PM urges UN groups to make overdue reforms

Member countries hoped the United Nations development organisations would further reform its ways of working to improve their assistance in promoting socio-economic development and their Millennium Development Goals achievements.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made the statement while delivering an opening speech at the high-level tripartite conference on the United Nations' "Delivering as One" initiative.

Over the past 65 years, the United Nations (UN) had made significant contributions to peace, co-operation and development of countries worldwide, Dung said.

However, after more than six decades, it was necessary for the UN to undertake a comprehensive overhaul to better implement its tasks as outlined in the UN Charter and more effectively meet new requirements, he stressed.

Eight countries including Viet Nam had voluntarily piloted the UN's initiative and after three years, many other countries had also voluntarily adopted the new approach and the initiative had attracted more interest from the international community, he said.

With the proactiveness of pilot countries' Governments, efforts of UN organisations, and the support and assistance of the donor community, the initiative had borne much fruit, which helped better meet the demand of involved countries for socio-economic development, he continued.

Mentioning the country's five-year socio-economic development plan and ten-year strategy, Dung highlighted three strategic breakthroughs which highlighted the improvement of market-economy institutions, the rapid development of human resources and the upgrade of infrastructure system.

During the process, Viet Nam always took the internal resources as the core while highly appreciating the support and co-operation of international community, he said, adding that Vietnamese Government treasured each and every penny of international assistance and would do its best to use the assistance in the most efficient way to serve the country's sustainable development.

"As such, we have been piloting proactively and actively the One UN Initiative in Viet Nam within the framework of the Delivering as One approach in line with our national interest and the principles of development co-operation and partnership."

The Vietnamese Government had been working closely with UN organisations in building effective, comprehensive and strategic co-operation programmes; and its ownership had been increased through the initiative's implementation, Dung said.

The Government's decisive voice in the co-operation with UN organisations had been ensured, he added.

The conference confirmed the strong commitments by the Government of Viet Nam and other pilots as well as the UN and the donors in carrying out the initiative, he said.

"Reform is always a long and challenging process which requires great perseverance and the strong commitment and efforts of all nations as well as the UN as a whole," Dung said.

Alan Duncan, United Kingdom's Minister of State for International Development, said that as development partners, the donors wanted to see a significant change in the way the UN goes about its business.

As a representative of the donors, Duncan also urged the UN to speed up the progress shaping the way it worked as it was too often seen as bureaucratic and resistant to change.

UN Deputy General Secretary Asha-Rose Migiro admitted there was much work ahead in the process of reforming the UN, saying "there is space to improve co-ordination, efficiency and effectiveness in the Delivering as One countries".

The initiative required changes in mindset, a transformation in attitudes and perspective in order to genuinely work as one team with shared goals and mutual accountability, she said.

Critical blockages in the operation of systems across UN organisations would continue being addressed. The Action Plan on Harmonisation of Business Practices was one of the ways to do that, Migiro added.

Migiro also spoke highly of contributions and efforts made by pilot countries, international organisations and donors in realising the "Delivering as One" initiative, in which Viet Nam was one of the most active members.

Hanoi statement

Representatives of the UN, Governments of piloting countries and donors arrived at the Hanoi Statement which charts a clear way forward the "Delivering as One" initiative.

The Hanoi Statement reaffirms that the old way of doing business is no longer an option and calls upon the UN system to institute business and management systems that enhance efficiency and effectiveness in programme countries.

The Statement also calls on the donors to provide multi-year predictable unearmarked funding to programme countries to make the Delivering as One approach in pilot countries credible and also relevant and applicable to all other UN members states in their future development activities.

The United Nations launched the "Delivering as One" pilot initiative in 2007 to respond to the challenges of a changing world, and test how the UN family could provide development assistance in a more co-ordinated and coherent way.