Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative - General Assembly, 80th session

Good morning. I call to order the informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on the UNAD initiative. I would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome all of you to this briefing and we will begin with a statement from the President of the General Assembly, so myself. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to join you for the second in a series of monthly briefing of the UNAD initiative. Before turning to the topic of our briefing today, I would like to briefly highlight three areas of positive momentum. First, the informal ad hoc working group on mandate review continues to advance in earnest, and I welcome the constructive engagement of all delegations. I encourage Member States to sustain this level of ambition and engagement with a view to meeting the agreed timeline at the end of March. Second, I thank the Secretariat for publishing the UNAD dashboard to enhance transparency and accessibility of information. This is a valuable tool for Member States, as we discussed, together to follow developments across the work streams, particularly between our regular briefings, and I encourage all delegations to make full use of it. And third, the meetings of the executive boards over the past few weeks have revealed broad political support for the UNAD initiative. And again, thanks, I think this is really through to the engagement we had here in the last month that also now in capitals and ministries and in this regard then in the boards, there's a new drive for implementing all the different reform steps. Delegations have been clear reform efforts must not be an end in themselves. They must translate into tangible improvement on the ground without sacrificing this organisation's ability to deliver on its mandates and to deliver for the people. Ladies and gentlemen, today we will hear from Mr. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, who will provide a general update on the UNAD initiative, as we have done before. Also from Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA, who will brief us remotely on the new Humanitarian Compact and will be complemented by Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, by Ms. Amy Pope, Director-General of IOM, joining in Thank you very much for being here today with us and Mr. Borham Sali, High Commissioner for Refugees, and Mr. Matthew Hollingworth, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Program, joining virtually. We will also be joined virtually by Mr. Salidis Marvala, Rector, United Nations University Training and Research, and Ms. Michelle Gill-McDonough, Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNITAR, who will both brief on training and research. I would like to thank the Secretariat for circulating the pre-briefing materials ahead of time, again something we discussed last time, so thank you very much, that we follow up on all discussions in detail, and I hope all delegations have had an opportunity to look through them because you asked for them in advance. As the Secretary-General's report emphasized, humanitarian action is stretched to a breaking point. Conflicts are multiplying, disasters are intensifying, humanitarian workers are under attack, and respect for international humanitarian law is eroding. Given this context, it is more critical than ever to deliver better for those in crisis contexts. In this regard, the vision of the new humanitarian compact aimed at delivering more effectively, more rapidly, and with increased accountability necessitates our careful consideration. Furthermore, training and research are central to the UN's work in building knowledge, capacity, and evidence for informed decision making. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure coordination and non-duplications of these efforts across the UN system to produce high quality accessible insights that strengthen the impact of our work. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, unfortunately, since I last addressed you, the liquidity crisis is not as positive as the reform process. We are facing a situation we hardly faced before. This only adds more urgency to what I shared with the General Assembly in my priority speech last month, which is that reform will have no meaning at all if this institution has no funds to function. I therefore call on every Member State, as the SG did, And as I have in my recent travels and engagement, whether in Geneva, with capitals or with regional groups, to pay your dues in full and for those of you who haven't paid yet, on time. At the same time, we must also address the structural flaw in the current financial rules that requires the UN to return unspent funds that were never collected, creating a self-defeating and unsustainable cycle. I therefore count on you to stand up, to make the difficult but necessary decision to find compromise and to make an efficient, effective United Nations a reality for all the people it serves. Especially in these times, this is the most noble thing we can do. By that, we return again to our UNAD reform process, and I have the honor to give the floor to Mr. Guy Ryder, Under Secretary General for Policy. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam President, Excellencies. Firstly, Madam President, thank you for this new opportunity and thank you to Member States for your engagement, your presence here today. I do hope that the written materials that have been prepared will help the interaction today. Madam President, we're coming up to the one-year anniversary of UNADi in two weeks, in fact. My job is to give you a little bit of an overall perspective on how far we have come, and then, of course, we will dive into the different work packages in more detail. Let me just recall that when we launched this initiative a year ago, we produced reports on the three work streams with which you are familiar. In November, we produced the consolidated action plan, which is what we are working on from now. You will recall that 31 work packages, grouping together 86 separate actions, are in a single framework. Over 30 UN leaders have designated responsibilities of leadership and more than 70 UN entities are actively involved. My point here is that it is genuinely a system-wide team effort. Overall, we are making real, tangible progress across a very wide range of issues. We are now very much in the phase of moving from concepts and ideas to implementation and to action. You can see that reflected in the milestones that are tracked in the public dashboard that the president has referred to, which is available to you at unatactions.un.org. I will give a couple of examples of the progress that we are making on work stream 1, which is on efficiencies. Payroll operations have been consolidated from 10 decentralised units into three global services centres in New York, Nairobi and Entebbe, and more work is ongoing across back office functions. On workstream two, on mandates, and you've said this already, Madam President, many of you would have heard the co-chairs. of the informal ad hoc working group on mandates, Jamaica and New Zealand present their first revised draft resolution on mandates earlier this week, and we're looking very much forward to the outcome of the deliberations to be concluded by the end of next month. In parallel, and I said this in my remarks to the working group on Wednesday, The office has made progress on the Secretary-General's commitments that are set out in his mandate implementation review report. For example, we are rolling out new features in the mandates registry, which is available at mandates.un.org, allowing you all to explore how the frequency, length and similarity of resolutions have evolved over time. Madam President, Excellencies, let me just turn now and focus on what probably matters most to today's session, that's workstream three on structural changes and programmatic realignments. And I want to offer just a couple of broad observations before you, Madam President, invite my colleagues to go into the individual work packages. What you all know is that the actions under this workstream three are very diverse. They go into different areas and are subject to different decision-making pathways and timelines. We recognise, and you are telling us, that that complexity and dispersion can be challenging for member states. You want full, clear information and a full vision of the process, and you understandably want that. I say this morning that we have heard you on that. As a consequence, the secretary general intends to consolidate information on work stream 3 into a single comprehensive report. That report will outline the progress that has been made across the different work packages, but it will also set out the forward pathways for decision making by the relevant intergovernmental bodies where that is required. In other words, when and through which bodies decisions are expected to be taken for each work package. You will have the full picture of where we intend to go and how we are going to get there. I hope that that will facilitate the job that we all want to get done. In addition to the comprehensive report, the committee will receive individual reports relating to specific work packages as relevant and as timely. Beyond those written reports, we will continue our contribution to the monthly engagements convened by the president of the General Assembly, which we appreciate greatly, to seek your guidance as proposals evolve. You have also underscored the importance of meaningful engagement and participation in civil society sectors to the UN SDG 16 process. In response to that, we have now established a structured civil society engagement plan to ensure that their expertise and perspectives inform our process. In that context, I will hold a second UNAT civil society town hall in late March. Preparations are under way for a high-level event co-designed with civil society around the high-level political forum, and a series of targeted substantive engagements will take place in the months ahead. Madam President, Excellencies, to conclude, the months ahead will be decisive. We will begin work immediately on the comprehensive report to which I have referred. That report will, inter alia, be tabled at the next meeting of the UN system chief executive board for co-ordination, which meets in mid-May, with a view to final alignment of all of the UN system behind the final push through to the end of the year. That report will be made available to you. and with your permission, Madam President, the Secretary-General will welcome an opportunity to present it to the General Assembly as appropriate. In June, meetings of intergovernmental bodies such as the executive board meetings of agencies, funds and programmes, plus the ECOSOC operational activities for development segment will be further opportunities for engagement and action. By September's high-level week, Our goal would be to demonstrate to heads of state and government that the United Nations system is effectively meeting the responsibilities for which it was created and where it needs to, changing and improving with serious levels of ambition. These are demanding timelines, they are serious ambitions, that the secretary general believes them to be commensurate with the exceptional circumstances that we are facing. What is at stake is no less than whether the United Nations system can rise to this moment and deliver on its commitments, including the promises of the pact for the future, to build a UN that is truly fit for purpose and capable of responding effectively to today's challenges and tomorrow's uncertainties. So we look forward to your continued guidance, your engagement and your eventual decisions. And I end by thanking you again for your continued engagement.

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Policy. I now give the floor to Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination, joining us virtually.

Well, huge thanks Madam President and thank you excellencies for joining us from New York and my apologies for not being there in the flesh but we are excited to share the ambition of this world and with you all and to seek your guidance on how we can meet the very high expectations that you've set.

I'm sorry, Tom, I'm sorry. Can you stop for a second? At least I can hardly hear. Can we at least try to increase the volume? The internet connection is also not very well, but maybe we start with increasing the volume here in the room. And if you can do anything with your internet connection. Please continue.

Let me test now. Is that any better, Madam President? Can you hear me more clearly?

Great.

Well, just to kick back off again, huge thanks for this opportunity. Huge thanks to the Deputy General whose daily calls chasing progress I relish. Huge thanks to the Quint, all of you'll hear from Just a moment. This is a joint...

I'm sorry again, Under-Secretary. This doesn't really work. So I would propose that we change, that we move on to Catherine Russell, and maybe you can try to find another room in Geneva. They are way better than Germany in internet connection, so I'm pretty sure that you will find a good spot there. And if it's fine for you, I now give the floor to Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director to the United Nations Children's Fund, and then we hopefully can come back to the Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs.

Great. Thank you very much. Thank you to the PGA and thank you very much to our dear colleague, Guy Ryder, who has been heroic in his efforts to get us all organized and very much appreciate it. Excellencies, the new humanitarian compact challenges us to act as one system. For UNICEF, reform must place children at the center of humanitarian action. Today, I will focus on three areas where we are providing additional leadership, supply chains, nutrition, and humanitarian diplomacy. Supply chains are lifelines in humanitarian crises. They are where vaccines move, where nutrition supplies arrive, and where relief items reach families. They also represent the largest share of humanitarian expenditure. The integrated approach to UN supply chains coordinated by the UN Secretariat, UNICEF and WFP in partnership with all UN humanitarian agencies, including IOM, UNHCR and WHO, organizes what already exists into a more efficient system. In many contexts, agencies operate parallel warehouses, fleets, contracts, and logistics networks. Such fragmentation is no longer sustainable. The response is clear. Where one agency has comparative advantages, it can offer services to others. We are focusing on several key elements. First, coordinated procurement. Second, ensuring efficiencies by influencing markets and consolidating contracts. Third, optimize global logistics. And fourth, harmonize in-country logistics. We are working to establish more coherent and cost-effective supply chains that allow the United Nations to operate as a system rather than as a set of parallel actors. At the global level, UN agencies will agree on the actor best positioned to procure specific items for the rest of the system. The implementation of harmonized in-country logistics is being rolled out now in Afghanistan, Gaza, Haiti, Somalia, and Sudan. UNAD has also challenged UN agencies where we work jointly on thematic issues to clearly define our roles and responsibilities. For example, on nutrition, UNICEF is convening the discussion as global cluster lead agency. Our objectives are to prevent children from becoming malnourished, to treat those at greatest risk faster, and to do both more coherently. Prevention is more effective than treatment. It is less costly and it avoids human suffering. But effective prevention requires convergence of a variety of supportive services for families. And when prevention fails, treatment must be rapid and it must be aligned. In fragile settings, we are looking to speed up and to simplify protocols to reach more children faster, aligning treatment for moderate and severe wasting. Most children with severe wasting can be treated within their own communities, and better integration between medical care and nutritional rehabilitation can improve the effectiveness of treatment for those with complications. Supplementary feeding with specialized nutrient-dense food can support children with wasting where mortality risks are lower. This includes using locally sourced, high-quality foods. This work builds on existing agreements, and under UNAD, we are sharpening the division of labor and improving coherence. Before closing, I want to highlight our collective engagement on humanitarian diplomacy, and I'm sure Tom will come back and address that as well, key to addressing protection concerns and access constraints. Humanitarian principles and international law must be consistently upheld. Collective diplomatic engagement and speaking with one voice allows us to leverage networks and influence more effectively, especially with stakeholders who can unlock access and improve protection measures. Member States play a critical role here. Your engagement with parties to conflict and those with influence over those parties is indispensable. Under the new Humanitarian Compact, we are taking a real step towards meaningful coherence. When supply chains are integrated, children receive assistance faster. When nutrition systems are aligned, fewer children become malnourished. When diplomacy is coordinated, access improves. This is about directing more resources to children, reducing waste, improving predictability, and delivering as one system. UNICEF is on the ground. We are delivering, and we are committed to making this system work as best as possible for children. Thank you very much.

I think the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund, especially also for the very concrete examples, because in these times highlighting also within the process already what is being done on reform on the ground, I think is also very important to spread to others to show them that the reform is ongoing already. And as Guy Ryder said at one meeting before, this is work in progress and we will continue in this regard. I now give the floor to Ms. Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration.

