UN Transcripts — https://transcripts.un.org/ar/asset/k12/k12mqmv4b7
6th meeting - Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS (Annual Session 2026) — Economic and Social Council — 10 June 2026
Language: en
Automatically generated transcript — may contain errors. Not an official United Nations record.

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UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [0:01]:

Good afternoon, dear colleagues. I declare open this session of the Executive Board. We'll continue with Agenda Item 7, which is a continuation of this morning conversation, and we have about 15 member states requesting to speak. I would strongly appeal to you and encourage you to— let's try to keep it as concise as possible, of course, without compromising on the quality and the substance of the interventions. I think there has been a quite rich exchange in the morning session, but of course, you also have to take into account the other agenda items. So we have a— I'm going to read the first 5 speakers on the list. We have Thailand, Bhutan, El Salvador, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Belarus. I now give the floor to Thailand. You have the floor, please.


Thailand [1:03]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, UNDP Administrator, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon. Thailand wishes also to align itself with the statement delivered earlier by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and wishes now to to deliver a statement in our national capacity. We reiterate our appreciation for the work of the UNDP in supporting member states in achieving their development goals in line with national priorities. Thailand's experience with the UNDP is a case in point. In this regard, please allow me to highlight 3 points. First, we were pleased to have been able to welcome you, UNDP Administrator, in Thailand in April. Your visit underscored our longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation, from our first sovereign sustainability-linked bonds to the Thailand Policy Lab. We also value the UNDP's engagement with subnational authorities, including your meeting with the former Bangkok governor and recognition of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's efforts on gender equality. Second, we welcome progress on Thailand's UNDP Country Programme Document, which reflects our priorities, including our net-zero target and OECD accession process. We also commend its alignment with our national plans and the draft UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, and we look forward to its adoption at the Executive Board's second regular session. Later this year. Third, sustained investment in development cooperation is essential to achieving meaningful and lasting results. Thailand has contributed consistently to the UNDP at both national and international levels and underscores the importance of using resources strategically to deliver tangible development outcomes. Mr. President, as the UN-AT reform advances, Thailand stresses that development mandates must remain central. Reforms should strengthen country-level delivery and be grounded in objective, data-driven and evidence-based analysis, including robust cost-benefit analysis and comprehensive risk assessments. We reaffirm our commitment to working closely with the UNDP as an important pillar of the UN development system, and we continue to count on the UNDP's support in advancing our sustainable development priorities in collaboration with the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [3:54]:

I thank Thailand for the statement. I'll give the floor to those delegations which we have identified as being present in the room now. So next speaker will be the Republic of Korea, to be followed by Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Canada, Australia, the Russian Federation. I give the floor to the Republic of Korea.


Republic of Korea [4:15]:

Thank you, Mr. President. The Republic of Korea appreciates the comprehensive statement and report by the Administrator, and we highlight 3 points. First, on the humanitarian-development link: according to this year's QCPR report, complex settings are home to 3/4 of the world's extreme poor. Connecting UNDP's work in crisis, conflict, and fragility settings to resilience building and longer-term development is the need of the hour. Activities in these settings must move beyond crisis, as you stressed today. It is crucial to break the cycle where the same populations return to humanitarian dependency, which in turn also prevents using resources to respond to the same crisis. Korea commended the Administrator for championing that development and humanitarian activities go hand in hand, by highlighting that development must begin from day one. We welcome the placement of crisis resilience as one of the core objectives in the strategic plan. UNDP's capacity, including the structure and operation, must remain strong to deliver on this commitment. In this line, the ROK will continue and deepen its Revive Humanitarian Initiative with UNDP. Second, on results and efficiency, UNDP has the broadest global network and presence among UN development agencies. It should deliver results, building on the expertise and comparative advantages, while fully respecting country ownership. UNDP should lead on coherence and efficiency measures under UNHCT. It should expand the Global Shared Service Centre and common back offices, and actively engage in the regional reset. Third, on financing and accountability. We note with satisfaction on the $8 leveraged by every dollar of co-funding. Dialogue to raise the profile of partnership are crucial. Transparency is essential to sustaining partner confidence. I take note that UNDP completed all planned audit last year and had clean audit, and we encourage to stay the course. Our question today: Administrator stressed the importance of co-funding several times in his report. We share that view and ask how you will match this emphasis with concrete actions for presenting to donor constituency the impact and visibility of overall contribution, including co-funding. I think this may be helpful to arrest the declining trend. The ROK was once a recipient of UNDP and is now proud to have a partnership encompassing various channels and sectors. We deeply value this partnership and will further develop it in quality as well as in scope.

I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [7:02]:

I thank the Republic of Korea for the statement. We're zigzagging through the list of speakers. We have the Republic of Belarus, which announced earlier, is in the room, so please, you have the floor.


Belarus [7:16]:

Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues. First of all, I would like to thank the UNDP Administrator for his report and for the work that the agency is doing to support states' efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 2030 Agenda. This year marks 34 years since the signing of the framework agreement between the Republic of Belarus and UNDP. Over that time, fruitful cooperation has been established at every level. In this context, we think that an important aspect is the 2nd of March, 2026 visit to Belarus of the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy UNDP Administrator, the Director of the UNDP Regional Office for Europe and the CIS countries, Mr. Zhivkovich. Belarus welcomes the constructive nature of cooperation with UNDP and with the country office in Minsk. We note the professional and competent approach of the current UNDP Permanent Representative in Belarus, Ms. Liu Zhenfei, whose coordination of the team's work and whose cooperation with the government is exemplary. We welcome the adoption next year of the latest UNDP country program— last year, excuse me— of the new program for 2026-2030 that was developed in close cooperation with national institutions and with the program for socioeconomic development of the Republic of Belarus for that period, as well as the national sustainable development strategy up to 2040. At the same At the same time, we note the successful results of implementing the UNDP Country Programme for Belarus 2021-2025. The programme has been implemented despite the various difficulties and challenges that the entire UN development system, as well as specific countries, are facing at present. In this context, we are forced to note the illegal and destructive nature of unilateral coercive measures which some UN member states continue to use actively and with impunity in violation of international law, including the UN Charter. These measures undoubtedly have a negative impact on the living conditions of citizens living in countries that are subjected to UCMs, and they also hinder progress to achieving the 2030 Agenda, particularly in developing countries. We feel the burden of UCMs, but the Republic of Belarus is nevertheless remaining committed to its obligations to achieve the SDGs and would like to thank UNDP for its support. We would like to note that thanks to joint efforts in these complex circumstances, in 2025 Belarus was able to achieve a Human Development Index of 0.824 and rank 65th out of 193 countries and territories, being a country with a high, a very high level of human development. We confirm our readiness to continue constructive mutually beneficial cooperation with UNDP, and we are convinced that, we hope that the reform will not weaken the strength and potential of the agency. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [10:16]:

I thank Belarus for the statement. I give the floor to Bhutan, to be followed by Spain.


Bhutan [10:25]:

Mr. President, members of the Executive Board, Administrator, Excellencies, Bhutan aligns itself with the statement by G77 and China. In our national capacity, we thank the Administrator for a comprehensive and forward-looking report. We also commend the Administrator for his leadership in advancing sustainable development at a time when the demands on UNDP have never been greater. For Bhutan, UNDP has been a steadfast partner in our development journey, helping us translate the philosophy of Gross National Happiness into measurable policy outcomes and embedding them into our institutions, communities, and economy in ways that endure. Bhutan recently graduated from the LDC category, a milestone that marks not an end, but a shift in the nature of our development needs. Midway through our 13th Five-Year Plan, UNDP's support remains critical in policy, innovation, private sector engagement, and through the Bhutan Innovation Lab, which have served as a genuine catalyst for economic reform and diversification. Bhutan faces climate risks that are immediate and intensifying: glacial lake outburst flood, erratic monsoons, and accelerating land degradation, among others. UNDP has been a critical partner in building our capacity to anticipate and absorb these shocks. Bhutan's work on governance— UNDP's work on governance, gender equality, and access to justice has been equally vital, ensuring that development reaches those who need it the most, and that no one is left behind.

What is true for Bhutan is true for many others.

As we enter the final stretch towards 2030, we count on UNDP to stay the course, championing integrated solutions that bridge development, climate, and financing, and ensuring that no country is left behind. Bhutan reaffirms its commitment to this partnership with confidence and gratitude, and we look forward to continued collaboration in the years ahead. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [12:19]:

I thank Bhutan for the statement. I give the floor to Spain, to be followed by El Salvador.


Spain [12:26]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, President. Spain is grateful to the Administrator and the entire UNDP team for the presentation of their annual report. We recognize the leadership of the organization at a particularly complex time for sustainable development and for the multilateral system. In a context marked by multiple crises, increasing inequalities, and financial restrictions, the UNDP continues to demonstrate its added value as a strategic ally in making progress with sustainable human development within planetary— the planet's limits. Spain views very positively the decision of the UNDP to establish a new institutional presence in Madrid through the relocation of a substantial part of its management team. We believe that this decision represents a sign of the mutual trust that has been built through years of cooperation. This is a concrete example of how reform processes can simultaneously contribute to ensuring greater efficiency and efficacy within the multilateral system. In this context, Spain is making progress with the UNDP as regards a new strategic framework program from 2026 through 2029. This will allow us to consolidate and go deeper with even closer cooperation in a range of areas, including financing for development, democratic governance, climate action, resilience, and the fight against poverty and inequalities. This strategic partnership fully reflects the new multilateral policy of Spain. We are in favor of strong and results-oriented and effective policy. We also value the close cooperation with the UNDP in the area of financing for development. Especially through the integrated national financing frameworks. We also wish to acknowledge the excellent contribution of the UNDP to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. This was held in Seville last year. And we are grateful to them for their firm commitment as regards implementation of the Seville Commitment together with the initiatives of the Seville Platform for Action. In conclusion, Spain will continue to be a committed partner of the UNDP and we will continue to support the organization and its mandate. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [14:59]:

I thank Spain for the statement. I give the floor to El Salvador to be followed by Mexico.


El Salvador [15:07]:

Gracias, señor presidente.

Thank you, President Administrator. My delegation is pleased to recognize the enormous value that the UNDP possesses in terms of progress in a number of areas including those relating to the fight against poverty, humanitarian assistance, development, new technologies and innovation amongst others and those cited in the presentation this morning and those mentioned in the 2025 report that we are considering during this session. The achievements of the UNDP are not just the achievements of all member states that work together to try and coordinate in the best possible way these interventions, including those interagency initiatives that are currently being executed in El Salvador in collaboration with neighboring countries and together with the support of the PBF. We could look forward to continue to benefit from these funds in the future at a time When action in the area of digitization and innovation are increasingly important for development, we acknowledge the commitment of the UNDP in its efforts to tackle the digital divide locally. Digital transformation is part of the core of our national priorities, not only with a view to modernizing the country, but also with a view to making these tools available to the population to simplify and streamline processes and generate efficiencies in the provision of services. My country trusts that the UNDP will continue to provide its support to help us achieve our national priorities as well as filling those gaps identified in the diagnosis carried out by UNDP in 2025. Under the framework of these efforts in our national plan, we are pleased to note the recent appointment of Jairo Cunhal Faro as the new resident coordinator of the UNDP in El Salvador. We trust that his deep knowledge of our region and his vast experience in multilateralism will be a positive— will have a positive impact on the work that we're already doing. As regards the QCPR in the SG's report, so this shows the UNDP's role in making progress with governance of artificial intelligence. This link was reflected in the strategic plan of the UNDP that was recently adopted by this Joint Executive Board when we recognize the intrinsic link that exists between these tools. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [18:11]:

I thank El Salvador for the statement. I give the floor to Mexico, to be followed by Portugal.


Mexico [18:18]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, President, Administrator. Good afternoon. Mexico takes note of the annual report of the Administrator in relation to 2024. 5, and we recognize the work conducted by the UNDP to fulfill the 2030 Agenda in an international situation that is particularly complex and marked by geopolitical tensions, financial constraints, and high levels of indebtedness and persistent inequalities between countries. These are all factors that continue to impact the capacity of countries to make progress towards sustainable development that is inclusive and resilient. Given this complex backdrop for Mexico, the daily work of the UNDP shows every day how important it is to continue investing in sustainable human development through comprehensive approaches and intersectional approaches that simultaneously address poverty, governance, resilience, the environment, energy, and gender equality. We also wish to highlight the role of innovation and digitization in sustainable development to increase the impact of investment in development and generate transformative results. At the national level, Mexico is grateful for the close collaboration with the UNDP and our federal government and our local government authorities in terms of strengthening our institutional capacities and for ensuring the coverage of Agenda 2030 in our national policies. A new platform for technical capabilities is going to help us build trust. We highlight the implementation of the country program for 2026 through 2031 that is aligned with the UN Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development from 2026 through 2030. We also particularly highlight the progress in the strategic planning and alliance with sub— national governance and academia to step up results. We also recognized the actions led and aimed at reducing inequalities and increasing opportunities, especially as regards entrepreneurship for people in situations of vulnerability and democratic governance and citizens' participation in coordination with the National Institute for Elections. We recognize the support of the UNDP and its commitment to strengthening the development system of the United Nations as a whole. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [20:56]:

I thank Mexico for the statement. I now give the floor to Portugal, to be followed by the Russian Federation.


