Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Administrator,
New Zealand thanks you for your briefing and welcomes the report before us.
We meet at a time when development gains are under sustained pressure. Conflict, climate change and economic shocks are compounding, reversing progress and increasing vulnerability. In this context, we agree that development remains fundamental to stability, resilience and security, and must be at the centre of the UN’s work.
We therefore welcome UNDP’s continued efforts to evolve its approach towards more integrated, system-wide responses, and towards delivering impact at scale.
New Zealand strongly supports the Secretary-General’s UN80 reform Initiative as an opportunity to take forward meaningful reform. Alongside other Member States, we have emphasised the need for a UN development system that is more focused, more efficient, and better coordinated, particularly at the country and regional level.
In this regard, we welcome UNDP’s role as the integrator and operational backbone of the UN development system, and its work to strengthen coherence and reduce duplication. We encourage continued efforts to ensure that resources are used as effectively as possible and directed towards delivery and results on the ground.
As we consider the reform agenda ahead, New Zealand recognises that a range of options are being put forward to strengthen the effectiveness and coherence of the development system. It will be important that these are assessed holistically and not in isolation. They should be considered within the broader context of UN80 reforms, including ongoing discussions on the reconfiguration of UN Country Teams, the role of the Resident Coordinator system, and the Regional Reset - all of which are important for the UN’s operating model in our own Pacific region.
We also underline the important role of this Board in providing strategic guidance on these questions. As Member States, we have a responsibility not only to consider the options presented, but to drive timely decisions on the way forward.
Given the urgency of the challenges we face, we believe the Board should now move beyond analysis and discussion toward clear conclusions and decisions on next steps. Ultimately, the test must be whether proposed changes strengthen coherence, improve delivery at country level and provide clear value for money for Member States and partners. We therefore support continued careful, evidence-based consideration, but underscore the importance of maintaining momentum and setting a clear path forward. If we allow ourselves to be paralysed by indecision, we risk becoming irrelevant to the changes needed.
New Zealand also strongly supports UNDP’s work across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. The emphasis on prevention, resilience and recovery is essential, particularly in fragile and crisis-affected contexts where development cannot wait.
Climate change remains the defining challenge for our region. We value UNDP’s partnership in the Pacific, including its support on adaptation, resilience and access to finance, and encourage continued focus on locally led solutions. We also welcome UNDP’s focus on inclusive governance, gender equality and economic opportunity, all priorities for New Zealand’s partnerships in the Pacific and beyond. These are critical foundations for sustainable development and long-term stability.
In a constrained funding environment, we underline the importance of quality core funding, alongside continued prioritisation, efficiency and demonstrable results.
In closing, New Zealand reaffirms its strong support for UNDP and its central role in the development system. We look forward to working with partners to ensure that reforms under UN80 result in a more coherent, efficient and country-focused UN development system – and that we move forward with the urgency this moment demands.