UN Transcripts — https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k19/k19ajx0e2m
Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on the UN80 Initiative - General Assembly, 80th session — General Assembly — 6 April 2026
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GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [0:01]:

Good morning.

I call to order the informal meeting of the plenary to hear briefing on the UN80 initiative.

I would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome all of you to this briefing.

I will now make a statement as a president of the General Assembly.

Under-Secretary-General, excellencies, colleagues.

Thank you for joining our regular briefing on UN80 initiative.

One year since the Secretary-General launched the process, we can already see how far this reform has advanced.

With the adoption last week of the landmark resolution on mandate creation, implementation and review for an efficient and effective United Nations,

we are moving from diagnosis to delivery towards a more effective and efficient UN.

Over eight decades, the UN has accumulated over 40,000 mandates.

While many remain essential, some are now inactive, outdated or duplicative.

Addressing this is not simply an administration exercise, it is about ensuring that our resources are aligned

with today's priorities and today's needs.

I therefore commend the membership once again for their proactive and principled engagement in this area.

As stated on Tuesday, my immediate priority is to appoint the two co-chairs of the ad hoc working group

on mandate implementation review, which is mandated to resume its work by May 1st, 2026.

I am committed to identifying strong, credible leadership and I look forward to receiving an initial progress update

before the close of this 80th session.

The success, dear excellencies, we have achieved in reviewing our mandates directly empowers the work

we are discussing today under workstream three.

By actively identifying where mandates overlap and where our efforts have become fragmented,

we now have the necessary evidence and data to tackle structural and program realignments across the UN system.

I thus look forward to today's briefing, which will address the potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA,

as well as developments on technology and data.

Before handing it over to our briefers, I would like to thank the Under-Secretary-General and his team again

for the timely preparation of the documentation for this meeting.

This includes a forthcoming comprehensive report on the UN80 initiative.

With this report in hand, it is likely we can expect an acceleration in both the pace and substance

of the UN80 initiative.

I therefore encourage all member states to remain actively and constructively engaged in the period ahead.

While some further decision may, or I should say should, be taken during this session,

implementation will extend well beyond it.

This will require sustained commitment, shared ownership and consistent follow-through.

Ultimately, our credibility and that what of the entire UN80 reform exercise will be measured

by the decisions taken here, so let us continue to push forward accordingly, jointly,

and with an aspiration of making this UN fit for purpose, serving the people we should serve on the ground.

I now give the floor to Mr. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy.

Dear Guy, thank you for being here today and thanks for the report.


UN Secretariat · USG Policy · Guy Ryder [3:17]:

Thank you very much, President, excellencies, dear colleagues.

Thanks for joining us for this third briefing this year, informal briefing to the General Assembly

on the UN80 initiative and, Madam President, we really appreciate the opportunities you're providing

to have these exchanges.

I'll turn in a moment to the main items in the agenda today, but first let me share with you

the main highlights of progress since we last met in this format on the 27th of February.

Since then, the Secretary-General has chaired a meeting of the UN80 Steering Committee, that was on the 25th of March,

and the UN80 Task Force has met no less than five times.

Colleagues, I want to begin by underlining the importance of the adoption by this assembly last Tuesday

of the resolution on mandate creation, implementation and review for an efficient and effective United Nations.

As noted then by the Secretary-General, this resolution is a critical building block,

translating the ambition of the UN80 initiative into concrete practical action.

It is a starting point, not an end.

But if implemented with determination, it can significantly enhance discipline, transparency

and coherence in the creation of evidence-based mandates, strengthen coordination and data-driven implementation,

and improve accountability throughout continuous results-focused review.

Sincere congratulations then to Ambassadors Wallace and Schwalger, co-chairs of the informal ad hoc working group,

for their leadership in achieving this very concrete outcome for workstream two of the UN80 initiative.

On workstream three, we have also made good progress. Over 80% of internal early milestones

defined in the work packages to be completed by February 2026 have been achieved,

and we intend to maintain that level of ambition as we move forward.

We're also advancing, and you've referred to it, Madam President, in the preparation of the Secretary-General's

consolidated report on all work packages which was announced at our last meeting.

This report is and will be a priority of our work in the coming weeks.

The objective of the report is to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of where we stand on each work package

and the pathways and timelines for their completion.

Note that this is not intended as a substantive analytical document on each work package,

but rather it is meant to help you navigate the next steps and decision-making processes ahead

by providing full visibility on all UN80 processes.

The report will also contribute to the next Chief Executive Board meeting in May, which will once again focus on UN80,

reflecting our leadership's collective commitment to advance the initiative's goals.

President, excellencies, building on your recognition of the role of civil society and in response to growing stakeholder interest,

a second civil society town hall on the UN80 initiative was held on the 25th of March.

The town hall underscored the importance of meaningful and sustained participation and recognized UN80

as a process that will shape the UN's ability to deliver, strengthening its impact and its credibility.

We will try to continue to expand opportunities for inclusive dialogue and collaboration.

President, excellencies, let me just turn briefly to the primary focus of today's session.

Work package four concerning UNFPA-UN Women merger assessment, work package 15 related to technology

and work package 16 centered on data.

Can I underline that we've listened carefully to your feedback on how to get the most out of these briefings

to the General Assembly.

As at our previous session, we have shared materials in advance to ensure that you have advance information

on each of these work packages to contribute to a productive discussion.

And we are pleased to have with us today the Deputy Secretary-General, who has been overseeing many of the work packages,

and seven principals from across the system, both in person and online, who are also acting as work package leads.

And I want to thank all of them for their ability and their engagement. It underscores the highest level commitment

to the initiative that we are undertaking. It involves the entire UN system.

Very briefly, work package four on UNFPA-UN Women merger assessment has a clear objective

to evaluate the potential of a more coherent and effective architecture that reduces fragmentation,

scales impact and ensures resources are focused on advancing gender equality

and the empowerment of women, girls and youth.

Work package 15 on technology aims to move the UN away from fragmented, entity-by-entity ICT solutions

towards shared services and to catalyze use of technology through a technology accelerator platform

to modernize how we work internally and how we serve you, our member states.

And finally, work package 16 on data seeks to ensure that member states and other stakeholders

have access to a single public platform that brings together priority data sets from across the UN system.

At its core is the development of interoperable, secure and future-ready structures, a UN system data commons,

enabling data to be more accessible, comparable and usable.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [10:00]:

And President, as you've indicated,

we are now entering the delivery-focused phase of our work,

building on the momentum generated by recent achievements,

including the resolution on mandate life cycles.

We will continue to engage closely with you,

listen carefully to the manner in which you wish the initiative to engage,

ensuring that our work remains transparent, inclusive, and responsive to your guidance.

And we look forward to reporting back with tangible progress,

including through the upcoming consolidated report,

and to continuing this open and constructive dialogue.

Thank you, President.

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Policy.

I now give the floor to Ms. Amina Mohammed,

Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,

with remote participation.


UN Secretariat · DSG · Amina Mohammed [10:54]:

Thank you very much, Madam President.

Excellencies, dear colleagues.

Thank you, Madam President, for your strong words at the beginning of this meeting

and the opportunity to update on the merger assessment of UN Women and UNFPA.

I have the pleasure of updating alongside our executive directors, Sima Bahous and Diane Keita.

I'd like to reinforce our efforts towards the aspirations of women, girls, and youth.

This is at the forefront of what we want to try to achieve as we go towards the 2030 Agenda.

UNFPA and UN Women have demonstrated their ability to deliver results consistently

for women and girls and youth over the decades.

But the context is evolving and complex.

The Decade of Action requires urgency and scale,

without which we will leave behind many women and girls in the digital era,

the declining job market, their right to agency.

So we know that the status quo is not an option.

Today is an opportunity to discuss how the UN system can further bring together its full complement

of expertise to women, girls, and youth.

And we'd like to share the initial findings of the merger assessment with you

before the detailed assessment is finalized.

The Secretary-General's proposal for a merger does create a unified vehicle

that brings together the collective muscle of the UN's gender expertise

with sexual and reproductive health and rights and populations.

It means a single entry that amplifies voices and rights of women,

and it delivers on the mandates with the depth and scale that is needed to fulfill our commitments.

It will continue to deliver a continuum of support

from our norms and values to program delivery.

It does mean much greater reach with the potential to combine support of the two agencies

to over 150 countries and territories.

For our partners, especially civil society,

this means a more coherent entry point, greater access, and amplification of their messages

of advocacy and the rights work in the last mile.

Excellencies,

the General Assembly has achieved this before.

You decided to transition from four separate entities into a single,

lead entity on gender equality and women's empowerment.

We have delivered better results in the decade

and continue to learn lessons that will address the gaps.

Building on the model used for the creation of UN Women and the evolution of UNFPA,

composite entity approach presented has the strongest potential to protect our mandates

and to ensure operational continuity

while strengthening delivery where it matters most.

I look very much forward to hearing the feedback today

as we continue the work on UN80. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [13:36]:

I thank the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

I now give the floor to Ms. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women.


UN Women · ED · Sima Bahous [13:45]:

Thank you. Thank you, PGA. Good morning, everyone.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates.

Thank you to the President of the General Assembly, Her Excellency Anna-Lena Baerbock,

for convening this discussion.

I also thank USG Guy Ryder for the overview

and the Deputy Secretary-General and my sister Diane for your partnership and support.

But most of all, I'd like to thank you all, member states, for your leadership and your engagement in this process.

Today, my sister Diane and I will present the preliminary findings

of the draft UNFPA-UN Women merger assessment prepared to support your deliberations.

At the Secretary-General's request, as you all know,

the assessment examines the potential benefits of merging UNFPA and UN Women

to create a stronger, a more unified voice and platform on gender equality and women's and girls' rights.

This assessment addresses a structural question rather than an institutional performance shortcoming.

Both entities deliver important results within their respective mandates.

The issue is whether, in a significantly changed geopolitical, operational, and financing environment,

a different configuration could better equip the UN system to translate globally agreed commitments

into more consistent and scalable and impactful results for women, girls, and youth.

Over the past decade, that context has shifted markedly.

Political contestation around gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and right has intensified.

Humanitarian needs affecting women and girls and young people have continued to grow.

At the same time, financing has become more constrained, more earmarked, and more concentrated.

The mandates of the two entities are complementary and are pursued through separate institutional frameworks.

As a result, achieving impact at scale for women and girls and young people

depends heavily on sustained coordination across institutional boundaries

rather than on unified institutional accountability, a demanding model, particularly under current pressures.

To support an evidence-based assessment of a potential merger,

several analytical documents have already been shared with you.

These include a set of frequently asked questions,

an as-is baseline analysis, and the preliminary findings document we are discussing today.

This has been a consultative, iterative, and evidence-based process,

shaped by engagement with member states throughout the second half of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026,

including in executive board sessions and through dialogues with civil society.

That engagement will continue, and member states will determine the path ahead.

The preliminary findings indicate that a unified institutional framework

through a creation of a composite entity modeled on the creation of UN Women

could bring together normative leadership and operational delivery.

The assessment concludes that a merger is technically feasible,

provided key conditions are met, including full protection of mandates and a sequenced transition.

Potential benefits include a stronger, unified global voice,

more integrated engagement with partners, and stronger humanitarian and crisis response.

This model could enable strengthened accountability across the full results continuum

while providing greater reach through an expanded physical footprint.

To this, UN Women would bring a modern, triple mandate comprising of normative leadership,

system-wide coordination, and operational programming, while UNFPA combines normative authority

with large-scale operational delivery on issues under its mandate.

As set out in General Assembly resolution 64/289,

UN Women was established by merging four entities into one composite entity with mandates fully protected.

Language in that resolution provides a useful pathway for member states' consideration.

Madam PGA, with this, I will pass to my sister Diane, ED of UNFPA,

to elaborate on preliminary findings and next steps, if I may. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [17:38]:

I thank the Executive Director of UN Women, and as already said,

I give now the floor to Ms. Diane Keita, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund.


UNFPA · ED · Diane Keita [17:47]:

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you so much, dear sister Sima, for outlining the progress to date and some of the preliminary findings.

Good morning, excellencies, dignitaries, and esteemed colleagues.

This model yields benefits for program countries' women, girls, and youth.

And the preliminary findings also identify that a unified institutional framework

could bring together normative leadership on gender equality, system-wide coordination function of UN Women,

and the operational delivery and capacity and expertise of UNFPA

as the United Nations system lead agency on sexual and reproductive health and rights and services.

Gender-based violence prevention and response,

including its critical role in humanitarian contexts,

as well as on population dynamics, demographic analysis,

and population data systems.

The functional overlap between the two entities is limited.

Related functions sit in separate institutional frameworks.

As a result, progress at scale for women, girls, and young people

depends heavily on sustained coordination across institutional boundaries.

Key opportunities identified include creating a stronger,

unified global voice, more integrated engagement with national partners,

and a stronger humanitarian response.

A consolidated entity could reduce fragmentation

and improve operational integration at the country level

across development, humanitarian, and peace contexts.

The assessment concludes that a potential merger is technically feasible,

provided required conditions are met.

These include the full protection of mandates and a carefully sequenced transition.

Phased sequencing and operational safeguards would be critical

to ensure continuity of life-saving services and core programming.

Of course, the assessment also considers risks.

The most sensitive risks concern the protection of mandates.

Safeguarding the integrity of mandates anchored in the Beijing Platform for Action,

the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action,

and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

is a foundational condition for any future institutional configuration.

As my dear Sima noted, the General Assembly decision establishing UN Women

sets out how a composite entity can be created while preserving mandates.

A second set of risks relate to operational continuity.

A potential merger of this scale is very complex.

Phased sequencing and explicit operational safeguards would be essential

to ensure continuity of delivery, particularly for life-saving services

and core program areas.

A further risk concerns funding volatility.

Both entities rely on voluntary contributions,

with high levels of earmarking and donor concentration.

The impact of institutional shifts on funding flows is unknown.