Thank you so much. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates, Madam President. First, let me express my delight at being here in person and the opportunity to update you on the tremendous work that has been happening under the critical leadership of Under Secretary General Guy Ryder and, of course, our emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, who've been driving forward the new humanitarian compact and the humanitarian strand the UNAD. This is one of the most tangible expressions of what UNAD is meant to deliver. It's about changing how we work on the ground, not adding new layers, but simplifying, integrating, and delivering better results for the people we serve. And if we succeed, we can show that multilateralism can work better. even in constrained financial circumstances, even in complex geopolitical environments. And if we do not succeed, and if change remains theoretical, we risk losing the confidence of you, our member states, and more importantly, of the people we are meant to serve. We're already moving from intent to action, and let me briefly highlight a few areas where we are focusing our efforts. Number one, the simplified cluster architecture, which was just agreed a few weeks ago under the ERC's leadership. Fewer clusters, greater impact. One of these now brings together shelter, land, and site coordination under one single integrated model. And together with IFRC as our co-lead, IOM is fully focused on making sure that we can deliver very practical improvements for people who are impacted by crisis across camps, host communities, and urban settings. It doesn't mean that we are replacing our partners within the UN system, but we are bringing together greater coherence and focus so that we can make sure no one is left behind. Second, we're being much more disciplined in how we use and produce data. especially as resources continue to shrink. That's why we're leading work on the Humanitarian Data Collaborative, working in close partnership with OCHA, WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR, with a very simple objective. Let's have common standards, interoperable systems, and data that supports our operational decisions rather than duplicative reporting. This moves this is moving already into implementation into priority countries so we can have a common picture of what is happening on the ground, where the needs are greatest and where capacity is available. In my world, we are deepening collaboration along migration routes together with our partners at UNHCR. and with the UN partners who are in the existing migration network across the UN system we're advancing root based approaches that put protection at the center of our work addressing humanitarian needs protection risks human trafficking and service gaps wherever people are on the move around the world this is a concrete contribution to the humanitarian compact and an important part preparing the system for future displacement and mobility challenges. And I look forward to briefing you later today on the forthcoming International Migration Review Forum, where I'll talk more about this initiative. Finally, I want to underscore the importance of the integrated supply chain that the executive director of UNICEF has just put forward. We are actively contributing to these efforts. When we can bring together pipelines with UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, and DOS, the system can rely on who has the strongest capacity, who can get the best deal, who can use their capacity to enable all of us to deliver more for the people we serve in a more cost-efficient manner. It brings together our collective experience on common pipelines and includes unbranded, sustainable, global pre-positioned stockpiles and contracted suppliers, improves our preparedness, speed, efficiency, and environmental responsibility in complex contexts. This is a critical, concrete, tangible, pragmatic test for UNAD showing that integration can work on the ground and at scale. Ultimately, UNAD is not going to be judged by the quality of our frameworks or the quality of our speeches, but whether you all, as our member states, can see real change. And I can tell you this is a standard that we hold ourselves to and one that we are collectively committed to meeting. Thank you so much.

I thank the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, again, also for the very precise examples. And now we try again, Geneva. Tom Fletcher, Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Tom, can you hear us?

I can, and I hope that I'm coming through more clearly now, Madam President.

Yes, great.

Terrific, terrific. I mean, actually, I mean, firstly, I think you've got a sense already from Amy and Cathy of our level of ambition here, and we're excited to share that with you. Second, general point, the progress we've made and we've made a lot of progress so far has been because these five organisations are working so closely together and so actually my technical fault here is that I'm going to claim is a deliberate fault so we can demonstrate to you how closely we're doing that. We can finish each other's sentences because we are working as one unit here. And a third point which many of you have raised with me is how does this align with the wider humanitarian reset across the IASC? And I'll touch on that as we go through. Madam President, I won't repeat some of the points that you've already made about the context that we face in 2026, the reality on the ground, but just one figure to demonstrate that, illustrate that, in 2026, 239 million people families displaced by conflict and children affected by floods or drought are projected to need our help. Within that, we're seeking $33 billion to reach 135 million people and then have hyper prioritized even further within that to try to reach 87 million people first with that lifesaving support. And as you said, the needs are rising faster than the available resources. So if UNAT hadn't come along, we would have had to invent it by now. It's absolutely vital that we reform and no one cares about reform more than we do because we know the impact of what we do. How does it fit with the wider reset? The reset is about defining more clearly our work around life-saving priorities first. It's about radical reform to the efficiency in the way we deliver, taking out layers and bureaucracy and you've heard a bit from Cathy and Amy about that already. It's about doing more to empower frontline responders, local organizations, and it's about defending our values and our principles, which are under sustained attack. So how does that apply then to the new humanitarian compact as named by the SG? And I think the SG is bringing a lot of the energy and direction to this work. What we're trying to do is to maximize the impact of every dollar and every hour we have for humanitarian aid. So we're working across the new humanitarian compact with these five UN agencies really working as one, as I say, for a system level reform. Not about new layers, new processes, but actually simplifying, aligning and making the system work better under pressure. And you've heard a bit of that already, what that actually means in reality. Six areas. Firstly, simplifying humanitarian processes. That means reducing the paperwork, cutting red tape, spending less time on forms, more time helping people. The response so far is that the IASC has set out a series of changes through the reset around consolidating and simplifying, and we've made progress already as part of UNAT in that, for example, the programme cycle has now been reduced by 51 days. The core planning documents have been shortened by 67%. more than two thirds. So we're reducing the administrative burden across the agencies. And I think we can go even further on this. Second big priority, and you've heard from Cathy and Amy, this is, I think, the headline reform as part of these packages. And some are saying, in some ways, it's one of the headlines for the whole of UNAT, the integrated supply chain work. An immense, immense leadership has been shown on this by the agencies. The challenge here is that supply chains represent one of the largest costs of our humanitarian operations. We have had historically fragmented procurement, logistics arrangements, inefficiencies and slower delivery, therefore, of help. And we're coming together to end those inefficiencies through this more integrated response. So that means coordinated procurement agencies, as Amy said, purchasing common relief items such as tents, medical kits, generators. It means optimized global logistics, sharing transport, warehousing, freight services, and so on. And it means harmonized in-country logistics, shared storage, transport, distribution, and shared premises everywhere possible. And so we were already making progress on this. We've started pilot rollouts in Afghanistan, Haiti, OPT, Somalia, and Sudan. And even small gains here will unlock millions of dollars for lifesaving aid. They'll make us faster, cheaper, and more efficient. But as my colleague said, we'll need your support in helping us to implement. Item number three is scaling up common services. So we're trying to use one set of tools rather than duplicate our tools. The challenge here Humanitarian systems operations often set up separate support services across the entities. So you've got duplication again, extra cost. And so we're expanding these shared services, not new structures, but making what's already available available to everyone, which aligns with what the SG has asked us to do on global shared services. So we went live with our common services catalog on the 15th of January. And this gives us a single entry point for shared services across fleet, mobility, travel, engineering, asset disposal, with 17 service lines available and more being added. Realising the real gains here will be a system-wide shift for all of us. The next step is making these shared services available across the whole system. Briefly on the others, because actually Amy and Cathy have described the humanitarian data collaborative, which is so important to our work. Three priorities, agreeing on core humanitarian datasets and standards, advancing our shared metadata and frameworks, and strengthening collaboration on analysis. And we're well underway on that. Cathy touched already on humanitarian diplomacy. And there, while we want to retain the agility, that real effective humanitarian diplomacy requires. We're working much more closely across the core agencies to ensure that the sum is greater than the parts, but also to ensure that we don't neglect the crises which are not in the headlines. And then finally, number six, clarifying roles, reducing duplication. Now, in key areas like food security, displacement, beneficiary data, health, nutrition, we sometimes do things in parallel. And so we're reducing that confusion and extra effort. Four big areas for this. One, food security. And so colleagues in FAO, WFP, and IFAD are finalizing their coordination framework. Secondly, on mobility and displacement, where UNHCR and IOM are pioneering new ways of working together on route-based approaches, as Amy described. And I saw these already being rolled out in South Sudan in the last few days, and it's really, really encouraging to see. Thirdly, beneficiary data. And here across the different agencies, we're aiming for a common technical approach, harmonized core data, interoperability across the systems, reduce duplication, and strengthen safeguards. Of course, the safeguards are really, really essential here for the people we serve. And then fourth, health and nutrition. And here WHO, UNICEF and WFP have initiated discussions to clarify the roles and interfaces between them. So these are practical changes, they're changes which are already underway, they're changes that align harmoniously with the humanitarian reset, which means they align with the work that we're doing across the humanitarian family, across the NGOs as well. They'll make us faster, more coherent and we'll save more lives with the resources that we have. Sustaining that progress requires us to retain the same levels of ambition, and I hope you're feeling from this group excitement and ambition for this work. It also means we've got to continue to align our mandates, our incentives, and our funding, and of course, to secure the funding, including core funding for the agencies, which allows us to pursue these reforms. Madam President, thank you again for the chance to update you on the reform plans. to seek your guidance and wisdom as a collective. I'll pass back to you because I will hear more from UNHCR and WFP on how we're working together to deliver these changes. Thank you.

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. And I thought you would say this was deliberate fault because you could show not only how you're working hand in hand, but also how quick you can fix technical problems. But then we would have to hire you here as well so you can take your responsibility in Geneva. But thank you for making it possible. And now I give the floor to Mr. Abraham Salih, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. And again, also in person, congratulations for your new post.

Thank you, Madam President.

And

And it's wonderful to see you again so shortly after our encounter here in Geneva, and I'm sorry not being with you in person. And I wanna thank you for this important and timely meeting and thank Guy Ryder for the very important follow up that he's having on this very vital issue. Truly UNAT is crucial for our organization, for the entire UN system, and quite importantly for the people that we are entrusted to serve and deliver assistance to. Uh, this is a priority item for UNHCR to essentially make us more effective, more coherent and more cost efficient and in collaboration with the agencies, uh, across the UN system. UNIT allows us to expand these models across the UN system, not only just humanitarian. This must become the norm, not the exception. Benefits undoubtedly include strengthening operational delivery, reducing duplication, shortening lead times, improving consistencies without compromising mandates. Uh, we have moved into delivery by launching a single online, uh, catalog of common services building on WFP's, uh, uh, booking hub focusing on four practical service areas, fleet services, mobility and travel support, engineering services and asset, uh, disposals. The work is not entirely done. We need to expand the catalog and add services together in collaboration with the other agencies and so on. In the case of digital and data foundation underneath service delivery, this is a very vital area. Shared services will only be scaled if we reduce the fragmentation in the system. and data that enable them. I do welcome the IOM's Director General's presentation and highlight UNHCR's commitment to contribute to this effort of moving towards a common digital foundation and streamlining how beneficiary data is collected and managed, building on our and consolidating the singular expertise across the system. In that regard, I want to give you a concrete example of our working together on the ground to make our data strengths more interoperable. With WFP, for example, we're exchanging on average 2 million data points on a monthly basis across more than a dozen of locations. We do this through standardization and operationalization and interoperability of our data systems, making this far more efficient. And again, I do welcome the commitment of IOM to working on this area and making this far more tangible across the system because this is going to be crucial to the way we deliver in the future. when UNHCR is also working closely with partners to ensure strong linkages with other reform streams within UNAT and beyond, including the humanitarian reset. So these efforts reinforce each other rather than creating parallel tracks. This essentially is feeding and operationalizing the humanitarian development and peace nexus and prevention agenda critical for UNHCR mandate protecting refugees and also working to the aim that we have announced recently of reducing long-term displacement by 50 percent over the next 10 years this requires genuine collaboration and integration and cooperation across the UN system and certainly across the humanitarian space once again Madam President Thank you for the opportunity. And I want to echo my colleagues' statements and affirmation of us working together to the mission to deliver for the people as intended for. Our institutions are meant to serve. This has to be about the people we serve, making it more cost effective, more efficient, and working together. And I'm truly grateful for the quintessential with Tom and with UNICEF and with IOM and WFP, this has been a remarkable experience and very important and very tangible. And I hope that we can build upon it and sustain it to different and higher level of efficiency and cost effectiveness. Once again, thank you very much.

I thank the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. And now I give the floor to Mr. Matthew Hollingworth, Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations at the World Food Program.

Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, good afternoon. And thank you very much for this opportunity today to talk on the UNAT and humanitarian reset. Let me certainly appreciate all the Member States for your unbelievable engagement throughout this process so far. We've just wrapped up our executive board and UNAT was front and center of all of our discussions. Why? Because we hear consistently a clear message, UNAT has to deliver practical improvements that matter to people on the ground. This cannot be an abstract reform. It's got to translate into faster assistance, lower cost, stronger accountability, greater impact. I'll just add a couple of words on the integrated supply chain that we heard about earlier, but also on common services and lastly on the alignment from the Rome-based agencies. Just building on the ERC and Edie Russell's comments on the early feedback from the five countries that are starting to implement the integrated supply chain. I would first note this is an evolution. It's not an invention of something. DOS, UNICEF, the World Food Programme have enormous complementarity across our supply chains, but also with other QINT members UNHCR, IOM and beyond. We are already starting to see as we go, we work in these countries, Afghanistan, Haiti, Gaza, Somalia, Sudan, all priority emergency contexts, The focus of our in-country logistics view is to see where those shared networks for warehousing, for vehicles, for convoy fleets, for last mile deliveries really can be brought together to reduce overlaps, maximize reach to communities most in need. Tom's just in South Sudan, he can speak of another country where we're doing this even when it's not one of the five pilots so far. But so far, the three leads in this work stream, UN DOS, UNICEF, ourselves, we've already convened with the five resident humanitarian coordinators. We've introduced the initiative. First missions have already been deployed. Gaza has already started as a pilot and is already resulting in mapping of logistics service on the ground. and so that we can start to consider what are the contractual modalities, what are the rates, what are we paying and how can we reduce that across various organizations. For the rest of this month of March, of this coming month, March, we have a project team that is visiting the four remaining countries to support the logisticians, the supply officers already on the ground working together to map resources, put menus together so that complementarity actually starts being seen immediately as savings, time, resources, people power. Secondly, on the common services track you heard from the High Commissioner, the UNAT's new humanitarian compact aims to turn reform into immediate practical results, scaling those services that already work, again, evolution, not invention. WFP brings decades of operational experience on advancing this agenda, but brings it and aims to add to other organizations. This is a modernization strategy. We're scaling common services built on proven platforms. The booking hub, the UN booking hub that was already mentioned has demonstrated year after year as a marketplace model, it generates sustained efficiencies already across 21 UN agencies with over 2.5 million annual transactions. Now launched the UN Systems Service Hub, which has been relaunched with UNHCR and the UN Secretariat in January of this year, builds on the digital marketplace architecture. It's providing the single point of entry now for vehicle fleet, mobility and travel, engineering, asset disposal, enabling already a rapid uptake. Again, it's not a pilot, it's already available, it's being used, it's going to scale. The UN fleet providing fleet services to the entire UN system further shows how deeper the service integration not only drives cost efficiencies, but strengthens operational performance through consolidated leasing expertise and service provision. And what comes next is a phase two scale up through 2026. It'll expand the catalog with additional mature services, onboarding more agency providers beyond the initial co-leads and making it easier for country teams to use through simple guidance, clearer contacts, and practical onboarding steps. And later by UNGA 81, we aim to be able to show expanded use of the priority services across contexts and a much clearer picture of efficiency gains through the improved delivery. In parallel, the work package 14 is working on the UN wide enabling conditions, governance, mapping, monitoring to help scale successful work package two services across the UN, a wider UN system supported by other UNAT efforts on technology. Looking at these common services, the key added value comes through four areas. Immediate operational impact as a practical tool that helps the UN adopt common services immediately. It brings less fragmentation, less duplication by making proven services easier to discover, to identify, to reuse and replicate across entities and duty stations across countries. It brings clear accountability to clarify who provides what service and the associated expectations, thereby supporting more consistent service delivery. And fourthly, it gives evidence for decisions. You can tap into the system data and users will receive feedback so that they can have a basis on where they should pay, where they should invest, what they should scale, how they can consolidate it, save money, time, effort. Again, it's an innovation for a system, but it's not a new bureaucracy. It's a simple standard service marketplace approach and one that we believe will provide services described consistently and with access routes that are clearer and an uptake that can be tracked. So we can scale this and it will work. Lastly, as I said, Another aspect of the reset is about aligning responsibilities on food security across the three Rome-based agencies, so the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Together, we've already advanced a renewed joint project approach for fragile contexts. This is clarifying the respective roles in fragile contexts and aligning the actions that we can take in planning and execution. This is work in progress and we believe through April will actually start to show dividends on the ground where we work. Thank you very much Madam President, I welcome any questions that you may have.

I thank the Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations at the World Food Program. I now give the floor to Mr. Shillitzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University.

Madam President, Excellency, colleagues, I also would like to thank Mr. Guy Ryder for leading us through this very important initiative. I thank you for the opportunity to brief the General Assembly on progress under UNAT initiative in the area of training and research. When the UNAT initiative was launched by the Secretary General in 2024, the United Nations Secretariat identified six entities with primary mandates in research and training. Together with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the United Nations University was appointed to co-lead this cluster. Through extensive consultations, we analyzed research and training portfolios, areas of mandate overlap, and potential structural solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness. We found that many institutes operate in parallel with overlapping functions and financial vulnerabilities, weakening coherence and limiting impact. Our recommendations were twofold. First, we proposed streamlining the UN's knowledge functions into two complementary pillars, one dedicated to research and one to training. Second, we recommended establishing a joint coordination mechanism to strengthen coherence between these pillars and across the wider UN system. These recommendations are now reflected as three actions in work package 17, which is currently under implementation. Under this framework, UNU is leading the research pillar and is integrating the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development as one of its 13 institutes. Implementation is proceeding through a phased process, beginning with a comprehensive review of UNRISD administrative, financial, human resources, communications and legal frameworks. to ensure alignment with UNU's governance structure. Based on this assessment, a detailed integration roadmap will be developed, reviewed by the UNU Council and submitted to the Secretary-General for final approval following legal consultation. The integration will strengthen coherence in UN research, By consolidating complementary mandates, enhance the policy relevance of social development research through closer alignment with UNU's broader research strategy and improve operational efficiency through streamlined governance and shared infrastructure. It will also provide institutional stability for staff and partners. while preserving research independence and existing funding arrangements. We expect to complete the administrative review by March 2026, followed by preparation of detailed proposal for integration by 30 April 2026, with review by the UNU Council at its session on 3 to 4 June 2026. will keep member states informed of progress. Alongside these reforms, UNU and UNITA are co-developing a system-wide coordination mechanism for training and research. This light touch platform will strengthen coherence and knowledge to practice linkages by connecting the research and training pillars with each other and with other UN entities, ensuring they operate as mutually reinforcing components of a unified knowledge architecture. Rather than creating additional bureaucracy, the mechanism will operate at the technical level, bringing together lead researchers and scientists across the system, a system-wide mapping exercise is underway to identify existing research and training efforts, which will inform a governance model and pilot coordination platform building on existing arrangements. The mechanism is expected to reduce duplication, strengthen complementarity of mandates, improve links between research and training, increase visibility of UN expertise, and enhance the relevance and impact of knowledge services for Member States. The system-wide mapping exercise is expected to be completed by March 2026, followed by preparation of an implementation blueprint and further development of the platform during 2026 with a view to endorsement by the Secretary-General. Updates will be provided to Member States. As we develop the joint coordination mechanism, we have also held joint discussions on how emerging technologies could be leveraged to support system-wide collaboration. Drawing on UN use work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and public policy, I see strong potential for digital tools to strengthen knowledge sharing across the UN system. When UNU recently hosted Nobel Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz in Tokyo, he highlighted the challenge of the so-called information asymmetry where valuable knowledge exists but is not accessible to those who need it. In a complex organization such as the UN, expertise and operational experience are often dispersed across entities. One idea under consideration is therefore an AI-enabled digital support layer that could help address these information gaps and strengthen linkages between research and training. Such a platform could connect operational expertise and member state needs with research priorities while translating research findings into practical training tools. It could also provide a digital space through which UN personnel share insights supported by analytics that synthesize information and identify relevant expertise across the UN system and member states. Over time, such capabilities could generate targeted knowledge briefs to support implementation of innovations within entities mandates. These tools will operate with appropriate human oversight and contribute to existing system-wide coordination and reporting processes. These ideas remain conceptual and subject to further consultation and governance processes. They nevertheless illustrate how innovation could complement the joint coordination mechanism and help organizational function increasingly as a learning system. Madam President, together these efforts represent a practical and forward-looking approach to strengthening the UN's knowledge architecture. By improving coherence in research and training, we aim to enhance the organization's capacity to deliver timely evidence-based knowledge and effective capacity development in support of member states. I thank you for your attention and I now invite my colleague, Michelle Giles-McDonough, to present UNITA's perspective on the training pillar.

I thank the Rector of the United Nations University and as you mentioned, I now give the floor to Ms. Michelle Gill McDonough, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Ms. McDonnell, maybe did you unmute? Then the system here would -- yes. We can't hear you. Can you try to unmute again? We see you, but -- I think somebody or yourself have to press a button of unmuting on the computer. Do you hear us? Can you give us a thumb up? Yes. So you have to be you have to unmute yourself the microphone button.

Can you hear me now, Madam President?

Welcome. Great.

Thank you. Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, thank you for the opportunity to address you today and for your indulgence to allow me to do so virtually. My thanks also to USG Guy Ryder for his leadership and his constant follow-up. I also thank the Rector of the United Nations University for outlining the vision for Work Package 17 and the progress achieved under actions 69 and 72. My remarks focus on action 68, the proposed merger of the United Nations System Staff College into UNITAR. Excellencies, work package 17 seeks to strengthen coherence across the UN's knowledge architecture by consolidating around two complementary pillars, as the Rector outlined, research and training linked through a joint action mechanism. Within this framework, the proposed merger responds to a central question. How do we ensure that learning across the UN system translates more effectively into capability and capability into stronger institutional performance and measurable results for member states? Demand for training and capacity development is growing rapidly. from resident coordinators, UN country teams, and personnel across the system, as well as from governments seeking practical support to advance national priorities and global commitments. Yet the UN learning landscape remains fragmented with multiple platforms and overlapping structures that do not always function as a coherent whole. The proposed merger seeks to create a single coherent learning and capacity development institution serving both UN personnel and member states while preserving the content of respective mandates of each entity within a common governance framework. The objective is to reduce fragmentation, modernize learning platforms, strengthen quality assurance and interoperability, and position learning as a strategic investment that supports delivery and impact at scale. Allow me to address three points raised by delegations. First, mandates are not being reopened. The goal is to strengthen delivery of existing mandates, member state capacity development, and system-wide learning for UN personnel, not to redefine them. Second, this is not a cost cutting exercise. The aim is enhanced impact, coherence and accessibility. Any efficiency gains would come from reduced duplication, use of technology, modernization and rationalization of platforms and improved coordination, not from weakening substantive programs. Third, Member States remain central to decision making. The current phase is analytical and consultative. The proposal that will emerge will be presented to the General Assembly for its decision. Excellencies, the value proposition is straightforward, turning knowledge into capability and capability into results at the scale and pace required to achieve peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. The envisioned training pillar, what we refer to as the UN learning engine, would provide a clear entry point for both member states and the UN system. A platform able to scale learning, connect policy to implementation, and strengthen leadership and institutional performance across the multilateral system. The approach has a dual anchoring. On one side, it supports the UN system, helping staff and leaders operate with greater coherence, agility, and collaborative capacity. On the other, it remains firmly in service to member states, supporting governments and institutions to translate strategies and commitments into results. This dual focus is essential. Learning must strengthen internal organizational performance and advance national objectives, including internationally agreed goals. I recognize that questions remain regarding governance, institutional design, workforce implications, and geographic footprint. These are legitimate considerations, and that is why the process has been structured in three phases, assessment, design, and refinement, supported by external expertise and informed by consultation with member states, governing boards, UN entities, and staff. No decision on organizational arrangements, locations, or staffing structure have been predetermined. We're committed to protecting institutional expertise, ensuring program continuity, and developing future state options that enhance impact at country level and strengthen accountability. Equitable access is a guiding principle. Demand-driven training for member states, particularly developing countries, must remain accessible, multilingual, and responsive to national priorities. Learning and training for staff and for member states must be adaptive, inclusive, and collaborative. The technical phase will conclude in May, followed by consideration by the governing boards of UNITAR and the UN System Staff College. and submission to the General Assembly during its 80th session for decision. Consultations will continue in parallel. Transparency and engagement with Member States will remain central throughout. Excellencies, learning is not a peripheral function. It is a strategic capability. In an increasingly complex operating environment, the ability to translate knowledge into implementation capacity is essential for delivering mandates effectively. Action 68 is about ensuring that the UN system and the member states it serves are supported by a coherent, trusted, and future-ready learning platform to deliver results on the ground. We approach this process with humility, with openness and a strong commitment to being an effective learning hub, strongly networked within the UN system and in close partnership with Member States. We look forward to your continued guidance as this work evolves over the coming months. Thank you.

Thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. We have come to the end of our briefing and I would really like to thank all of you underlining that especially in the field of the humanitarian hub, there's not only very, very close partnership and cooperation as Tom Fletcher underlined, but also a lot of reform progress in works. So I think it's also a great blue and for different other agencies. And by this, I now open the floor for the comments or questions by member states. This meeting will not have a pre-established list of speakers. Delegations wishing to take the floor, I invite you to press the microphone button. Members are requested to limit their interventions to five minutes when speaking on behalf of a group and three minutes when speaking in national capacity. time limit will be strictly enforced through an automatic microphone cut off. A timer will be projected on the screen. Those speaking on behalf of a group should approach the Secretariat to be given priority in the speaking order. I now give the floor to the first speaker, the distinguished representative of the European Union, followed by Belgium on behalf of the Benelux countries and Australia.

Madam President, distinguished colleagues, thank you. I deliver this statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States, the candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, as well as Armenia and Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement. Under Secretary Generals, distinguished briefers, thank you for this detailed and forward-looking briefing. We would like to reaffirm our strong support to the UNAT initiative, and we particularly welcome your emphasis on field-level impact, as well as simplified practices, digital transformation, streamlined training and research, and empowered resident and humanitarian coordinators. And we also appreciate the work on the efficiency gains across the UN systems research institutions according to your work package number 17. As we approach the first anniversary of the Humanitarian Reset and UNATI, this is a moment to acknowledge progress, take stock of collective achievements, identify opportunities for continued impact, and showcase the ability of the humanitarian community to work together toward shared goals. In this respect, let me highlight our main observations on the Humanitarian Compact, on which some of the speakers spoke. First, the EU welcomes the development of a light scorecard mechanism to increase the accountability of the humanitarian system, and we expect that this will include concrete measures, a clear and reasonable timeline, tangible efficiencies and savings in support of the UN working as one under the empowered leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators. Two, reform cannot succeed without strong and reliable enablers. The EU is steering the work on supply chains and is pleased with the wide endorsement of its conclusions from the high-level conference on the Humanitarian Leadership Group on supply chain held in Brussels last December. And we would appreciate updates on how enablers and shared services will be further integrated into the reform agenda. particularly including logistics, shared services and data. And we would also seek further clarity on the next steps for the Humanitarian Data Collaborative Steering Group and the Data Governance Group, and how the Humanitarian Data Collaborative will ensure a holistic approach covering beneficiary data, identity management and supply chain analytics. We would also value an understanding of steps taken on localization. The 70% pooled funding target for local actors is both ambitious and necessary. We would appreciate an update on the next concrete steps to meet this goal and reinforce the principles of equitable partnerships. In particular, it would be valuable to hear more about the steps to be taken to increase the quantity and the quality of funding for local and national partners, and to provide capacity strengthening support in fragile contexts. Third, strengthened and more coherent humanitarian diplomatic engagement is critical to defend humanitarian principles, support humanitarian access, and enhance the protection of civilians, including humanitarian staff. We are witnessing ever-increasing challenges in these areas, which collectively we need to urgently address. So what are some of the early learnings from the collaborative humanitarian diplomacy initiative that we have heard of and that you have been undertaking? Finally, our success relies on consistent, open and transparent consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including donors and international and local actors. The EU and its Member States remain committed to engaging regularly with the ERC Fletcher, with the Interagency Standing Committee, and we also stand ready to further support OCHA's mandate and the ERC's efforts. Also, Interallia, by providing, as some of you know, an EU-only total humanitarian budget for this year of 1.9 billion euros, in dollars, that's 2.2 billion. is to conduct successful humanitarian negotiations and renewed humanitarian diplomacy and to coordinate a humanitarian system that delivers assistance rapidly, efficiently and in line with humanitarian principles. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belgium, speaking on behalf of the Benelux countries, followed by Australia.

Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished briefers, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Benelux, Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and my own country, the Kingdom of Belgium. We fully align with the EU statement just delivered and would like to add the following elements. First of all, let me thank all the briefers for their updates on the UNAT initiative. We fully support this UNAT initiative, as stated before. It is an opportunity to create a UN that delivers better, faster, and with more accountability. This is key to make the UN fit for the future, fit for a rapidly changing world. As countries of the Benelux, which is in itself a multilateral organization, we share a strong commitment to multilateralism. This is what guides our dedication to UNAT. Given the scale of today's challenges and the expectations placed on the initiative, we would now need to see tangible progress and early measurable results. First, on the new humanitarian compact, as the briefers have rightly underlined, the humanitarian needs are vast. We fully support the efforts through UNAT and the Humanitarian Reset to promote system-wide coherence through common services, streamlined and harmonized supply chains, and simplified planning processes, strengthened and joint humanitarian diplomacy, country teams under strengthened Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator leadership, and improved collective approaches to data. Core and pooled funds remain essential tools to ensure flexible and quality funding to the UN and other humanitarian partners. In this regard, Benelux countries are convinced that such financing is a precondition for an effective and efficient response and key to enabling the successful rollout of the reforms under the Humanitarian Reset. Yet, efficiency must not be at the expense of localization, protection and accountability to affected populations. In this regard, we underline that the new humanitarian compact must lead to genuine structural transformation and not simply a smaller version of the current system by effectively reducing fragmentation, duplication and costly overheads and ensuring that efficiencies translate into stronger impact for people in need. The structural transformation must be grounded in approaches that strengthen proximity to affected people and reinforce the leadership of local and national partners. Local actors are often the most effective and efficient, but they face burdensome reporting and compliance requirements. Many fear being left aside rather than being an actor in the reset. Local humanitarian organizations must be placed at the heart of this reform and empowered through risk sharing strategies. This is why we would like to ask the following questions to the briefers. First, how will the humanitarian system not only ensure but operationalize and strengthen the localization approach with local and national actors in leadership roles? Second, how will accountability and impact measurement be adapted to fully incorporate the role capacities and perspectives of local partners? Third, and while we welcome the concrete examples that the many briefers have already brought forward, but would be interested to hear more about the tangible process that has been made since the proposal of the Humanitarian Compact in September 25, and what concrete results member states should expect to see by the end of 26. And then lastly, How can Member States stay updated on the progress made on the action points of the new Humanitarian Compact within UNAT? Second, on training and research, we recognize that this is an essential enabler of impact. We welcome progress based on one vision, we would even say one UN. Adequate mergers and structural adjustments guided by operational effectiveness and cost benefit analysis that respect principles and values could reduce fragmentation and help deliver on that vision. Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished briefers, dear colleagues, as Benelux, we stand strong in our support for a more effective and more efficient UN, not just out of cost effectiveness, but to deliver better for people around the world and to support strong multilateralism. Reforms alone will not solve the budgetary crisis. All Member States should meet their financial obligations in full and on time. We pragmatically stand ready to work on a comprehensive, coherent and forward-looking reform of the UN.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Belgium on behalf of the Benelux countries. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia on behalf of Cairns, followed by China and Colombia.

Thank you, President. And on behalf of CANS, can I commend your leadership in this process? Also, can I express deep appreciation, I think, for the seniority of those briefers this morning. That gives us a great deal of confidence that we are, in fact, joined up together in this effort to achieve real reform. So deep appreciation from us. I have four key points today. First, transparent, timely, and accessible information is essential. We welcome the added clarity on how the new humanitarian compact aligns with the humanitarian reset and details of progress under each action item. We encourage stronger efforts to deliver real efficiency gains through integrated UN supply chains and expanded common services. The integrated supply chain initiative is evidently making solid progress and it is important to maintain this momentum. We urge all agencies to join common services, data initiatives and supply chain work to drive greater efficiency and effectiveness. This work must be guided by sound risk management and value for money. We encourage partners to validate cost saving assumptions, consider future users, and ensure roles are allocated to make best use of resources. Robust monitoring and evaluation across all compact actions will be essential to track improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. We also encourage partners to explore how emerging technologies, including appropriate use of artificial intelligence, can support further improvements. Second, we support efforts to reduce fragmentation and duplication across the humanitarian system. We welcome aligning agency responsibilities under actions 22 to 25 to strengthen operational coherence and improve the efficiency and predictability of humanitarian support. This alignment should make full use of each agency's comparative advantages. Third, we welcome further detail on the proposed collaborative humanitarian diplomacy initiative, including how member states can support more coherent diplomatic engagement. Working together, the system can help reverse worsening trends that endanger civilians and humanitarian personnel. And by way of example, Australia partnered with Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom earlier this, late last year to champion the declaration for the protection of humanitarian personnel, which with our CANS partners, Canada and New Zealand immediately supporting the initiative. We welcome the 112 countries that have joined the declaration and encourage others to do so. Finally, on work package 17, CANS supports maximizing coherence, efficiency and impact across the United Nations training and research system. We welcome the use of external expertise and clear timelines for merging the UN system staff college into UNITAR. We also seek more information on how current programs will be affected and what funding models are being considered. We urge relevant leads to ensure that integrating the UN Research Institute for Social Development into the United Nations University genuinely removes duplication. Digital tools should be used to review UNRSID's frameworks efficiently. We request clarity on which bodies will fall under the proposed joint UN system coordination mechanism and evidence that it will deliver real efficiencies. We also question whether creating a new mechanism during consolidation is the most efficient option. President, CANS supports bold, ambitious United Nations reform that ensures the system delivers for those who need it most. We cannot afford overlapping mandates or duplication. The focus must stay on purpose and core functions, not structure. Australia, Canada and New Zealand remain committed to working constructively with all Member States and UN partners to deliver practical, forward-looking reforms that strengthen the United Nations operational effectiveness. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia. And obviously the automatic microphone cuts off are not working. This is not the PGA's control here. Again, technical issues. So if somebody else will be cut off afterward, this is our system here. But I guess you all stay within your now three minutes of speaking time on the national capacity. And by that, I'm giving the floor to the distinguished representative of China.

Thank you, President. I thank you for convening this meeting and thank the briefers for their briefings. I would like to make three points. First, on the overall reform. The UN aid reform is progressing substantively and into greater depth with results we all attest to. We should seize the opportunity of reforming for better internal efficiency to foster a culture of efficiency. The review of mandate delivery should be consensus-based, forward-looking, with both ambition and pragmatism, and fully reflect the aspirations of the broad membership, especially developing countries. Structural reform requires in-depth studies and extensive consultations towards maximizing the functions and roles of UN agencies. We welcome the Secretariat to pursue the reform inclusively, transparently and constructively with timely update on progress, respond to the needs of all states and ensure the equal participation of all members. Second, on the humanitarian sector reform, China supports reforming the UN humanitarian system for better quality, efficiency, effectiveness ability to meet people's needs. Reform should adhere to the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence at all times, respect the sovereignty of recipient countries, abide by the IHL, and avoid politicization and instrumentalization. Humanitarian agencies such as OCHA, UNICEF and WFP should step up communication and coordination, fully tap into their own expertise, improve resource utilization efficiency and delivery capacity with the greatest synergy. Third, on the reform of training and research. China supports the necessary reforms by the UN geared towards integrating system-wide training and research functions and enhancing these capacities. China appreciates the important role of UNITAR and UNU towards this regard. and closely follows the merger of UNITAR and the UN System Staff College, among other developments. We are ready for closer cooperation with the UN for inter alia, more robust capacity building in the UN system, and that for developing countries on emerging technologies. China will work with the UN and other member states to steer the reforms towards continuously strengthening the role of organization and improving global governance. I thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Colombia, followed by Germany and Brazil.

Madam President, Colombia thanks you for this informative discussion and the participation of the briefers, and we appreciate discussions to make headway with the UNAT initiative. For Colombia, humanitarian cooperation assistance of the UN system is a fundamental pillar to address structural challenges on the ground, including providing attention to border areas, integration of migrant populations, food security, and the implementation of the peace agreement, which are areas where the United Nations is one of the main multilateral partners of our country. This cooperation is articulated with the development priorities that recognize the UN system as an essential financial and technical ally to drive total peace, human security and development with a territorial and differential approach. In this context, Colombia has closely monitored the process For the humanitarian reset and the new humanitarian compact, we appreciate efforts to improve the efficiency, interoperability and coordination of the humanitarian system. However, we believe that it is essential for the proposals of mergers and institutional tweaks to be reviewed with more information on the impact that these would have on the ground, avoiding watering down the operational presence on the ground and avoiding reducing specialised mandates that have enabled effective and responses that are sensitive to local realities. Given that Colombia is a middle-income country in transition, however, still with significant gaps in humanitarian and development challenges, any reform must ensure that the cooperation with the UN system keeps its ability to protect the most vulnerable populations and to strengthen national and local institutions. Finally, Colombia reiterates that efficiency must be achieved with a balanced approach to the principles of the Charter, safeguarding the human rights pillar as one of the pillars of cooperation that provides UN assistance to countries on the ground. Madam President, Colombia trusts that the discussions between the Member States will enable us to move towards a reform that strengthens the capacity of the humanitarian system to support countries and their sovereign priorities and that benefits the populations most in need, making the humanitarian system more efficient but coherent and linked to each other. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Colombia. I now give the floor to Germany.

