25 April 2018: The co-facilitators for negotiations on the reform of the UN development system presented a proposal on funding for a “reinvigorated” Resident Coordinator (RC) system, based on ideas received from UN Member States. It is proposed that UN Member States would provide the RC system with up to US$255 million annually, beginning in January 2019.

Circulating the document on 25 April 2018, co-facilitators Sabri Boukadoum, Permanent Representative of Algeria, and Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark, note that they consulted with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who confirmed his openness to move forward with a “hybrid solution,” as supported by the membership.

By the proposal, UN Member States would decide to provide the RC system with up to US$255 million annually, beginning in January 2019, through three sources:

• a 1% coordination levy on strictly earmarked, third-party, non-core contributions to UN development-related activities, to be paid at source;
• doubling the current UN Development Group (UNDG) cost-sharing arrangement among UN development system entities; and
• voluntary, predictable, multi-year contributions to a dedicated Trust Fund to support the inception period.

It is proposed that the Secretary-General present to Member States, before the end of the current session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 72), an implementation plan detailing the arrangements for the inception of the reinvigorated RC system, including on the operationalization of its funding arrangements. He is also to report on a yearly basis to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Operational Activities Segment, starting in 2019. The Secretary-General would further provide a review of the reinvigorated RC system to the UNGA before the end of its 75th session (by September 2021), to enable Member States to assess the functioning and funding of the system. [Co-Facilitators’ Letter and Proposal] [SDG Knowledge Hub coverage of UN reform processes]