Transparent communication with donors, clear mandate continuity,

and dedicated transition financing would therefore be critical

to sustain predictable resource flows.

These risks are considered manageable through careful design,

phased implementation, stakeholder engagement, and transition financing.

Ultimately, this assessment is intended to support informed,

member state-led deliberation on how best to strengthen the system's ability

to deliver for women, girls, and youth.

We will continue to engage and consult closely with all member states,

including our respective executive boards and civil society partners.

The assessment will be presented to the General Assembly for its consideration and guidance.

Before I close, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Madam President of the GA

for convening this discussion, USG Guy Ryder,

thank the President of the Triple Board UNFPA, UNDP, UNOPS,

and above all, express my pride and my warm gratitude

to Madam Deputy Secretary-General and the Executive Director of UN Women

for the collegiality and our elegant and constructive leadership and partnership.

Excellencies, member states, we look forward to listening carefully to your views,

responding to your questions, and receiving your guidance on the way forward.

Merci.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [23:35]:

Thank you, I especially commend the elegant leadership,

and I thank for the very detailed reports of both of you,

thanking Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund,

again Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director,

and we are now moving on to another section of the briefings.

I now give the floor to Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin,

Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.


ITU · SG · Doreen Bogdan-Martin [24:03]:

Thank you, thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

greetings from Geneva. I am delighted to have this opportunity

to brief you on work package 15, technology.

I do have a PowerPoint, I hope you can see it.

As you may recall, in the Secretary-General's report on shifting paradigms,

accelerating technology was identified as a way to enable greater impact.

This work has been carried out by a team, and I do want to thank in advance

the chair of the DTN, the Digital Technology Network,

who is also the CITO of the Secretariat, Bernardo, a big thanks to you.

I also want to thank EOSG that has also been a partner in this effort.

Madam President, this work sits at the heart of enabling

the United Nations system to operate more efficiently, coherently,

in a coordinated way, and also to be a future-ready organization.

Let me start by briefly positioning this work package within the broader UN 2.0 effort.

So work package 15 is all about transformation through technology,

and it's structured around two complementary streams.

The first is system-wide ICT consolidation,

which focuses on strengthening and scaling shared services across the system.

The second, a system-wide technology accelerator platform,

which is designed to accelerate innovation and the deployment

of both digital and AI solutions.

Together, these streams address both efficiency in the core

and innovation at the edge.

The work is not isolated, of course, it directly connects to several other UN 2.0 priorities.

Work package 15 is closely linked to other system-wide efforts,

including just by way of example, I could probably argue

that they're connected to all work packages, but just by way of example,

work package 14, where it is an integral part of the unified services roadmap

to scale shared service across the system.

Also work package 2, the new humanitarian compact,

and work package 8, which is expertise on demand.

In these cases, we are accelerating technology solutions for this work.

These linkages ensure that technology is not treated as a standalone function,

but it actually enables system-wide transformation.

So let me now turn to the first pillar.

So we began our work with a system-wide ICT baseline assessment.

We managed to cover some 28 UN entities,

and actually that represents about 97% of total UN system expenditure.

This provides for the first time a comprehensive and evidence-based view

of how ICT resources are currently deployed across the system.

The results of this baseline, I think, are both significant and instructive.

The baseline confirms that the United Nations system spends

approximately $2.5 billion annually on ICT.

That includes around $1.4 billion on contracts

and between $1.1 and $1.2 billion on personnel.

This level of investment underscores both the strategic importance of ICT,

but it also underscores the opportunity to optimize how these resources are used.

However, it's not just about how much is spent, it's also about how it is structured.

The assessment shows that many core ICT services are largely similar across entities,

with high overlap in the types of services and persistent interoperability challenges

due to parallel systems. This fragmentation drives inefficiencies,

higher costs, and it limits our ability to scale innovation.

This brings us to the direction that we're exploring in terms of consolidation.

At this stage, we are assessing three potential models for

ICT consolidation.

The first is a single shared service provider,

the second a marketplace of providers across the UN system,

and the third is a pooled model across multiple shared service providers.

I would say based on the analysis so far, the emerging direction is towards a pooled model of providers,

so this sort of marketplace approach.

This approach allows us to leverage scale and to reduce duplication where shared services are practical,

while maintaining flexibility and choice across entities, also building on existing capacities, including institutions like the International Computing Center.

Importantly, this is not only about structural change, it's about delivering tangible system-wide benefits.

So reducing duplication in ICT services, lowering those unit costs, as I mentioned, improving interoperability, service consistency, resilience across entities,

and supporting a more coherent, connected technology backbone right across the UN system.

Over time, Madam President, this model is expected to enable a gradual but sustained shift towards stronger inter-agency collaboration,

while strengthening the maturity of core ICT services.

The final direction will be defined through service-level business cases, ensuring that any consolidation is both practical and also value-driven.

The second piece, and this is, let me say that the IT backbone optimization for cost and quality is not enough,

and this brings me to the second piece.

To stay fit for the future, we have to invest in enablers and AI capabilities.

With this direction in mind, I would like to briefly share with you how we're accelerating innovation through the Technology Acceleration Platform.

This piece builds on UN 2.0, and it's all about modernizing those business practices, scaling expertise, and guiding transformation towards better solutions.

To ensure better technology support and that it responds to real needs, we conducted a targeted survey.

I would say this exercise was quite consultative.

So we did a targeted survey of approximately 200 UN system leaders and experts.

This allows us to really ground the platform in actual demand signals from the country, regional, and country level, as I said, rather than just making assumptions.

The survey was also UN system-wide, it was a first, I would say, and I think the findings were quite clear.

The main bottleneck is not technology itself, but it's actually fragmentation first and foremost.

It's also funding constraints and it's governance complexity.

These systemic barriers prevent solutions from being implemented and scaled effectively across the UN system.

The TAP, Technology Acceleration Platform, phase one portfolio is designed to address fragmentation across the value chain.

We're looking at quick-win shared platforms, we're looking at toolboxes, we're looking at selective backbone enablers.

This will help to ensure that we are tackling both immediate needs and also structural constraints.

Let me just quickly highlight the initial use cases that have been selected.

The initial portfolio focuses on high-impact, scalable use cases.

So we're looking at AI for translation and conferencing, talent and expertise access platforms, beneficiary digital ID solutions,

something we've been talking about for quite a while, so those digital ID solutions, and these have been selected based on readiness, system-wide relevance,

and also the alignment with other UN 80 packages.

Importantly, TAP is not just about individual use cases.

Beyond individual solutions, our goal is to establish TAP as a sustainable system-wide mechanism for continuous innovation,

with top leadership support. It will capture ongoing demand signals, it will develop portfolio proposals, support implementation, and provide delivery oversight.

This creates a repeatable model to turn innovation into scalable system-wide impact.

And let me conclude, Madam President, with why this matters and what comes next.

In summary, the UN system's technology landscape is currently fragmented, it's costly and underpowered for today's demands.

Work package 15 addresses this through consolidation of our digital core and acceleration of innovation through TAP.

And together, these efforts will reduce duplication and cost, improve interoperability and resilience, and accelerate modernization straight across the system.

The next steps include refining the consolidation proposal, advancing TAP implementation, and continuing engagement with you, our member states and stakeholders.

With that, Madam President, I thank you very much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [34:49]:

I thank the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. I now give the floor to Mr. Li Junhua,

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.


UN DESA · USG · Li Junhua [35:00]:

Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.

It is a very delighted to have such an opportunity together with my colleague Catherine Russell to update you on the work package 16 on the UN Data Common.

We also prepared some PPT or slides to facilitate our presentation.

Please, first slide, please.

Member states need timely, trusted, and easy-to-use data to track SDG progress and shape the policy responses to interconnected development challenges.

While the UN system holds a wealth of productive data and official statistics, this information is often siloed across multiple platforms.

That makes data harder to find, compare, and to use, significantly limiting the benefits of today's artificial intelligence technologies could otherwise help to unlock.

Next slide, please.

That is exact problem the work package 16 is designed to address. We are advancing the UN System Data Common,

a single public platform that will bring together priority UN data and official statistics in one place.

This is especially important for sustainable development, which depends on insights drawn across sectors and institutions.

This is a broadly based effort to make the official UN data more useful, interoperable, and future-ready.

Guided by Statistical Commission and informed by the expertise of the network of the UN chief statisticians, this work builds on a foundation laid by years of strong inter-agency collaboration between DESA, UNICEF, and other partner entities.

Next slide, please.

Let me be clear on our scope and what it is not.

The Data Common is not about replacing existing agency platforms.

It is not about changing data ownership.

And it is not about humanitarian operational data.

It is about providing a unified data access portal for member states and other users while strengthening the data stewardship across the UN system.

And in this endeavor, we are already moving from vision to the action.

Since January, the principal of the 25 UN system entities have committed to contributing their data.

This is a broadest leadership backing we have ever seen in years for such an extensive effort.

Following a successful pilot, priority data sets are now being connected to the new platform.

At the same time, we are developing the institutional and technical foundations needed to sustain this effort across the system.

Crucially, the platform is built for the future. We are making the UN data AI-ready, enabling users to query data using natural language.

This will make it easier for policy makers and the public to find the information they need and to gain the insights they seek.

Next slide, please.

Looking ahead, we will continue to expand the Data Common, adding more data sets and enhancing its AI capabilities.

We will also work to ensure that the platform is sustainable and that it continues to meet the needs of member states and other users.

In conclusion, the UN System Data Common is a vital step towards a more data-driven and effective UN.

By bringing together our data and making it easier to use, we can better support member states in their efforts to achieve the SDGs.

Thank you, Madam President. I now give the floor to Catherine Russell.


UNICEF · ED · Catherine Russell [38:04]:

Thank you, Li. Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.

As Li mentioned, the UN System Data Common is a collaborative effort that builds on years of strong inter-agency cooperation.

At UNICEF, we are proud to be a part of this initiative, which will help us to better serve children and their families around the world.

Data is essential for our work. It helps us to identify the most vulnerable children, to track our progress, and to advocate for their rights.

However, as Li noted, our data is often siloed, making it difficult to get a complete picture of the challenges children face.

The Data Common will change that. By bringing together data from across the UN system, we will be able to see how different issues are interconnected.

For example, we will be able to see how poverty, health, and education are linked, and how they impact children's well-being.

This will allow us to develop more effective and integrated programs that address the root causes of the problems children face.

In addition to improving our own work, the Data Common will also be a valuable resource for member states and other partners.

It will provide them with the data they need to make informed decisions and to track their own progress towards the SDGs.

We are committed to working with our partners to ensure that the Data Common is a success.

We will continue to contribute our data and expertise, and we will work to promote the use of the platform among our partners.

In conclusion, the UN System Data Common is a powerful tool that will help us to better serve the world's children.

By working together and sharing our data, we can create a brighter future for every child.

Thank you, Madam President.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [39:42]:

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Executive Director of UNICEF.

I now give the floor to the representative of the United States.


United States of America · United States [39:56]:

Thank you, Madam President. The United States welcomes the updates on work packages 15 and 16.

The UN system data commons will empower users to take advantage of the modern technologies

to find the relevant data more easily and to draw the insights across the domains.

In practical terms, by September 2026,

users will have a single destination to access a broad range of the data

that are currently spread across the different websites.

This means less time searching and more time using trusted UN data and information

to accelerate the SDGs and to shape the policies.

UN DESA is proud to co-lead this shared effort alongside UNICEF and EOSG,

with the commitment of the partner entities across the UN family.

As the next step, we are working together to deepen and sustain this effort in coming months

to present the delivery in time. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [41:00]:

I thank the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

I now give the floor to Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund.


UNICEF · ED · Catherine Russell [41:13]:

Great. Thank you very much, Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues.

Thank you very much to Li, my incredible colleague here who has just demonstrated incredible leadership in this package.

Very grateful for that. As co-lead of the work package 16, UNICEF is very proud to work alongside you,

along Guy, and many partners across the UN system to help turn this shared vision into something practical, trusted and sustainable.

This new platform is a really important step. Alongside it, we are developing a joint program

that will help participating UN organizations work closely together on how public data and statistics are produced,

how they're structured, and how they're brought together. This is how we will help make the UN system data commons

not only useful at launch, but stronger and more sustainable over time.

In practical terms, the joint program is about pooling expertise, capacity and resources across the UN system.

It's about helping data from different organizations work better together.

And it is about improving how trusted data is organized, making it easier for everyone to use.

This matters in a fast-changing digital environment. Increasingly, governments, researchers and the public

use digital and AI-enabled tools to search for and interpret information.

Our shared responsibility is to help ensure that all these tools can rely on trusted data and statistics,

rather than on weaker or less reliable sources.

That means preparing our data so that it's easier to find, to interpret and to use accurately.

Focused on development data, this joint program is distinct from and complementary to the humanitarian data collaborative initiative,

which UNICEF also strongly supports. If we get this program right, member states and other users

will benefit from one place to find trusted data, and from a stronger foundation to keep that data reliable,

usable and relevant over time. Thank you very much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [43:13]:

I thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund.

I now open the floor for comments or questions. This meeting will not have a pre-established list of speakers.

Delegations wishing to take the floor are invited 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 a national capacity. Time limit will be strictly enforced through an automatic microphone cut-off.

A timer will be projected on screen. Those speaking on behalf of a group should approach the secretariat to be given priority in the speaking order.

As the first speaker, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China,

followed by Bahrain and Australia.


Uruguay · G77 + China · Uruguay [43:54]:

Thank you, Madam President. I have the honor to deliver this intervention on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The group appreciates the information on UNAT workstream 3 provided by the Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs. Amina Mohammed,

the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Mr. Guy Ryder, the Executive Director of UNFPA, Ms. Natalia Kanem,

the Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Sima Bahous, the Secretary-General of ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin,

the Under-Secretary-General of DESA, Mr. Li Junhua, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell.

The group wishes to request that the presentations as well as detailed information and analysis be provided to member states

in advance of these briefings in order to facilitate more substantive exchanges.

