25 January 2016: The year 2016 offers a “huge opportunity to make real progress” on the inter-linked agendas of climate change, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction (DRR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Executive Board recognized at its first meeting since the commencement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Board discussed the ‘Report of the Executive Board on its work during 2015’ (E/2015/35), and emphasized 2016 as a crucial year for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) released E/2015/35, on the work of the Executive Boards of UNDP, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), in advance of the Executive Board’s meeting. The report highlights UNDP’s work to become fit-for-purpose to achieve the 2030 Agenda through, inter alia: advancing a new UNDP accountability framework, including quality assurance processes and internal planning tools to support work under its Strategic Plan 2014-2017; implementing a new resource mobilization strategy; and reaffirming its focus on poverty eradication and inclusive growth as prerequisites for achieving sustainable development, particularly in the least developed countries (LDCs).

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark told the Board that UNDP will focus on three aspects of SDG implementation in 2016: a ‘whole of agenda’ and ‘whole of society’ approach; mobilization around Goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), Goal 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries), Goal 16 (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels), as well as on the SDGs on climate change, environment, sustainable energy, gender and health; and country support on monitoring, reporting and applying lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to SDG implementation.

Clark elaborated upon UNDP’s Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) approach and shared examples of implementation already underway, such as the development of a toolkit to accelerate SDG progress that models links between climate, energy, water and land-use to guide policy interventions. On climate, Clark said UNDP will assist countries to revisit Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets and determine concrete actions to achieve goals and contribute to the Paris Agreement.

UNDP is establishing four new funding windows for partners to contribute to supporting national SDG efforts, Clark informed. These windows focus on: sustainable development and poverty eradication; climate change and DRR; governance for peaceful and inclusive societies; and emergency development responses to crises and disasters and early recovery. Clark said the windows aim to ensure that UNDP has fewer and better linked funding windows to support greater programme integration and more effective responses. The windows are driven by accountability and national priorities, and will help UNDP to be effective and flexible in service delivery, said UNDP Assistant Administrator Magdy Martínez-Solimán during the Board’s consultations on UNDP’s proposed funding architecture.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) mandates the 36-member Executive Board to provide intergovernmental support to, and overall supervision of, the activities of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS. The Board is composed of UN Member States and meets three times a year. [UNDP Press Release] [UNDP Administrator Statement] [Executive Board Website] [Documents for the Executive Board’s First regular session 2016] [E/2015/35]