United Nations Development Group

United Nations Development Group
Org type	Group
Acronyms	UNDG
Head	Helen Clark
Status	Active
Established	1997
Website	www.undg.org
Parent org	ECOSOC

The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) is a consortium from the result of UN reform, created by the Secretary General of the United Nations in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of UN development activities at the country level.

Its strategic priorities are "To respond to the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR) and global development priorities, and to ensure the UN development system becomes more internally focused and coherent, the UNDG has developed and endorsed a set of strategic priorities for 2010-2011. The UNDG strategic priorities give direction to UNDG [members] efforts at the global, regional and country level to facilitate a step change in the quality and impact of UN support at the country level". It brings together 32 UN agencies and groups, plus five observers working on various and/or similar development issues from the UNDP to the ILO. The Group is chaired by the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the Secretary General.

History

By 1997, there were calls within the United Nations and to draw all UN agencies working on development issues together. Many UN Development Programmes and Funds and Specialised Agencies were encroaching upon each others activities. An initial proposal was to merge the UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the UNFPA into the UNDP. However, it was noted that the UNDP was still the UN's largest operational development cooperation body. Finally, then Secretary General Kofi Annan worked to form the UNDG and won praise from then UNDP Administrator James Speth.

Members of the UNDG

• UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
• UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund
• UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund
• WFP - World Food Programme
• OHCHR - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• UN Women (formerly UNIFEM)
• UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
• UNAIDS - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
• UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme
• UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
• WHO - World Health Organization
• DESA - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
• UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
• UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
• FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization
• ILO - International Labour Organization
• UNDPI - United Nations Department of Public Information (Regional Commissions (ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA - rotating annually)
• OHRLLS - Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries & Small Island Developing Countries
• SRSG/CAC - Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
• UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
• UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• OSAA - Office of Under Secretary General (USG - Special Advisor on Africa)
• UNWTO - United Nations World Tourism Organization
• WMO - World Meteorological Organization
• ITU - International Telecommunications Union

Observers

• World Bank/ World Bank Group (not exactly specified which)
• UNFIP - United Nations Fund for International Partnerships
• OCHA - Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Spokesman for the Secretary-General
• Director, Office of the Deputy Secretary General

Leadership and organization

Leadership

The United Nations Economic and Social Council and the United Nations General Assembly provide oversight and mandates for the UNDG. The UNDG is overseen by the Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) of the General Assembly. The UNDG has provided reports such as the Comprehensive statistical analysis of the financing of operational activities for development of the UN system for 2006 and the Comprehensive statistical analysis of the financing of operational activities for development of the UN system for 2007 to the General Assemby.

The UNDG's chairperson is the UNDP's Administrator. Since its inception, the following have been the Chair of the UNDG:

• James Speth (1997–1999)
• Mark Malloch Brown (1999–2005)
• Kemal Derviş (2005–2009)
• Helen Clark (2009-)

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee comprises the four founding agencies—the UNDP, the UNFPA, the UNICEF and the WFP (The High Commissioner for Human Rights is an Ex-Officio member of the Committee).

UNDG Advisory Group

Under Kemal Derviş' leadership, an "Advisory Group", which provides the UNDG Chair with advice and guidance on managing the operational dimensions of the UNDG and the Resident Coordinator System, was established. In 2009, the non-rotational members of the advisory group were: the FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO and UNIDO. The rotational members (for a period of one year, as of 1 August 2009) were: the UNAIDS, DESA and the Economic Commission for Europe (representing all five Regional Commissions).

Organization

Development Coordination Office

The UN Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) is a key component within the UNDG, promoting social and economic progress by providing support. It was key part of UNDG's formation in 1997, uniting the UN system and improve the quality of its development assistance. Coordination leads to more strategic UN support for national plans and priorities, makes operations more efficient, reduces transaction costs for governments, and ultimately helps people attain the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development objectives.

For more about DOCO's work see its official page.

See also

• Delivering as One
• Reform of the United Nations
• United Nations Development Assistance Plan
• United Nations Development Programme

External links

• United Nations Development Group
• UNDP and the United Nations