Taking into account the potential long-term institutional and country-level consequences of workstream 3 proposals,

which entails 25 work packages, the Group of 77 and China wishes to stress that adequate time is needed to assess implications.

In particular, any proposal should not lead to the dilution of development mandates, should strengthen delivery on the ground,

be objective, led by a data-driven, evidence-based approach, and be supported by cost-benefit analysis,

comprehensive risk assessments and adequate risk mitigation measures.

Regarding work package 4, the group takes note of the document entitled Preliminary Findings from the Strategic Merger Assessment of UNFPA and UN Women,

and will appreciate receiving the complementary information requested by the UNAT decisions approving the first regular sessions

of the UN Women Executive Board and the UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS Executive Board.

The group sees particular merit in work packages 15 and 16, which address technology consolidation and system-wide data coherence.

These represent areas where meaningful progress is achievable in the near term, reducing fragmentation in ICT infrastructure

and ensuring that the UN system data serves as a genuine public good for member states, including in national planning and SDG tracking.

Early delivery on these packages would demonstrate that the UNAT process can produce tangible results,

building the trust and political capital necessary for more complex reforms ahead.

While the group sees the work to be undertaken by this workstream as extremely crucially important,

we believe it is essential that any structural adjustments respect the operational realities of field presences.

We therefore emphasize the importance of inclusive dialogue. The group would welcome further engagement

on how structural proposals will be developed and assessed, including in terms of cost implications, governance, oversight

and the impact on the delivery of services on the ground. Avoiding disruptions to field-based support and service delivery is essential.

Finally, the Group of 77 and China wishes to reiterate that it remains firmly committed to engaging actively and constructively

in the discussions of the UNAT initiative with the aim of ensuring that all processes are transparent and inclusive

to enable a more effective, efficient, equitable and truly representative United Nations system,

one that strengthens multilateralism, advances development and delivers meaningful results for all people and nations.

Ahora quisiera agregar algunos comentarios en mi capacidad nacional como representante de Uruguay.

Las conclusiones preliminares sobre la evaluación estratégica de una posible fusión de ONU Mujeres y el UNFPA

confirman que ambas entidades desempeñan mandatos diferentes y complementarios con resultados positivos

y que existe un escaso solapamiento. Existen, sin embargo, riesgos significativos que conlleva una fusión

en términos de requerimientos operativos y del mandato. Debemos analizar cómo se mantendrán las contribuciones de los donantes

y cómo se garantizará que el impacto en el terreno no se vea diluido y no se retroceda en los compromisos.

En consecuencia, es importante analizar intergubernamentalmente y con la sociedad civil especializada

que cuenta con una vasta experiencia en el terreno, analizar con ellos qué alternativas podrían existir

en términos de reformas no estructurales que podrían facilitar resultados similares,

tales como el uso común de servicios y plataformas y el intercambio de conocimientos y personal especializado entre ambas entidades.

Esto es importante para que los estados puedan adoptar decisiones basadas en evidencia.

Asimismo, deseamos reafirmar nuestro compromiso inquebrantable con la promoción y protección de los derechos de las niñas.

Deseamos encomiar a UNICEF y felicitarlos por su 80 aniversario. Reconocemos que ambos mandatos fueron renovados

por la Asamblea General en diciembre de 2025, que es el de la representante especial del Secretario General

sobre la violencia contra los niños y los niños en conflictos armados. Sus mandatos fueron reafirmados. Muchas gracias.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [49:06]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.


Bahrain · GCC · Bahrain [49:18]:

Madam Chair, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the GCC,

the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,

and my own country, the Kingdom of Bahrain. The GCC aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The GCC extends its sincere thanks and deep gratitude to the Deputy Secretary-General,

Ms. Amina Mohammed, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Mr. Guy Ryder, the Executive Director of UN Women, Ms. Sima Bahous,

the Executive Director of UNFPA, Ms. Natalia Kanem, the Secretary-General of ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin,

the Under-Secretary-General of DESA, Mr. Li Junhua, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell,

for their comprehensive briefings on the progress of the UNAT initiative, particularly workstream 3.

structure of UNFPA, Ms. Diene Keita,

the Secretary General of ITU, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin,

the Under-Secretary-General of DESA, Mr. Li Junhua,

and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell, for their informative presentations.

Furthermore, the GCC reiterates its appreciation to you, Madam Chair,

for convening these briefings on a regular basis and in a timely manner.

Madam Chair,

the GCC reaffirmed that the UN 2.0 process should continue to be member state-led,

and we emphasize that the active engagement of member states is central to the success of the UN 2.0 initiative.

The GCC underscores that any structural changes should be undertaken

in a carefully considered and phased manner,

ensuring the highest standards of efficiency and effectiveness with the best use of the available resources

in line with the equitable geographical representation.

In this context, the GCC stresses that the Secretariat's work and delivery must not be affected,

maintaining their efficiency and effectiveness despite the ongoing reforms.

Madam Chair,

technology has long played a crucial role in today's world, and it has become nearly indispensable.

In this regard, the GCC emphasizes that as the use of technology continues to expand,

equal attention must be given to preserve cybersecurity and IT protective measures.

In conclusion, the GCC assures its constructive engagement in the discussions on the UN 2.0 initiative

to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [51:35]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia on behalf of CANZ,

followed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and China.


Australia · CANZ · Australia [51:49]:

Thank you very much indeed, President, and as mentioned, I speak for Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.


Australia · Australia [51:54]:

But in my own capacity, can I thank you, but also all of our briefers

for such an inclusive, transparent, and informative process.

And I think all of us acknowledge the seniority of those who have gathered and the quality of the information provided.

So a very sincere thanks from myself in any event.

I have two issues I would like to address, and the first relates to the proposed merger of UNFPA and UN Women.


Australia · CANZ · Australia [52:16]:

CANZ reiterates the central importance of upholding the agreed mandates of both organizations in full,

including through any potential merger.


Australia · Australia [52:24]:

UNFPA and UN Women perform distinct but complementary roles within the United Nations system,

and their mandates support critical development, humanitarian, gender equality, SRHR, and WPS outcomes.

While we welcome the preliminary assessment's findings,

we note its recognition that safeguarding the integrity of UN Women and UNFPA's mandates

represents a foundational condition for any future institutional reforms.


Australia · CANZ · Australia [52:46]:

At the same time, the assessment identifies mandate protection as a key risk.

CANZ is concerned that such foundational conditions, particularly the full safeguarding of mandates,

may be difficult to guarantee within a merger scenario.


Australia · Australia [52:58]:

For this reason, additional clarity and information, including as outlined in the recent UN Executive Board decisions

at the first regular session, are essential to determine how these risks would be concretely mitigated

to ensure mandates are not weakened, reinterpreted, or deprioritized.


Australia · CANZ · Australia [53:10]:

In terms of financial consequences, CANZ emphasizes the need for clear and robust evidence and analysis

to ground member state decisions.


Australia · Australia [53:18]:

This is essential to ensure reforms strengthen rather than dilute the UN system's ability to deliver for those most in need.

We would welcome analysis underpinning the estimated USD 32 to 38 million in annual savings from a merger

and the USD 56 to 110 million transition cost, as well as advice on the proposed source of financing the transition costs.

We note that the preliminary assessment does not include legal analysis on the merger proposal

nor consideration of credible alternatives to a merger.


Australia · CANZ · Australia [53:41]:

CANZ reiterates its request, including as raised through the executive boards,

for this advice to be provided to member states to inform decision-making.

Second, on work packages 15 and 16, CANZ supports maximizing connectivity, efficiency,

and value across the United Nations technology and data systems.

We encourage the swift implementation of proposals to pool core ICT functions with realigned common providers

to deliver scale, reduce duplication, and lower costs.


Australia · Australia [54:05]:

We welcome the launch of the technology accelerator platform to drive savings through modernizing business practices,

scaling up digital and AI expertise, and offering surge capacity.

We would welcome further information on the plans under consideration to extend use cases across the UN system

to fully harness the benefits of this proposal.

We urge the leads in the UN data commons to accelerate efforts to connect data and statistics across the UN system

into a secure backbone and welcome more information on the plans to strengthen data collection,

protection, and usage across the system.

Reducing duplication and fragmentation in the UN's data landscape will enhance accessibility,

just as member states need faster, clearer answers.

President, speaking more broadly, last month marked one year since the launch of the UN 2.0 initiative.

Together, we've made strong progress, especially in workstreams 1 and 2,

to build the foundations for a more efficient and effective United Nations system.

But there's still significant work ahead of us, particularly on workstream 3.

We look to the Secretary General to share his plans for advancing these reforms,

including details on responsibilities, engagement, governance, and oversight, and how and where member states can support.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [55:12]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia on behalf of CANZ.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the Benelux countries.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Benelux countries · Kingdom of the Netherlands [55:22]:

Thank you. Thank you, Madam President, and I deliver this statement on behalf of the Benelux countries,

Belgium, Luxembourg, and my own country, the Kingdom of the Netherlands.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Kingdom of the Netherlands [55:31]:

I would like to start by reaffirming our support for the UN 2.0 initiative and broader UN reform.

We would like to thank today's briefers for the very insightful information provided

and would like to use this opportunity to respond specifically to the briefing on the potential UN Women-UNFPA merger.

The advancement of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights remain a priority for the Benelux countries.

We are proud to be long-standing partners of both UNFPA and UN Women.

We support efforts to increase their effectiveness and most importantly enhance impact on the ground

for all women, youth, and marginalized groups.

Increased collaboration and efficiencies at country level, under the leadership of the resident coordinator,

can contribute to this objective, as well as other UN 2.0 reforms.

We therefore look forward to receiving the full assessment, which will allow us to consider all the risks

and opportunities of the proposed merger.

Based on the preliminary findings of the merger assessment, we would like to make three points.

On first, the final assessment, second, protecting mandates, and third, the proposed composite entity model.

First, a decision on a potential merger of two organizations serving some of the most vulnerable populations cannot be taken lightly.

Underlying evidence, analysis, and information are necessary in order to fully understand the accompanying benefits and risks

and subsequently decide whether or not to pursue this merger.

We therefore expect the next document to present evidence-based options, including alternatives to a merger,

detailed risk assessments accompanied by mitigation measures, and factual justifications for all proposed benefits,

including transparent financial outlooks.

The executive boards of UNFPA and UN Women should be able to form an informed opinion to fulfill their important roles in this process.

So our question is, when will the full assessment be shared and how will this take into account the requests made by the executive boards in February?

Second, we underline the importance of safeguarding mandates and their effective implementation,

especially in the current global context where sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality face increasing pushback.

Hard-won gains and existing mandates such as UNFPA's and UN Women's must be protected.

The agency's important work on rights and norms, including SRHR, must not be diluted in favor of operational considerations.

Furthermore, creating a single entity must not weaken gender equality mainstreaming across the broader UN system,

as SRHR

and gender equality are critical not only for women and girls, but for societies as a whole.

While the preliminary report underlines the importance of safeguarding mandates,

it remains unclear how this can be guaranteed, also taking into account the complete decision-making process.

So could you expand on what clearly defined legal and operational safeguards, what they would look like?

What is to be understood under transition sequencing and what is the timeline envisioned in the event of a merger,

including at the level of the GA?

Lastly, the preliminary results state that a composite entity should be the best option for a scenario of merger.

Could you expand on what a composite entity would look like and why that configuration represents the best option?

What other models have been explored?

And on the integration of the population dynamics mandate within a new entity,

how would it be ensured that the integration of all mandates does not lead to fragmentation within the composite entity?

In closing, we call for an inclusive, timely, and transparent consultation process involving both boards and civil society.

Reforms are necessary and must be guided by a clear long-term strategic vision that enhances coherence and impact on mandate delivery,

while reinforcing accountability and effectiveness.

The Benelux remains fully committed to the UN80 initiative.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:01:23]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the Benelux countries.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, reminding that speaking on behalf of the national capacity

has a time frame of three minutes, followed by Chile and Germany.


China · China [1:01:39]:

Madam President, I thank you for convening this meeting,

and thank all the briefers for their briefings.

China is aligned with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

As the UN80 initiative continues to advance steadily, it has achieved a number of milestones.

China expects all member states and the Secretariat to remain guided by the original vision of the reform,

focus on concrete actions, and continue to move the reform forward in an inclusive and transparent way.

While consolidating existing gains, it is essential to give full attention to the concerns of developing countries,

foster consensus among member states, and ensure the reform embodies the collective will of the entire membership

and deliver results that withstand the test of time.

On the potential UNFPA and UN Women merger, China holds that the reform should respond to the expectations

and concerns of program countries for effective delivery on the ground and improved programmatic impact.

It is essential to uphold the principle of a country-owned and country-led approach,

fully preserve the norms and mandates of both entities,

and strengthen their support to member states in areas such as gender equality, women's empowerment,

sexual and reproductive health, and high-quality population development, so as to help developing countries advance their relevant SDGs.

China welcomes the task force's preliminary merger assessment report and looks forward to the early release

of a detailed, evidence-based, and well-substantiated report that further clarifies the implications of a potential merger

for institutional structures, funding allocations, and staffing, as well as proposed mitigation measures.

At the same time, structural reforms have system-wide implications and should therefore be approached with thorough analysis

and broad consultation, rather than pursued in haste. China supports a greater role for the executive boards

of the two entities in this process and stands ready to engage constructively together with other board members.

On the reform of technology and data, China supports the necessary initiatives to optimize IT infrastructure

and data sharing across the UN system, as well as the establishment of a unified data sharing platform

to enhance coordination and strengthen data support capabilities. We also support ECOSOC and Information Communication Division

and other relevant bodies in playing an important role in this regard.

Madam President, I have a question for Sima and Diene.

Can you elaborate further on this composite entity concept? Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:04:01]:

Thank you, Madam President.

