United Nations Development Programme: The future of multilateralism
Ulrika Modéer, assistant administrator and director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy at the UNDP, and Tsegaye Lemma, strategy and innovation specialist at the UNDP, discuss the proposal for a Funding Compact, which “puts forward a set of commitments focusing on Member States increasing the level of quality funding; core, pooled, and thematic funding” for development, and also “seeks to improve the quantity and quality of budgetary resources for U.N. development operations” through less earmarked funding and fewer restrictions on funding. The authors note the Funding Compact “reiterates the shared responsibility of Member States and the U.N. development system to collectively achieve the [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)]. By refining the funding mechanism for development, the U.N. development system can effectively reinforce multilateralism and reaffirm the trust between Member States and the U.N.” (2/12).