UN Reform to be Piloted in Pakistan
1 March 2007
On 1 March, Pakistan announced that it would be one of eight countries to
pilot the implementation of United Nations (UN) Reform. The announcement was
made at a launch attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, together with senior
government and UN officials. The reforms aim to deliver a UN system which is
better able to support individual countries in achieving their development
goals.
Behind the reforms is the concept of “One UN”, which was recently recommended by an expert panel as a more efficient way of realizing the Millennium Development Goals. The Government of Pakistan and the UN have already agreed a set of principles, objectives and instruments to achieve One UN in Pakistan, and a broad-based decision-making committee has been set up for issues relating to the reforms.
UN Resident Coordinator Jan Vandemoortele stressed at the launch that it was essential the reform process was led by the Government. A programme built around Pakistan’s national development priorities will therefore be established, focusing on the areas of health, education, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS and disaster management. The allocation of UN resources will be made more coherent by a single financial framework.
Dr Hafiz Pasha, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said
“One UN will initiate a new era of effectiveness and efficiency in serving the developmental agenda of Pakistan. We have all the ingredients of a successful reform process.”
DFID Pakistan is playing a leading role in working with the Resident Coordinator and major donors to move the agenda forward, and has emphasised the benefits to the country of fulfilling the ambitions of UN Reform.