Madam President, thank you very much. Germany aligns itself with the statement of the European Union. And let me start by thanking USG Reiter and his team for the briefing and the information. It's highly appreciated and it's necessary to take well-informed decisions as member states. And let me extend the appreciation to USG Fletcher and the other agency heads for the leadership and contribution in bringing UNAT and the humanitarian reset forward as One of the largest humanitarian donors and the current chair of the OCHA donor support group, Germany remains committed to work with the UN and all partners to build a leaner and more efficient humanitarian system. We fully support also the bold reform proposal set out in the new humanitarian compact. And we don't start from scratch here. The humanitarian reset has been a pioneer for many of the initiatives that we're discussing today. And both compact and reset must work in tandem with a focus on ensuring full coherence. I have three points on the humanitarian reset. One, we need to overcome parallel structures. Germany strongly supports the alignment of agency mandates and in the agency boards and governments mechanisms, we need faster progress on this and results, and this should include clarifying roles between OCHA and UNHCR and OCHA and DCO on coordination. Secondly, we need better coordination of services and data across UN agencies. Unbranded common services and coordinated supply chains are steps in the right direction. And the same goes for the proposed global services hub and humanitarian data collaborative. And we've seen a lot of promising initiatives like shared storage facilities of WFP and UNICEF, but for substantial reforms, all organizations, I think, need to step up. stronger role for the humanitarian coordinators is something we should look at in terms of their mandate and in terms of the reporting lines. So are they really looking at the full nexus and not only at humanitarian affairs? And thirdly, we need to strengthen pooled funds. They are a proven instrument for better coordination and allow for a more targeted approach. And we are open to explore pooled funding also for the humanitarian compact. And still alongside pooled funds, an earmarked contribution to international organizations remain incredibly important, particularly in the interest of stable funding base and efficiency. And then a final point on the work package on training and research. I would like to express our full support for the two-pillar model as a step forward on more efficiency and less duplication. We are looking forward to the merger between UNSCC and UNITAR to be designed in a way that leads to verifiable efficiency gains, preserves local campus ecosystems, and protects academic independence, neutrality, and freedom. And in closing, let me reaffirm our support for UNAT and the goal to make the UN more agile and nimble.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil, followed by Switzerland and Norway.

Thank you, Madam President.

Many thanks to USG Ryder and the distinguished briefers this morning. I will make very brief comments on the new humanitarian compact.

We are all painfully aware.

Of the scale of humanitarian needs our world faces in light of shrinking resources and unprecedented needs. The Humanitarian Compact moves in the right direction by simplifying procedures, clarifying roles across UN agencies, harnessing synergies, increasing coordination, and supporting focused and context-driven responses. We certainly welcome the several measures being considered and implemented by the system. At the same time, as we all know, efficiency is a means, not an end. Reform must be fundamentally about impact. This can only be achieved by upholding and defending the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence. Also, by putting needs on the ground as the primary guide of our collective efforts. In other words, efficiency must be strictly tied with effectiveness, which in turn, in this case, depends to a large extent on strict observance of principles. Sadly, there is growing politicization of humanitarian affairs worldwide to the detriment of millions of civilians. Attacks against humanitarian and UN personnel, including discrediting campaigns fed by disinformation and hate speech, have also become a dangerous new trend. In this context, we particularly welcome the complex collaborative humanitarian diplomacy initiative aimed at defending humanitarian principles and supporting humanitarian access.

Madam President.

Brazil has consistently emphasized that the UNAD must preserve the balance among all three pillars of the United Nations as enshrined in the charter. Principled humanitarian action operates precisely at the intersection of these pillars. It has served as a stabilizing framework that allows the system to funk across politically sensitive environments, ensuring legitimacy, access, and trust. We must therefore ensure that reform ultimately strengthens the humanitarian system. We remain fully committed to engaging constructively in these discussions. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland.

Madam President, we wish to thank you sincerely for this much appreciated format, as well as the distinguished briefers for the updates, the tangible energy and the focus on concrete results. First, on the new Humanitarian Compact and Work Package 2, Switzerland recognizes the importance of strengthening coordination, effectiveness, and accountability of humanitarian assistance. The measures and the considerations have the potential to significantly improve efficiency and help channel scarce resources towards essential life-saving assistance.

Crucially.

This process must go beyond technical adjustments and reinforce the ambition of the humanitarian reset to translate it into concrete system-wide change toward a locally led needs-based humanitarian system. In this connection, protection is of primary importance. Reform and coherence are essential, but efficiency alone cannot ensure protection. Rights, accountability, and compliance must remain central. and reform should reinforce our responsibility to safeguard human dignity and principled protection-driven humanitarian action. Switzerland welcomes the Compact's attention to humanitarian diplomacy, to defend humanitarian principles, secure access and protect civilians, as well as the points made by briefers on the importance of data. Second, on the UN's training and research system and work package 17, Switzerland supports the idea to strengthen its impact and coherence. We welcome more information and structured member state engagement in this process and underline the importance of evidence-based strategic decisions. International Geneva demonstrates impactful research and practice. It goes beyond hosting multilateralism, it makes it work. Two initiatives show this. ITU and UNICEF's GIGA working with research institutions in Geneva to help children's digital learning. And FAJI, a new public-private foundation, driving projects to help organizations adapt. This ecosystem is where policy stays close to operations and where research and implementation reinforce each other. Excellencies, we look forward to further updates and to continued engagements to advance UN IT and strengthen the UN's ability to deliver. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway, followed by the Russian Federation and Malaysia.

Thank you very much, PJ, for hosting the meeting. And thank you, Guy, and all the other briefers for your updates. That was very useful indeed. I have, I think, two comments and a question, but I will actually start by echoing my Brazilian colleague. by saying that humanitarian work must be solidly based on humanitarian principles. And what we are looking for is indeed impact, better impact for the people that we serve. So the humanitarian reset started before the UN 80 initiative. And perhaps it's fair to say that the new humanitarian compact is can be seen as how the UN will deliver their part on the humanitarian reset. But the reset, of course, includes the whole humanitarian ecosystem. It includes both international and national civil society and NGOs, and it has localization as a very important part of the agenda. So I don't know if there is anything more to be said about how the, or what parts of the reset are now being operationalized through the compact, but if there is anything more to say, we will listen eagerly. My second comment is about the humanitarian compact because also the compact includes several elements that needs the collaboration of partners outside the UN system. Amy Pope mentioned the humanitarian data collaborative, which indeed was developed in consultation with a full range of humanitarian partners. And also the collaborative humanitarian diplomacy initiative has been mentioned and we would be generally interested in more on how this will proceed. Now as we have heard and understand the UN humanitarian agencies are really taking the lead in the UN system on the integrated supply chains and the common services. And I think for this to be successful and effective and efficient, other UN agencies should also sign up and make use of this new way of working. So here comes the question. What is the expected timeline with the supply chain initiative, both on procurement and global and in country logistics? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. Madam

Chair, we thank the UN Secretariat for the organization of today's briefing. I turn to package two. The reforms which have been proposed on the humanitarian track are in line with the humanitarian reset which is underway by OCHA. In this connection, we do not see any particular need to introduce into the UN lexicon a new concept, a new notion, the new humanitarian compact. in parallel with the already existing humanitarian reset and the UNAD initiative. Excessive number of conceptual frameworks may sow confusion, and they may dilute the substance and the content of reforms. Turning to action 20, we support the aim of standardization of humanitarian statistics and ensuring data comparability. in order to adopt substantiated decisions. At the same time, we believe that the question of verification of data in the document has been entirely left unaddressed. And this, in our view, is a very important and a very sensitive issue. Accuracy of information directly affects the credibility. of the U.N. system. For this reason, we request that this element be more clearly taken into account moving forward. Turning to actions 22 to 2025 -- 22 to 25, indeed, we see potential in a clear division of responsibility and labor among the humanitarian structures of the United Nations system. However, the specialized agencies, funds, and programs have their own leadership bodies. We believe that secretariat decisions should not run counter to the positions of member states in these structures. Turning to action 16, which is related to the goal of simplifying and unifying the mechanisms for humanitarian plan preparation and accountability procedures, we have a question. How does OCHA plan to reduce the volume of documentation and to simplify accountability if a number of major donors, on the contrary, are introducing additional demands related to accountability? Do you not see contradiction here. For package 17, we believe it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the consequences of the unification of scientific research and academic institutions. The UN Secretariat would be well advised to present to member states not just the anticipated benefits of the reduction of duplication and reduction in cost, but also an analysis of potential risks. It is also feasible to conduct a broader analysis of scientific and recent research structures for the entire system. It is important to take into account the factor of geographical accessibility and to leverage to the greatest possible extent the existing infrastructure. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia, followed by Romania and the United Kingdom.

Madam President, I thank the Under-Secretary-General and the briefers for their updates. Malaysia appreciates the ambition underpinning the UNAT initiative as we have heard from the briefers. Allow Malaysia to briefly respond to the presentations. On the humanitarian track, Malaysia notes the scale of need highlighted in the global humanitarian overview and the push to simplify planning processes under the humanitarian reset. The approaches outlined by the Executive Director of UNICEF are pragmatic steps forward. If implemented well, improvements in logistics and supply chain can free up more resources to help those in need. We also agree with the speakers before us that reforms must remain strongly guided by humanitarian principles and respect for international humanitarian law. Better coordination of agency roles and stronger humanitarian diplomacy should support clear mandates and clear lines of responsibility. We welcome continued clarity and more information on how impact will be measured and how savings will be quantified. Moving on to training and research, Malaysia sees merit in the proposed consolidation efforts. Greater alignment across training and research functions can strengthen coherence and financial sustainability. A clearer knowledge to practice continuum linking research outputs more directly to capacity building for member states would be a welcome outcome. However, these reforms must ensure that governance oversight by member states remain in place. The phased approach outlined in the briefing pack, including consultations with governing boards and member states, is therefore important. Still on training and research, Malaysia would appreciate further information when it is available on the risks during the transition, the impact on staff, the expected cost and savings, and the safeguards to ensure fair geographic representation and access for developing countries. Madam President, in closing, we look forward to engaging in a transparent and inclusive process. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.

Thank you, Madam President. In addition to the points made by the European Union, I would like to add a few points. I have to say that if there's the spirit animating the conversation on these work streams, I'm very confident that we can reach a good point. I very much like the energy of the speakers, heads of the organizations, and the input that they provided is very useful. It's not only the input, but it's also the mindset, which is very much welcome and something that I think member states can work with. I also want to note the important timeline that the UAG rider provided. It's an important timeline that I think we see merits in member states sticking to that timeline throughout the remaining of the session. Now, on the two specific packages that we discussed, humanitarian action is among the most impactful areas of the work of the UN on the ground and that's a starting point. The new humanitarian compact, if adequately defined, has indeed the potential to shape a more predictable, transparent, and accountable institutional architecture aligned with both the expectations of member states, but also humanitarian needs on the ground. We see the merits of bringing together and harmonizing services such as procurement and supply chains, with clarity on logistics, shared services and data, which can address not only financial savings in the system, but more importantly enhance the resilience through more uniform practice and service delivery models. We see the potential of these actions to generate efficiencies of scale, but at the same time safeguarding the important mandates that these organizations have and their proven added value. On training and research, we look forward to receiving additional information during the assessment phase of the proposed merger between UNITAR and UNSSC, and we're also interested in the proposal to create the joint coordination mechanism and the concrete manner in which this new structure will see the work of the two pillars. Now, the outcome of reform on this track is essential for analytical input and prediction, but I think it is also important that to keep in mind that all tracks of the reform, especially given the current efficiency focus, require highly skilled and capable staff, so I think this goes hand in hand with the overall effort of member states. In concluding, Madam President, Romania perceives the UNAT reform process as the opportunity to strengthen the UN system and support it to better deliver on its core mission. Reducing fragmentation and avoiding a siloed approach is the goal of program realignment, placing impact and service delivery as tangible deliverables. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Romania. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom, followed by Kenya and Sweden.