Portugal [21:06]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Portugal welcomes the 2025 Annual Report of the Administrator and commends UNDP for its continued delivery in a challenging global context. Context. The report illustrates the continued demand for UNDP's support in countries facing conflict, climate shocks, fiscal pressures, and complex development transitions. It also shows the importance of UNDP's contribution to a more coherent and efficient UN development system, including through shared services, common platforms, and operational support. The financial pressures highlighted in the report are not only a funding concern, they are also a delivery concern. Flexible and predictable resources remain essential for UNDP to respond strategically, support prevention, and sustain integrated country-level impact. Portugal welcomes UNDP's continued emphasis on accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity. In a context of growing demands and ongoing reform discussions, these principles are essential to safeguard trust, effective oversight, and partner confidence. Portugal values its longstanding and diversified partnership, UNDP, across areas such as democratic governance, access to justice, institutional strengthening, fragile and crisis-affected contexts, climate action, ocean and blue economy, human development, health systems, and gender equality and partnerships. We look forward to taking our relationship to a more strategic level, building on our collaboration and identifying opportunities for deeper engagement. We also attach importance to UNDP's role in supporting South-South and triangular cooperation, including through UNOSC as a practical tool for peer learning, capacity sharing, and country-owned development solutions. To conclude, we encourage UNDP to continue contributing constructively to efforts aimed at strengthening coherence, reducing fragmentation, and enhancing the effectiveness of delivery. As reform discussions move forward, focus should remain on country-level impact, robust accountability, institutional effectiveness, and partners' and stakeholders' confidence. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [23:17]:

I thank Portugal for the statement. I give the floor to the Russian Federation, to be followed by Canada.


Russian Federation [23:24]:

Mr. President, Mr. Administrator of the UN Development Programme, colleagues, we are grateful for the presentation of the report. Russia supported UNDP retaining a special role in the development system as a source of integrated solutions in the development sphere. In particular, we welcome that 572 million people in 2025 were covered by programs to eradicate poverty and inequality. We call upon the Programme and the main donors to maintain the focus of operational activities on this core issue in the future, which will require a certain prioritization in the context of the overall trend of a reduction in funding. In light of the ongoing reform, we welcome the fact-based and evidence-based contribution of UNDP to these discussions. We believe that the Programme's voice needs to be heard. While of course ensuring consensus among the member countries. We hope that no outcome will be predetermined. Third, the documents quite rightly point out the complex context characterized by disruptions in supply chains. Unfortunately, there was no such reflection or no such acknowledgement of what is a significant barrier for a whole group of program countries, namely unilateral coercive measures. We recall that the destructive contribution of these measures has repeatedly been acknowledged by UNDP itself in regular Secretary-General's reports under the agenda item on the economic blockade of Cuba, and also by the FAO in the recent report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world. Also, the UN General Assembly in Resolution 80/120 instructed members of country teams and resident coordinators to participate in monitoring the impact of these illegal measures on the trade and development of program countries. In that regard, Mr. Administrator, allow me to ask a question. Could you tell the board here about the main difficulties faced in your work in countries that are subjected to unilateral economic sanctions, and how is the program able to provide the necessary assistance? On the whole, we appreciate the many years of partnership with UNDP, including through the implementation of joint projects via the Joint Trust Fund, and we confirm our openness to continue constructive cooperation. We regret the politicization by the Ukrainian delegation and their unfounded accusations. Thank you for your attention.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [26:18]:

I thank the Russian Federation. I give the floor to Canada to followed by Australia.


Canada [26:32]:

Thank you, Mr. President and Mr. Administrator. Canada welcomes this report and commends UNDP for its efforts in building safer societies in severely conflict-affected areas and for the meaningful progress achieved toward the moonshot goals of a Strategic Plan 2022-2025. We are particularly encouraged by results in advancing democratic processes and reducing poverty. Canada encourages UNDP to build on this momentum and results in line with its 2026 to '29 strategic plan. This includes ensuring gender equality and the economic empowerment of women and girls continue to remain shared priority areas that cut across development programming, reflecting the vision of the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy. Likewise, Canada continues to support UNDP's important internal organizational policies and their implementation to address anti-racism, and to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. Mr. Administrator, today you have highlighted how UNDP is adapting to an increasingly complex and uncertain global landscape. Looking ahead, we encourage UNDP to continue along this path by building new alliances and fostering innovation, including on the enabling environment for trade and investment, while ensuring appropriate oversight is in place. We also welcome UNDP's work to broaden and diversify partnerships, especially the engagement with non-traditional actors such as the private sector.

In the context of the UNAT Initiative, Canada supports maintaining a high level of ambition for structural reforms based on thorough data aimed at improving implementation, transparency, and results across the UN system. In this context, we firmly support UNDP's commitment to the UNAT Initiative, including efforts efforts at moving ahead with the reform of the United Nations Development System by harmonizing the integration of policies, operational efficiencies, and investments that improve the implementation, transparency, and accountability of said. The proposed merger between UNDP and UNOPS, we welcome the reports that have been provided thus far by the two organizations, and we encourage their continued cooperation in that regard. Regarding the next steps, We eagerly await the independent evaluation based on data concerning alternative options, as well as a detailed analysis of costs and funding, as well as risks and benefits. In the context of this initiative, we believe that the normative mandate be preserved to ensure the continuity of activities on the ground. Mr. Administrator, Canada welcomes the vital leadership of UNDP and would like to thank you for the observations that you've shared today.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [29:18]:

I thank Canada for the statement. I give the floor to Australia, to be followed by Argentina.


Australia [29:25]:

Thank you, President. I thank the Administrator for the comprehensive and candid report, and we commend UNDP on delivering significant results during a highly challenging period. These results reinforce UNDP's important role in improving lives and provide Australia with further assurance that our investments are delivering real impact on the ground. President, today I want to raise two key issues. Firstly, while discussions on potential mergers are important, it's critical that these do not detract from delivering practical system-wide reforms that improve outcomes on the ground. We urge UNDP to focus on better coordination with sister agencies at the country level to become even more efficient in using shared services and to fully and unequivocally stand behind the Resident Coordinator System, including sharing critical information with RCs. At its heart, reform is an opportunity to strengthen UNDP's ability to adapt to regional and national realities and to remain accessible, responsive, and accountable to the people it serves. Secondly, gender equality is essential to UNDP's effectiveness and credibility. Gender equality must be protected and seen as core to UNDP's work amidst any structural reforms or cost efficiency exercises. In this regard, we welcome the new Gender Equality Strategy and expect UNDP to ensure its full implementation. We welcome the strategy's strong emphasis on partnerships, including clear recognition of UN Women's leadership in advancing gender equality norms across the UN family. Administrator, how will UNDP ensure that its Gender Equality Strategy remains appropriately resourced and prioritized particularly in a constrained funding environment. Australia stands ready to continue working with UNDP to support a more focused, effective, and responsive organization that works to ensure no one is left behind.

Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [31:18]:

I thank Australia for the statement, and I'll give the floor to Argentina, which is the last speaker on the list. If anyone else wish to speak, let us know immediately. Argentina, please, you have the floor. Muchas gracias.


Argentina [31:32]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Argentina is grateful for the presentation of the annual report. The significant portfolio of UNDP projects in Argentina clearly reflects how multilateral cooperation can be transformed into concrete development outcomes. These projects constitute tools that facilitate the implementation of public policies by national and provincial agencies in our country. UNDP in turn provides support in administrative management and procurement while incorporating monitoring, evaluation, and auditing mechanisms that strengthen the traceability of actions and the measurement of results. Over the past 2 years, there has been growing incorporation of components aimed at strengthening the technological infrastructure of public administration. With the objective of supporting government modernization through more efficient, agile, and transparent management frameworks. Likewise, in line with the transformation process being promoted by Argentina to consolidate an open economy integrated into the world, to strengthen the rule of law, and to promote investment and free competition, UNDP has been responsive in aligning cooperation with the specific priorities and objectives of the government. This has required ongoing coordination and a fluid dialogue with the authorities and technical teams of the program. In this regard, we underscore the importance of ensuring that United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks, as well as the country program documents of the various entities of the system, are aligned with national priorities. Thereby constituting a concrete expression of the joint work that we must continue to strengthen.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [33:35]:

Thank you. I thank Argentina for the statement. We do have the Syrian Arab Republic requesting for the floor, so please, Syria.


Syrian Arab Republic [33:46]:

Shukran sayyid al-Ays.

Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, my delegation would like to thank the Administrator for his report, which has presented all of the developments within UNDP and its cooperation with member states. We are a longstanding partner with UNDP. UNDP has always been present in our country in every governorate, and during the Syrian revolution, UNDP stayed there. We will never forget that presence. Mr. President, when the Administrator visited my country this year and when a strategic document was launched, that constituted a renewal of the strategic partnership in accordance with the principle of national ownership. It aims to strengthen national institutions. We also conducted dialogues with the private sector. We strengthened our national infrastructure. And the program has comprehensive programs that cover every component of development. But in this regard, there must be coordination with the national government in accordance with our national priorities. We're not considering a humanitarian issue when we're talking about Syria. No, we're talking about partnership. To conclude, Mr. de Croo, what are the partnerships that you envisage with Syria in the coming months?


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [35:48]:

I thank Syria for the statement. Colleagues, there are no other requests for the floor, and if that remains the case, I'll invite the Administrator to react and to comment on the interventions this afternoon. Please, Mr.

Administrator.


UNDP · Administrator · Alexander de Croo [36:07]:

Yes, thank you. I'll go in the chronological order. Yes, indeed, there was a very interesting visit that I had in Thailand together with our team a few weeks ago. I think rich conversation with national politicians and the mayor of Bangkok and being able to congratulate the city of Bangkok on their diversity, gender equality, and LGBTQI+ policy, which is one of the domains on which we work, for example, through the Thailand Policy lab where we work on youth and healthcare coverage and so on. You had some remarks on UNAID. I think indeed it is important that it must improve country-level delivery. That always remains our focus in any of the reforms we do. And indeed you asked for a detailed cost-benefit analysis of any reform being done. We share that request. The Republic of South Korea, indeed also visit recently to launch together with you your AI hub. As I mentioned in my introduction, we consider AI as being one of the strongest accelerators of development and really appreciate the involvement of your government and your private sector in pushing that agenda together with you. We have— I have talked in my introduction about the convergence between humanitarian environment and the development perspective that we want to have as soon as possible, which your REVIVE project— we have something that is exactly doing that, immediately looking at the job creation, immediately investing in infrastructure and essential services. We know that those elements are crucial.. For example, if you want people to return after being displaced or being refugee, the REVIVE project has up to now been able to serve 5.8 million people, and we know that it is a very scalable one. A question from Belarus. Thank you for the appreciation for our team. I think that we have great teams everywhere, and that's the same in your country. In your country as well. We work together with you on human capital, on social policy, and on vocational training, and we know that our teams are working closely together with yours in lining out additional programmes. Questions of Bhutan, I think what is interesting that we do together with you and UNCDF is the Tiger Landscape Fund, which has raised $200 million now for Bhutan, Thailand, and a few countries in the neighborhood, in investing together in nature-positive MSMEs, with the objective to protect livelihoods as good as possible. Remarks from Spain. Yes, obviously looking forward to move our teams to Madrid and really would like to thank you for the seamless preparation that we've had with your team, building on the leadership that you have built with hosting Financing for Development and with the civil agenda. So we are looking forward for an intensified cooperation and also would like to thank you for being one of the countries that have increased core funding over the last year. You moved from €5 to €6.5 million. That is obviously greatly appreciated. El Salvador, indeed, finalizing a Country Programme Document together with you, a lot of work on digital transformation, on how to organize innovation, and we know that you put that high on your agenda. Working through digital services as much as possible into reducing multidimensional poverty reduction, which we see that digital has a great potential in being able to provide those basic services to everyone, even the ones who are the farthest away from what you would classic have as a provision of of services. Questions of Mexico. First of all, thank you for the engagement that you have in our Office of South-South Cooperation and the triangular work that we do with you. Besides that, we work together with you on financing development, on digital public infrastructure, SDG financing, and others. And on another note, we wish you good luck with the World Cup starting tomorrow. I think the opening match is tomorrow, an interesting match between our South African friends and our Mexican friends. I don't ask you to choose sides in that. Portugal, I think great focus that you have on triangular cooperation, and you've really been a champion in that. Also opened a specific window on South-South and triangular cooperation and really created a partnership that fosters a level of confidence, of knowledge, and of financing in that domain. And that is a specialization which is really serving us well in the work that we try to— that we try to do. The questions of the Russian Federation, we thank you for your continuous support and the positive outlook that you have on UNDP. And in every intervention, you always mentioned how important UNDP is from your perspective and how it is the backbone of the development system. Also, been active in our Office of South-South cooperation. We work as a development organization in very different contexts within our development mandate. We do that taking into account the different level of engagement of donors, and we do so— in doing so, we try to preserve human dignity and development. Canada, been a constant core funder of UNDP, really one of our top core supporters, have been spearheading together with you progress on sustainable finance, on elections, on governance. You have a strong focus on gender, and I would maybe combine that with the question being asked by Australia on how we maintain our focus on gender. Approximately 75% of the projects we do have a gender dimension in it, not always as something which is specifically funded, but we are convinced that if you want to do development well, you need to have a gender dimension. As I answered this morning as well, from our perspective, development is about leveraging all the talent you have. You cannot say you're leveraging all the talent you have if you're not creating an opportunity for the talent of half of your population. And I'm returning to Canada from your side as well. Good luck with the World Cup. The Belgian team is based in Vancouver, I think, so we're actually looking forward to that. Oh no, we're based in Seattle, we're playing in Vancouver. Need to be correct. I think continuing with Australia, There as well, thank you for returning as a core funder. That was not the case for 2025, but we obviously greatly appreciate that you are returning in 2026. Focus on SIDS, on specific SIDS, I think I have in previous answers to Palau and other countries already addressed that. Argentina, I think we— I talked in my introduction about how we work with government-developed financing. Argentina obviously is a champion in that, very large volume of work that we do together with you which is financed by your own resources. You are an example of cooperation that goes beyond the classic development financing, including, for example, in public sector modernization, digital transformation, climate action, and in South-South cooperation. And last intervention of Syria. I think the main challenge for Syria is flexibility of financing. We know that there is a large chunk of financing which is today in the humanitarian pillar. The needs are still gigantic. I explained that in our introduction. It is crucial that we have more flexibility in funding to make sure that we can also have the development perspective. Despite the fact that there are huge humanitarian needs and needs in poverty reduction, if we want to be able to invest in those services that can stabilize a country, that can help displaced people to return. We need to be able to do investment which comes out of financing from the development pillar. Today, that flexibility between both pillars is a difficult one, and I had the occasion to discuss that with your ministers when I was visiting two months ago. Thank you, Mr. President. This was a rich conversation of approximately 45 interventions. We will have to do better in August to have more interventions, but that is not necessary. But I really appreciated the quality of the questions being asked.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · President [46:32]:

Thank you, Mr. De Croo, and thank you, colleagues, for your patience. We have taken already almost 50 minutes from the following session. This concludes consideration of agenda item 7, annual report of the Administrator. A draft decision is under preparation under this agenda item, and I want to thank you. And please give us a moment to change the podium, and including Vice President Milambo to taking over the presidency of the following conversation. Thank you.


