation of the development programs, it will be beneficial
to assess the UN agencies’ performance at the country-level
based on a set of integrated performance-based indicators. Mr. Chairman, In the past two years, we have observed a positive trend in the funding of operational activities involving the UN system. Nevertheless, predictable, continuous and assured funding must be ensured in the future. It is essential that all funding modalities be explored if the targets of the Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved. In this regard, my Government remains firmly convinced that the donor community should ensure that the UN development system is provided with adequate funding in order to create a steady and reliable base for operational activities. It must be emphasized that such funding should always be available without conditions being attached so that the legitimate development goals of recipient countries will be achieved. While recognizing that there is a link between development and peace and the increasing attention of the UN system’s operational activities for crisis prevention and recovery, my delegation wishes to emphasize that such activities should not undermine the activities of the development programs. Such programs must be directed towards enhancing capacity building programs at the national level. It is important too that the UN system adhere to those fundamental principles associated with its operational activities, namely, that they should be universal, voluntary and of a grant nature, marked by neutrality, multilateralism and the ability to respond to the development needs of developing countries. In supporting implementation of development goals, technical assistance in UN operational activities should be further enhanced by mainstreaming South-South cooperation in the programs of the UN system and through the country-level activities. This endeavor could be coupled with the broadening and intensifying of South-South cooperation through enhanced regional and sub-regional cooperation. The UN system could also facilitate more triangular cooperation by pooling the expertise of developing countries with financial support from developed countries. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, it is our hope that the comprehensive deliberation of the TCPR today will yield constructive inputs that can be used to set guidelines for the next triennial comprehensive policy review. Thank you.
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