Madam President, thank you both to you and to the distinguished senior briefers who turned out in force today and provided us not only, as my Romanian colleague was saying, a really good sense of energy, but a really strong display of joined-upness, which I think we're looking to deliver as part of these efforts. Thank you very much for the very helpful update. Keeping Member States abreast of developments across the swathe of UNAT action plan is important, but I also know that it's challenging given how many different areas the work plan covers. We are keen to continue to work together to find the right forums and formats to maintain the regular flow of information. You covered a lot of ground today, so I will cover a few points. First, on the humanitarian compact, we strongly support that work and encourage continued alignment with the humanitarian reset, which, as we have heard today, is already having an impact on the ground. We also welcome what we heard today about the priority being given to common supply chains. We agree that that area is key, and we, and I am sure other member states, will be keen to continue to understand how the pilots are going, when this will expand beyond the five pilot countries and what the plan is for expansion beyond the humanitarian domain. At the heart of the humanitarian compact is the need for more and better interagency coordination, and we've seen really good evidence today of that joined-upness and that joined-up approach. And we certainly welcome reflections from the leaders that we've heard from though on how we can further incentivize and encourage joined-up working at all levels and in particular in country. On the shared platform initiative, we very much welcome the principle of more joined up working across the system supporting humanitarian coordinators and resident coordinators. We absolutely need to reduce duplication and streamline processes while preserving humanitarian principles, of course, and maximising impact. We're interested to hear more about how all this is progressing and also to understand the implications at HQ level for how OCHA and DCO will work together. Across UNAT efforts, notwithstanding our very strong support, we're keen, particularly in the humanitarian space, that a hyper prioritized approach doesn't end up disadvantaging marginalized groups, including women and girls, and their distinct needs and vulnerabilities do need to be considered throughout the process. Finally, on the training and research work package, the UK fully supports efforts to reform and streamline structures to strengthen delivery and maximize impact. and we stand ready to work with the UN and member states to drive forward this whole important initiative program of change, ensuring that the UN system is better equipped to meet the growing challenges of the years ahead. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya.

Thank you, Madam President. Kenya, thank you for convening this briefing and appreciate the update from the briefers. As UNHCR evolves from concept to implementation, Kenya supports reforms that enhance efficiency, accountability and coherence.

However, these reforms must safeguard effective mandate delivery.

On workstream one, the scale of post-appurishment already approved is substantial. During the fifth committee deliberations, Member States expressed concern regarding uneven application of reduction methodologies, limited disclosure of functional impacts, and insufficient clarity on mitigation measures. Those concerns remain relevant today. In this regard, before instituting further budget reductions or additional post-abolishment, there is need to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the cuts already approved. Such an assessment should examine the effect of mandate implementation across the three pillars, operational impact at country and regional levels, particularly in developing countries, and cumulative effects on critical support functions. Such an evidence-based review Further reduction risks becoming incremental austerity measures rather than strategic reform. Member states must be equipped to balance fiscal discipline with organizational score responsibilities. That is delivering on mandates entrusted by the assembly. Madam President, Kenya supports efforts to make humanitarian action more predictable. locally driven and sustainably financed as a host of refugees and a country facing recurrent climate related emergencies. We stress that humanitarian action must be linked to long term development and resilience building with equitable burden sharing and climate adaptation financing at its core. Finally, capacity development remains essential to multilateral effectiveness. Therefore, collaboration between the United Nations University and UNITAID should prioritize digital transformation, climate science, public finance management, and youth empowerment, particularly for the Africa structural transformation. Madam President, Kenya remains committed to reforms that strengthen the organization's while preserving effective mandate delivery.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Kenya and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sweden.

Madam President, Mr. President, sorry. Sweden aligns itself with the statement by the European Union and would like to add the following in national capacity. Sweden strongly supports the UNAT initiative and we were very pleased today to hear the UN entities engaging fully with a clear focus on the people that they serve. including effective delivery at country level. And key to all this, of course, is a strengthened resident and humanitarian coordinating system. We fully support the six objectives outlined in the new humanitarian concept. commend the Quint's pragmatic leadership to take the humanitarian system through these tumultuous times. Sweden would like to underscore three essential priorities. First, reform must press ahead at all levels, including for greater localisation, enhanced administrative efficiency, common services and upholding international humanitarian law. Second, competition between human actors in an increasingly constrained funding environment is not helpful. We were therefore very encouraged by the messages sent by briefers today. While increased multiyear commitments and sustained bilateral support remain essential, we encourage humanitarian actors to continue to look for synergies between each other and together with the private sector. Third, we cannot afford to lose sight of the normative issues in this process. Humanitarian action must remain firmly principled, with protection at the heart of a collective response. Mr President, Sweden helped lay the foundations of the humanitarian system over 30 years ago. Today, we see an urgent need for change, but we must never lose track of whom the system exists to serve, the hundreds of millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. Thank you.

I thank Nicole and Ambassador Fershtovich. And I'll give the floor now to the distinguished representatives of Thailand, followed by Armenia and the United States.

Mr. President, Thailand thanks the Under-Secretary-General and all the briefers. We commend the continued transparency of the UNAD process through these monthly briefings. Thailand appreciates the Secretary-General's UNAD initiative action plan. It shows how the UNAD work streams can be translated into action and ensure the reforms that are inclusive, balanced and forward-looking. For the UN to remain relevant, agile and truly fit for purpose, we support the work stream focus on scaling up common services and tackling duplication, fragmentation and administrative inefficiencies across the UN system. Mr. President, as host country of the Asia Pacific Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Thailand welcomes the new Humanitarian Compact. As funding falls far short of rising humanitarian needs, the urgency of reform is clear. We welcome the efforts to streamline humanitarian needs and response plans that deliver faster, cleaner, and more accountable support to the people. Talend underscores that any streamlining must uphold established humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law. We must also continue to empower national and local humanitarian actors so that they can maximize impacts and delivery of humanitarian needs on the ground. As a country committed to regional humanitarian cooperation through ASEAN and ESCAP, we believe that regional organizations contribute to global humanitarian response with local expertise and improve efficiencies. Thailand therefore encourages the UN to further enhance complementarities and collaboration with these regional organizations. On work package 17, Thailand also welcomes the vision of coherent two-pillar system of for the UN training and research. The current fragmented landscape with overlapping mandates and financial vulnerabilities weakens the system at a time when demand for learning and capacity development is growing. Mr. President, Thailand wishes to reaffirm that reforms must be member state led, transparent and inclusive, and the integrity of UN mandates must be safeguarded throughout. Thailand stands ready to engage constructively to advancing these reforms to ensure United Nations that is more coherent, more responsive, and truly united to deliver for all humanity it serves. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Thailand and now give the floor to Armenia.

Mr. President, we thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this informal meeting. We also express our appreciation to the briefers for their comprehensive updates regarding the new humanitarian compact and the training and research work packages. We welcome the progress achieved across the three work streams and the continued development of the UNAT initiative dashboard, which transparently reflects the reform logic underpinning each stream in a structured manner. We remain hopeful that the dashboard will soon evolve into a practical and user-friendly tool for delegations and the broader UN system, serving as a single, interconnected and mutually reinforcing platform. We reiterate our position that meaningful progress in international peace and security and sustainable development is linked to our collective ability to uphold fundamental human rights and advance the prevention agenda. While we share the vision of the new humanitarian compact to deliver faster and maximize impact, we emphasize that the proposed measures must be fit for purpose in strengthening the human rights pillar of UN, including through adequate financing and human resources. From the outset of the reform process, Armenia has advocated for more integrated approaches aimed at eliminating unnecessary mandates, avoiding duplications and fostering synergy between normative and operational work. In this regard, we note with interest that the proposed improvements under the training and research work package seek to enhance efficiency, strengthen policy impact, promote more effective resource utilization and reduce duplication. Knowledge and practice are inherently interlinked and mutually reinforcing. For long-term result-oriented outcomes, capacity building, technical assistance, and the sharing of expertise with Member States should remain central priorities. At the same time, it is essential to recognize that Member States must take their decisions on reliable data, sound expertise, and rigorous analysis. We therefore trust the proposed mergers and institutional alignments will preserve the integrity and further strengthen the quality of this important pillar. And I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative for Armenia. And now I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United States, followed by Japan and Pakistan.

Thank you, Chair, and thanks to all of our briefers today. The United States strongly supports the humanitarian pillar of reforms under UNAD, as well as related reform processes under the humanitarian reset. However, while we support these processes in general, we reject the branding of these reforms as a quote new humanitarian compact. This language serves only to distort and confuse as to the nature of the reform. We strongly recommend that the UN give up on this needless attempt at branding a subset of reforms. And while we are pleased with the overall direction, we are disappointed that the briefing materials for today's meeting enumerated several tangible actions that are plainly intangible. By the time of the next meeting, we expect briefing materials to provide specific, measurable information to include timelines of when each action began and is expected to end, which specific entity will take the action, and estimated cost savings associated with the action. We also expect more frequent updates on the status of reform efforts. The United States is particularly supportive of integrated global and crisis-level humanitarian supply chains. We are closely monitoring the pilot implementation of integrated supply chains in the five crisis contexts. We look forward to receiving more information on the timeline of the pilot's implementation and how those pilots are being evaluated. If formal evaluation reports are produced, we will expect copies to be shared with Member States. On the humanitarian data collaborative, we believe this is an important and overdue reform. We hope it will build on lessons of past humanitarian data sharing arrangements We request a focused briefing on this subject at the end of June, when the project plans to transition to its next phase, and more details on how collective financing will support shared data and reduce duplication across the system. The UNAD collaborative humanitarian diplomacy initiative is also currently too vaguely presented in the briefing materials, and we'd like to hear more about this process. We are curious to know how will changing coordination processes yield meaningful change for people affected by crisis? And how is this reform under UNAD different from the analogous reform under the humanitarian reset? Lastly, while we welcome the effort to align roles and responsibilities, there is similarly nothing presented in the briefing materials to shed additional detail. Telling member states the agency's funds and programs will simply continue to do this alignment is not enough. We expect much more thorough information that outlines in specific measurable terms how functions or programs that are deemed duplicative are either being phased out or being justified for retention. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United States, and I'm going to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan.

Thank you, Mr. President, and also I'd like to express our appreciation to all distinguished for the informative briefings. I would like to take this opportunity to make a couple of comments before the issue on the issues before us. With regard to restructuring process, first I would like to reiterate that the process should proceed in the transparent manner that ensures appropriate member states engagement and adequate information sharing. From this perspective, today's monthly briefing is very much appreciated. And also, I would like to see the early issuance of SCG's consolidated report mentioned by Mr. Guy Ryder. Second, among the many work packages, identified under work stream three, there are some work packages where the future decision making process involving the member states appears relatively clear, for example UNDP, UNOPS or UN Women and UNFPA. These organizations have their own governing bodies in which member states can participate. However, there are also work packages which involve UN entities which don't have such governing bodies. So for the latter in particular, I'd like to request more clarifications regarding how the decision-making process will involve member states. With regard to the new humanitarian compact, Japan welcome this compact, it will strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian aid. At the same time, Japan has been providing humanitarian assistance through international humanitarian organizations, mainly on the project basis, emphasizing speediness and effectiveness. I would like to stress the importance of the continuation of project focused aid by donors. I thank you.

I thank you, the distinguished representative of Japan, and I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan, followed by France and Liechtenstein.

Thank you. We appreciate the updates provided today by the briefers and have the following comments. First, we welcome the update provided by USG Ryder that a consolidated report will be provided in the next briefing. This is something that which will include milestones. This is something that we have asked for previously and we appreciate the responsiveness to that request. Second, we acknowledge the scale and complexity of global humanitarian needs and the importance of improving operational efficiency. Hence, the various measures outlined today, such as integrating supply chains, Scaling up common services and clarifying divisions of labor among agencies are welcome. At the same time, ascertaining specific progress in implementing these measures seems a little abstract. So a progress report or perhaps specific case studies on implementing some of these ideas would be helpful for future briefings. Lastly, efficiency is not an end in itself. Any restructuring should demonstrably reinforce field level delivery, protect core humanitarian mandates, and ensure that frontline host countries are better supported. Humanitarian action must also be linked to longer term solutions, and we agree with previous speakers that it must continue to be guided by well-established humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law. On the proposed mergers, uh, we agree with previous speakers that there should be a comprehensive assessment of potential savings, risks, and safeguards, uh, for ensuring geographical representation. separately, we remain deeply concerned that proposals under work stream 2 have become increasingly focused on mandate rationalization rather than enhanced efficiency and implementation. While the new revised draft is a step in the right direction, we remain concerned about its excessive focus on mandate review rather than enhancing mandate implementation. Lastly, we reiterate that the entire UNAT process must remain member state led, transparent and inclusive, and we urge a balance between the desire for speed versus ensuring that reform is well thought out and sustainable. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

And I give the floor to the distinguished representative of France. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Guy Ryder. And all of the High Commissioners, General Directors, Executive Directors and representatives of humanitarian organisations. My first comment, the humanitarian part of the UN is the most visible and most widely expected part of the organisation. It's the face of the UN solidarity and as a result it's absolutely essential for the reform to succeed in this area. And France applauds the efforts the priority efforts made by Tom Fletcher and the whole of the humanitarian team to make headway in that direction. Our second comment, we absolutely must preserve the efficacy of this humanitarian system that saves lives on a daily basis and that provides to the most vulnerable people affected by the worst conflicts relief, the relief they need and the ability to overcome ordeals. Without humanitarian action, we'd see straight away millions of people in absolutely desperate situations. Our third comment, we are fully aware that the financial situation is leading us to contradictory injunctions. First of all, we would like to ensure that the humanitarian coverage isn't reduced, but we also are trying to do more with less so first of all we want more coherence between the different agencies and on the other hand we are fully aware that each agency has its own specializations has its own personality and is often based on its own treaties and must therefore as a result remain perfectly identifiable what's more we are also fully aware that there may be some contradiction between on the one hand more demands for less bureaucracy and less procedure and on the other hand having agencies remaining present on the ground. So having said that I wanted to just confirm from support to the different approaches that have been presented to us. Rationalisation, which means we need to redefine the overall view of what the humanitarian impact of the UN needs to be in crisis zones. And second, our support to the idea of integration. We mentioned supply chains and support functions. And thirdly, our support to the common fund, the common countries fund. And finally, the idea of prioritizing local action and reducing as much as

France's microphone has been cut off, say the interpreters. The President thanks France and now gives the floor to

Liechtenstein, followed by Indonesia.