Speaker 30 [48:14]:

Pradeep. Pradeep. Pradeep.

I am here.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [50:00]:

Good afternoon, everybody. If we just settle down and thank you very much. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, good afternoon. We now move to the next session and now The 6th meeting of the Annual Session of 2006 of the Executive Board is now in session. We now continue the UNDP segment with Agenda Item Number 11, United Nations Development— Capital Development Fund. Under this agenda, the Board will consider the UNCDF Annual Report on results for 2025. I'm joined by the— here at the podium, and welcome, sir, by Mr. Pradeep Kurukulasia Suriya, UNCDF Executive Secretary. Please note that this item is scheduled to proceed for the next 45 minutes, maybe. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many interventions as possible, delegates unable to wishing to take the floor may submit their statements to eStatements. Questions may also be shared with the Executive Board Secretariat, which will transmit them to the relevant entities. I now give the floor to Executive Secretary Pradeep.


UNCDF · Executive Secretary · Pradeep Kurukulasia Suriya [51:22]:

Mr. President, I think there's a short video we will start with.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [51:25]:

Thank you.


Speaker 34 [51:28]:

For 60 years, UNCDF has carried one of the United Nations' most distinctive mandates. In the markets perceived as too small, too risky, and too far from conventional finance, UNCDF shows up. To augment the collective impact of the UN. We use risk-absorbing instruments and provide investment advisory with a focus on small businesses that drive local economies, emerging cities, rural areas where development needs are increasingly concentrated, digital tools that enable people to access finance By developing market systems and deepening the financial sector, our goal is for capital to become better so everyone has a fair chance to thrive, stronger so markets can develop, and greater so the potential of people, especially youth and women, is unleashed. We strive to stretch every public dollar further. For every dollar, we have catalyzed an additional $20. And we are just getting started. The world's most underserved markets are full of investable opportunities. We are working to change risk profiles profiles in countries and regions that need it most. Because we don't leave people behind. Not today.

Not tomorrow.


UNCDF · Executive Secretary · Pradeep Kurukulasia Suriya [53:48]:

Mr President, distinguished members of the Executive Board, Excellencies. Let me start with a simple truth: Eritrea, Senegal, Mozambique, Myanmar—too often these countries are seen as too small, too risky, too far from conventional finance, and so capital walks walks past them every single day. This is the reality for the young woman in Asmara that I met during a recent visit. With a business idea and a drive to match it, capital walks past a farmer in Siem Reap, Cambodia, who knows exactly what she would do with a loan if only somebody would give it. These people are waiting and waiting for that chance. Now the challenge in development finance is not the absence of capital. Capital exists. We know that. We spoke about it this morning. The challenge is sequencing— who goes in first, who takes that early risk when the market is the most fragile and when returns are uncertain. This is a role that UNCDF is created to play— not arriving after the risk is gone, but showing up precisely because the risk is there. And in 2025, UNCDF showed up. 67 countries, 36 LDCs, 16 SIDS, 24 countries in fragile settings, more than 350 businesses and financial institutions came to us. We could help, frustratingly, just 15%— a fraction of a fraction. Not because the model doesn't work, because we don't have the capital base to do more. 8 out of every 10 deals turned away and left on the table because of the absence of resources. We do not expect to service all, but we need to be able to support more. And yet, look at what we did with what we did have. In Afghanistan, with just $2 million, we were able to catalyze $35 million of local currency lending—resources that would otherwise have been available through grants. But the market came and provided that finance to SMEs and demonstrated that the risk in Afghanistan is not 90% of losses, it was less than 2%. That is catalytic finance: small capital, tactical, surgically deployed, big leverage. Similar results we've realized in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, and the list goes on. Now, in 2025, We marked the end of a strategic framework, and for every dollar that you made available, we were able to unlock more than 20 more, and overall 32 million people benefited. And we achieved this through a historical organizational reform agenda driven by a choice to become more relevant. We eliminated director-level positions by 50%. We moved 90% of our people to the field. We eliminated 30% of duplicative and redundant functions and modernised our internal systems to ramp up transparency and updated digital solutions, including the adoption of AI tools. And to further establish trust, we achieved a clean audit for the second year running. So we did the hard work—painful at times—professional level and on a personal level., and we're stronger for it. Excellencies, we complement, we don't duplicate. That is what UNAID calls for, and that is what we do. And I want to leave no doubt in your minds that UNCDF does not duplicate the work of MDBs, IFC and IDA included. We create conditions that make their work possible in market segments right at the bottom of the wealth pyramid. This is beyond the reach of many for a variety of reasons. We complement the UN system with a unique financial capability. When you fund project implementation, the money of course delivers, but it does so once, just once. When you give UNCDF unearmarked or earmarked capital and it is deployed as a guarantee or an investment grant or concessional loan, it multiplies. 10 times over sometimes. Excellencies, moving forward, the singular challenge ahead of UNCDF is the capitalization of UNCDF for capital deployment, not for procurement-heavy programs or projects, not for staffing. What we need is flexible capital so that we can respond beyond the 2 out of every 10 opportunities that come to us. Think about that, and think about the young people in these early-stage, last-mile markets, the majority of whom are under 30. Who are not asking for handouts. They are asking for a functional financial market, for market development. They are not at the margins of the development agenda; they are at the very heart of it. And it's for that reason that this Friday, under the leadership of Managing Director Alexander de Croo, we're launching a drive for the capitalization of UNCDF. The pipeline is real, the demand is real, the model is proven, and UNCDF Africa is ready. So I leave you with one question: are you ready? Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [59:08]:

Thank you very much for that presentation and the challenge that you've given us. I think many of us are ready. All right, so now open the floor for statements and questions. Given the limited time that we have, we strongly encourage you to be very concise in your statements. We go with the regular setup. We'll start with the bureau members, then groups, executive board members, then observers and other countries. With that said, we'll start with Jamaica. Jamaica, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr.


Jamaica [59:51]:

President. We thank the Executive Secretary for his presentation of the UNCDF Annual Report. On the results for 2025. We were pleased to note that during this period, the UNCDF supported over 1,600 offerings with product services, infrastructure development across 67 countries, including 16 small island developing states, mobilized more than $132 million in investments, and catalyzed nearly $843 million in additional public and public and private financing. Of note, the report indicated that for Jamaica, the relevance of UNCDF lies in its ability to engage at the point where recovery and development intersect. This was evident following Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. UNCDF joined UNDP's surge support and undertook a rapid financial sector assessment to complement the loss and damage assessment that we had done. They engaged with regulators, financial institutions, business associations, and affected communities, including through field engagement. This work highlighted a key constraint, and that is, while liquidity remained in the regulated financial system, it was not effectively translated into affordable, risk-tolerant financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and affected value chains. Uninsured losses, impaired collateral, and cash flow volatility were limiting the flow of finance at a critical moment for recovery. It is for this reason that Jamaica supports the work being undertaken by UNCDF and UNDP on the Restart Fund, which offers a sequenced approach from delivery to recovery and normalization. This initiative complemented our own efforts to understand the extent of the damage caused through the utilization of early-stage assessments initiated to identify the key constraints faced by the enterprises so that support could be deployed rapidly. In coordination with local financial institutions. The relevance of UNCDF is therefore evident in its ability to engage at a point where recovery and development intersect, as we previously mentioned. Mr. President, in closing, Jamaica underscores the importance of adequate capitalization of UNCDF, without which its ability to respond at scale to recovery and resilience needs, particularly in small and developing states, will remain constrained. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:02:15]:

Thank you very much. I thank the representative of Jamaica. I have the following countries: Zambia, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Nepal, Rwanda, United States, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. And then we will have to close it there. So I now give the floor to the representative from Zambia.


Zambia [1:02:43]:

President, thank you. Zambia aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by Nigeria on behalf of the Group of African States and wishes to make the following remarks in its own capacity. We welcome the UNCDF Annual Report for 2025 and its continued contribution to advancing inclusive finance market development, and sustainable development in LDCs and other vulnerable contexts. The recognition of the UNCDF's unique capital mandate in the Compromiso de Sevilla underscores the importance of institutions that deploy catalytic concessional and first loss capital to de-risk early-stage markets for underserved sectors and communities. Zambia values UNCDF's UNCDF support for inclusive digital finance and MSME development. In Zambia, UNCDF has contributed to advancing financial inclusion, regulatory reform, and access to finance for women and youth while supporting digital public infrastructure, interoperability, and consumer protection. For Zambia, this agenda is central to job creation, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification and inclusive growth. Expanding access to finance requires not only capital but also effective regulation, stronger markets, infrastructure, and financial systems capable of serving smaller enterprises and underserved communities. We therefore welcome UNCDF's integrated approach, which combines policy engagement, market systems development, and catalytic finance. This model is particularly valuable in countries where development priorities are clear, but investment remains constrained by cost, scale, and risk considerations. As countries strive to accelerate SDG progress amid tighter financing conditions, the value of institutions such as UNCDF lies not only in mobilizing finance, but also in helping markets to work better for people and enterprises driving local economic transformation. We therefore encourage continued support to UNCDF's mandate and financing models. Adequate, flexible, and predictable resources remain essential for the agency to deliver strengthened financing ecosystems, crowd in additional capital, and deliver results where the need is greatest. We believe that proven development solutions must be amplified in light of the remaining time to 2030., and this amplification of what works must be the key focus in the new strategy. I would therefore like to end with the question of what UNCDF is doing to scale up its financing and reach, and how can this Executive Board help, as well as Member States? We look forward to deepening collaboration and working together.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:05:44]:

I thank the representative from Zambia, and I'll give the floor to representative of Luxembourg, speaking on behalf of a cross-regional group of countries. Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Luxembourg · cross-regional group of countries · Permanent Representative [1:05:59]:

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for giving me the floor. I have indeed the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Armenia, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Jamaica, Montenegro, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova, Switzerland, Türkiye, Zambia, and my own country, Luxembourg. We thank the Executive Secretary of UNCDF for presentation of UNCDF's report for 2025. This report clearly demonstrates UNCDF's unique role within the UN development system and beyond. The Fund occupies a distinct niche by increasing financing flows and catalyzing investment in LDCs, small island developing states, and fragile settings, contexts that are too often excluded from capital markets due to heightened risk perceptions and underdeveloped financial ecosystems. These challenges are further exacerbated by declining levels of ODA. We welcome UNCDF's continued commitment to joint programming with other UN entities,, in line with repeated calls from Member States and the objectives of the UNAT Initiative. By building on its comparative advantage as a financing enabler, UNCDF is responding directly to Member States' requests that UN entities refocus on their core mandates as envisaged in its Strategic Framework 2026-2029. In this regard, we encourage the Fund to continue to deepen its collaboration across the UN development system, including through mechanisms such as the Joint SDG Fund. Through such partnerships, UNCDF can help close critical gaps rather than act in parallel structures. We also commend UNCDF's management for steering the Fund through a significant institutional transition, including major organizational restructuring, as you underlined, Pradeep. These reforms have resulted in a sharper and more agile operational model, and we further note the emphasis placed on disciplined financial management and strengthened accountability. At the same time, we remain concerned about the continued lack of adequate core funding for UNCDF, which risks undermining institutional oversight, portfolio and risk management, and the organization's capacity for innovation. The integrated results and resources matrix for 2025 shows a mixed performance with relatively modest results, particularly in the area of investments. As this is a key domain, it should receive particular attention going forward. Against the backdrop of declining ODA and reduced contributions from Member States, we would welcome further clarity on how UNCDF foresees the evolution of its core resources, and should core funding levels remain unchanged, how does UNCDF intend to sustain delivery on its unique mandate. We would also appreciate further information regarding projected trends in core resource levels for 2026 and beyond. In addition, we would welcome examples of how UNCDF intends to engage with a broader range of partners, including the private sector, multilateral development banks, and philanthropic actors, and how such partnerships could contribute to strengthening the organization's core resource base. We would also appreciate an update on how reductions in ODA are affecting the funding of UNDP for UNCDF, given the broader impact of these reductions on UNDP's own funding base. As UNCDF approaches its 60th anniversary this December, we encourage the Fund to continue engaging actively in key UN processes while building on its comparative strength. Structured and sustained outreach, as well as clear communication on the essential role played by UNCDF, will be critical to broadening its support base and strengthening visibility around its mandate. And finally, we would welcome further reflections on how UNCDF anticipates the UN80 Initiative may affect its work and institutional structure in the future? Has UNCDF been consulted in discussions relating to the potential merger between UNDP and UNOPS? And we thank you in advance for your responses. Thank you very much.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:10:55]:

I thank the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, speaking on behalf of a cross-regional set of countries. I now give the floor to the Representative from Nigeria, Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Nigeria · African members of the Executive Board · Permanent Representative [1:11:10]:

Thank you very much, Your Excellency the Chair, and Your Excellencies. I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of African members of the Executive Board, namely Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and my own very country, Nigeria. Mr. Chair, the report points to accurate and sobering figures of the global financial landscape confronting the international community. Official Development Assistance, ODA, declined by 9% in 2024, and Least Developed Countries, LDCs, projected to see a fall of up to 25% in bilateral flows. Over one-two-thirds of low-income countries are in debt, distressed, or at risk thereof. The micro, small, medium-scale enterprise financing gap in developing economies has widened to $8 trillion. These are not absorbed statistics. They represent constrained livelihoods, stalled services, and the development in communities across Africa. Mr. Chair, of particular significance The results achieved in Africa— Rwanda risk-sharing instrument unlocked over $714 million in loans to 92 agribusinesses. In Syria alone, 24 solar-powered water kits were transferred to women-led management team, improved access to clean water of approximately 24,000 residents in East Africa. UNCDF provided technical assistance of the region's first subnational green bonds. In Democratic Republic of Congo, program supported companies reached total sales of over 322,000 clean energy technologies since inception. In Somalia and Mozambique, local government fiscal capacity are threatened under difficult conditions. In Nigeria, A ₦2.5 million loan was used to support a company providing life-saving therapy food for vulnerable children. The results speak to UNCDF's proven ability to deliver in the most complex operating environments. We commend the Executive Secretary and his team for their brilliant, excellent performance. In conclusion, Mr. President, The UNCDF approaches its 6th anniversary. Africa EAD members reaffirm our strong support for this institution. We encourage the board to take note of this report, welcome the operationalization of the cosmopolitization that UNDCF works, and call on all partners to match their political endorsement with the financial resources that will allow UNCDF to deliver its mandate for the benefit of most vulnerable countries and communities our system exists to serve. I thank you very much, Mr.