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


Chile · Chile [1:04:08]:

Thank you, President, for convening this informal meeting. I wish to thank briefers for sharing with us today

invaluable information on the reform process afoot. We wish to raise three questions,

putting them to the executive directors of UNFPA and UN Women, Ms. Kanem and Ms. Bahous.

All of these pertain to the merger of both entities.

Firstly, the preliminary merger assessment report indicates that the risks of the merger are manageable.

Could you please provide more details regarding the ways in which these risks could be managed in general?

My second question, and it's more specific in nature, we wish to know whether the Secretariat intends

to share tangible proposals in order to tackle the way in which we might preserve mandates.

Thirdly, given that both institutions primarily operate through voluntary contributions,

could you please specify how the Secretariat intends to involve the primary donors

so that resource flows remain and continue to be predictable?

To conclude, I wish to reaffirm Chile's commitment to participating constructively in this process. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:05:13]:

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

followed by the Maldives and Qatar.


Germany · Germany [1:05:22]:

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you very much for this comprehensive briefing today.

We would like to make a few remarks on work package four.

First, we welcome the preliminary findings. They offer a very useful initial overview,

especially regarding opportunities, risk, and potential implications.

This being said, we believe for a fully informed and evidence-based decision-making,

member states will require additional information.

Second, on mandates, for us it remains critical that during this reform process,

the mandates and the operational capacity of both UNFPA and UN Women remain fully preserved.

We believe that any option for a structural realignment should safeguard and ideally further strengthen

both the normative role of UN Women and the operational capacities and wide field presence of UNFPA,

particularly in areas of gender equality, women's rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In this regard, we welcome the broad and shared commitment to protect and uphold these mandates

as expressed by many delegations today already.

Third, on the way ahead, time in the 80th session is rather short.

However, considering the magnitude of this reform, we remain convinced that it is critical

that a thorough and detailed analysis of different options, including scenarios short of a full merger,

is provided to member states.

These options should also outline a clear demonstration of added value of any future institutional setup.

Allow me to conclude by raising a few specific points for clarification.

First, on the final assessment, will this assessment include a comparison of merger alternatives

or different models of closer cooperation with the proposed composite entity model in the preliminary findings paper,

as requested in February 2026 by the executive board of both organizations?

Regarding the possible options, will they include cost-benefit analysis, one-time cost assessments,

and more generally, a legal opinion by OLA?

Second, on mandate, and I follow here on what the Netherlands have already said,

what would be the concrete measure to safeguard the mandates, especially regarding future GA authorization?

And it was briefly mentioned in the presentations, how would the transition sequencing and future operational design look like?

And finally, on the timelines, once we have received the final assessment,

do you envision a dedicated joint meeting of the executive boards of UNFPA and UN Women to discuss this assessment?

Should it not be possible to address these questions today, we would very much appreciate further clarifications

in subsequent briefings or by written. I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:08:05]:

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

and an update in the speaking list, followed by Nigeria and Sweden.


Maldives · Maldives [1:08:16]:

Thank you, Madam President. Madam DSG and the USGs, all protocols observed.


Maldives · G77 + China · Maldives [1:08:22]:

The Maldives aligns with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.


Maldives · Maldives [1:08:27]:

Allow me to make

Three very brief points on my national capacity.

First,

on work package four, the information available so far suggests that the proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA is being advanced principally in terms of stronger coherence, institutional resilience, and more effective delivery on agreed mandates rather than as a cost-saving exercise.

Even so, it would be useful to understand more clearly how financial efficiencies are being weighed and within the overall case for reform.

Second,

if this merger proceeds, it would result in erasing women from the official name of the only UN entity that carries that word in its title.

commitments anchored in Beijing Platform, the ICPD Program of Action, and CEDAW are neither narrowed nor reinterpreted and that UN's normative voice remains strong and visible.

Third,

the Maldives would welcome further details on the continuity measures envisaged during any transition.

This is particularly important in relation to sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence prevention and response, women, peace and security programs, support to civil society and women's right to movements, and humanitarian coordination and population data systems.

The Maldives would be grateful for greater clarity on how these functions would be protected in practice, especially for Small Island Developing States.

The Maldives remains ready to engage constructively so that this process will deliver stronger for stronger UN for all.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:11:58]:

I thank the distinguished representatives of the Maldives, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria.


Nigeria · G77 + China · Nigeria [1:12:03]:

Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Nigeria aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of G77 and China and wishes to emphasize the following.


Nigeria · Nigeria [1:12:12]:

We thank the distinguished briefers for their insightful briefings.

Nigeria welcomes the efforts on the work packages 15 and 16, particularly on technology and system-wide data coherence.

We see strong merit in advancing more interoperable and integrated UN data ecosystem.

This initiative, which aims to bring together trusted public data and official statistics across UN entities into single user-friendly platform, will significantly enhance member state ability to plan effectively, track progress on the SDG, and respond to complex development challenges.

Timely delivery of this platform will represent a tangible and early success of the UN 2.0 initiative.

At the same time, given the potential long-term institutional and country-level implication of the 25 work packages, Nigeria underscores the need for adequate time for independent verifications of data, comprehensive impact assessment, and transparent mandate-led inclusive and line-by-line negotiations.

With regard to action 27 on the potential merger of UNFPA and UN Women, Nigeria recognizes the objective of enhancing coherence and creating unified platform.

However, the assessment must be enhanced to ensure that pathway aligns with lessons learned from previous UN development system reform, including the RC system and the common service consolidations.

It is essential to preserve mandate integrity, governance clarity, and operational effectiveness while ensuring the gains in coordination do not come at expense of accountability or specialized focus.

Nigeria emphasizes that structural adjustment must reflect field realities and be implemented through inclusive consultations with affected stakeholders, including program countries.

Reform must also avoid unintended consequences such as disproportionate impact on staff from developing countries and should instead promote equitable geographical representation, capacity building, and knowledge transfer.

In conclusion, Nigeria reiterates that the success of working stream three will ultimately measured by a more effective, coherent, and responsive UN system with stronger alignment to national priorities, predictable and sustainable financing, and tangible result on the ground.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:14:05]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sweden, followed by Brazil and the Russian Federation.


Sweden · Sweden [1:14:14]:

Thank you, Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, Sweden appreciates this opportunity for continued dialogue with UN leadership and fellow member states.

We recognize the efforts made to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in this ambitious and complex process, and we expect continued efforts in this regard.

We will focus our remarks on the proposed merger number four.

Sweden strongly supports efforts under UN 2.0 to increase efficiency and effectiveness across the system, and we are committed to strengthening the work of UNFPA and UN Women.

However, together with others, we remain seriously concerned about the significant risk a merger could pose to the organizations' distinct and complementary mandates.

We are concerned that a merged entity could face greater political pressure, reduced access in sensitive contexts, and funding losses.

We therefore question whether a merger represents the most effective and efficient option.

Turning to the preliminary findings, we do not see sufficient analysis demonstrating how a so-called composite model would preserve mandate integrity while improving effectiveness.

The concepts of composite and pathway remain underdefined and the report does not yet provide a clear assessment of trade-offs and risks.

In line with existing board decisions in UNFPA and UN Women, Sweden therefore expects a transparent, evidence-based assessment that meaningfully examines alternatives to a merger, provides robust analysis of operational implications, and clearly demonstrates how mandate integrity would be improved.

Thank you very much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:15:49]:

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


Brazil · G77 + China · Brazil [1:15:54]:

Thank you, Madam President, Madam President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, distinguished briefers, my delegation aligned itself with the intervention delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China, and I do thank all the briefers this morning.


Brazil · Brazil [1:16:08]:

My comments today will be concentrated on the proposed merger of UNFPA and UN Women.

Efforts to enhance administrative efficiency and increase effectiveness and impact in the context of UN 2.0 are clearly necessary, as we said in the past.

At the same time, such efforts must not result in the redefinition, dilution, or retirement of mandates approved by member states.

Regarding the potential merger between the two entities, there is an absolute need for a transparent, evidence-based, and comprehensive assessment.

Such an assessment must be grounded in robust rationale and consider a full range of options.

It is within these parameters that we are considering the preliminary findings on the strategic merger for which we are grateful to the Secretariat.

As an initial reaction, we note first and foremost that we firmly agree that, and I quote, "safeguarding the integrity of mandates anchored in the ICPD Program of Action, the Beijing Platform for Action, and CEDAW represents a foundational condition for any future institutional configuration," end of quote.

For us, this means that all proposals must demonstrably meet this mandatory requirement.

We also agree that, and I quote again, "in the current geopolitical environment, institutional restructuring could create opportunities for attempts to narrow or reinterpret agreed commitments," end of quote.

In our view, this is more than a real risk, it is almost certain given developments unfolding in UN fora almost daily.

Risk or certainty, it is not, we believe, what the Secretary-General and the vast majority of member states wish.

True, the report identifies mitigation measures, but in our view, not commensurate with that systemic risk or certainty and not with the necessary granularity.

For instance, member states need to know what units or parts of the proposed composite entity would implement the different current mandates.

The document also sees potential gains in furthering the current complementarities between the two entities in a composite entity, but also finds that the functional overlap between them is limited.

This makes it even more important for member states to be presented with analysis of optimal alternatives to the merger.

Here I recall the recent relevant decisions of the triple board.

Board and the UN Women Executive Board and the UN AIDS Initiative.

Madam President, distinguished briefers,

we remain committed to the UN AIDS Initiative.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:20:10]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation,

followed by Uganda and Zimbabwe.


Russian Federation · Russian Federation [1:20:22]:

Distinguished Madam President,

I'd like to thank you for your briefing

and I would like to thank all of the distinguished colleagues who are at the front table today.

The modernization, consolidation, and use of new technologies, of course, can be useful instruments,

but the exclusive decision-making right should remain with member states.

As regards the data package,

we see usefulness in making existing UN data more accessible and user-friendly.

However, we would particularly like to underscore that the quality of and amount of data

should not depend on the level of financing of the relevant work.

Furthermore, it is unacceptable for Secretary-General reports

to use biased data based on social media sites without the due verification.

Unified standards of data should be used irrespective of which resources are funding the work.

Furthermore, we note that slogans regarding a growth in transparency

that have been backed up by General Assembly instructions are not, in fact, implemented in practice.

For example, the information about procurement of the past ten years' data on contracts

has just diminished rather than increased.

Please take this into consideration in your work.

On the technology package, we note the focus on general services

and decisions on the use of AI.

We believe that this should be controlled by humans.

As regards the merger of UNFPA and UN Women,

we would underscore that this warrants a separate briefing

and these issues are extremely sensitive.

They should be considered with the leading role of member states.

Any option should be evidence-based and should not prejudge any final decision.

It is crucial for operational continuity to be there

and transparent consultations with the governing bodies and a gradual approach

that would enable us to conduct a comprehensive review of the impact of any decision.

And many people have talked about this already.

In conclusion, I'd like to put a question.

UN Women is engaged, as far as I understand it, based mainly on work with women and girls.

UNFPA is engaged in projects pertaining to women, boys, girls, and men as well.

So what will the general structure be engaged in? Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:22:28]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.


Uganda · Uganda [1:22:35]:

Thank you, Madam President.

Madam President, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, Executive Directors, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.

At the outset, Uganda appreciates the information on UN 2.0 initiative provided by the briefers.


Uganda · G77 + China · Uganda [1:22:47]:

Uganda aligns herself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.


Uganda · Uganda [1:22:52]:

Uganda would like to make a few remarks in her national capacity regarding the merger of UNFPA and UN Women.

The preliminary findings document appears to rely more on opinion than on robust evidence-based analysis.

The document contains several assumptions that remain insufficiently substantiated.

In this regard, Uganda's expectation would be that the final assessment will present a range of alternative options

in line with the requests made by the executive boards in their binding decisions adopted during the first regular session.

The central role of the executive boards in this process should be recognized.

Uganda maintains that the governing bodies of UNFPA and UN Women must be fully engaged as key participants

consistent with the provisions of the General Assembly resolution 48/162 of 20th December 1993.

Three, member states should be guiding this process to ensure a credible and inclusive path forward

and to enable member states to effectively participate in the process.

Uganda calls for a significant enhancement of transparency, regular communication, and meaningful engagement in the months ahead.

Finally, there appears limited consultation at the country level, particularly with resident coordinators and United Nations country teams.

It is our understanding that many UN country teams have not been adequately involved in the assessment.

As a developing country, Uganda emphasizes that both national governments and UN country teams must be closely engaged throughout this process,

given that the core operational work of the United Nations takes place at the country level.

Insufficient inclusion of these stakeholders risks undermining both the relevance and effectiveness of the overall effort.

I thank you, Madam President.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:24:13]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.


Zimbabwe · Zimbabwe [1:24:21]:

Thank you, Mr. President.

We thank you for convening this meeting and welcome your commitment to a transparent and inclusive process.

I also want to thank the briefers for the updates.

My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China,

and I offer the following reflections in our national capacity.

First, we take note of the as-is mapping of the mandates, functions, and resource allotments of UNFPA and UN Women.

It speaks to the evidence and data-driven approach that member states have been advocating for.

This notwithstanding, the two entities have two distinct mandates,

and we note the preliminary findings which point to the potential benefit of a unified institutional framework

in bringing normative leadership to the areas covered by the two agencies.

The assessment process must consequently identify mechanisms to safeguard the mandates,

funding streams, and operational capacities of both UNFPA and UN Women,

ensure alignment of their programs with national priorities, enhance field presence,

and feed into the overall objective of the UN system delivering as one at the country level.

Second, the ICT baseline assessment highlighted substantial expenditure on ICT,

compounded by the fragmentation of roles and the duplication of services.

We see value in consolidation of the ICT ecosystem through expanding the use of shared services and common platforms.

Further, we are hopeful that through the envisaged technology accelerator platform,

this will facilitate interoperability across the UN system, thereby enhancing coherence, cohesion, and effectiveness of service delivery.

Third, accessing data in the UN system has long been a challenge due to the multiplicity of platforms.

