Ministry Statements & Speeches:
As a strong advocate for the UN multilateral system, New Zealand is pleased to participate in this pledging conference for development activities.
The UN has a central role to play in global development, as manifested in its assistance for national and local development priorities in support of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
New Zealand supports efforts to improve the quantity and quality of funding, and is an unwavering advocate for core funding, which makes up a significant proportion of our support to the UN system. We also value the counterpart contributions and other support provided to the UN from programme countries.
We strongly endorse the work of the UN system to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its work. Continued efforts to further strengthen programme delivery, reporting, evaluation and audit will be required to achieve this. We must also work to strengthen collaboration and partnerships, both within the UN system, and with other organisations including regional agencies and the International Financial Institutions.
The UN system must deliver effectively for all developing countries, including in response to the specific development vulnerabilities and needs of Small Island Developing States, and countries in situations of fragility and conflict. For example, in the Pacific region, increasingly severe natural disasters can quickly undermine development gains, so special effort is required to build resilience.
We endorse the value and efficiency of predictable and flexible funding to our UN and other multilateral partners, including multi-year funding.
New Zealand has multi-year core funding arrangements in place with UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the WFP. Each of these arrangements conclude at the end of 2018. We also provide annual support to the Central Emergency Response Fund.
New Zealand pledges 34.5 million New Zealand dollars in core funding for these seven organisations and funds for the 2017 calendar year.
New Zealand confirms its commitments in New Zealand dollars for the 2017 calendar year of:
- $8 million to UNDP
- $6 million to UNICEF
- $6 million to UNFPA
- $6 million to WFP
- $3.0 million to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- $3.0 million to CERF; and
- $2.5 million to UN Women
In addition, New Zealand will continue to provide non-core funding support for a range of programmes implemented by the UN system.