Luxembourg · cross-regional group of countries · Permanent Representative [1:14:26]:

President, for the opportunity to present.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:14:29]:

I thank His Excellency, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria. I have Nepal, Rwanda, United States, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, and then the Kingdom of Netherlands. I now have— I give the floor to the representative of Nepal speaking on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries.


Nepal · LDCs · Deputy Representative [1:14:49]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries. At the outset, the group thanks the UNCTF Executive Secretary for his comprehensive presentation and also wishes to express its appreciation for UNCTF's continued partnership with LDCs. Mr. President, as LDCs face converging pressures from shrinking fiscal space and rising debt to climate shocks and persistent financing gaps, UNCDF's role in unlocking finance and directing investment to where it is most needed has become ever more indispensable. LDCs highly value UNCDF's unique contribution to advancing sustainable development in LDCs through catalytic finance, local development investment, financial inclusion, and digital transformation. We particularly welcome the historic recognition accorded to UNCDF in the Compromiso de Sevilla. The call for UNCDF to continue providing catalytic concessional and first loss capital to de-risk investment in countries in special situations is a timely reaffirmation of its unique mandate within the UN development system. This mandate is fully aligned with the DPOA's call for scale-up, and innovative financing to strengthen productive capacities, drive structural transformation, build resilience, and support a smooth and sustainable graduation from LDC status. Mr. President, amid growing global uncertainty, LDCs continue to face severe financing constraints, including declining development finance, rising debt burdens, and limited access to affordable capital, threatening progress towards the SDGs. The situation is especially challenging for graduating countries facing reduced concessional support amid continuing vulnerabilities. Against this backdrop, UNCDF's role is indispensable in mobilizing investment where financing needs are greatest and risks are highest, using catalytic capital and blended finance solutions to unlock sustainable development financing. The group commends UNCDF's support for MSMH, which are central to employment, livelihoods, and economic transformation in LDCs. We recognize UNCDF's catalytic mandate in action through a blended finance mechanism that de-risks lending and mobilizes private capital for MSMEs, including women-owned enterprises. With this strong leverage and broad cross-sector reach, it demonstrates how UNCDF's model delivers scalable results aligned with the SABIA commitment. We value UNCDF's efforts to strengthen local development finance and empower sub-national governments to deliver infrastructure services and climate resilience.. We also recognized the growing importance of digital finance and digital public infrastructure in advancing financial inclusion and structural transformation. We also underscored that UNCDF's work in LDCs, including Nepal, demonstrates its catalytic role in advancing inclusive and sustainable development through innovative financing that strengthens financial system, expands financial inclusion and digital innovation, and builds local climate resilience while supporting MSMEs and rural entrepreneurs.. The key initiatives such as Agri-Credit Guarantee Scheme, Local Climate Resilience Financing under LUCAL, and emerging nature-positive investment through the Tiger Landscape Investment Facility demonstrate how UNCDF is mobilizing finance for agriculture, local governments, and conservation-linked livelihoods in ways that can be replicated across LDCs. In closing, Mr. President, we appreciate UNCDF's role in mobilizing investment, including private finance in even most challenging and underserved markets and generating local development impact. As we appreciate the ambition reflected in the planned scale-up of guarantees, we underscore the need for strong and predictable member state support to fully capitalize UNCDF and realize the SEVIA commitment. The LDC Group therefore calls for sustained support to enable UNCDF to deliver on its mandate and deepen partnership to scale catalytic finance and align resources with LDC priorities. In my national capacity, I just want to ask, dear Executive Secretary, about his vision, UNCDF's vision and future plans on how to align UNCDF's strategic framework 2026-2029 with DPOA's priorities. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:19:19]:

Thank you very much. I thank the Deputy Representative of Nepal speaking on behalf of the LDCs. I now give the floor to the representative of Rwanda, who will be followed by the United States. Rwanda.


Rwanda [1:19:34]:

Thank you, Mr. President. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Rwanda aligns itself with the statement delivered by Nigeria on behalf of the African members of the Executive Board and wishes to make— and as well as Nepal on behalf of the LDC Group— and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We thank the Executive Secretary and the UNCDF Secretariat for the annual report on results for 2025, and we take note of the results achieved during a year of significant institutional transition. Mr. President, as a least developed country, Rwanda attaches great importance to UNCDF's unique mandate as the United Nations' dedicated capital provider for the countries furthest behind. Rwanda appreciates the valuable contribution UNCDF has made, particularly in the deployment of risk-sharing instruments and loans. In my own country, Rwanda, 92 local agribusinesses were able to unlock over $714,000 in loans loans, which would not have been possible via traditional commercial financing. We value this kind of targeted catalytic intervention that can reach enterprises directly and look forward to the further strengthening of UNCDF's support to nationally owned priorities. Mr. President, on resources, Rwanda underlines that resourcing and results must move together. Continued support will rest on the Fund's ability to demonstrate impact efficiency and value for money. As UNCDF moves into the implementation of the 2026-2029 Strategic Framework, we look forward to the Fund's sharpened focus on MSME finance and subnational finance, as well as inclusive digital economies, to translate into measurable results at a country level. In closing, Mr. President, Rwanda encourages continued support for UNCDF's mandate and looks forward to further collaboration in leveraging innovative finance to deliver sustainable and inclusive development outcomes.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:21:36]:

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Rwanda for his statement and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United States.


United States of America [1:21:46]:

Thank you very much, Chair, and thank you to the Executive Head for his remarks. We acknowledge UNCDF's cumulative achievements under the 2022-2025 Framework, including mobilizing $132 million and catalyzing $843 million in additional financing and reaching 32 million people. These are meaningful results, but we expect stronger attribution and more rigorous demonstration of impact per dollar going forward. We commend 13 consecutive years of unqualified audit opinions and welcome full implementation of outstanding audit recommendations. We expect the standard to be maintained and strengthened under the new strategic framework. The United States strongly supports UNCDF's use of guarantees and blended finance to attract private capital. We encourage UNCDF to scale its financial instruments ambitiously under the new framework and deepen partnerships with the private sector to reduce reliance on public funding over time. The United States remains committed to UNCDF's core mission and will continue to hold the organization to high standards of accountability, transparency, and results as a condition of our ongoing support. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:23:00]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the United States and thank you for being concise. We now have Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, and then the Kingdom of the Netherlands. So distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.


Burkina Faso · Permanent Representative [1:23:17]:

Merci. Thank you, Mr. President. Burkina Faso. Would like to thank the Executive Secretary for presenting the annual report for 2025 of the United Nations Capital Development Fund and would like to take note of the important results achieved in an international context marked by a contraction of resources, risk aversion, and growing needs in the least developed countries. This report highlights the role that the United Nations Capital Development Fund can play in environments where the financing needs are significant, but where the perceived risks all too often limits the scope of actions for women, young people, and local actors and their access to credit. Our delegation in particular welcomes the reference in the report to the issuance of new portfolio guarantees, including in Burkina Faso. These sorts of instruments aim to find tangible solutions to project financing issues. These guarantees or bonds are a risk— and risk-sharing instruments by the UNCDF help reduce the barriers that financial institutions face when they want to lend to MSMEs. In particular, those that are led by women and young people. In a context such as Burkina Faso's, these instruments support the efforts of the government to contribute not only to financial inclusion, but also to the creation of jobs, to the maintenance of local economic activities, and to strengthening social cohesion. Burkina Faso therefore encourages the United Nations Capital Development Fund to continue to support the government in countries that face fragility so that they can preserve local productive capacities, support entrepreneurs, and create the best economic outlook for young people. Above all, we encourage the United Nations Capital Development Fund to continue working in close collaboration with the government, the resident coordinator, the UNDP, and the other United Nations entities so that these interventions can be fully aligned with national priorities and adapted to local realities. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:25:56]:

I thank His Excellency, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso, for his statement. Thank you, Excellency. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bulgaria, followed by the Kingdom of Netherlands. I invite the distinguished representative of Bulgaria. All right, so we shall move on to the Kingdom of Netherlands. Netherlands, then we'll come back to Bulgaria after that. Kingdom of Netherlands.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) [1:26:39]:

Mr. President, Mr. Executive Secretary, Excellencies, the Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the statement delivered by Luxembourg and adds the following remarks in its national capacity. First, we would like to express our appreciation for UNCDF's candid annual The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a strong supporter of UNCDF. We value our partnership highly and see UNCDF as a key actor in the development finance architecture, particularly at a time when ODA is under increasing pressure. We support UNCDF because UNCDF works in places where many other institutions cannot, particularly in fragile contexts and hard-to-reach, hard-to-reach communities. Our partnership in the Palestine Investment Facilitation Guarantee illustrates this well. By providing guarantees to local financial institutions and DFIs, UNCDF helps unlock finance for Palestinian entrepreneurs and MSMEs. In this context, UNCDF plays a catalytic and risk-taking role that few other institutions can fulfill, and we are very proud to support this effort. Besides, UNCDF only focuses on areas where it has a clear comparative advantage compared to MDBs, DFIs, and the World Bank. We commend this strategic discipline as well as the strong results achieved. Mobilizing more than $132 million USD and catalyzing nearly $843 million USD demonstrates UNCDF's ability to leverage scarce public resources. And crowd in private capital at scale. So we congratulate UNCDF on its achievements, including the fact that two-thirds of people reached are women, as well as strong results in areas such as food systems and climate. At the same time, remain— we remain concerned about the low level of core funding. We therefore encourage more member states to contribute core funding. Finally, we also have two questions. First, we would like to ask what opportunities UNCDF sees for further scaling its catalytic role within the wider UN development system in the coming years. Second, we also wonder how UNCDF sees itself in a global environment where development cooperation for some countries also needs to align with national interests like trade. So we thank UNCDF for its work, and look forward to close cooperation.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:29:12]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of Netherlands, and I thank really everybody who has made their submissions. I think, Executive Secretary, I think there's broad appreciation of what UNCDF does across the room, but I do believe that some specific questions that are there, so in the interest of time, we'll give you 3 minutes, if you're lucky, 3 and a half.


UNCDF · Executive Secretary · Pradeep Kurukulasia Suriya [1:29:33]:

Okay, thank you, thank you, Chair. I'll try to be very, very specific and hone in, and I will have written responses because there is a lot to say to the questions that was asked, and we'll circulate that to the Secretariat. First, a plea: stop giving UNCDF money for procurement. You do not want to use UNCDF for procurement. You want to use UNCDF for the deployment of guarantees, concessional loans, and investment grants. So the reason why there's been such a low amount of investments that were deployed in the previous results is because the historical, the legacy projects were typical UNDP projects, though they do not belong in UNCDF. It's only now, over the last couple of years, that you're seeing a transition. In fact, if you want a stat, when I first came in, about $80 million were being spent per year by UNCDF. About 30% of that was on human resources and another 20-30% on procurement. This year, we're spending $80 million on just investments. So first plea: stop giving UNCDF money for procurement, make sure it is given for capital deployment, because that is what UNCDF does, and that's what the value add of UNCDF is at the country level. Now, in fact, on the core issue, we are doing what we can by ensuring that all member states understand what UNCDF does and its unique value proposition, and I think we are making headway in getting that recognition known. It's been a difficult journey, because in some part, some ways, it seemed to be historically quite close to what UNDP does. We're trying to break away from that and make sure that it's clear that our value proposition is different. And number two, it seems like what we're doing is very similar to what IFC does. It's not. We are not a commercial entity. We go into sub-investment-grade markets, and this is not what an MDB or an IFC does. Even IDA goes at the sovereign level. We go into sub-sovereign. We go with the private sector. So that means that we are really addressing a market segment that is very, very different, and that needs to be understood better, and I need your help to make sure that that is done. And this, I think, is becoming interesting for many countries that perhaps are looking at trade as a big issue, but trade is only possible in some of these markets if someone goes in and de-risks it. Otherwise, what is going to happen is you will have trade, but there will be agency capture where only certain segments of the market will benefit. What we are trying to do is drive that capital right to— That makes a huge difference., right? So one of the things that we're trying to do is to make sure that we remain targeted. Now, we've engaged with members— with philanthropy. In fact, yesterday we had a big meeting here with US-based foundations, family offices, philanthropy. They're all interested in this de-risking capability. It's not that they don't want to go into these markets. They are afraid to go into these markets without having a risk absorbent, a financial risk absorbent, and this is where member states' contributions can actually play that meaningful catalytic role in those contexts. So I hope through this type of work we will make some progress. Now, we are expanding our base, and I have to assume that core will be effectively zero at some point. If we don't change this dynamic, which I alone cannot— we really need your help, If it doesn't change, then what's the alternative for UNCDF? The only alternative for UNCDF is to scale up its delivery of non-core. UNCDF has not been short of non-core. The problem with UNCDF is that historically it's been expending only about $100 million a year. If we can scale that up to about $300, $400 million a year, then there's enough GMS that can actually cover the structure of UNCDF, because UNCDF is not a top-heavy nor a HR-heavy organization. You do not need such an organization for capital deployment. You need a lean machine that can actually be agile in those contexts, and that's what we are working towards. And our partnership with the EU Gateway, I think, will be a game changer, because this will be essentially an important instrument for the entire UN system because we are sector agnostic, so UNICEF should be able to— we should be able to support UNICEF to access EU Gateway money and deploy those investments for supporting UNICEF's mandate. Same for UNDP, for UNEP, for UNIDO. So this is the kind of role that we are hoping that we can play and— please tell me how much time I have, but I do have a lot. To say. Okay, one more minute. We are also pursuing accreditation of UNCDF to the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility. The reason for that is not to compete with existing accredited entities, but to actually help these funds move some of that money in the form of loans, of guarantees to LDCs and other difficult markets which it is currently struggling with. Why? Because those entities that are accredited to these funds are themselves credit-rated and they find it difficult to go into those markets. So we hope that that will change things. Mr. President, I know time is short, so I will leave it there, but at the end of the day, I think we're in the hands of the board to help with the core contributions that are needed, but also to continue the good work that we're doing with non-core, and I will provide detail written comments for all the questions that were provided.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:35:50]:

Thank you. Thank you very much, Executive Secretary. We apologize for the constrained time, and so we look forward to your responses in writing so that we can make sure we respond to all the questions that were put on the table. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 11, United Nations Capital Development Fund, and I thank you very much for your time and presentation and for interventions. The Executive Board— I wish to inform the Board that a draft decision under Agenda Item 11, United Nations Capital Development Fund, is under preparation and will be presented for the Board's consideration later this session. This part of the session is adjourned. If you could allow us now to just have a very quick change of podium, we'll get to the next item. We continue with our next agenda item. I will now continue to UNDP segment with Agenda Item 12, United Nations Volunteers. Under this segment item, the Board will consider the United Nations Volunteers Program Annual Report of the Administrator for 2025. I am joined here at the podium by Mr. Toily Kabanova— Kabanov. Yeah, thank you. The Executive Coordinator for UNV. Please note that this item is scheduled to take about 30 minutes. While every effort will be made to accommodate as many interventions as possible, Delegations unable to take the floor may submit their statements to e-statements. Questions may also be shared with Executive Board Secretariat, which will transmit them to the relevant entities. I now give the floor to Mr.


UNV · Executive Coordinator · Toily Kabanov [1:38:12]:

Kubanov. Thank you, Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates. This is the fifth time I have the privilege of presenting the Annual Report of UNV to the Executive Board. First time when I was presenting it in 2021, I was given 20 minutes to allow more time for dialogue among the member states. The following year it became 15 minutes, then 10, and now I have only 5. I look forward to the challenge the Board will set for me next year. But fortunately my task is easier because we had very fruitful informal meeting of the Executive Board on this agenda item Distinguished Delegates last month, so today I'll focus on very few key results and share a couple of reflections. Last year, 17,000 UN Volunteers—17,000—have supported delivery of the United Nations mandates around the world. This is the highest level of volunteer engagement that the United Nations system has seen in its history. In fact, last year we mobilized as many volunteers as we used to mobilize in 2 years at the beginning of this decade. UN Volunteers came from 182 countries, ranging in age from 18 to 80. We maintained gender parity, we advanced disability inclusion, we integrated volunteerism into the UN SDCFs,, and we laid the foundations, very important foundations, for the International Volunteer Year in 2026. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, as we were finalizing the report, I asked myself 3 questions. First, are UNV's achievements as good as the report suggests? Yes and no. Yes, because every result in the report in front of you is accurate and has been verified. But also no, because reports tend to naturally focus on achievements rather than the struggles. The reality of 2025 was far more demanding. Across the UN system, the teams were working with the funding cuts, facing operational challenges and the security constraints. At times, we had to deploy volunteers for the crisis response. As Administrator de Croo acknowledged this morning, but at times we had to deploy them quickly for the crisis response only to evacuate in a couple of weeks because the situation had changed on the ground. So every day brought us a resilience test. My second question was, how did UNV contribute to the UN Haiti Initiative? Our greatest contribution was is, and remains, the power of demonstration. For you Member States seeking greater coherence and efficiency, UNV offers a practical example of a global shared service that works. In 2025, we've partnered with 59 UN entities, demonstrating that common services can deliver results, generate efficiencies, and achieve scale. Since UNV's motto is "Inspiration in Action," we hope that our experience may inspire further progress in this area. And my third question was: Do past results guarantee future success? No. We cannot afford to rest on the laurels. The UN system is facing even more financial pressures, operational risks, and security challenges. Yet, the carefully calibrated priorities of our Strategic Framework, the trust of our UN partners, your continued guidance, and the momentum generated by the International Volunteer Year give us confidence that, if I may borrow the Security Council language, UNV shall remain seized of its mandate. Not every year will bring achievements as historic as 2025, but every year, distinguished delegates, and every day, Member States can count on a mission-driven and professional, global, but at the same time very local United Nations Volunteers. Mr. Chair, I'm still in my 5th minute, and I'd like to conclude with a short video about our mission. If the pages of our report are about the trees, the video is about the forest behind those trees. I thank you.


Speaker 59 [1:42:56]:

Over 200 million people depend on humanitarian assistance.

Delivering aid at that scale takes billions of dollars.

Yet, only 7% of funding is delivered through local actors. Where does the rest go?

Mais quand ma présence était là avec la langue locale, cela a fait changer la communauté et on a donné l'accès aux vaccins et les enfants.

Las voluntarias y los voluntarios de ONU, por ser oriundos de las comunidades, nos fortalece en el trabajo a realizar de conocer el ámbito territorial, ¿verdad? Porque ahí conocemos sus amenazas y sus vulnerabilidades y sus situaciones de riesgo.

Do not just do things because you have a rolling work plan, because you have like results to achieve.

Ask the communities. They know what they want.

UN Volunteers, to take said army post.

Bohrana and Yakhnolam. I mean, yet, I still—

See, I'm a Hathaite Brahmaniac.

I told him, "Practice yoga with me." This is 100% worth investing in.


UNV · Executive Coordinator · Toily Kabanov [1:45:53]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I look forward to the dialogue.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:45:56]:

Thank you very much, Executive Secretary, for your presentation and really for the video. It really makes a difference to see what thousands of volunteers are doing on the ground. So thank you to you and your team. I have a list of speakers here. We shall go according to the following order: the Bureau members, the groups, Executive Board members, and then we shall go to observer member states. The order is as follows: Zambia, Jamaica, Nigeria, Nigeria, Germany, Japan, China, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Comoros, Tanzania, and then Thailand and Djibouti. And I'll give the floor to the representative from Zambia.


Zambia [1:46:43]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Zambia aligns itself to the statement to be delivered by the Africa Group and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We welcome the annual report on the United Nations Volunteers Programme, which demonstrates another year of strong performance and growing impact. The report reaffirms the value of volunteerism as a practical and cost-effective instrument for advancing sustainable development, strengthening the effectiveness of the United Nations development system. We are particularly encouraged by the continued prominence of Sub-Saharan Africa as a region with the largest deployment of UN volunteers globally, with 5,281 volunteers serving across the continent in 2025. Equally noteworthy is the contribution of more than 5,000 African nationals serving as UN Volunteers, including many undertaking assignments beyond their own borders, demonstrating the growing importance of South-South cooperation. In Zambia, we have witnessed firsthand the value that UNV brings to national development efforts. The work of volunteers has supported policy implementation, institutional capacity development, and service delivery. We have had volunteers operate in areas such as climate adaptation, youth development, adolescent health, gender equality, and access to integrated health and social services. Mr. President, we remain convinced that volunteerism is a powerful vehicle for advancing nationally-owned development priorities and accelerating progress towards the SDGs. As UNV implements Strategic Framework 2026-2029, we encourage member states to support predictable and sustainable financing, particularly through the Special Voluntary Fund. We encourage UNV to maintain strong volunteer deployment in Africa and expand opportunities for African nationals. We also welcome UNV's efforts to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of its deployment systems and trust that these gains will be preserved as broader UN reforms are implemented. Zambia reiterates its support for the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026, and we are pleased to have designated a national focal point to support its implementation. We encourage continued collaboration between UNV member states and regional groupings, including the Africa group to translate its objectives of the national year into concrete action and lasting partnerships. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:49:28]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Zambia and now give the floor to— and I want to list the following countries next: Jamaica, Nigeria, Germany, and then we'll go through the list that I announced previously, and we are closing the request list.

Jamaica, you have the


Jamaica [1:49:47]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank Mr. Kerbenov for his presentation. Jamaica was pleased to note that there was a 17% increase in the volunteer deployment at the end of UNV's 2022-2025 strategic period, which also translated into a significant growth of volunteer engagement in the Latin American and Caribbean region, where we had 4,875 UN volunteers who served in 2025. I think this marked the second largest, uh, regional deployment globally. UNV's work combines the power of volunteerism with the purpose of the United Nations. That is, it is comprised of the very people at the community level that we as UN serve and who also believe in its work and value. They are able to connect with and translate UN's work more personally into the lived experiences of people, and I think this This is something that we witnessed in the video that was just recently shown. This evidence of— this is evidence of UNV's unique comparative advantage. They tell the story of the UN system in a way that strengthens its visibility and credibility locally. In this regard, we encourage UNV to continue its efforts to expand its volunteer base and opportunities from underrepresented nationalities, including Caribbean countries, as a means of broadening geographic diversity. This ensures that the perspectives and talents of all member states are represented in the UN system delivery. We also call on member states to increase its funding support to the agency as much as possible, including through the Special Voluntary Fund. At the national level, following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, UNV supported the UN emergency response efforts through interagency coordination, joint assessments, response response planning, and more. This included the distribution of more than 1,000 emergency hygiene kits to affected communities alongside Food for the Poor, which is the largest charity organization in Jamaica. Again, we'd just like to reiterate our thanks to UNV for their support in this regard. Mr. President, Jamaica will continue to recognize the tremendous value of UNV's mandate and support, and the support it provides to the various UN agencies in their own work. We look forward to our continued collaboration both nationally and regionally. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:52:03]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Jamaica and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria, who will be followed by Germany.


Nigeria · African members of the Executive Board [1:52:15]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African members of the Executive Board, namely Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tunisia, Zambia, and my own country, Nigeria. The African members of the Executive Board welcome the Annual Report of the Administrator of the United Nations Volunteers Programme for 2025. We commend the Executive Coordinator and the entire UNV team for the extraordinary results achieved in a year defined by global fragility, humanitarian pressure, and fiscal headwinds. The record deployment of 17,169 UN Volunteers across 172 countries and territories, a 17% increase over 2024 and more than double 2019 levels, is a powerful testament to the enduring relevance of volunteerism in advancing peace, development, and human rights. Africa remains at the heart of this mission. Sub-Saharan Africa hosted the largest number of UN Volunteers of any region in 2025, with 5,281 deployed across our continent. The African Group recognizes with appreciation the sustained engagement of UNV in fragile and conflict-affected settings on the continent, including through the Peacebuilding Fund,, under which United Nations Volunteers were deployed in 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to support community development, energy response, elections, and governance. We equally acknowledge the critical contributions made through peacekeeping missions UNMISS, MINUSCA, and MONUSCO, where United Nations Volunteers serve in local capacities that are some of the most challenging environments in the world. The group also welcomes UNB's contribution to gender equality and women's empowerment across the continent. Initiatives such as the African Women Health Champions in partnership with the WHO Regional Office for Africa, featuring 46 women United Nations volunteers promoting essential health services across 19 countries is a good example of targeted community-centered action that delivers results for African women and girls. We note with satisfaction that the proportion of women among UN volunteers has risen to 60% overall, and we encourage further progress towards gender parity in peacekeeping and special political missions, where representation of women volunteers stands at 46%. We equally commend UNV's commitment to inclusive volunteerism. The 15% increase in the deployment of volunteers with disabilities, with the DRC, Mali, and other African countries hosting the largest number of such volunteers, reflects the spirit of leaving no one behind. The African Group also notes with pride that 76% of UNV's own personnel come from the Global South, a reflection of the South-South ethos that underpins the organization's identity and work. The African Group takes note of the financial pressures facing UNV, including the projected 15% decline in regular resources under the 2026-2029 Strategic Framework, in line with reductions in UNDP's core budget. We urge all Member States to consider contributions to UNV's Special Voluntary Fund, which remains critical for emergency response. Expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups and promoting the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development deployment in 2026. We also encourage UNB to continue its digital transformation and efficiency gains to protect the quality and scope of volunteer deployments, particularly in Africa, despite constrained results. In closing, the Africa Group commends all United Nations Volunteers for their service and encourages Member States to not only sustain, but expand their support for the organization. We look forward to the full rollout of UNV's redesigned volunteer solutions in 2026 and trust that they will further strengthen our collective capacity to serve the most vulnerable communities across the African continent and beyond.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [1:57:04]:

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria. The next, uh, The next speakers will be Germany, Japan, China, and then Türkiye. I now invite the distinguished representative of Germany to take the floor.