President, our thanks to the PGE for the convening of this informal meeting and our thanks to the briefers for their presentations on the work they have done under work stream three, in particular on new humanitarian compact under work package two and on training and research under work package 17. Liechtenstein expresses our strong support for the new humanitarian compact and the humanitarian reset, which have the potential to significantly reduce duplication and fragmentation at the country level. Liechtenstein welcomes the proposed measures to simplify the humanitarian program cycle, empower resident and humanitarian coordinators, reinforce localization, strengthen integrated planning across the humanitarian development peace nexus, and further scale common supply chains, shared services, data, and humanitarian diplomacy efforts. We also support efforts to align the responsibilities of UN system entities given programmatic overlaps across key areas, including in food security, mobility and displacement, beneficiary data, and health and nutrition. President, we recognize that much of the work being done in Workstream 3 is ultimately the product of mandates that the UN system has been given. whether in the form of resolution or through other agreements between system entities and donors. Member States carry the responsibility to draft mandates in a manner that avoids fragmentation and duplication across entities and provide sufficient clarity for implementation. At the same time, the Secretary-General should make full use of his existing authority and resources to guide implementation in ways that promote system-wide coherence. We hope that our ongoing efforts in workstream two, in particular on mandate implementation, can have benefits for the UN's humanitarian work. President, as work package two advances the integration of supply chains, logistics and common services across the humanitarian system, it also presents an opportunity to reflect on the fragmentation of donor funding flows, particularly given the primary reliance on voluntary contributions for the UN's humanitarian work. Funding is at present often channeled through multiple unaligned streams with the resulting potential to undermine the efficiencies the humanitarian reset seeks to achieve. We would therefore be interested to know whether the humanitarian reset and the new humanitarian compact could lead to more collective or coordinated modalities for approaching donors and how closer cooperation between humanitarian entities and donors can be fostered in practice, including with the support of member states. Finally, we would like to reiterate that consolidation should not mean eliminating specialised technical expertise but eliminating duplicative administrative processes and parallel delivery systems so that agencies can contribute effectively and ensure limited resources are used strategically to meet actual needs.

I thank the distinguished representative of Estonia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia, followed by Ireland and Egypt.

Thank you, Mr. President. Our delegation wishes to begin by thanking all distinguished briefers for their updates on respective work package within the UNAT initiative framework. Indonesia appreciates the strategic focus on strengthening operational efficiency and coherence across the humanitarian as well as training and research areas. Indonesia welcomes the direction of the reform to deliver faster, leaner, and more accountable support and to maximize impacts. We encourage more focused planning and sharper response frameworks, as well as practical streamlining that reduce administrative burdens and free up capacities for delivery. We also wish to underscore that the realignment and mergers shall maintain the high quality of delivery and vital institutional memory, which are essential for effective mandate implementation. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, Further, on the humanitarian aspect, we wish to emphasize two points. First, we support the direction to make humanitarian actions locally led and internationally supported. Assistance should be grounded in local context and culture with sustained attention to the protection of women and children. Indonesia also views investment in local capacity as a key component of building resilience where stronger local responders and institutions are better equipped to anticipate, prepare for, and withstand shocks. Second, on humanitarian diplomacy, we welcome stronger coherence under emergency response coordination to defend principles and enable delivery on the ground. They require consistent, collective, and principled engagement that protects humanitarian space. We therefore support stronger advocacy for safe and unimpeded access and consistent protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel. This resonates with Indonesia's emphasis on strengthening respect for international humanitarian law. Across these areas, predictable and flexible financing remains essential. Indonesia therefore supports efforts to broaden and diversify the funding base, including by exploring non-traditional sources. Mr. President, to conclude, Indonesia remains steadfast to contribute actively to the UN ACT initiative process, and we look forward to the future briefings. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland, followed by Egypt and Italy.

Mr President, thank you, distinguished colleagues. We align with the statement of the European Union and its Member States and make the following in our national capacity. I wish to thank today's high level briefers for their valuable presentations and for your leadership on these important reform efforts. Uh, we see the strengthening, uh, of the delivery and coherence, especially at the country level, um, through the empowered resident coordinators and humanitarian coordinators as essential. and it has been very useful indeed to learn more about the UN planning for simplified practices, for digital transformation and also the streamlined training and research that we heard about today. Against a backdrop of conflicts multiplying, humanitarian workers facing continuous attacks and international humanitarian law under attack itself, Ireland again firmly reaffirms the importance of a strong rules-based multilateral system with the UN its core and, as others have said, with humanitarian principles protected. We welcome the efforts to design a more efficient humanitarian system that is lighter, faster, less bureaucratic and which targets the most severe crises and populations based on need and wish to thank USG Ryder for your leadership in that regard. Bringing together and aligning the different UN agencies mandates and roles is a key step to promoting efficiencies and avoiding duplication. The streamlining of humanitarian needs and response plans is a welcome ambition, allowing humanitarian actors to spend more time on response delivery and less on reporting and coordinating. A question we would have is whether you think including a chapter in these plans on the required common and enabling services to deliver the responses would be useful. And finally, in the context of the humanitarian reset, Ireland maintains the centrality of providing core funding to UN agencies to deliver their core humanitarian coordination roles. We're also strong supporters of CERF country-based pool funds. And the question is, how can the UN funding compact, which we've all agreed, best support the new humanitarian compact? What more do we need to do in that regard? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative for Ireland. And now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt. You have the floor.

Colleagues, the figures represented today from the Global Humanitarian Overview make a clear case that humanitarian action is operating under extraordinary strain at a time of multiplying conflicts, intensifying disasters, and a deliberate campaign against international humanitarian law in certain parts of the world. This necessitates not only more action, but a better, faster, and more coherent global humanitarian response from the organization to meet these increasing demands. We take note of the ambitious new humanitarian compact under the UNAD framework aimed at maximizing impact through strengthening deficiency, coherence, and operational effectiveness. We see merit in the streamlining of humanitarian needs and response plans as shorter and sharper planning instruments as envisaged under the humanitarian reset can reduce administrative burden and redirect energy towards delivery and actual impact on the ground. However, this must not come at the expense of inclusivity and national ownership. Host governments must remain central to needs assessments, prioritization, and implementation frameworks. In addition, no matter how coherent and efficient the humanitarian response is, it must be funded through more predictable and sustainable funding streams. We also attach importance to action 17 on integrating global supply chains. which account for up to 70 to 75% of the operational expenditure. Hence, efficiency gains would translate into significant savings that could mean additional resources. We believe that regional procurement and increased reliance on local vendors would contribute greatly to this effect. We underline the importance of action 21 on collaborative humanitarian diplomacy under the coordination of the emergency relief coordinator at a time when humanitarian access is increasingly constrained at times even deliberately under attack, strengthened and coherent diplomatic advocacy in defense of humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law is indispensable. Such efforts must remain grounded in neutrality, impartiality, and independence while respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. Lastly, I would like to underscore the importance of these briefings in keeping Member States updated on the developments on Workstream 3, given the complexity and enormity of this undertaking. I also commend the early circulation of the relevant briefing notes ahead of the meeting and call upon the Secretariat to continue this practice and to avail these briefing notes through the online UNAT actions platform. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt and now I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy aligns itself with the EU statement and wishes to add brief remarks on its national capacity with reference to the training and research clusters. First of all, I would like to thank the UNODC Rector and the UNITAR Executive Director for their extensive and very interesting remarks. We support the search for more synergies in training and research. The consolidation of existing structures in two pillars, one dedicated to training and the second to research, topped by a light joint coordination mechanism, represents a very positive step. Specifically on the envisaged merger between UNITAR and the UN System Staff College, we welcome the assurances regarding the merger, in particular on preserving the content of respective mandates. Furthermore, in our opinion, the following points should be taken into account. This summer, the facilities of the college in Turin will be renovated thanks to a financial contribution by Italy. Among other things, new classrooms will be created. The campus in Turin is a unique location in the UN system, hosting other UN entities in the field of training and research, UNICRI and the International Training Center of the ILO, and thus creating a very positive knowledge sharing environment. The Staff College, as a light staff structure, is an interagency entity and its budget is almost entirely dedicated to training activities. This entails a sound, solid financial situation for the college, which is not dependent on external donations. Mr. Chair, Italy is really willing to accompany the merger project also by continuing to fully support the activities and the mandates of the UNCC. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Thank you, President. We thank you for calling this new informative meeting on the UNAT initiative. Furthermore, we thank the briefers for their exhaustive briefings and the material circulated in advance on the material discussed today. We underscored that in order, in the exercise of strengthening the efficacy and efficiency of the operation of the UN system, we must ensure that we respect the principles of humanitarian assistance and the mandate of the agencies involved, the actors involved, as several panelists underscored. We also underscored that given the current global challenges, we need an agile humanitarian response with maximum impact. This is something that is being hindered by the lack of financial resources the humanitarian system is operating with. In this regard, we believe that it's important that these proposals are focused on better use of the resources allocated to humanitarian assistance. In this regard, we would be grateful for more information on collective financing and whether any options for collective financing have been identified on a national and global level in order to sustain the cooperation being proposed. When it comes to the collaborative initiative for diplomacy, we would like more detail, if they are available, on how this implementation would work, bearing in mind the diversity of the thematic areas involved. We reiterate the commitment of the Cuban delegation to the advancement of the UNAT initiative. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba, and now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Senegal.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Chairman, we thank the Under Secretary General, Mr. Guy Ryder, and other heads of entities for the quality of their briefing, their briefings, which reflect a shared commitment to the implementation of this initiative and the action plan. This exercise reflects the need for inclusivity and transparency in the process, whose success will depend on the ability to make a paradigm shift a reality while preserving mandates and improving our intercross-pillar approach while reaffirming our principles of action. My delegation wishes to stress a few points in this regard. With respect to the new humanitarian compact, we support various statements about the importance of a light being shed on the compact and the humanitarian reset, which was launched. These efforts at convergence are necessary to ensure coherence of the humanitarian initiative, which we support. Senegal also supports the efforts undertaken by the briefings for humanitarian needs to remove administrative burdens, to have a unified approach implemented on the ground through integrated supply chains, as well as through enhanced interoperability, as well as the pooling of resources. My delegation also highlights the importance of this unified approach for it to enhance the nim- agility and ability of the humanitarian system to reflect a specific context and their ability to pref- to protect those who are most vulnerable. Uh, the, uh, more detailed information during the process will put us in a position to grasp the real impact on the ground, beginning with the countries, uh, which as a matter of priority need intervention. We highlight the importance of ownership of these paradigm shifts by non-UN stakeholders. governmental and non-governmental stakeholders alike. We welcome information about the initiatives that will be conducted by the various entities in their countries of deployment. Lastly, for package 17, we closely followed the briefings from UNITAR and the other entity. I highlight the importance of implementation on the proposals in the package. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Senegal, says the Chair.

For giving the floor to the interveners. We have Okay, there's someone else.

I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you very much for this important and informative meeting and for the information received. For my part, I'm going to voice some words on the humanitarian aspect that Mr Fletcher informed us on. Spain supports the reform initiative, the UNHCR reform initiative and the humanitarian reset led by OCHA in order to increase the impact and efficiency and safeguarding the different functions, the normative roles and achieving the UN Charter, we support the humanitarian reset vision to develop and apply a sustainable, holistic and inclusive vision of the humanitarian system geared towards having an impact on the ground, providing international protection and support that draw on unique value, specialised mandates and the different responsibilities of the different UN agencies and humanitarian partners. The reset must strengthen humanitarian action that is based on principles in line with international humanitarian law, human rights norms, and gender equality, inclusion, and diversity values. We urge OCHA to ensure that adequate resources are allocated in line with these principles. We also support the issue of the localization of humanitarian action that has been raised by several delegations throughout this meeting. both through direct financing to local actors and civil society with a specific focus on women's organizations to strengthen the role of local stakeholders in decision-making. The humanitarian system must be accountable, have clear parameters in order to provide a humanitarian response that involves and empowers local actors. Reduction to humanitarian financing must pay attention to the specific needs of women. I must also underscore our concern over the constant questioning of human rights that are internationally recognized and attempts to undermine global and national efforts to provide access to sexual and reproductive health services in this context. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain, says the President.

