Since the unfolding of the global financial and economic crisis, CEB has taken special measures to enable a rapid United Nations system response. Starting in October 2008, the Board and the High-level Committee on Programmes initiated a review and analysis of the impact of the crisis and identified the major challenges facing the international community in meeting the needs of the world’s most vulnerable. Bearing in mind the multidimensional nature of the crisis, the Board adopted nine Joint Crisis Initiatives in the first months of 2009.
Ten years have passed since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and the historical commitment to cut extreme poverty by half through the implementation of eight measurable and time-bound goals. In spite of significant achievements in a number of countries, progress remains uneven, and billions of people still struggle to meet their basic needs.
During the reporting period, the United Nations system has intensified its work on climate change through the CEB Climate Change Action Framework, which was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007. The efforts of the United Nations system leading up to the Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen in December 2009 demonstrated how organizations of the United Nations system are aligning their diverse areas of expertise and capacity to assist countries in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
In the face of a rapidly changing world and rising global vulnerability, the United Nations system needs to have in place the most flexible and efficient management systems possible to continue to deliver on its mandates. CEB, through its High-level Committee on Management, has therefore, during the reporting period, continued its work to develop a more effective United Nations security management system in the context of serious emerging challenges to security and safety.
CEB continues to lead the efforts towards the simplification and harmonization of business practices. The endorsement in the third quarter of 2007 of the High-level Committee on Management plan of action for the harmonization of business practices in the United Nations system, and the launch in October 2008 of a campaign to raise funds to implement the Plan marked a significant shift from ad hoc to systematic pursuit of coherent working modalities in the United Nations system.
During the reporting period, the management and accountability system of the United Nations development and resident coordinator system, including the functional firewall of the resident coordinator system, started its implementation. There are indications that the key guidance and operational tools put in place during 2008 are leading to positive results at the country level. Progress has been reported in a number of areas to further deepen the principle of mutual accountability in the delivery of development results.
In response to a request made by the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee on 23 July 2008, recommendations were developed for enhanced capacity of resident coordinators in crisis and post-crisis countries. These recommendations were approved by the United Nations Development Group on 2 June 2009 and by the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee on 1 December 2009. During the reporting period, several million dollars were raised for this initiative, and the first allocations were made in early 2010 to seven countries.
United Nations system response to the global financial and economic crisis
Since the unfolding of the global financial and economic crisis, CEB has taken special measures to enable a rapid United Nations system response. Starting in October 2008, the Board and the High-level Committee on Programmes initiated a review and analysis of the impact of the crisis and identified the major challenges facing the international community in meeting the needs of the world’s most vulnerable. Bearing in mind the multidimensional nature of the crisis, the Board adopted nine Joint Crisis Initiatives in the first months of 2009.
Supporting progress towards the Millennium Development Goals
Ten years have passed since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and the historical commitment to cut extreme poverty by half through the implementation of eight measurable and time-bound goals. In spite of significant achievements in a number of countries, progress remains uneven, and billions of people still struggle to meet their basic needs.
Climate change
During the reporting period, the United Nations system has intensified its work on climate change through the CEB Climate Change Action Framework, which was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in 2007. The efforts of the United Nations system leading up to the Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen in December 2009 demonstrated how organizations of the United Nations system are aligning their diverse areas of expertise and capacity to assist countries in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
Security and safety of staff
In the face of a rapidly changing world and rising global vulnerability, the United Nations system needs to have in place the most flexible and efficient management systems possible to continue to deliver on its mandates. CEB, through its High-level Committee on Management, has therefore, during the reporting period, continued its work to develop a more effective United Nations security management system in the context of serious emerging challenges to security and safety.
Harmonization of business practices
CEB continues to lead the efforts towards the simplification and harmonization of business practices. The endorsement in the third quarter of 2007 of the High-level Committee on Management plan of action for the harmonization of business practices in the United Nations system, and the launch in October 2008 of a campaign to raise funds to implement the Plan marked a significant shift from ad hoc to systematic pursuit of coherent working modalities in the United Nations system.
United Nations development system working together
During the reporting period, the management and accountability system of the United Nations development and resident coordinator system, including the functional firewall of the resident coordinator system, started its implementation. There are indications that the key guidance and operational tools put in place during 2008 are leading to positive results at the country level. Progress has been reported in a number of areas to further deepen the principle of mutual accountability in the delivery of development results.
Working together in crisis, post-crisis and transition countries
In response to a request made by the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee on 23 July 2008, recommendations were developed for enhanced capacity of resident coordinators in crisis and post-crisis countries. These recommendations were approved by the United Nations Development Group on 2 June 2009 and by the Secretary-General’s Policy Committee on 1 December 2009. During the reporting period, several million dollars were raised for this initiative, and the first allocations were made in early 2010 to seven countries.
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