Germany · cross-regional group of countries [1:57:19]:

Thank you, President, distinguished Executive Coordinator, colleagues. I deliver this statement on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Türkiye, and my own country, Germany. At the outset, I know it's your fifth presentation. I think it's my fifth reply on behalf of a group and I want to thank you for the very insightful presentation with dwindling time but always insightful and helpful and many thanks that you ceded one hour to this very inspiring clip. I think this is, I think, the essence of the organization that we very much appreciate. And as in previous years, we wish to express our sincere appreciation to Yun-Wei, his dedicated staff, on behalf of the more than 17,000 volunteers around the world who contributed not only their expertise but their commitment and solidarity throughout 2025. In an increasingly fragile and polarized global context, UN Volunteers continue to demonstrate exceptional dedication in support of the UN System and, what is more important, for the communities they serve. The Annual Report before us clearly illustrates how volunteerism volunteerism remains an essential component of effective multilateral action. Volunteer contributions range from humanitarian response to peacebuilding to health services, education, climate action, and the promotion and protection of human rights. These achievements underscore the practical value of volunteerism in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. We are particularly encouraged by UNV's ability to adapt to evolving operational demands. The continued optimization of recruitment processes and development— deployment modalities, combined with investments in digital tools, has enhanced the organization's responsiveness and efficiency. We also welcome the progress in broadening representation among volunteers, the increased engagement across age groups, and the continued efforts to recruit volunteers with disability. All this demonstrates for us UNV's commitment to increase inclusive approaches in its work. In light of the growing demand of UN Volunteers and consistently high levels of satisfaction among them, it remains important for us that the distinct role of volunteerism within the UN United Nations system is preserved. Volunteer assignments should complement existing capacities rather than serve as a substitute for regular staff positions. Safeguarding the distinction is essential to maintaining the integrity and the added value of the UNV Programme while ensuring fair and sustainable practices of employment and staffing across the UN system. We further recognize that the financial pressure affecting the wider United Nations system continues to present significant challenges for the organization. In this context, predictable and sustainable funding for UNV remains essential. We acknowledge the important role of the Special Voluntary Fund in enabling targeted crisis responses, advancing inclusive sorry, inclusion efforts and fostering innovation across the Programme. We therefore encourage UNV to continue broadening and diversifying the donor base of the Special Voluntary Fund and, like others, we invite Member States and partners who are in a position to do so to maintain or, where possible, strengthen their support for the Fund. And finally, we reaffirm our strong support for the United Nations Volunteers Programme and its unique role within the multilateral system. Looking ahead, we believe that the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development offers an important opportunity to recognize the contribution of volunteers worldwide and to further strengthen volunteerism as a force for peace, resilience, and sustainable development. Many thanks again.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:01:30]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany. We now go to the segment for statements from individual member states. We have Japan, China, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Comoros, Tanzania, Thailand, and Djibouti. And I invite the distinguished representative from Japan.


Japan [2:01:51]:

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I'd like to thank the Executive Coordinator, Mr. Kurubana, Kurbanov for his very informative but very candid presentations. Japan also expresses its sincere appreciation to all United Nations volunteers for their dedicated service in advancing peace, development, and human rights around the world in this increasingly challenging period. Japan welcomes the Annual the report of the Administrator on UNV and comments the remarkable results achieved in 2025. We are encouraged to see a record 17,169 UN volunteers serving across 172 countries and territories in support of 59 UN entities. We also note with appreciation UNV's continued efforts to improve operational efficiency and development process— deployment processes. Japan values UNV's efforts to make volunteerism more inclusive. In particular, we welcome the increasing opportunities for volunteers with disabilities and the growing engagement of older volunteers. These efforts demonstrate the value of drawing on diverse talents and experiences. Japan has long supported UN VIFU funding program as an effective modality for advancing UN mandates. In 2025, 128 Japanese nationals served as UN volunteers globally, including 86 fully funded by Japan. Their contributions in areas such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, and inclusive development reflects Japan's development cooperation priorities. We are particularly encouraged by UNV's efforts to promote intergenerational volunteerism. In this regard, we welcome the example example highlighted in the report of a senior volunteer serving with UNDP in Djibouti alongside younger national volunteers. Such collaboration demonstrates the value of intergenerational knowledge sharing. Japan also values a close partnership between UNV and the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Program implemented by JICA. We look forward to further collaboration to strengthen volunteerism and support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals as we celebrate the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:04:52]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.


China [2:05:01]:

President China thanks the Executive Coordinator for the presentation and appreciates UNV for its outstanding achievements in 2025. To the UN volunteers, we pay our tribute, particularly those working in dangerous and fragile settings. China encourages UN members within their capacity to continue enhancing the contribution to the trust fund of UNV so that the organization can play a greater role. China attaches great importance to the development of volunteerism with its advancement incorporated as a national strategy into the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. China's pool of volunteers have been expanding with active involvement in international exchanges so that volunteerism can play an important role in people-to-people exchanges and sustainable development globally with its unique role. China has always worked in partnership with the UNV with voluntary contributions, at the same time to implement relevant GA resolutions. China has actively carried out activities for the International Year of Volunteers, announced together with UNV the establishment of China's National Organizing Committee and launched the China International Volunteer Initiative with activities carried out through the year. Going forward, China looks forward to working with UNV relevant members and other UN entities with stronger communication and exchanges so that we can better plan various projects and thematic activities and jointly conduct research on talent development For international volunteerism, we have expertise in education assistance, healthcare, and poverty reduction. Around these areas, we'll cultivate more volunteers and contribution to voluntary projects so that we can build a community with a shared future of mankind and ESDGs with Chinese wisdom. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:07:22]:

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Türkiye.


Türkiye [2:07:32]:

Dear Mr. President, dear Executive Coordinator, distinguished delegates. Türkiye welcomes the annual report of the Administrator on the United Nations Volunteers Program and commends UNV for its strong results in 2025., including the deployment of 17,000 volunteers across the world, as highlighted by the Executive Coordinator. These achievements demonstrate the growing value of volunteerism for advancing the work of United Nations. Türkiye remains a strong partner of UNWIE. In 2025, around 300 UN Volunteers served in Türkiye across a broad range of thematic areas. Their work demonstrated the flexibility and added value of volunteer expertise in responding to evolving challenges and local needs. Recent examples in this regard include support to women's empowerment initiatives, migration-related programs, and post-earthquake recovery efforts. Turkey is also proud to host UNV Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul, which supports UNV's engagement across the region. We encourage UNV to continue drawing on its regional presence in Europe and Central Asia to advance volunteer engagement across a diverse range of country contexts. Furthermore, Türkiye reaffirms its support to the UNV Special Voluntary Fund, which enables UNV to mobilize volunteers. We encourage all Member States to maintain and increase their contributions to the Fund as a direct investment in UNV's capacity to deliver results where they are most needed. Finally, Türkiye warmly welcomes the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. We see this as an important opportunity to further elevate the visibility of volunteerism. In closing, Türkiye extends its sincere appreciation to all UNV and to all UN Volunteers, particularly those serving in the field for their dedication and service. As both a host country and a regional partner, Türkiye remains committed to deepening its partnership with UNWRA and to supporting efforts that strengthen the contribution of volunteerism to sustainable development, resilience, and humanitarian response. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:09:53]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Türkiye. We now go to observer member states and And I now give the floor to His Excellency, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan. You have the floor.


Kazakhstan [2:10:08]:

Thank you, Mr. President, Executive Coordinator Kurbanov, distinguished delegates. We appreciate the comprehensive annual report and commend UNV for concluding the 2022-2025 Strategic Framework with such exceptional momentum. The record deployment of 17,000 UN Volunteers in 2025, by drawing talent from 182 nationalities, has demonstrated true multilateral inclusivity and operational excellence of UNV. Kazakhstan's partnership with UNV is uniquely multifaceted. We engage as a programme country, host of the Subregional Office in Almaty, contributor to the full funding program, and donor to the Special Voluntary Fund. Thus, full spectrum approach reflects our commitment to embedding volunteerism as a practical, cross-cutting tool for sustainable, people-centered development within our broader UN partnership. Locally, volunteerism aligns with our National Development Plan until 2029, In 2025, 115 UN Volunteers were mobilized across 14 UN entities in Kazakhstan, with women making up to 86% of deployments. These Volunteers have delivered deep programmatic impact. Online Volunteers advanced digital public health, while National Volunteers supported the 16 Days of Activism Against gender-based violence. This grassroots energy is mirrored in Kazakhstan's UNDP Country Programme Development document, which integrates volunteerism to empower women, include persons with disabilities, and strengthen civic participation. Globally and regionally, Kazakhstan remains dedicated to knowledge exchange and South-South cooperation. Through the full funding program, 17 Kazakhstani nationals have deployed as international UN Volunteers since 2019. We also reaffirm our support to the Special Voluntary Fund. Its financing agility is vital for Central Asia, where shared challenges and peer learning benefit from the localized expertise anchored by the Almaty Office. Looking ahead, Kazakhstan welcomes the 2026 redesign of UNV's volunteer solutions into 39 modernized categories. Eliminating legacy age restrictions and offering flexible arrangements will make UNV significantly more agile, inclusive, and responsive. Finally, we celebrate the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. This milestone provides a premier opportunity to scale up the visibility, data-driven evidence, and recognition of volunteer and network.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:13:15]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Kazakhstan. Your Excellency, thank you very much. We now go to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, who will be followed by the distinguished representative of Comoros. You have the floor.


Russian Federation [2:13:31]:

Thank you, Mr. President. The Russian Federation expresses its gratitude to the Executive Coordinator, to your team, and also to the more than 17,000 UN volunteers working around the world. Since 2019, that number has more than doubled, which demonstrates the growing interest in the use of the potential of volunteerism when implementing UN projects and programs at the country level and also indicates your active work. We appreciate as well measures to improve the— to streamline the work of the UN Volunteer Program including cutting how long it takes to get volunteers in place on the ground. We are confident that everyone is fairly sick of discussions about UNAT. Nevertheless, in the context of the current cuts, we have to note the importance of the efforts of UNV's leadership aimed at preventing the use of UN volunteers to replace permanent staff members of the organization. Volunteerism has its own value, which should complement the professional human resources rather than replace them. We note the growing interest in online volunteering in the context of the UN. In 2025, more than 32,000 assignments were posted, 42% more than before. And in that regard, we'd like to know what sort of tasks are most in demand for online volunteers at the moment and how is the structure of those requests changing. Russia is continuing its practical cooperation with UNV. In 2025, in various different regions of the world, 55 volunteers from our country were working, of which 23 were covered by the full funding program. We welcome in 2026 the organization of the International Year of Volunteers. Russia has adopted a plan on this, including activities in the humanitarian, educational, and environmental spheres and also in the area of international cooperation. We trust that the International Year will facilitate a broader recognition of the contribution of volunteers to achieving the SDGs and exchange of best practices, and of course Russia stands more than ready to do that. Thank you for your attention.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:16:03]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Russia. We have now Comoros, Tanzania, Thailand, Djibouti. I now give the floor to distinguished representative Union of Comoros.


Comoros [2:16:17]:

Mr. President, thank you to give me the floor. The delegation of Union of Comoros thanks the Administrator for the presentation of Annual Report of the United Nations Volunteers Program. Comoros welcomes the continued effort of UNV to strengthen the geographic diversity of its volunteer base. For small island developing states and least developing countries such as The Comoros, volunteerism remains an important instrument for capacity building, resilience, and sustainable development. Comoros highly re— value its partnership with UNV. Volunteers continue to play a meaningful role across our islands by supporting national efforts in healthcare, education, youth employment, community outreach, children protection, gender equality, climate resilience, and awareness-raising initiatives. Their contribution has a direct and positive impact, particularly in vulnerable and remote communities where institutional capacities remain limited. In 2025, 32 UN Volunteers served in the Comoros, including 25 Comorian nationals supporting the work of the United Nations community teams. They particularly recognized the important contribution of volunteers supporting campaign against gender-based violence under UNFPA, as well as children protection and birth registration initiative under UNICEF. Mr. President, while we appreciate the important support already provided by UNV, we also believe there is remain significant potential to further expand volunteers' engagement in the Comoros. Additional volunteers could continue to strengthen local capacity, support community-based initiatives, and contribute to addressing emerging development and climate-related challenges across our islands. In this regard, Comoros also believe that consideration could be given to establishing a dedicated UN Volunteers Coordinator support mechanism or focal function that could work closely with the Resident Coordinator's Office in order to better coordinate volunteers' programs and catalyze the impact of the intervention at the national level. Furthermore, Comoros welcomes the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development and encourages continued support to UNV, including through the Special Volunteers Fund in order to expand opportunities for volunteers from underrepresented countries.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:19:02]:

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Comoros, and I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tanzania.


United Republic of Tanzania [2:19:12]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Tanzania welcomes the annual report of the Administrator and commends the records of the United Nations Volunteer deployed across 172 countries in 2025, advancing all 17 goals and strengthening UN delivery at country level. In Tanzania, 88 UN volunteers served in 2025, including 64 Tanzanian nationals. Supporting child protection, education, health, social policy, and community development. We appreciate UNICEF's leadership in leveraging volunteer experts from policy support to community implementation. We highlighted the success of UNDP's Raising the Blue Flag initiative where community UN volunteers advanced their coastal value, value chains, marine litter management, and the community-based tourism, reaching 71 women and young groups and 1,421 beneficiaries. Two-thirds of them are women. Tanzania values the UN Volunteers' agility, especially amid funding constraints. The 17-day median national deployment time demonstrates the efficiency and responsiveness that the UN system must strengthen under the UN reform agenda. Tanzania strongly supports reform that makes the UN development system more coherent, efficient, and closer to communities, community principles embodied by United Nations Volunteers work. We further recognize the contribution of 33 Tanzanian serving as international United Nations Volunteers advancing regional cooperation and South-South exchange. As the world marks 2026 as the International Year of Volunteer for Sustainable Development, Tanzania encourages deeper volunteers engagement across East Africa aligned with the UN cooperation frameworks and regional priorities. Tanzania reaffirms its commitment to volunteerism and to a reformed, effective UN system capable of delivering sustainable development. Thank you very much.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:22:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative from Tanzania. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Thailand.