To the interveners, I want to thank everybody to just keep the introductions and statements within the time frame. That's a sign of respect to all the colleagues and I hope that we can put this rule trend in the General Assembly Hall. So now I invite Mr Tom Fletcher to provide observations on the interventions made by delegations. Mr Fletcher, you have the floor.

Many thanks indeed and thank you colleagues for such an excellent set of feedback and questions. And thank you to Romania and others for recognizing the energy that we certainly feel as a collective group and to many of you for recognizing the way that we are operating as that single unit as we pioneer these reforms. I will leave Ted, Matthew, Kelly maybe to come in on supply chains and procurement where they have done more work than anyone on the detail of that. I've picked up four things which I'll touch on that you've raised. Firstly, we had a number of questions around the overlap, the alignment between the humanitarian reset, which is an exercise led across the IASC and as Norway and others recognized, predated UNAT and of course the new humanitarian compact which is a centerpiece of UNAT and I heard and noted the concerns from the US and Russia and others on the nomenclature of the compact. Some big themes which are part of the reset but also apply to UNAT. One is the increase in focus on pooled funds. The EU started with this. My personal target is to get half of funding through pooled funds and to make sure that 70% of that funding moves to local organizations. But we're a long way from that. And the sector is moving in that direction, but we've got to be careful to move at the right pace. We've just recently had a big US investment in the pooled funds, which is helping us in that direction. Second big part of the reset that several mentioned is empowering HC's. I heard this in the EU from Sweden, Ireland and many others. Vital, vital part of this exercise. And I would argue a vital part of UNAT more broadly. I think we need really strong empowered country representatives, whether they're HC's or HC's and RC's or just RC's. And I've just come from South Sudan where we have an outstanding humanitarian coordinator. Another big theme is localization mentioned by Belgium, Norway, many others. You asked how do we support localization? One way is to increase the authority of humanitarian country teams and humanitarian coordinators. And we're doing that through increasing the amount of money that goes through the pooled funds. Another way, and we've seen a lot of change in the last six months, is to get more local organizations onto those country teams. not just as add-ons, an extra meeting at the end of the main gathering, but actually in the room helping to make those decisions about funding. We're getting more local organizations onto the IASC principles group. And our next meeting, we've decided we'll have that expanded engagement. And again, back to the pooled funds, the more money that's going through the pooled funds, the more you empower local organizations. 100% of our last Sudan allocation went to local organizations. the last 60 percent over half of all the pooled fund allocations have gone to local organizations. This is tangible, tangible change. Also for the reset, a number of people mentioned the importance of planning prioritization and that's why we've put so much emphasis on the global humanitarian overview which I launched in December based on data and expertise from the field. Lichtenstein and others mentioned the importance of that. And finally on the reset, several said, this cannot be a technocratic exercise. The same applies to UNAT, of course. It's going to be about reimagination. And that's why I welcome the question from Australia on artificial intelligence. For me, that means making sure the algorithm is more humanitarian than humans. It means an emphasis on multipurpose cash, on responding to the consequences of climate shocks. And I'm grateful to so many countries in the room, member states in the room, for backing the emergency fund. Reimagination and innovation cannot just be top down. It's about encouraging risk, encouraging the space for innovation. Second big theme you raised is around what we famously call the nexus between humanitarian and development work. Norway, UK and others raised this. It gives me a chance to mention the strategic platform initiative that Amina Mohamed as DSG and I are co-chairing, which is looking at common appraisals. actually quite a radical change within the UN. Common services across not just humanitarians, but beyond into the development partners, common locations. As part of this, several people mentioned OCHA DCO and OCHA HCR coordination. As part of this, more OCHA and DCO offices will be co-located. We have a big focus on that. I think Germany raised that point. And of course, the more you build up HC's, the more you build up RC's, and these are of course the same person. And so building up those individuals is a great way to ensure that synergy. Thirdly, humanitarian diplomacy raised by Australia, the EU, many others. This isn't, we're not inventing something new here. So to give you three examples from this week, I was doing humanitarian diplomacy in South Sudan on Monday, which opened up new access routes to Jonglei across the fighting. And we got convoys through today of lifesaving food. I was doing Humanitarian Diplomacy Day on the Kordofans, trying to get us access to areas that are cut off. And Humanitarian Diplomacy Day on Goma, trying to get us more protection. Humanitarian diplomacy is also about trying to get the NGOs access to Gaza, for example. And it's about making sure that we coordinate our visits among humanitarian leaders. So we're not all going to Sudan in the same month, and we're not neglecting other crucial crises. We're doing it in two ways. And I really believe we should not create some huge, great new cross UN, across member state, across UN humanitarian agency mechanism on this. We have a working level group for exchanging information among the agencies. And I chair a principals meeting every couple of weeks where we discuss the overall strategy to our humanitarian diplomacy. Finally, a number of member states raised issues around funding and accountability, key, key questions. And in a way, These constitute, I suppose, more than anything else, our asks of you as Member States. So, the Russian Federation mentioned donor demands increasing. Absolutely, we recognize why so many Member States are looking for more accountability in the system to their taxpayers for the generosity of the funding that we get, but these can be incredibly onerous. The more that we harmonize and simplify your demands of us, the more money we can direct to saving lives. I hope that our new accountability and impact teams will be one great way of doing that. Many of you raised Brazil's point about outcomes being essential. I completely agree. Efficiency only matters if it helps us save more lives. And we are going out there this year to save 87 million lives as part of this hyper-prioritized plan that's more than died in the Second World War. And what we're asking for that is $23 billion, less than 1% of what you will be spending collectively on guns and arms this year. So we need you to get behind us. I'm very grateful to the EU, the US, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and others who have already committed significant billion plus pledges to that hyper prioritized plan this year with others I know on the way. I do stress, though, that alongside pooled funding, we need funding for direct core funding for the agencies. And as Germany and others mentioned, the gold standard remains unearmarked multi-year funding. That is what we most ask for. And I note the commentary from many on the funding cuts that we face, and thank you for recognizing those funding cuts. I feel duty bound to not put that in the passive tense though. These are funding cuts by member states. These are not funding cuts happening outside beyond that. Irish colleague asked what more could you all do then? And the answer is please fund this plan, fund the programs and get behind the priorities that you've asked us to set. Just to close, I'm really grateful to you all for the clear support for the reset and the compact. Most of all, I'm very, very grateful for the unequivocal backing for principled, neutral, humanitarian action. These aren't just words. Really matters right now when our work is under such sustained attack. So thank you for that. Thank you for backing us on IHL. Thank you, Spain, the UK, and others who mentioned the importance of protecting work to protect women and girls. We are absolutely doubling down on that work, as I reassured our excellent colleagues on the UNFPA board last week. And thank you to Australia and others for their mention of the importance of protection of humanitarian workers. Please hold those to account who are killing us. Please don't kill us. And please think very carefully about arming those who are killing us. We'd be delighted to offer further briefings on data, on the timelines, on supply chains, on other details. But We really value this interactive session with you. We have lots of ideas to take away and we look forward to working with you in the spirit of close partnership to deliver genuine change swiftly that saves as many lives as we can. Thank you.

I thank Mr. Fletcher for extensive responding to the delegation's questions and now invite Ms. Michelle Giles-McDonough to reply to the observations of the delegations.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor, and I thank Member States for the important questions and the feedback, and for the opportunity to respond on Work Package 17. This has been a very important opportunity for us to hear Member States' expectations. There was one issue raised around action 72, which is the joint mechanism linking the research and training pillar that was raised by Australia, wanting to clarify UN entities that would fall under this action and to be assured that there would not be multiplication of mechanisms. And I just wanted to respond that there is a thorough mapping that is underway of all institutions and their work in training and research so that we have a comprehensive picture to take into the design of this joint mechanism. And that for the mechanism, we're prioritizing using existing infrastructure and doing everything not to create any new infrastructure, but just to ensure that we have a way to articulate and have a close loop between research, training, and action in the field. In terms of the merger, There are five main issues that were raised and before I go into that, I just want to assure because a number of Member States spoke to the need for transparent and inclusive consultations and also for timely information and I just wanted to assure that this has been prioritized and we will As the analytical process unfolds and more information becomes available, we will be in touch with US member states as well as with our respective boards and also bringing our staff, our colleagues along with us. In terms of the five issues, the first was a caution against an approach that was focusing on structures. And I wanna say here that we welcome the priority that member states placed in this discussion on putting priority on the core purpose and function rather than structure and the guidance given in this direction. In this regard, this is why we have taken an approach of a strategic design. aimed at maximising coherence, efficiency and impact, and in agreeing around the value to be created by undergoing such a merger. This has been our starting point and then to ensure that that frames the analytical process that is now unfolding. There is another issue around programme continuity for both the staff college and UNITAR. I also want to state here that the work of both entities is continuing unimpeded. Both institutions have clear strategies and annual goals, targets and related implementation plans. Work flow and deliverables are being monitored as per normal. Work continues as per normal while we work through this merger. There were questions around the future funding model, operating model and governance infrastructure that would be put in place. At this stage, it is too early to provide information on this. This is why we have structured the analysis in three phases. The first phase is an as-is phase, understanding what each institution is in order to inform future state options going forward. As we complete the analytical phase at the end of March, we will be in a better position to think about in what direction it leads us on funding, operating models and governance. There was an issue raised also about transition risks. And I also just want to say built into the analytical framework is a clear focus around analyzing transition risks and then looking forward at risk at mitigation measures toward designing also a transition plan that would be appropriate for day one readiness. And the final issue raised was around preserving local campus ecosystems raised by Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. And just to note the importance of that the full analysis will be conducted with a view to delivering the value foreseen in a single coherent learning engine. We will follow a rigorous approach to inform these future state options. And we're well aware of the value these different campus locations bring and how important they are in terms of the research to action interface that is vital to the work we deliver. And so as the analysis unfolds, we will keep all member states updated. Finally, the point around in delivering the services of this new learning engine that we keep geographic representation in clear view. And just to assure this has long been the practice of our entities, both geographic and gender representation are already a central focus and they will continue through to this merged entity proposal that we will provide. I want to thank Member States for the opportunity and for the feedback and guidance. And I just want to also use this opportunity to just express my gratitude to Rector of UNU as the co-lead on this work package, but also in particular to the teams at the UN System Staff College, who with whom we have been engaged in a very constructive and collaborative process and also to the wider team of UN entities who are supporting this merger, recognizing that a key feature of this central learn engine will be about scale and speed and how through a networked approach, we're able to also support the efforts of our colleague entities across the system in driving capacity, not only of our own teams, but of institutions and/or public officials on the ground in countries. Thank you so very much, Mr. President.

I thank you also, ma'am, for your explanations. Finally, I give the floor to Mr. Ryder. You have five minutes.

Thank you.

I won't need five minutes, Chair, you'll be pleased to hear. Firstly, President, I think that this monthly briefing is proving its worth. I think this has been a very valuable exercise and we look forward to continuing it in the months ahead. We get a lot from it and I hope Member States also find it worthwhile. My colleagues Tom and Michel have responded, I think, to the specific issues addressed the work packages before us today and I hope replied effectively for the fellow briefing entities. So it remains for me only to make two rather general points, President. Firstly, it's encouraging for us to see that we've been able to convey to you the sense firstly of energy and then of joined-up-ness in the way that we are conducting our work under UNAT across different entities and across the entirety of the system. That momentum and collective effort is fundamentally important to making UNAT work. It does not happen by accident. I think the Secretary General is consistently, continually injecting the energy into our efforts by insisting that UNAT is and must remain a strategic priority for him. And it's also promoted by the way we're organised. We have a steering committee that brings together the different principles responsible for different areas of UNAT. I think that all of that promotes the collective effort that has been on display today, the coherence and the common purpose. I want to make one more general point. Many of you have reiterated the importance of provision of information. You want clarity on the process and progress that is being made. In my initial comments, I already presented to you the intention of the secretary general to provide consolidated information in a single report. We will be working on that in the future, but of course, that is not the only instrument. We have this briefing as an opportunity to share information, and each lead of each work package under UNAT is very clear that they have responsibility to inform member states and to consult with you as we go along, depending on the nature of the work package in question. That is all that I wanted to say. I thank all those who have participated in today's briefing. I think that it has proven to be extremely valuable, as I said just now. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ryder. And the formal meeting of the plenary is now concluded. I thank delegations for their participation. I think we have been quite efficient and the meeting is adjourned. Thank you. So there is no language.