Support to the QCPR / Joint SDG Fund for the 2030 Agenda


The 2030 Agenda calls for a more integrated approach of the United Nations Development System (UNDS) in the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. There is a promising constellation of UN leadership and member states’ reform decisions to make the UN more efficient and effective. This contribution will accelerate the reforms through financing of integrated sustainable development solutions by UN Country Teams targeting those most left behind.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Global
Other

Sector not specified
01.12.2019 - 31.12.2021
CHF 7'500'000
Background The UN Development System is implementing a reform decided by Member States in order to step up to the challenges of the 2030 Agenda. At the strategic level, many positive steps have been taken in 2019 under the leadership of the Secretary General, through a new generation of UN country teams, led by an independent Resident Coordinator. It is time critical to translate these reforms at the country level by providing strategic financing to UN country teams for integrated work across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Objectives Accelerate the impact of UN development operations at country level in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through targeted investments by UN Country teams that address multiple SDGs.
Target groups

Direct: United Nations Resident Coordinators Offices

United Nations Country Teams

Indirect: UN Member States, civil society, private sector partners working with the UN on Agenda 2030

Medium-term outcomes UN Country Teams have the capacity to deploy the collective policy advisory and normative capacity of the UN System to support national partners to design interventions that address the multi-dimensional nature of the 2030 Agenda.
Results

Expected results:  

UN Country Teams pool and leverage human and financial resources to support national partners in the design and implementation of policy solutions that address multiple SDGs.

UN Country Teams pool and leverage human and financial resources to support national partners to elaborate multi-stakeholder financing strategies that increase the scale of SDG investments.


Results from previous phases:  

  • New Resident Coordinator System put in place on 1st January 2019

  • Systematic roll-out of operational guidelines to UN Country Offices for new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks

  • Better quality UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks developed

  • Improved tracking and reporting on reform and its bottlenecks of results at country level (“real-time reporting” through e-platform)

  • Solid foundations for the launch of the Joint SDG Fund, including the fund’s overall design, governance and management structures and mechanisms put in place in 2018.

  • Joint programmes launched by the Joint SDG Fund in 36 countries, targeting those most left behind

Despite the progress described above, the evidence collected by Swiss representations in around 30 countries in 2019, the feedbacks from Resident Coordinators, and the outcome of the ECOSOC dialogue in May on the progress of the reform resolution from May 2018 indicate that the UN Country Teams require new funding incentives to implement the reforms and the RC Offices can only operate effectively if they can provide financial incentives for more integrated work. This contribution provides funding for integrated work through a new UN reform trust fund  of the Secretary General (The Joint SDG Fund).


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • United Nations Development Programme


Coordination with other projects and actors

Support to the QCPR (2017-2020)

Supporting the Financing of the new Resident Coordinator System (2019-2020)

Accountability for Agenda 2030: Support to the High Level Political Forum to review national reports on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

SDG Lab in Geneva: Support to UN agencies in Geneva to provide an integrated response to the 2030 Agenda.

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF   7'500'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF   7'500'000
Project phases Phase 7 01.12.2019 - 31.12.2021   (Current phase) Phase 6 01.11.2017 - 31.12.2021   (Current phase) Phase 5 01.12.2013 - 31.12.2018   (Completed)