13 March 2018: An outline of the draft resolution on UN development system reform has been circulated for governments’ consideration. The co-facilitators for the “repositioning” negotiations, Sabri Boukadoum, Permanent Representative of Algeria, and Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark, also provided a draft calendar of the informal consultation process.

On 8 March 2018, UN Member States held their first informal meeting, exchanging views on the negotiation process and desired outcomes. Following that meeting and incorporating comments made there, the co-facilitators circulated an annotated outline of the draft resolution on 13 March. It is also based on: the UN Secretary-General’s proposals for the repositioning of the UN development system contained in his reports A/72/124-E/2018/3 and A/72/684-E/2018/7; feedback from Member States during the interactive briefings on the proposals and the 2018 session of the UN Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) Operational Activities Segment (OAS); and the summary of that meeting by the ECOSOC Vice President.

The outline circulated by the co-facilitators proposes that the zero draft be structured around six key areas:

• Reaffirming the 2030 Agenda, Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) resolution;
• Responding to the 2030 Agenda through a new generation of UN Country Teams (UNCTs);
• Reinvigorating UN leadership in-country: the Resident Coordinator system;
• Guiding and holding the UN development system to account;
• Funding the UN development system to deliver an integrated and effective response: A Funding Compact; and
• Follow-up on the UN development system repositioning efforts at global, regional and country level.

The co-facilitators invited UN Member States to provide guidance and specific suggestions for the zero draft.

According to the proposed road map for informal consultations on the draft, ten meetings will take place from 16 March-13 April 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. The next meeting is scheduled for 16 March 2018. [Draft Outline] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on first consultation meeting] [SDG Knowledge Hub brief on Repositioning Proposals] [SDG Knowledge Hub coverage of UN reform processes]