It is for this reason that we are encouraged that work is advancing on the launch of the UN system's data commons platform.

Indeed, improved access to reliable data as well as its simplified use and interpretation

will go a long way in strengthening policy planning at the national level on sustainable development issues.

Additionally, as part of efforts to improve coordination across the system,

we see value in harmonizing the goals of transformation through technology and new mindsets

and a data commons approach across all pillars together with their respective action plans.

Mr. President, as work advances under workstream three, key recurring themes include the need to consolidate and pool resources,

enhanced use of shared resources and platforms, and the greater interoperability and collaboration across the pillars and the UN system as a whole.

We believe that these variables, if implemented, will contribute to an agile, responsive, and fit-for-purpose UN.

We look forward to more updates on progress made. I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:26:35]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Albania.


Albania · Albania [1:26:42]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Allow me to start with the expression of our appreciation to the distinguished briefers

for their focused and informative presentations.

Albania supports the UN 2.0 initiatives as a practical effort to make the UN more efficient,

better coordinated, and more delivery-oriented. We encourage that this process

remain focused on concrete improvements in how the UN operates on the ground.

On the UN Women-UNFPA merger assessment, as one of the vice presidents of the UN Women Executive Board,

Albania attaches great importance to this process. The merger must strengthen,

not dilute, the mandate on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

It will be critical to ensure clear governance structures, strong accountability, and continued oversight by the executive board.

On technology,

Albania sees strong potential for the UN to better leverage existing platforms and partnerships rather than create parallel structures.

From our experience in our role as co-facilitator of the WSIS+20 process,

we emphasize the importance of promoting inclusive digital transformation, strengthen digital cooperation, and support capacity building.

We believe these efforts can directly contribute to the objectives of UN 2.0 by improving system-wide coherence and impact in the digital domain.

We encourage closer alignment between WSIS follow-up and UN 2.0 work on technology.

We also see merit in streamlining reporting mechanisms, including moving towards more focused and potentially biennial reporting cycles with greater emphasis on impact rather than process.

On data, Albania supports practical steps to improve data sharing and interoperability across the UN system,

while strengthening national statistical capacities and reducing reporting burdens should also be key priorities.

In conclusion, Albania remains committed to a focused, pragmatic UN 2.0 process that delivers measurable improvements in efficiency, coherence, and results.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:31:11]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Albania.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of El Salvador.


El Salvador · El Salvador [1:31:20]:

Thank you very much indeed, Mr. President. El Salvador is grateful to the briefers for the presentations and information provided.

We echo what was said by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.

In our national capacity, we wish to raise the following questions regarding the potential merger of UN system entities.

How will the merger of UNFPA and UN Women affect the current configuration of country offices around the world?

In line with the previous question, my delegation also wishes to have more information regarding the link between these proposals

with potential transformations at the level of regional offices.

We want to know how the proposals could potentially relate to regional reset efforts and how they could relate to the recalibration

of the resident coordinator system as proposed in other work packages put forward under the UN 2.0 initiative.

In the same vein, could you provide clarification about how you intend to ensure that regional mechanisms established,

for example, to follow up on agreements established by the Commission on Population Development or by the CSW,

continue to function in order to guarantee the implementation of their mandates on a regional level?

My next question: what changes could be expected in terms of the existence and operationalization of the various national committees

established both within the framework of UNFPA and UN Women?

With that in mind, how do you expect that the merger will impact on the interpretation and practical implementation of the mandates of both entities?

Moreover, which safeguards are being considered to avoid the dilution of their specialized mandates,

particularly in technical or specialized areas?

El Salvador would also be grateful to receive clarification regarding the impact of the potential merger on the staff currently working for both entities.

We'd like information regarding potential abolishment or reclassifications of posts.

And we wish to have more information regarding potential changes to be made to headquarters locations,

particularly bearing in mind the changes that have already been made in recent years in terms of moving offices to Nairobi headquarters.

My delegation is grateful for any information that the Secretariat could provide in response to these questions.

I'd like to say that austerity measures should not serve as impediments to block inclusive consultations,

particularly when it comes to issues that are so crucial to this organization's and issues which have an impact on the ground.

El Salvador reiterates that it is ready and willing to actively participate in these debates. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:33:43]:

I thank the distinguished representative of El Salvador.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania, followed by Egypt.


Romania · Romania [1:33:53]:

Thank you, President. All protocol observed.

I would like first to make a comment that addresses all the three packages that we are discussing today.

And I think it's been a year since the Secretary-General launched this extraordinary initiative, which is UN 2.0,

and I think we have applauded effusively these efforts.

I also remember when the workstream 3 was launched, I think immediately after the high-level week last year,

and that was met with strong enthusiasm by member states.

And I think this is the direction that we have to go into.

Workstream 3 provides significant avenues for member states.

It's our road to renewed relevance, I think, of the United Nations system.

And the way we do it, I think, is going to be very much important.

I've been hearing a number of comments from member states, which are not surprising to me.

As president of the board, of the triple board, UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS,

I've been discussing extensively with member states, not only board members, but outside the board.

And I think there are important nuances that member states bring here.

The first one I want to focus is the pace of our discussions.

We don't have the luxury, indeed, of kicking the can down the road.

It's very important to have an accelerated but controlled pace of the conversation.

And we cannot do it too fast, we cannot do it too, you know, too slowly.

If we do it too slowly, the confidence of the donors would be lost, especially now where we are talking about

two important agencies that rely heavily on extra-budgetary contributions.

So I think that the message that we send out through these discussions and processes is crucial for the future of these entities.

So this is not just a bureaucratic endeavor.

The other point I want to make is that member states are indeed the, it's a member states-driven process.

And that was clearly articulated and very firmly by the two boards of the governing the two entities

that we are discussing today, UN Women and the triple board.

And I think member states have expressed their willingness to be fully engaged in the process.

A key point that has been highlighted, I think, quite a lot in the conversation is how to protect the mandates.

And I agree that we start, I think all of us, we are on the same page.

We need to protect the mandates, but how to do that is going to be quite, you know, important.

We can bring the discussion to the General Assembly or to ECOSOC for that matter in a rushed process,

and we are going to face significant challenges, or we can time it right.

We give the boards and the member states to go through different efforts and turn every stone together with the entities themselves.

And last point I want to make, indeed, as part of our efforts, we are discussing also with our colleagues from UN Women.

We are planning for the next couple of weeks, three weeks or so, a member states exchange.

It's not an informal meeting, just an exchange on exactly those issues.

And of course, we'll be able to inform more fully our deliberations here. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:36:46]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Romania.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt, followed by Armenia.


Egypt · Egypt [1:36:56]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President, for giving me the floor. We thank the Secretariat for the comprehensive briefings,

and we appreciate the transparent and the consultative manner in handling this process.

On the presentations made to us today, allow me to indicate the following.

With regard to work package 4, Egypt takes note of the preliminary findings presented to us today

and the rationale to enhance coherence and delivery for women, girls, and youth.

But at the same time, this is a highly sensitive and structural issue,

and the preliminary findings of the assessment identify a number of important risks that warrant careful consideration.

These include, first, risks related to the full protection of mandates, particularly in a sensitive political environment

where any restructuring must not lead to reinterpretation of agreed commitments.

Second, risks to operational continuity, including potential disruption to critical programs and services during any transition phase.

Third, financial risks, notably the possibility of funding volatility in light of current reliance on earmarked contributions.

And finally, the assessment highlights implementation and transition risks, underscoring the need for careful sequencing,

clear safeguards, and transparent communication to avoid undermining delivery on the ground.

We also take note of the composite entity pathway as suggested in the preliminary findings

and look forward to further deep engagement on this option and other options in the weeks ahead.

In this regard, we wish to stress on the full ownership of this process by member states through the executive boards concerned

and eventually the General Assembly, as previously mentioned.

Throughout this exercise and regardless of the nature of the final outcome, existing mandates must be fully protected

without reinterpretation or dilution, particularly those anchored in internationally agreed frameworks.

Operational continuity must be safeguarded, especially for critical services on the ground.

And financial implications, including transition costs and projected efficiencies, must be put to further detailed scrutiny

before any conclusions are drawn.

Turning to work package 15, Egypt acknowledges the clear need to address fragmentation and duplication in ICT systems across the UN,

which currently results in inefficiencies and unnecessary costs.

We see merit in exploring shared services and common platforms, as well as in the proposed technology accelerator.

platform.

However, we emphasize that any consolidation efforts must be pursued with full respect

for intergovernmental oversight,

particularly the role of the Fifth Committee in administrative and budgetary matters,

and that the adoption of digital and AI-enabled tools must be fully under human oversight

with adequate quality control measures applied.

Finally, on Work Package 16,

we look forward to the launching of the UN System Data Commons platform in September,

and we wish to underline that governance arrangements require clarity,

including how the data is curated, validated, and presented,

and how accountability will be ensured across contributing entities.

In addition, adequate capacity-building support for developing countries must accompany this initiative

so that improved access translates into actual analytical and policy gains for member states.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:40:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Armenia,

followed by Japan and South Africa.


Speaker 71 [1:40:59]:

Armenia.


Armenia · Armenia [1:41:00]:

Mr. President,

we thank you for convening this important meeting.

We also express our appreciation to the Deputy Secretary-General,

the USG for Policy, and the briefers

for their comprehensive updates on the UN 2.0 initiative.

We welcome the progress achieved across the three workstreams of UN 2.0 initiative

and take note of the adoption of the resolution on mandate creation, implementation, and review

that is an important junction in advancing the reform objectives of the UN 2.0 initiative

with full ownership and engagement of the UN member states.

Armenia reiterates its consistent position in support of efforts aimed at rationalizing mandates,

eliminating duplication, and enhancing coherence

between the standard-setting and operational activities of the United Nations system.

In this context, we note the growing emphasis on the use of technology and data,

which can contribute to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency across the organization.

We further recognize their potential to strengthen coordination among entities

and to support evidence-based policy making, including through the use of disaggregated data

in line with Sustainable Development Goals.

At the same time, it is important to ensure that such efforts contribute to bridging the digital divide

and to strengthening technological capacities in developing countries,

taking into account national priorities and circumstances.

Armenia has carefully reviewed the as-is analysis and the preliminary findings

of the strategic merger assessment of UNFPA and UN Women,

which together provide a strong analytical foundation for further consideration,

particularly in humanitarian and crisis settings.

We welcome that the importance of preserving mandates is duly reflected in the preliminary findings

as a fundamental condition for any future institutional configuration.

We remain confident that the ongoing process will contribute to a more efficient,

transparent, and responsive United Nations, better equipped to address contemporary global challenges.

And I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:42:40]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Armenia.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan,

followed by South Africa and Senegal.


Speaker 74 [1:42:50]:

Japan.


Japan · Japan [1:42:51]:

Thank you, Mr. President.

We highly appreciate the efforts made by Secretariat to ensure transparency on UN 2.0 process.

We view the preliminary findings on UNFPA and UN Women

as a vital step toward discussion based on evidence-based analysis.

Japan has two points to raise at this stage.

First, as stated in the preliminary findings, the protection of mandate is indispensable.

Since our goal is to achieve a greater impact on the ground,

we must anchor our steadfast commitment to the institution's core mission.

Activities related to gender equality, women's empowerment, SRHR,

and demographic change must remain preserved in the core mandate.

Without SRHR, women's empowerment and gender equality,

we cannot empower those who shape the world,

and without addressing demographic change, our actions will fail to meet the reality of a shifting world.

Second, regarding the pathways for merger,

we would like to request further clarification on what a composite entity model would actually look like in this case

and how it strengthens delivery aligned with the single institutional framework.

The merger assessment should clearly outline both pros and cons

along with risk mitigation strategies.

Crucially, this process must also fully ensure interactive discussions with relevant organizations

and allow sufficient time for thorough examination by member states.

In conclusion, Japan remains committed to finding the best possible form of merger.

To succeed, member states must first have full access to all information related to relevant proposals.

We look forward to receiving further information from the Secretariat

and engaging constructively in further discussions based on additional information.

I thank you, Mr. President.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:44:17]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa,

followed by Senegal and Finland.


South Africa · South Africa [1:44:27]:

Thank you, Mr. President.


South Africa · G77 + China · South Africa [1:44:28]:

We align ourselves with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China.


South Africa · South Africa [1:44:32]:

At the outset, allow me to begin by thanking all the briefers today,

but especially the Deputy Secretary-General and the two executive directors of UNFPA and UN Women

for their committed diligence to the task at hand.

The tremendous amount of work and commitment that has been put into this important question

is truly appreciated and warrants a particular mention.

This process has always merited concern about the mandates of UN Women and UNFPA

as fundamentally important.

Thus, we are pleased to note that the preliminary findings report gave due consideration to the mandates

and, importantly, protecting the integrity of these mandates.

We were also interested in the assessment of the respective mandates

that represents a continuum from norm setting to operational service delivery,

at times interlinking the two, but at other times operating separately.

The rationale of a continuum provided the member states with the proposal

of a composite model for a potential merger.

Although, it is at this point where our primary concern with the preliminary report must be stressed.

The report is, unfortunately, short on detail in a number of areas.

In the first instance, it makes a clear case for a composite model,

but there is no elaboration of this composite model and how it would function.

The omission of detail continues with limited insight on how the processes would occur.

There are assumptions made without empirical evidence in the report to support many statements,

which results in greater uncertainty.

Without clear elaboration on the evidence that justifies the reasoning in the report,

it is difficult to concur with its final conclusions.

If we consider the key question of mandates, the argument is presented

that the composite model performs comparatively well,

but the comparison is not provided, nor is there an indication of what the other models are.

How can we be certain the proposed model will provide a protection and parity of mandates

under a unified framework when the model isn't elaborated on, nor are other comparatives even mentioned?

South Africa also understood the financial risk and return on investment reflected in the preliminary report,

with estimates indicate that the savings will be less than 40 million per annum

and the high end of the initial costs projected at 110 million,

therefore just under three years to recuperate the costs incurred.