Thailand [2:22:23]:

Mr. President, Thailand would like to express its appreciation to the UNWEE and UN volunteers working around the world for their dedication. Thailand notes the Annual Report of the Administrator on UNV and commends UNV for its achievement in 2025, including the mobilization of over 17,000 UN Volunteers across 172 countries and territories and the strengthening of responsive and effective volunteer support. The growing number of UN Volunteers over the years reflect the continued relevance and impact of volunteerism in supporting the UN's peace, development, and humanitarian efforts. Thailand is pleased to know that in 2025, 158 UN volunteers are serving across 23 UN entities in Thailand and contributing to national and regional priorities, including in the area of humanitarian protections and community development. Women accounted for 68% of these volunteers, reflecting UNWIS commitment to gender equality and inclusion. Thailand strongly supports volunteerism. We have a subcommittee on volunteers promotion that oversees volunteerism and will serve as a leading implementing agency for the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026. We have also regularly contributed to the UNWIS Special Voluntary Fund enabling UNV to more effectively deliver services and implement its strategic framework. Mr. President, we hope that UNV will continue to build on its progress and strengthen its support to the UN country teams by closely aligning its work with national priorities. As host of the UNV Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand remains committed to supporting and working closely with UNV UN Volunteers, including in commemorating the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. We also hope that Member States will use these occasions to further promote volunteerism as a means to advance sustainable development. I thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:24:38]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Thailand. I now go to the last speaker, the distinguished representative of Djibouti, and then we will allow our Executive Secretary to respond. Djibouti, you have the floor.


Djibouti [2:24:50]:

Thank you, Mr. President. The Republic of Djibouti welcomes the annual report of the Administrator on the United Nations Volunteer Programme and thanks UNV for its continued efforts in advancing volunteerism as a valuable instrument for sustainable development and effective UN system delivery. We commend UNV's sustained commitment to promoting greater diversity and inclusiveness within its volunteer base. We note with appreciation that 182 nationalities were represented among UN Volunteers in 2025. We encourage UNV to continue this effort under the 26-29 Strategic Framework, ensuring that smaller and traditionally underrepresented Member States are able to contribute and benefit from its program. Djibouti values its partnership with UNV. In 2025, 43 UN Volunteers served in our country, including 33 Djibouti nationals serving within their own communities in support of nationally-led development priorities. Djibouti faces complex and interconnected challenges, including food insecurity, climate vulnerability, displacement, and migration. In this regard, skilled and rapidly deployable volunteer expertise remains essential to supporting the work of the UN system on the ground. We therefore encourage UNV to continue strengthening its volunteer solutions to ensure that its programmes remain responsive to the evolving needs and realities of countries in our region. We also welcome UNV progress in improving deployment efficiency. For countries operating in dynamic and often challenging environments such as Djibouti, the ability to mobilize qualified volunteers quickly is of particular importance in sustaining effective program delivery and responding to emerging needs. Finally, my delegation welcomes the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. We view this as a unique opportunity to raise the visibility of volunteerism recognized the invaluable contributions of volunteers serving both at home and abroad. We reaffirm our support to the UN Volunteers Programme and look forward to continued cooperation in advancing sustainable development, resilience, and international solidarity through volunteering. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:27:18]:

Thank you very much. And that concludes the list of speakers. Very quickly, Executive Secretary, we sincerely apologize. We will give you strictly 4 minutes to finish.


UNV · Executive Coordinator · Toily Kabanov [2:27:30]:

This is a rehearsal for next year's presentation. Thank you very much, distinguished delegates. I think following the guidance from the Chair, we will provide written responses to the queries raised during the session, but in 4 minutes let me try to get across 4 points. First of all, thank you for thanking us for doing our job. It is really extremely rewarding to have this opportunity to obtain this feedback on behalf of the United Nations Volunteers. Second, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates, let's take a moment to recognize that all of the achievements that you have listed over the last hour or so, rather none of them would have been possible without strong collaboration and support and the leadership leadership that you have provided to us at the Executive Board and in the capitals. The International Volunteer Year initiative that a number of you have referenced to would not have been possible without the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan and now it's inspiring to hear how other countries around the world as different as Zambia and the Russian Federation are planting this initiative on sub-Saharan and Siberian soil. I never thought I would see this diversity of initiatives on the International Volunteer Year. The underrepresentation of nationalities would not have been possible without partnering with institutions and volunteer organizations on small island developing states. We've covered Caribbean. There is no Caribbean state that is not represented among UN volunteers. We've covered Pacific. We've covered Indian Ocean. The next frontier for us is Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein. So if we have volunteers from these countries, then the notion of unrepresentative nationalities will be eliminated among UN Volunteers. And so many other examples, speaking about empowerment of African Volunteers, Nigeria is the first country in the world that had a partnership with UNV on promoting their nationals at the subnational level. Intergenerational dialogue would not have been possible without initiative by Japan and support that it received in Djibouti. And last but not least, the list is so long,— from the South-South cooperation where we partnered with China and African member states to many other— disability inclusion where Germany played outstanding leadership role and so many other areas. None of the results would have been possible without you and so in the languages that I know, including to the languages of the nations hosting the offices of UNV and for the sake of multilingualism I'll just say Vielen Dank, Tesekkur, and Rahmet. This is going to be a very dramatic year for UNV. You had spoke about that. We appreciate your markers, your indications of areas of priority and concern. And the last point, thank you for those who have already contributed to the Special Voluntary Fund. We would encourage other members Thank you. And there is also something else that you can do for us that no money can buy, which is you will all go to your capitals after HLPF and before the High-Level Week, right? We have already facilitated meetings for some of the delegations with United Nations volunteers in your countries, from your countries, and we will be happy to organize them for you, those who are interested.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:30:56]:

Thank you. Thank you, Executive Secretary, and convey the appreciation expressed in this room to your many volunteers who are working very hard on the ground. Thank you very much. This concludes the consideration—


UNV · Executive Coordinator · Toily Kabanov [2:31:09]:

yeah, thank you for bonus time.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:31:13]:

Just a moment, I need to close it. This concludes the consideration of Agenda Item 12, United Nations Volunteers. I wish to inform the Board that a draft decision under Agenda Item 12, United Nations Volunteers is under preparation and will be presented for the Board's consideration later in the session. We now move to agenda item number 9, and we have a brief change of podium. We now consider— we now continue to UNDP segment, agenda item number 9, UNDP evaluation. Welcome very much. Under this item, the board will consider the annual report on evaluation of 2025 and the associated management commentaries, and the evaluation of UNDP support to electoral capacities and institutional processes and the related management response. I'm pleased to welcome to the podium, um, Miss Isabel Mercia, Director IEO, UNDP, and Francine Pick-up from the UNDP Bureau of Policy and Program Support. All right, so we shall proceed as follows. First, we'll get intervention from IEO, and then Miss Pick-up, you follow up from there. So the floor is yours.


UNDP · Director, IEO · Isabel Mercier [2:32:42]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, thank you for the opportunity to present our 2025 annual report, which reflects many positive signals about the evaluation function in UNDP. Overall, we're seeing a higher appreciation for and use of our work, as reflected in our latest survey results and the increase in publication downloads. The investment we made in making our messages clearer and our recommendations more actionable helped UNDP make more informed decisions at both the global and country levels. Importantly, the quality of decentralized evaluations also continued to improve. For the first time, not a single report was rated unsatisfactory. In 2025, we also became more efficient by responsibly integrating artificial artificial intelligence in our work. We automated the quality assessments of decentralized evaluations, yielding significant time and cost savings. We also expanded our capacity to process and synthesize evidence at scale. Crucially, we remained highly attentive to the ethical and transparency challenges of AI and established firm safeguards to ensure its responsible application. While we're proud of what IEO has achieved in 2025, we must recognize that the context in which we're currently operating is challenging. UNDP remains a vital partner to many governments, including in crises, achieving its greatest impact when governance supports, advances human development and environmental priorities. Yet our evaluations noted how the pressure to secure resources is turning one of UNDP's greatest comparative advantages, the breadth of its mandate, into a vulnerability, with programs often stretched— spread too thin to effect real change. At the same time, the need to deliver fast and cut costs is reducing the space needed for critical reflection. We see the reduction in resources for decentralized evaluations as a worrisome signal of this. And this reduction should not be framed as a demonstration of efficiency, but rather simply reflective of reduced evaluation coverage. Decentralized evaluations are mostly being conducted only when mandatory. This results in a heavy focus on environmental projects, leaving gaps in other critical areas, particularly poverty and resilience. Proportionally, interventions in Africa are also evaluated less than in other regions. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, to navigate today's complex developmental challenges and ensure the impact of UNDP's investments, a robust evaluation function is essential. We've demonstrated that when we invest in evaluation, we deliver strategic value, innovation, and quality. We sincerely appreciate the inclusion of language in support of the IEO and evaluation in the Executive Board draft decisions. Your support is necessary, appreciated, and an indication to me that we're on the right track. I hope that this space and resources for evaluation will continue to be preserved, and I look forward to the discussion today.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:35:46]:

Thank you. Thank you, Miss Director Mercier. And now we go to Miss Pickup.


UNDP · BPPS · Francine Pick-up [2:35:51]:

Thank you very much, respected Chair, Excellencies and distinguished delegates. Thank you for the opportunity to present UNDP's management commentaries on the Independent Evaluation Office's annual report for evaluation 2025. I would like to start by thanking Director Isabelle Mercier and her team for the rigorous and forward-looking report. At a time of constrained resources and rising expectations for results. Evaluation is not an add-on. It is central to accountability, learning, and course correction. It helps us understand what is changing in systems and in institutions and in people's lives. For UNDP, it also strengthens our credibility with member states and partners and is guiding us in how we deliver on our new strategic plan. I would like to briefly highlight 3 points from our management commentaries. First, the lessons from the independent evaluations are timely as we transition from our previous to our next new strategic plan. We welcome the assessment of UNDP's comparative advantage, our global presence, our broad mandate, our flexibility and specialized expertise in governance. We take seriously the message that focus and consistent use of evidence are essential to avoid spreading efforts too thin, and in that spirit, the new strategic plan advances digital and AI transformation along with sustainable finance as key accelerators, while keeping governance as a central strength for delivering integrated solutions in complex settings. Second, on capacity, recognizing the need to invest in country office capabilities and address the uneven application of program, project, and results-based management standards as highlighted by recent audits and evaluations, UNDP launched a program and project management certification process in 2025. Around 300 staff participated in 5 regional trainer of training workshops, supplemented by a 12-week UNDP-wide webinar series that is now underway. The certification program is expected to be formally launched in the second half of 2026, representing a practical step towards strengthening quality at the point where delivered— where results are delivered. And then third and finally, on resources for evaluation. The revised evaluation policy maintains the target of allocating 1% of combined program resources, core and non-core, to evaluation, which reflects the organization's commitment to this important function. In 2025, UNDP spent about 0.8% of total program expenditure, which is slightly below 2024 levels. While this figure reflects cost-saving measures and efficiency gains in cost calculation and verification, it does not signal reduced commitment. Importantly, predictable financing, including increased core and unearmarked funding, is vital to safeguarding independent functions and sustaining evaluation quality coverage and use. Excellencies, UNDP's commitment is clear. We will continue to safeguard evaluation independence, improve decentralized evaluation planning and quality, and critically make evaluation evidence more systematically usable for decision-making at country, regional, and corporate levels. We look forward to continued engagement with the Executive Board and the IEO as we deliver on our new strategic plan. Thank you, and I give the floor back to you, respected chair. Thank you very much.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:40:00]:

We have one more report from— from the director. Yes, all right then, kindly go ahead.


UNDP · Director, IEO · Isabel Mercier [2:40:08]:

Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is the report on elections. Um, colleagues, elections remain a fundamental expression of people's will the UN General Assembly, one of the most important spaces where citizens can make their voices heard. The United Nations has long supported this work, responding to requests from member states. And somehow over the past decade, this support has been put to the test. Much has improved, but challenges have also deepened: cybersecurity threats, the rapid spread of disinformation, declining public trust, and growing resource constraints. In a way, the environment's harder,— and the stakes are higher. The demand has, if anything, grown stronger. Over the past decade, UNDP supported electoral processes in some 80 countries through more than 300 projects with a total delivery of $1.2 billion. Those numbers reflect something beyond capacity. They reflect trust. The results are tangible, and the evaluation confirms them. UNDP contributed to modernized voter registration systems, increasingly responsible digitalization of electoral management, and stronger mechanisms to prevent and respond to electoral violence. In some of the most complex environments, UNDP managed large multi-donor basket funds, maintaining coordination and keeping critical processes on track under extraordinary constraints. Where electoral support was connected to broader governance work, strong legal frameworks, capable public administration, functioning rule of law. It went deeper and it held longer. The evaluation is clear on this: when these areas are treated as connected, outcomes are more sustainable. However, in most cases, funding remains short-term and tied to electoral events rather than to the institutions that need to outlast them. This often constrained the ability to build the kind of durable capacity that reduces faces long-term dependence on external support. Inclusion also remains a challenge. Structural barriers for women, youth, and marginalized groups persist, and violence against women in elections is still insufficiently addressed. And these are not peripheral concerns. They go to the very legitimacy of electoral processes. Mr. Chair, the evaluation recognizes that UNDP continues to deliver a unique offer to this sector. Sustained country presence the potential for integrated governance programming, and the ability to operate in fragile and transitional settings. That combination is rare and valued, but credible elections require capable, well-resourced institutions, and those take time and sustained commitment to build. It is our hope that this Board and UNDP will use this evaluation to hold to that long-term vision and to ensure that UNDP's contributions remain strategic, integrated, and built to last. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:43:00]:

Thank you very much. And very quickly, we'll have a management response and then we get back to member states.