Once again, there are assumptions drawn without any further indication of how this would impact

the mandate delivery with the consolidation of administrative and support functions.

It is worth considering the indicative nature of these figures as well,

if the same efficiency concerns can be addressed through increased operational coordination

through the resident coordinator system.

Mr. President, South Africa again is very happy to have received this preliminary report

and understands that it is exactly that,

an early indication of what the evidence determines to prompt further interaction.

We recognize that our concerns raised here today may become clear in the process,

but we maintain that the limited availability of information requires


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:47:04]:

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Senegal,

followed by Finland and Indonesia.


Speaker 81 [1:47:14]:

Senegal.


Senegal · Senegal [1:47:15]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed.

The Senegal delegation is grateful for the statement this morning

and is grateful to the Secretariat for the documents prepared on Work Packages 4, 15, and 16.


Senegal · G77 + China · Senegal [1:47:28]:

We endorse the statements made by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 China.


Senegal · Senegal [1:47:33]:

However, my delegation would like to add the following in its national capacity.

On Work Package 4 regarding the potential merger of UNFPA and UN Women,

Senegal takes note of the preliminary information.

For us, given that it's crucial to preserve the integrity of both

and the mandates of both of these bodies and the level of their resources,

it's crucial that the consultations underway continue with member states,

including through their governing bodies, like the guidance in the relevant decision

adopted by the Board of Administration of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS

during the February session.

From this standpoint, having a comprehensive report received is a precondition for all decisions.

Regarding Work Package 15, my delegation welcomes the desire

to consolidate the fragmented landscape

landscape that is hampered by both duplication

and a lack of interoperability and is expensive.

It calls for the proposal to consolidate the

UNICC and the TAP to be pushed forward.

This initiative should be a driving force

to continue to build capacity of countries

in the south and to have better digital

governance that's best placed to serve the

implementation of Agenda 2030 onwards.

On work package 16, Senegal welcomes the

establishment of a single platform for data.

To this end, the joint program proposed to

improve the production, documentation, and

integration of data, in particular those

pertaining to sustainable development, is

an initiative that should be fostered.

It might provide a decisive assistance to

harmonize governance rules of various

entities and create conditions for optimal

integration of data systems and ensure

their interoperability. Senegal considers

that the implementation of such an

initiative in with good conditions will

contribute to better pooling means and

resources and to maximal use of data.

My delegation calls for the dissemination

of documents on this process in other

official languages of the UN to foster

multilingualism. This is a fundamental

value that unfortunately is under threat.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:51:31]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Senegal.

I now give the floor to the distinguished

representative of Finland, followed by

Indonesia and Ukraine. Finland.


Finland · Finland [1:51:42]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies,

thank you for this informative and timely briefing.

The global development context is rapidly

evolving and the challenges we face are

becoming increasingly complex. In this

context, it is more important than ever

that the UN has the ability to work

effectively and ensure integrated delivery

at country level. We therefore welcome the

work that has gone into developing

concrete proposals on how this could be

achieved, including the proposed merger

between UNFPA and UN Women. With regard to

the proposed merger, we welcome the

preliminary findings and look forward to

receiving the full merger assessment. At

this stage, the preliminary findings point

to a number of possible strategic

opportunities and issues that merit

further consideration. The need for

strengthening system coherence and

ensuring more comprehensive policy support

and programmatic response is clearly made.

At the same time, there are significant

risks associated with the proposed merger

that would require a carefully planned and

executed transition process. I would like

to present two questions. First, what are

the design and sequencing measures that

can be taken to safeguard the full

integrity of the mandates, including

normative and coordination functions,

women, peace, and security, sexual and

reproductive health and rights,

humanitarian capacities, and population

dynamics and data expertise that the

preliminary findings allude to? This

remains a critically important point for

Finland. Second, when can member states

expect to see the full merger assessment

and what will the next steps, decision

points, and modalities for the involvement

of member states and the relevant

executive boards look like? Excellencies,

it is essential that the process remains

transparent, consultative, and evidence-

based and that member states and the

relevant executive boards are able to

engage meaningfully in the next steps.

Thank you once again for this briefing and

rest assured that you can count on

Finland's continued constructive

engagement with the UN80 reform. I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:54:19]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Finland.

I now give the floor to the distinguished

representative of Indonesia, followed by


Indonesia · Indonesia [1:54:28]:

Ukraine and Panama. Indonesia.


Indonesia · G77 + China · Indonesia [1:54:30]:

Thank you, Mr. President. We align ourself

with the statement by Uruguay on behalf of

the G77 and China and wish to add points


Indonesia · Indonesia [1:54:39]:

in our national capacity. At the outset,

we wish to express our appreciation to the

PGA for convening continuous and inclusive

dialogue on this process and also for all

briefers on their insightful

presentations. We believe that timely

dissemination of such critical and

important updates would benefit the

discussion for a more constructive

dialogue. Allow us to share thoughts on

today's briefing. On the proposed merger,

first, we take note that the preliminary

findings acknowledge the complementarity

roles shared by UNFPA and UN Women. We

further note the intention to move beyond

coordination across institutional

boundaries toward unified institutional

accountability. In this regard, we would

welcome further dialogue and report on how

a unified or composite body would achieve

coherent end-to-end results using

evidence-based and thorough cost-benefit

analysis approaches. We are of the view

that a unified entity shall not lead to a

blurring focus or internal duplication instead.

Furthermore, we take note that this merger

proposal is stipulated by materially

shifted global conditions. In this regard,

how does the new structure envision that

it will be adaptive to the evolving and

continuous global challenges? On the

technology, as the proposal seeks to

catalyze greater responsible use of

technology through the technology

accelerator platform, clarity on the

algorithmic transparency of AI-enabled

tools is necessary. This will ensure that

an automated system-wide approach would

not inadvertently exacerbate the digital

and AI divide. On the data, regarding the

UN Data Commons, we take note that 25

entities at least have committed to

sharing their data. Given that the Data

Commons will pull the data from diverse

platforms, we wish to emphasize the

importance of anticipating data

discrepancies. Our question in this

regard, what specific mechanisms are in

place to address the potential data

discrepancies? In conclusion, rest assured

our continued contribution on this

inclusive dialogue. Thank you so much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:57:14]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia.

I now give the floor to the distinguished

representative of Ukraine, followed by


Speaker 92 [1:57:23]:

Panama and Norway. Ukraine.


Ukraine · Ukraine [1:57:25]:

Thank you, Mr. President. The delegation

of Ukraine is grateful to the distinguished

briefers for their insightful

presentations on the progress of the UN80

initiative and its various work packages.

Ukraine welcomes efforts aimed at

strengthening the effectiveness,

coherence, and responsiveness of the UN

system. In the face of increasingly

complex global challenges, the need for a

modern, efficient, and accountable UN has

never been greater. We are following the

ongoing discussions on a possible merger

of UN Women and UNFPA. In this regard,

Ukraine underscores the importance of a

very careful and well-informed assessment.

It is important that any assessment of a

potential merger focuses on the real

impact and effectiveness while preserving

the distinct roles and strengths of each

entity. We also commend the focus on

technology and data as key drivers of

transformation within the UN system.

Strengthening digital capacities and

improving data governance are essential

for informed decision making and

effective delivery. Mr. President, we must

ensure that the ongoing reform strengthen

the UN's ability to uphold the charter,

protect human rights, and respond

effectively on those to those suffering

from serious violations of international

law. I would like to stress once again

that we underline the importance of a

United Nations that is capable of

responding decisively to violations of

international law and upholding the

principles of the UN Charter. Ukraine

stands ready to engage constructively in

further discussions on the UN80

initiative and calls for a transparent

and inclusive reform process that

delivers tangible results for the people it serves. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [1:59:34]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Ukraine.

I now give the floor to the distinguished

representative of Panama, followed by


Speaker 95 [1:59:43]:

Norway and Pakistan. Panama.


Panama · Panama [1:59:45]:

Thank you, President. Panama is grateful

for the briefings delivered in connection

with the UN80 initiative and we note with

interest the preliminary findings of the

strategic assessment of a possible merger

normative and operational alignment and the possibility of building response capacity on the ground.

These are opportunities, however, we underscore that these possible benefits must be carefully analyzed in view of the risks that have already been indicated.

Within the against this backdrop, it is of importance to underscore the fact that we must guarantee that financing that is vital for the functioning of these agencies be considered

in the context of high dependency currently on voluntary contributions.

We view with interest the composite model, bearing in mind that this model guarantees the preservation of mandates.

We are a UN regional hub, as such, we are the headquarters of the of the offices for both the agencies referred to and there is important it is important to have fluid work between both entities.

Such consequently, initiatives such as those presented today must result in a stronger, more coherent and effective United Nations.

The role that UNFPA and UN Women play in terms of supporting national institutions is one of the most important assets of UN agencies as a whole.

We will continue to constructively participate in these discussions with the goal of contributing to a system which tangibly heeds the needs of the most vulnerable.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:01:21]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Panama.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway, followed by Pakistan and Tunisia.


Speaker 98 [2:01:31]:

Norway.


Norway · Norway [2:01:34]:

Thank you so much, Mr. President, and dear Deputy Secretary General, Under Secretary Generals and and colleagues, thank you for convening us here today and for the briefings.

As you know, and as we have said before, we support the UN 80 reform and we eagerly welcome these updates.

I think it's also very interesting and useful actually to hear other colleagues in the room, all the comments and and the questions, of course, some of them are are similar to each other.

We appreciate the excellent headway made on work package 15 on technology and and data and 16 on data, but in line with most of the colleagues today, our comments will focus on work package 4.

President, the Secretary General states in his report that the integrity of mandates anchored in the ICPD program of action, the Beijing platform and CEDAW represents the foundational condition for any future institutional configuration.

We fully agree on that.

The strategic objective of any reform must be for the UN to maintain and strengthen its normative and operational lead on women's rights and gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, as well as the women peace and security agenda at the country level and across the whole UN system.

We are open to pooling and consolidating relevant resources and structures to this end.

In line with with what has been said here today, we have we see the composite entity pathway or model as as quite interesting.

And we are eager to receive more information about details on on that, and we have some specific questions.

I will not repeat what has been said regarding safeguarding on the mandates, I think that has been said before, of course, we we all want to safeguard that and want to hear more about how how that can happen.

How can we together ensure that the mandates are safeguarded?

We would also like to to get some more information on the role of the boards on the organizations going forward.

And we note the findings in in paragraph 12 on governance complexity and the fragmented accountability arrangements.

We would also like to hear more about how the Security Council resolution 1325 on women peace and security can be promoted in this in this composite entity model.

And how finally, how could a potential composite entity ensure strengthened system-wide delivery of the mandates that I have referred to across the UN family?

We note that there are some some challenges identified in paragraph 10 of the preliminary findings.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:04:39]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan followed by Tunisia and United Kingdom.


Speaker 101 [2:04:51]:

Pakistan.


Pakistan · G77 + China · Pakistan [2:04:54]:

Mr. President, Pakistan associates itself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China and wishes to add the following in its national capacity.


Pakistan · Pakistan [2:05:01]:

On work package 4, Pakistan has taken note of the preliminary findings and has closely listened to the briefing today.

We stress that any decision on structural consolidation of this nature must be fully member state led, based on clear and objective analysis of costs, benefits and risks and preceded by genuine consultations with the broader membership, including program countries.

On work packages 15 and 16, Pakistan welcomes the concrete progress on ICT consolidation and the development of a UN system data commons.

On technology, we expect that the savings generated through ICT consolidation be transparently reported to the member states with clarity on how efficiencies are tracked and reinvested.

On data, we welcome the data commons as a tool for national planning and SDG tracking and look forward to updates on progress towards the September 2026 launch.

We stress however that aggregating data across UN system entities must not come at the expense of statistic integrity and rigor.

As the UN positions this data for use by AI enabled tools, robust quality assurance is essential.

Clarity on governance arrangements over aggregated data, including on questions of ownership and oversight is also required.

We look forward to hearing updates on the other work packages in the forthcoming UN 80 meetings.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:06:28]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tunisia followed by the United Kingdom.


Speaker 105 [2:06:40]:

Tunisia.


Tunisia · Tunisia [2:06:43]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, we thank the executive directors and all briefers for their insightful presentations.


Tunisia · G77 + China · Tunisia [2:06:48]:

Tunisia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China and would like to make the following additional remarks on its national capacity.


Tunisia · Tunisia [2:06:57]:

Tunisia would like to comment specifically on the reflections presented regarding the possible institutional reconfiguration between UN Women and UNFPA.

We recognize the importance of ensuring that the United Nations system remains coherent, effective and fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving global context.

At the same time, we believe that any reflection of this nature must be approached with caution, clarity and full respect of existing mandates.

For Tunisia, the preservation of the distinct mandates of both entities is essential.

This includes the normative and coordination role of UN Women as well as the technical and operational expertise of UNFPA, including in the field of SRHR, gender-based violence prevention and response, support in humanitarian settings and the participation of civil society.

We also believe that any reform process should not be driven solely by financial or administrative considerations.

Any possible transition would need to be carefully sequenced and supported by strong operational safeguards to ensure continuity of programs, services and field presence.

Finally, Tunisia stresses that any major institutional reconfiguration must remain fully transparent, inclusive and clearly led by member states.

In this regard, we would welcome further clarification on how mandate integrity, operation continuity and member state oversight would be concretely guaranteed should this discussion move forward.

Tunisia remains ready to engage constructively in this discussion with the shared objective of ensuring that any future reform strengthens rather than complicates the United Nations capacity to deliver for women and girls on the ground.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:09:03]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Tunisia.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of United Kingdom followed by India.

United Kingdom, you have the floor.


United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · United Kingdom [2:09:15]:

Thank you, President, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues.

Thank you for convening this meeting today and to the esteemed briefers for the information provided on reform progress thus far.

The UK remains committed firmly committed to the UN, we want to see a UN that is more focused and efficient with greater impact on the ground.

We look forward to working closely with the UN and member states to drive forward the Secretary General's UN 80 action plan.

The action plan sets out some positive steps and it is important that we work together to pursue meaningful reform.

I will begin by addressing work package 15, the UK strongly supports the activities outlined

Under work package 15 on technology,

costs are a significant driver across the UN system

and consolidation of key services and software has the potential to realize significant cost savings,

which can be repurposed to support better mandate delivery.

Mandates can also be better realized through enhanced use of technology and AI.

Efforts like the technology accelerator platform are critical

in supporting a modernized UN with more impactful delivery.

And now turning attention to work package 4.

The UK's commitment to gender equality and the rights of women and girls remains unwavering.

Across the world, hard-won gains in this space are being eroded.

Progress against the sustainable development goals, including SDG 5, has stalled.

Violence against women and girls is an international emergency with rates remaining shockingly high worldwide.

In this context, we welcome

the additional information on the UNFPA UN Women merger assessment,

including the ASIS report and preliminary findings.

Notably, the acknowledgment that safeguards will be required to protect the mandates of both entities.

We reiterate the importance of meaningful and robust dialogue with member states,

including through the executive boards to ensure they can fulfill their oversight and governance functions.

We expect mandates to be preserved and the assessment to be evidence-based, robust, and transparent,

with options for both structural and non-structural changes.

The preliminary findings state that safeguarding the integrity of the ICPD, Beijing, and CEDAW mandates

is a foundational condition for any future institutional configuration.

The findings also note that structural change requires GA authorization.

We require further clarity on how this can be done.

We therefore await the merger assessment in line with the decision at the first regular sessions of the executive boards.

Sufficient time is needed to ensure that boards receive all relevant information

and time to consider this information before the process proceeds to other bodies.

In this regard,


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:12:20]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, followed by France and Montenegro.


Speaker 112 [2:12:29]:

India.


India · India [2:12:31]:

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important briefing.

At the outset, allow me to thank DSG Amina Mohammed, USG Ryder, and other briefers for their valuable remarks and presentations.


India · G77 + China · India [2:12:42]:

India aligns with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.


India · India [2:12:47]:

We would like to add some points in our national capacity.

India supports efforts under UNAT to create a more effective and efficient United Nations.

Any proposal under UNAT should be assessed based on its impact on the ground in achieving the national priorities of host government

in line with the UN Charter.

We take note of the preliminary findings on the proposed merger of UNFPA and UN Women.

We acknowledge that strong complementarities already exist between the two entities.

In a resource-constrained environment, it is essential to streamline mandates, operations, and governance structure wherever possible.

It becomes even more desirable pursuant to the adoption of the GA resolution on mandate creation, implementation, and review.

We consider that a unified UN entity must produce a leaner governance structure,

a simpler and more transparent reporting mechanism, and an effective accountability framework.

At the country level, the proposed merger should enable a more integrated and cohesive support mechanism to host government

and generate greater impact through programmatic activities.

We look forward to receiving additional information on the proposed unified entity.

Mr. President, we take note of the proposals under work packages 15 and 16 on technology and data commons.

On the consolidation of ICT services, we would like to underline the indispensable role of the fifth committee.

On data commons, it is important to incorporate appropriate safeguards before its formal launch.

In conclusion, Mr. President, India reaffirms its commitment to engage constructively on these proposals.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:14:17]:

I thank the distinguished representative of India.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of France, followed by Montenegro and Cuba.


France · France [2:14:27]:

France.

Thank you, President.

President,

Deputy Secretary General,

Secretary General of the ITU,

all protocol observed, dear colleagues, thank you for what you've said about the merger between UNFPA and UN Women

and technological modernization.

This debate was enlightening and necessary because it is vital to fully get member states on board

when the secretariat engages in discussions about the UNAT reform.

We're all well aware of the crucial importance of that reform process.

Following the General Assembly's adoptions of a budget in line with the guidance on the first pillar,

and following last week the adoption of a resolution which modernizes the mandate process,

it is now important to focus on the third pillar, that is the reform of UN architecture.

The proposal to merge UNFPA and UN Women is defended by the secretariat

and by other colleagues, and that is an important sign.

The discussions held in recent months are clear in terms of what we need,

and we identify with what Ms. Bahous and Ms. Kanem said.

As we see gains called into question in recent years,

that is gains made for women, girls, and families, we now must protect mandates,

respecting the rights of women and moving towards gender equality, real and legal equality.

There needs to be progress made with sexual and reproductive health and child health.

These goals need to be placed above any other considerations.

There needs to be action on the ground taken in terms of standard setting,

and we also need to ensure the multilateral system is fueled by proposals for action

which promote the universality of rights, which the UNFPA and UN Women take care of.

We this

this issue is all being overseen by the administrative components of the secretariat,

but is politically important for member states.

We need to ensure that we effectively defend our mandates in a limited resource context.

We support what the secretariat said regarding fully harnessing opportunities provided by AI and new technologies

to improve the functioning of the organization and to adapt its action to the challenges posed by the 21st century.

The goal is a simple one. The UN must become a model in terms of the responsible use of new technologies and AI.

And the UN must use these technologies in seeking to strike an optimal balance between security, safety, and the respect of values.

All of this must ensure that the UN policies are in line with our ambitions for the world.

This resolution revolution rather must become universal and must fuel human progress.

The UN will achieve these goals by modernizing IT services, by reducing overlaps,

by improving interoperability and honing the UN data commons.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:16:50]:

I thank the distinguished representative of France.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Montenegro, followed by Cuba and Israel.


Speaker 119 [2:17:00]:

Montenegro.


Montenegro · Montenegro [2:17:02]:

Thank you, Mr. President.

We thank briefers for their insightful and comprehensive presentations.

Montenegro strongly supports efforts within UNAT initiative to make the UN more efficient, structured, and fit for purpose

in rapidly changing global context marked by growing demands and constrained resources.

In this regard, we take note of the ongoing assessment of potential merger between UN Women and UNFPA.

The preliminary findings highlight the potential for a more integrated and impactful delivery of mandates

by bringing together normative leadership on gender equality, operational capacity, and system-wide coordination.

At the same time, we underline that any further decision must be guided by the member states and grounded in evidence,

so as to ensure full protection of the existing mandates,

including those anchored in the Beijing platform for action, ICPD program of action, and CEDAW.

We also welcome progress under the technology workstream.

Addressing fragmentation in ICT system and scaling shared services clearly has potential to reduce duplications

and improve interoperability, while enhancing overall efficiency.

In a time when digital transformation is reshaping governance and service delivery,

UN must remain agile and forward-looking.

Similarly, we stress strong value in the development of the UN system data commons.

Providing member states with easier access to user-friendly data will significantly strengthen evidence-based policymaking.

Mr. President, across all three workstreams, it is clear,

reforms must translate into better results on the ground.

This requires not only structural adjustments, but also stronger coordination, clearer accountability,

and sustained engagement with the member states.

Montenegro stands ready to engage constructively in shaping a more effective and responsive UN system

able to deliver to those most in need.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:18:42]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Montenegro.

Thank you.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, followed by Israel and Dominican Republic.


Speaker 122 [2:20:06]:

Cuba.


Cuba · Cuba [2:20:08]:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, we are grateful to have this new informal meeting,


Cuba · G77 + China · Cuba [2:20:12]:

and we're grateful for the briefings issued. We endorse what was said by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China,


Cuba · Cuba [2:20:16]:

and we wish to make the following statement in our national capacity. Bearing in mind the preliminary conclusions regarding the merger of UNFPA and UN Women,

it is clear that in order to avoid the risks identified coming to pass, it is vital to implement safeguards.

With that in mind, we wish to learn about whether we at least preliminarily have identified these safeguards and the sequencing of actions provided for for the merger.

Moreover, bearing in mind the relevance of these institutions for developing countries, we wish to have information about how you intend to create this new structure emerging from the merger,

in countries where there is currently no presence of these agencies. Moreover, we underscore the importance of ensuring that as a result of the reform, we do not affect the programs in the field,

as is the case for UN cooperation frameworks and the country programs of the entities proposed for the merger. The proposed merger, Mr. President,

must bear in mind the reform processes that previously took place and must be evidence-based. We reiterate Cuba's support for the mandates of both entities.

We underscore that it is necessary to ensure that these mandates are fully respected. Moreover, sufficient time must be given for discussions on these details,

and we must ensure that the impact of the merger on staff does not affect equitable geographical representation, particularly that of countries of the South.

Cuba reiterates its constructive commitment to discussions on the UN 80 initiative.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:21:43]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Israel, followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.


Speaker 127 [2:21:52]:

Israel.


Israel · Israel [2:21:54]:

Mr. President, thank you, and I wish to thank all the distinguished briefers here today for their informative presentations.

In light of the important decision on UN 80 last week, we believe it is essential that we now proceed in a steady, deliberate steps towards implementation.

And in that spirit, I would like to raise several points regarding the potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA.

First, as mentioned by many, the preliminary paper circulated to member states last week lacks a sufficient evidence-based analysis,

it does not provide the level of detail required to justify initiating a process of this magnitude.

If anything, the underlying message appears to be that at this stage, the risks may outweigh any projected efficiencies or savings.

Second, while a merger may seem administratively feasible at headquarters level, we must be realistic about its implications on the ground.

At the regional and country levels, such a change would fundamentally reshape how mandates are delivered.

We therefore wish to ask what information is available regarding the operational consequences of such a merger.

Without this analysis, it is difficult to assess whether such a reform might undermine delivery.

Third, the preliminary paper does not address what the new entity would actually look like, its structure, who would lead it,

how would mandates be preserved and prioritized. And critically, how do we ensure that any new organization remains focused on its core responsibilities,

free from politicization and fully fit for purpose.

Finally, I would like to recall Israel's position regarding UN Women.

Israel withdrew its engagement not because of the organization's mandate, but because of the failure of the agency and its leadership to address sexual violence committed against Israeli women

during and after the October 7 attacks. This experience underscores the importance of consistency in mandate delivery,

an issue that must be central to any discussion of institutional reform. In light of these concerns, we believe that significantly more rigorous analysis,

transparency and consultation, including with civil society, are required before any merger process can be seriously considered.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:23:53]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Dominican Republic, followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and European Union.


Speaker 130 [2:24:02]:

Dominican Republic.


Dominican Republic · Dominican Republic [2:24:04]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President, for giving me the floor.

We're grateful for the convening of this important informative meeting on the UN 80 initiative.

We're also grateful for the invaluable briefings from all briefers, particularly those pertaining to the evaluations underway regarding possible mergers

within the work within workstream 3. We also recognize the commitment and transparency demonstrated by the Secretariat and entities involved.


Dominican Republic · G77 + China · Dominican Republic [2:24:28]:

My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China.


Dominican Republic · Dominican Republic [2:24:34]:

We wish to make the following comments in our national capacity. President, the Dominican Republic supports the UN 80 initiatives.

It is designed to bolster efficiency, coherence and the impact of the UN development system.

However, we reiterate that any structural reform, including possible mergers, must be rooted in robust evidence,

transparency and full oversight at an intergovernmental level. As such, we note that the current phase of analysis has not yet been completed

because we have not received a comprehensive presentation of cost-benefit analysis and risk analysis, neither have we received implementation scenarios

regarding the possible merger between UNFPA and UN Women. We recognize the complementarities that exist between the two

and the possibility of reducing fragmentation. However, it is vital to preserve their mandates and different roles,

particularly in sensitive and highly politicized areas such as gender equality and reproductive health.

Any proposal must be underpinned by solid safeguards, clear governance arrangements and effective measures to mitigate risks,

measures which guarantee the continuity of services and avoid the dilution and weakening of mandates. Looking to the future,

we believe that the next phase of workstream 3 should prioritize the presentation of complete analyses,

including alternative scenarios, legal analyses, financial implications and comprehensive risk management frameworks.

Moreover, it's vital to guarantee inclusive consultation processes, processes that are adequate and have enough time,

such that member states can be duly informed, respecting the role of executive boards in considering any structural change.

To conclude, the DR affirms its commitment to participating constructively in this process with a view to strengthening a development system

of the United Nations which is more effective, coherent and action-oriented, safeguarding mandates and guaranteeing concrete benefits for the people we serve.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:26:29]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Dominican Republic.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran and followed by European Union.


Iran (Islamic Republic of) · Iran [2:26:38]:

Iran.

Thank you, Mr. President. In the name of God, the most compassionate, the most merciful.


Iran (Islamic Republic of) · G77 + China · Iran [2:26:45]:

The Islamic Republic of Iran aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of Group of 77 and China.


Iran (Islamic Republic of) · Iran [2:26:51]:

We express our appreciation for the briefings.

My delegation underscores the importance of drawing lessons from past reform processes in order to avoid the recurrence of previous shortcomings.

In this regard, we stress that all reforms must be undertaken within an intergovernmental framework in accordance with established procedures

and through broad, inclusive, genuine and transparent consultations.

Such process should remain member state-driven and culminate in decisions by the General Assembly.

Taking into account the potential long-term institutional and country-level implications of the workstream 3 proposal, which encompass 25 work packages,

we wish to emphasize that adequate time and sufficient clarity are required to assess these implications in depth.

We welcome the preliminary findings document. The possible merger of the two entities is a matter of significant concern for member states.

In this context, we note that the report identifies a range of risks, including transitional challenge challenges, financial risks and political sensitivities,

which necessitates the careful design of appropriate safeguards of any potential integration process.

We emphasize that the distinct mandates and functional differences between the two entities require further detailed analysis, clearing the remaining ambiguities,

including a thorough review of their legislative frameworks, the perspectives of their respective intergovernmental governing bodies and the consideration of possible alternative to a merger.

Having said that, any potential course of action should also aim to reduce structural fragmentation, strengthen accountability and enhance coordination

across different levels, while remaining insulated from politicization.