UNDP · BPPS · Francine Pick-up [2:43:06]:

Thank you very much, Chair. Excellencies, distinguished members of the board, on behalf of UNDP, I would like to thank the IEO for its thorough and thoughtful evaluation of UNDP's support to electoral capacities and institutional processes. We appreciate the close engagement throughout this process, and the balanced recognition of both achievements and areas for strengthening. Allow me to highlight briefly 3 key messages from the evaluation and our management response. First, the evaluation affirms UNDP's comparative advantage in linking electoral assistance to long-term institutional resilience. UNDP supports elections not as isolated events, but as part of a broader effort to strengthen electoral management bodies, legal frameworks, and participatory processes across the electoral cycle. This long-term institutional approach remains a defining strength of our work. We fully accept the recommendation to further consolidate our electoral capacities offer. In line with the strategic plan, we will sharpen our focus on strengthening durable systems, professional competencies, and risk-informed planning. Second, the evaluation highlights the central importance of digital transformation. Electoral processes are increasingly shaped, as Isabelle said, by digital technologies, as well as emerging risks related to AI, cybersecurity, and information integrity. Member States are looking to UNDP not only in implementation, but also for guidance on introducing digital systems responsibly and sustainably. We therefore fully accept the recommendation to strengthen our digital offer, including through the development of a digital readiness assessment framework for electoral management bodies. And then third, the evaluation highlights the importance of safeguarding impartiality 3. Risk management and perception. We welcome the recognition of our professionalism and neutrality while accepting the recommendation to further strengthen how impartiality is perceived in politically sensitive environments. Excellencies, demand for UNDP electoral assistance remains robust even as global funding for electoral assistance has become more constrained and less predictable. Ensuring diversified and sustainable financing will be critical to maintaining scale and reach, particularly in fragile contexts where needs are the greatest. Looking ahead, UNDP's electoral assistance will focus on four strategic priorities: strengthening institutions' resilience, supporting digital transformation and information Thank you very much.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:46:13]:

We'll go very quickly to the member states. We only have one request and we'll close the speakers list from there. We— all right, I'm going to close it.

Yes, we don't have time. Yeah, so you can send a statement.

Yeah, so we, we We will take only one in the interest of time. We encourage you to send us your statements and then the management or IEO will give you written feedback. So for now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tunisia speaking on behalf of Africa Group.


Tunisia · African members of the Executive Board [2:46:52]:

Thank you, Ambassador. I will deliver a shortened version of the statement. I kindly ask translators to check against delivery. Excellencies, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African members of the Executive Board, namely Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia, and my own country, Tunisia. The country expresses its gratitude to Mr. Alexander de Croo for his leadership. The group— sorry, the African group extends its appreciation to the leadership of the Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP for the presentation of the Annual Report and the Multi-Year Work Plan 2026-2029. The African Group welcomes the adoption of the new UNDP Evaluation Policy 2025-2030, which reaffirms the independence and credibility of the evaluation function, while promoting a more strategic, responsive, and user-oriented evaluation culture. For Africa, where UNDP interventions are often implemented in contexts marked by fragility, climate vulnerability, food insecurity, and humanitarian pressures, these orientations are especially important. Evaluation that focus on long-term institutional transformation, resilience building, and systemic impact are essential to supporting national development efforts and maximizing the effectiveness of limited resources. The African Group also welcomes the robust delivery of evaluation in 2025, including thematic and corporate evaluations, independent country program evaluations, and synthesis reports addressing key issues such as digital livelihoods, food, livelihoods, climate adaptation and stabilization. In this regard, the Group underscores the importance of strengthening national evaluation capacities as foundation for evidence-based policymaking, institutional learning and accountability. We welcome the renewed emphasis on building broader national evidence ecosystems and promoting stronger collaboration among governments, United Nations entities, academic institutions and development partners.. The African Group also recognizes the important progress made in leveraging digital innovation and artificial intelligence to improve evaluation quality and efficiency. Mr. President, we note with concern the persistent structural challenges identified in the report, including fragmented programming, short-term and unpredictable financing, underinvestment in monitoring and evaluation systems, and continuing dependence on earmarked funding. These constraints continue to affect the sustainability and scale of development results, particularly in developing countries facing multiple and overlapping crises. In this context, the African Group reiterates the strategic importance of the funding windows as instruments capable of supporting integrated, flexible, and catalytic finances and approaches.— financing approaches, sorry. Nevertheless, funding windows have demonstrated significant value in supporting innovation, crisis response, resilience building, and integrating programming, particularly in fragile and vulnerable settings. The African Group further encourages UNDP to continue broadening the thematic scope and attractiveness of the funding windows by supporting high-impact and cross-cutting priorities such as youth employment, digital transformation, climate resilience, sustainable energy access, and inclusive governance. We also encourage UNDP to continue strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems across all levels of programming, including through clearer equity indicators and stronger operationalization of the 'leave no one behind' principle. In conclusion, the African Group reaffirms its strong support for an independent, credible, and forward-looking evaluation functions that contributes not only to accountability but also to institutional learning, adaptive management, and sustainable development impact. I thank you, Mr. President.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:50:45]:

Thank you very much for the statement. I sincerely apologize for those who have requested the floor. We do want to get to the next segment on UNFPA evaluations, so we encourage those who have requested the floor to send us your statements through eStatement and you will get a response. For now, we'll give the floor back to our presenters. Director, you want to start?


UNDP · Director, IEO · Isabel Mercier [2:51:08]:

Thank you very much for the remarks from the distinguished delegate from Tunisia on behalf of the African Group. I just want to thank you very much for the support to evaluation to the IEO, noting also the work that we do on national evaluation capacities. Indeed, we have a— we do a lot of work on this, working with our partners across the multilateral development banks, within the UN, of course, academia, and so on. And we're certainly excited about the work plan we have going forward on national evaluation capacity development, particularly working with partners based in the Global South through our work on the SDG Synthesis Coalition. And the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative. So, on that— oh, thank you also for your remarks on the funding windows, which was highlighted in the annual report. And on that note, I will pass it to Francine. Sorry, Chair. Sorry, Chair. No, no, it's okay.


UNDP · BPPS · Francine Pick-up [2:52:09]:

Thank you very much. Thank you to the distinguished delegate from Tunisia for the comments. On the funding windows, we did complete the funding windows evaluation and Thank you for stressing the importance of that flexible thematic funding, which is so critical for our programming. And then just to mention, we are in a lot of— we're doing a lot to try and strengthen our RBM. We've got a new RBM strategy, and we're really trying to build RBM capacity in our country offices. And as I said, we're doing this program on project management certification. Again, just to build that capacity at the country level for RBM and, as consequence of that, for evaluation. Thank you.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:52:57]:

Thank you very much for the responses. I do want to say that we're going to lose interpretation.


Speaker 105 [2:53:02]:

She gave us until 6:10. Oh, okay.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:53:04]:

Thank you very much. We'll be losing interpretation at 6:10, so very quickly, I want to close out this session. I wish to— this brings us to the conclusion of item number 9. UNDP evaluation. I thank the presenters for their presentations. I wish to inform the board that it is draft decisions under agenda item 9, UNDP evaluation, is under preparation and will be presented to the board for consideration in a later session. Thank you. We now move to the next agenda item, 14, UNFPA evaluation, and we invite the presenters to the podium.


Speaker 107 [2:53:45]:

This is this one, right?

Yes. Okay.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:54:53]:

I'm pleased to welcome you to the— to this segment of UNFPA segment on the annual session of 2026. We'll begin with the agenda item number 14 on IMF FPA evaluation. Under this item, the board do consider the annual report on UNFPA in IEO for 2025 and the associated management commentaries, the independent evaluation of UNFPA support to the 2020 round of population and housing censuses and related management responses. I'm pleased to welcome to the podium Joe Renstrom, Director IEO Ad Interim, UNFPA, Mr. Pio Smith, Deputy Executive Director for Program and Interim, UNFPA, and Ms. Julia Bunting, Director Program Division, UNFPA. Now, we will do things a little bit differently here because we're constrained for time. We'll lose interpretation very soon. I do want to recognize first our member state who may speak in French, and then from there we will come back to management. So, Excellency, thank you for your patience. If you could kindly take the floor, and then we'll have management also make their presentation, if that works for you.


Côte d’Ivoire · African members of the Executive Board · Permanent Representative [2:56:14]:

Merci, Monsieur le Président.

Thank you very much, President. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African members of the Executive Board of the UNFPA, namely Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Chad, Tunisia, Zambia, and my own delegation, Côte d'Ivoire. President, the African Group thanks the Independent Evaluation Office, the IEO, and the UNFPA management for the quality of the report. We welcome the continued efforts to strengthen the culture of evaluation and accountability within the Fund. The Group takes note of the conclusions and recommendations presented in the report. In an international context marked by multiple and interconnected crises, we appreciate the outstanding work conducted by the Fund and the progress made in implementation of the programme. We therefore encourage the government to continue its efforts and to ensure that lessons learned from evaluations are systematically integrated into programme design and monitoring, particularly in the African context characterized by multiple and interrelated challenges. Furthermore, we value the use of innovation and digital technologies to improve the quality and timeliness of evaluations. To this end, we invite the UNFPA to continue exploring these opportunities while ensuring that the capacity of the resident representatives' offices is strengthened so that they can fully use them. The African Group also noted the need to fully integrate the evaluation function in the reform process of the UN system in order to strengthen coherence, transparency, and accountability. The group also notes that as the deadline for the 2030 Agenda approaches, African countries are facing a multitude of major global challenges, including the proliferation of multifaceted crises, worsening inequalities, and the rise of polarization. With this in mind, particular emphasis should be placed on the following aspects: strengthening national evaluation capacities, increasing resources allocated to the evaluation function to ensure the quality, independence, and coverage of it, better use of evaluation results to improve programs and strengthen their impact at the national level, and integration of African indigenous knowledge and context into evaluation methodologies to ensure the relevance of recommendations. We welcome efforts aimed at reducing inequalities and to integrate respect for human rights in the evaluation exercise. The Group urges you to continue your efforts so that it can— these efforts continue— contribute to reducing inequalities and strengthening inclusion of vulnerable populations. In conclusion, the African Group has reaffirmed its support for efforts to strengthen the independence, quality, and utility of evaluations within the UNFPA and has encouraged the effective implementation recommendations. The group remains convinced that an independent evaluation function is essential fulfillment of the UNFPA's mandate as well as for implementation of the 2030 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [2:59:14]:

I thank you. I thank His Excellency the Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire for his statement and a brief statement and for being patient with us. Thank you very much. Your Excellency. I also want to thank the interpreters who are going to be with us until 6:10, and we thank the AV team for extending their time with us. We go to the regular sequence of events. We'll start with Mr. Reinstrom, who will present the annual report on the UNFPA Independent Evaluation Office 2005 and the Independent Evaluation Office for UNFPA support to the 2020 round Population and Housing Census, and then we'll go to Mr. Smith, who will present the management commentaries to the annual report, to both. That said, we now give the floor to you, Mr. Reinstrom.


UNFPA · Director ad interim, IEO · Joe Renstrom [3:00:06]:

Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board. I'm pleased to present the 2025 Annual Report on Evaluation and highlights from the evaluation of UNFPA support to the 2020 Round on Population and Housing Censuses. Allow me to start by highlighting 6 key messages from the census evaluation. First, UNFPA delivered effective support to census exercises in many countries despite declining organizational priority and shrinking resources. Second, while UNFPA strengthened support for the use of census data, this has not consistently translated into more data-driven national policymaking. Third, UNFPA demonstrated institutional resilience by effectively adapting its census support to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, results are uneven in localized humanitarian settings. Fourth, UNFPA possesses recognized technical leadership but lacks the organizational architecture to wield this expertise effectively. Fifth, the current census support model relies on a small group of exceptional but overstretched experts. Sixth, weak knowledge management has constrained effectiveness and created strategic vulnerabilities for future census support. Turning now to key highlights in the annual report on evaluation and efforts by the Evaluation Office to ensure its continued relevance. Efforts include a shift towards internally led evaluations, an increased focus on humanitarian evaluations, as well as innovation through the development of an AI-powered tool and championing the engagement of young people, with young evaluators contributing to 14 of our evaluations in 2025. Performance remains strong in 2025, with 9 of 10 key performance indicators meeting or exceeding expectations targets. Financing was the only key performance indicator not achieved. Despite a record expenditure of 10.7 million, it represented 0.85% of total program expenditure, falling short of the 1% target, but reflecting stable and strong institutional commitment. Even under a more rigorous quality assessment system, 90% of program-level evaluations and all centralized evaluations were rated at least satisfactory. All centralized evaluations were completed or are on track to be completed as planned. However, gaps exist in management and quality assurance of decentralized and humanitarian evaluations, and we are actively addressing these challenges through more targeted capacity development, a key priority for the Evaluation Office. To promote UN system-wide coherence, we co-led or participated in 8 interagency evaluations and syntheses and seconded an evaluation advisor to the UN Systemwide Evaluation Office. Finally, we continue to spearhead the Eval4Action campaign and its flagship Youth in Evaluation initiative to strengthen national evaluation capacities. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, I thank the Executive Board for its continuous support to the evaluation function in UNFPA.


UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board · Vice-President · Milambo [3:03:25]:

Thank you very much. Mr. Smith.


UNFPA · Deputy Executive Director (Programme), ad interim · Pio Smith [3:03:29]:

Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished members of the Executive Board. UNFPA management welcomes the annual report of the Director of the Independent Evaluation Office and fully accepts the findings of the evaluation of UNFPA's support to the 2020 Census Round. We continue to value the evaluation function's critical role in strengthening accountability, supporting organizational learning, and driving evidence-based decision-making. Management is pleased to note strong performance across most key performance indicators in 2025, several of which exceeded corporate targets. Notably, our management response submission rate returned to 100%, and all new country program documents were informed by evaluative evidence. Expenditure on evaluation reached a record $10.5 million, reflecting our sustained institutional commitment despite a constrained environment and growing humanitarian demands. We particularly welcome the increased focus on humanitarian evaluation such as the response in Sudan, which is critical given the growing scale of crises. Furthermore, we welcome progress under the Evaluation Forward initiative. Efforts to improve efficiency through agile evaluation models, including the use of AI, are timely and effective. However, we underscore the necessity of maintaining strong human oversight, ethical safeguards, and methodological rigor. While celebrating these successes, management recognizes persistent capacity constraints, including continued reliance in some country offices on monitoring and evaluation focal points rather than—