With regard to ICT and data, we believe that efforts to reduce fragmentation identified in the briefings as a key bottleneck

should be pursued in a manner that safeguards robust intergovernmental oversight. In the same vein, we stress the role of the General Assembly

in providing guidance on the use of new technologies and data within the UN system, ensuring that these tools are used to support the achievement

of the Sustainable Development Goals and the specific needs of developing countries. To conclude, Mr. President,

the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to engaging in this process in a constructive and transparent manner.

I thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:29:01]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Iran.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union, followed by the United Kingdom.


Speaker 139 [2:29:09]:

European Union.


EU · EU · European Union [2:29:11]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina,

the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.


EU · European Union [2:29:27]:

We thank the Secretariat and the entities for the briefings today and for the preliminary findings on the potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA.

The EU and its member states are strong supporters of the UN 80 initiative and its goal to make the UN development system more efficient,

coherent and impactful. We believe that the UN must continuously adapt to better serve the needs of member states

and to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Regarding the potential merger of UN Women and UNFPA,

we note the preliminary findings and the identification of both potential benefits and significant risks.

All of the Fifth Committee.

In addition, consideration should be given to diversifying vendors

in order to mitigate risks associated with over-reliance

on a limited number of providers and their respective organizational orientations.

Thank you so much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:30:15]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I now give the floor to the European Union, who will be the last speaker of the day.


Speaker 143 [2:30:26]:

European Union.


EU · EU · European Union [2:30:28]:

Thank you, President. I deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union.


EU · European Union [2:30:32]:

First, thank you very much to all principals for your detailed and forward-looking briefings.

We would like to reaffirm our strong support to the UN 2.0 initiative and are grateful for the opportunity to engage on the three work packages today.

Let me start by focusing on the proposed UNFPA and UN Women merger.

We welcome the preliminary findings of the strategic merger assessment of UNFPA and UN Women, which is a constructive step towards reform.

It confirms that there are operational efficiencies to be gained that will allow increasingly scarce resources to potentially have more impact.

And as paragraph 20 of the preliminary findings rightly notes, the status quo is not a stable option, but a path fraught with risks.

We particularly welcome that the assessment concludes that the mandates will be protected, as has been the EU's firm position and main caveat in reform discussions from the start.

Yet, to ensure this proposal results in stronger outcomes and delivery for partner countries and respects, retains, and advances the full substance of the mandates of the two agencies in their entirety,

several critical areas still require further clarification in the final assessment.

And similarly to previous colleagues, we would like to kindly ask following questions to guide discussions in the next steps of this process at the boards and eventually at the GA if needed.

First, how will the proposal concretely improve efficiency, safeguard mandates, and preserve capacities to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure results on the ground?

And how can we ensure that the existing complementarities and added value are preserved?

Second, what detailed governance, operational models, and transparent funding mechanisms are required to ensure long-term sustainability?

And finally, how does this proposal integrate with the broader UN 2.0 reform, particularly the other work packages under the sustainable development pillar, such as the country team configuration,

and also with the reform of the global health architecture?

With regard to technology, we welcome the focus on accelerating technology uptake across the system while reducing fragmentation in basic ICT services

through shared and more interoperable solutions, including the proposed technology accelerator platform.

We see this as a valuable contribution to a more coherent and future-ready UN system.

At the same time, it will be important that next steps are guided by transparency, inclusiveness, and a needs-based approach,

and that they bring tangible improvements for delivery on the ground.

In this regard, we will welcome further clarity on the proposed governance and implementation arrangements, including how agency-specific operational requirements will be taken into account

and how a common approach can support innovation while safeguarding effectiveness, accountability, and continuity of services.

Dear colleagues, the UN 2.0 initiative has already resulted in progress on the workstream one with a revised budget and the recent adoption of the mandate resolution in workstream two.

We should now accelerate progress on the workstream three, ensuring that it builds on and reinforces advances across the other workstreams,

guided by a shared commitment to transparency and accountability and shared ownership.

We look forward to continued collaboration and to building on today's productive exchange. Thank you very much.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:32:59]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union.

Now, I will give the floor to the Under-Secretaries-General who wish to respond to some of the questions that have come from the floor.

Three Under-Secretaries-General will be responding: the Executive Director of UN Women, Executive Director of UNFPA, and the Secretary-General of ITU.


UN Women · ED · Sima Bahous [2:33:14]:

First, I give the floor to Ms. Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women.

Thank you, President. Excellencies, dear colleagues, I would like to begin by thanking you all,

each and every one of you, for your continued constructive engagement and support, and also for all your important comments and questions and also concerns.

We have carefully taken note of all your comments and reflections, as well as your support for this process and for the mandates of UN Women and UNFPA.

And we will be working to address these in the coming days, also in the coming weeks and months with you, of course, as we continue to assess the proposal on the table.

I must say that we all agree that this is a member state-driven and led process and that the final decision rests with member states.

And yes, of course, we agree that the potential merger must strengthen, not weaken, must preserve, not dilute,

and must move forward with impact for women and girls on the ground in all areas of work.

Also, I want to say that we also agree that the UN gender architecture should emerge from this potential merger, if it takes place, to be stronger,

to have more impact, and to be able to serve women, girls, and young people across the globe, especially in a rapidly changing multilateral context that we are seeing moving forward.

I also want to say that transparency, clarity, and inclusiveness is our guide throughout this process.

Let me assure you also, dear excellencies, dear colleagues, that we are working closely with our executive boards to ensure that the requests contained in the executive board's decision on UN 2.0

are addressed as fully as possible at the upcoming annual session.

We also expect that the full assessment, which will benefit from your reflections today, will be shared with member states in the coming weeks.

It will provide more information, more clarity, more details that would address many of your concerns and queries which were raised today.

In terms, there was a question on the composite entity. In terms of what a composite entity is, UN Women's creation in 2010 offers a useful guide,

bringing together four entities on equal terms, merging full mandates, legal arrangements, and functions into a stronger and more comprehensive entity with one leadership structure.

I invite you to look at the resolution establishing UN Women, in particular paragraphs 49 and 83,

which highlight how this composite entity was created and might be helpful also for all of you who asked about what is this composite entity, how could it look like.

It might be helpful for you to look at that. It says again that UN Women would be created by consolidating and transferring to the potential merged entity,

which at the time was UN Women, the existing mandates and functions and assets, etc., etc., of the two entities, the four entities at the time.

So, from our perspectives, dear excellencies, a merger does have the potential to address challenges related to fragmentation, coherence,

and also while strengthening the collective country-level offers and impact in support of gender equality, women's and girls' rights, as well as young people's rights as well.

At the same time, any such process, we believe, must be anchored in clear safeguards, foremost among them the preservation of mandates.

The mandates of both UN Women and UNFPA are essential to driving impact for women and girls and must be fully retained, preserved in any future configuration.

This is something that we have when we started this process, when you asked us to start this process, when the SG asked us to start this process, this is the fundamental base of on which we started to work.

We believe that if you determine we move forward with this proposal, mandates could be protected through working closely with all of you to ensure that any language shaping a new entity

fully preserves the mandate, the scope, the integrity, and the ambition of both organizations' mandates.

Also, there was, in this context, the role of the respective executive boards along with the General Assembly, of course, will be critical in carefully assessing both the opportunities and the risks involved.

And as you have heard from us and as we have heard from you today, there are many risks, but there are also many opportunities.

We look forward to engaging constructively and to continuing to engage constructively with member states during the first regular session in June, as I mentioned, as these discussions advance.

Again, I would like to reiterate, this is, we see it, we believe it is, and it is a government, multi-government driven process, intergovernmental process.

process and the final decision will lie with member states.

At this important juncture also, I very much support member states' close engagement and support

to approach this discussion with ambition and also with pragmatism,

inclusiveness, clarity, also transparency, and to help shape an outcome

that strengthens the UN system's ability to deliver with stronger impact for women and girls.

With your guidance also and partnership and that of civil society partners,

whose leadership for us and expertise and community reach are indispensable

to advancing results for women and girls and to ensuring that our work remains grounded

in the realistic realities of women and girls on the ground,

civil society partners have an opportunity, we have with them an opportunity

to advance a more coherent, effective, and impactful multilateral response

on gender equality and women's rights.

I thank you for now and I know that we will be in continuous discussion

and in continuous work together to ensure that we reach where we really need to reach

for women and girls across the world.

And I give it the floor back to you, Mr. Chair, and then also I think my sister Diane

will also have a few words.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:41:31]:

Thank you, thank you, Sima.

Now I give the floor to Ms. Diane Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA,

followed by Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of ITU,

and then USG Li from UN DESA.

Now, Ms. Diane, you have the floor.


UNFPA · ED · Diane Keita [2:41:50]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to add my voice to Sima's one and thank all distinguished member states

and their excellencies for their constructive dialogue and absolutely pertinent question

on every single issues.

I think that was very important and Sima has answered most of the question,

so very few on my side.

The first thing, I take note UNFPA mandate is about population and the life course approach

that goes without saying is embedded in the mandate.

It is important as well that the continuum of service continue, not only in the humanitarian,

but prevention, peace, security, safety as important as much as everything else

in what we do.

And one of the member state mentioned as well the staff and concern on the ground,

we take note as well of that concern and is being taken care of.

And most important that as you all mentioned is really the impact on the ground, what we do.

This is under your hand, under your leadership, and we're going to make everything at our end

to give you the empirical evidence as it was mentioned several times,

so that we can move forward all together under your leadership and your guidance.

The full report of course will be released in the coming weeks and the executive board,

both of our executive board will be working closely with us and member state to make sure

that the mandate and the population we serve remain at the center of what we do.

And I will stop there and again thank all of you for really your constructive engagement.

Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:43:31]:

I thank the Executive Director of UNFPA.

Now I give the floor to Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of ITU,

who will be joining online.


ITU · SG · Doreen Bogdan-Martin [2:43:42]:

Yes.

I'm here.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President, let me start by thanking the distinguished representatives

for their support and also for encouraging the swift implementation and acceleration

of work package 15.

I would say we have heard very clearly the key priorities that you have raised,

particularly on governance, on inclusion, cyber security,

responsible artificial intelligence, transparency, and accessibility,

and of course we will ensure that these are reflected as we take this work forward.

I just want to quickly highlight a few points in response to some of the comments and questions.

First, in terms of purpose and scope, this work package is not planning

to replace humans with artificial intelligence, ensuring humans continue

to be driving AI is actually at the core focus of ITU's own AI for Good,

it's also core to the WSIS which was also mentioned.

This is also not about altering member states' prerogatives.

It's about strengthening the UN system's ability to deliver on its mandates

and to do so more efficiently, more coherently, and with greater impact,

while of course preserving governance and oversight.

Second, in terms of inclusion and country needs, we fully agree that this effort

has to work for all member states. The TAP is actually demand-driven,

it's based on inputs from over 200 leaders across country, regional,

and global levels, ensuring alignment with national priorities and of course operational realities.

We're also explicitly integrating universal access, data sovereignty,

open source considerations into our approach so that the solutions are accessible,

adaptable, and equitable.

Also in terms of governance and transparency, many delegations emphasized this

and I think rightly so. We are of course committed to an evidence-based

and transparent approach, including clear governance models aligned with existing UN bodies,

including HLCM, the Fifth Committee. I take good note of the points about measurable KPIs

and reporting back, transparent tracking, etc.

So the fourth point I want to highlight here is cyber security.

This is a central pillar of this work package, it's among the top priorities

that were identified for shared services and joint capability development.

I think that reflects a strong system-wide demand. Strengthening cyber security collectively

is going to enhance resilience, trust, and protection for member states

and for the UN system.

Also to the point on interoperability and also coherence, many of you have highlighted

that as well. Fragmentation is a key challenge, our baseline confirms

the significant overlap and inefficiencies and this work package directly addresses this

through ICT consolidation and also a more connected digital backbone.

On the use cases and delivery, this was also raised. We have,

Mr. President, more than 10 use cases identified and prioritized in terms of business

and technology stakeholders. Our objective is to deliver results by September

on the first three and also to establish the next three by then.

And finally, the last point on partnerships and delivery, we will leverage

private sector innovation while ensuring strong UN governance and alignment

with public values. This also includes a shift towards the pooled model

and this marketplace of providers, that's going to enable scalability, flexibility,

and better value for money.

To reiterate, this is ensuring that technology serves our collective mandates

efficiently and effectively. It's about responsible digital use, it's also about sharing

an impact to ensure that we facilitate interoperability, agility,

and advance transparency and coherence across the UN system.

With that, Mr. President, I want to thank the member states for those very helpful comments

and of course to thank the whole working party team for their great support.

Back to you, Mr. President. Thank you.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:47:53]:

Thank you, I thank the Secretary-General of ITU.

I now give the floor to Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.


UN DESA · USG · Li Junhua [2:48:01]:

Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair.

Well, first of all, let me also join my colleagues by expressing our sincere gratitude

to all the comments by the ambassadors and distinguished delegates.

We felt very encouraged by the broad support for the UN to launch this UN Data Common.

Your encouragement, your blessing, your expectation actually boosted our confidence.

And also we heard the comments and concerns from various ambassadors and delegates

about to avoid duplication, to enhance the capacity building, to harmonize the standards,

and also the avoid burden on vulnerable countries, and also to enhance the interoperability,

safeguard oversight, and I think during the discussion once

A specific question was raised by the distinguished Indonesian delegate.

It's about how to address the discrepancies in the data across the agencies.

So let me briefly highlight that resolving the data discrepancies is an essential part of the data harmonization effort.

During the process of integrating the specific data or data sets,

discrepancies are being addressed by cooperation with the respective custodian agencies,

who would remain the authoritative source of the data.

So we will certainly take that into account. Thank you.

Thank you very much, USG Lee.


GA · PGA · Anna-Lena Baerbock [2:50:34]:

That comes to the end of today's meeting.

The informal meeting of the plenary is therefore concluded.

The meeting is adjourned.

Thank you. Thank you.