UN’s Triple Disconnect: A Challenge the ECOSOC-HLPF Review Cannot Overlook

By Arelys Bellorini, Cepei

The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) review at its 80th session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is unfolding alongside major reform processes, including the UN80 Initiative, the Pact for the Future, the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), and the commitments from the Second World Summit on Social Development. While these processes have raised expectations, they have not been matched with corresponding authority or resources.

The risk is evident: mandates will continue to expand while the system’s capacity to deliver remains structurally constrained – a reality underscored by UNGA resolution 80/251, which signals Member States’ intent to bring greater discipline and accountability to the mandate landscape. At the same time, the opportunity is significant. ECOSOC can be reformed, and the HLPF remains indispensable. The challenge is not to create new mechanisms, but to reconnect existing ones to the core levers of finance, accountability, and inclusive participation.

If Member States act decisively, the UNGA’s review can help restore coherence, strengthen institutional credibility, and position the UN’s development governance for a credible post-2030 trajectory. If not, the system risks remaining caught in a cycle of declaratory politics – rich in commitments but limited in implementation.

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To address these challenges and provide forward-looking insights and scenarios, Cepei has recently published two analyses – ‘The Triple Disconnect: Power, Money and Voice in the UN Development System’ and ‘Enhancing the Effectiveness of ECOSOC and the HLPF: Aligning Leadership, Coherence and Impact.’ Together, these reports offer an evidence-based diagnosis of the structural constraints facing the UN’s development governance and outline a reform agenda that is both politically realistic and institutionally necessary.

A system defined by disconnect

Cepei’s Triple Disconnect report identifies three mutually reinforcing gaps that undermine the UN development system’s ability to deliver on collectively agreed priorities.

The first one is a power disconnect. Formal authority sits with governance bodies such as ECOSOC and Executive Boards, yet substantive decision-making influence increasingly flows through informal arenas – donor coordination groups, pre-negotiation spaces, and closed consultations. By the time formal sessions convene, outcomes are often pre-aligned among major funders, leaving smaller missions and program countries reacting to rather than shaping decisions.

The second one is a money disconnect. Core voluntary funding has fallen to just 13% of total UN development resources. More than 80% of funding now flows through earmarked contributions negotiated bilaterally, outside formal oversight. ECOSOC can issue guidance, but it cannot compel alignment between resolutions and resource allocation. The result is a governance architecture where mandates proliferate while financial leverage migrates elsewhere.

The third one is a voice disconnect. Those most affected by UN development work – program countries and the communities the UN serves – have limited influence at the global level. Civil society participation, though formally anchored in ECOSOC’s consultative mandate, remains largely procedural. The system’s legitimacy suffers when those with the greatest stakes in outcomes have the least structural leverage.

These disconnects shape how priorities are set, how resources flow, and how accountability is exercised. They also explain why ECOSOC and the HLPF, despite expanded mandates through the Pact for the Future, the Sevilla Commitment, and the Doha Political Declaration, remain structurally constrained in their ability to drive implementation.

A reform agenda grounded in practicality

Cepei’s background paper for the ECOSOC/HLPF deep dive sessions outlines four priority reforms that could meaningfully strengthen the system’s coherence and impact:

Reconnect authority to financial leverage: Granting ECOSOC limited but meaningful budgetary authority over pooled funding mechanisms would create the first institutional link between policy guidance and resource allocation. Even a pilot allocation would set a precedent: intergovernmental bodies should influence how development resources are deployed. Without this linkage, ECOSOC risks continued marginalization.
Increase transparency around informal power: Donor coordination is the informal engine room of UN development system governance. Reform cannot ignore these shadow arenas. Member States should support disclosure frameworks for earmarked contributions, pre-negotiation consultations, and informal coordination mechanisms. Transparency is not an end in itself. It is the foundation for aligning informal influence with formal accountability.
Strengthen structured civil society and stakeholder participation: ECOSOC’s unique consultative mandate must evolve beyond tokenistic engagement. Procedural standards, structured access, feedback loops, adequate speaking time, and advisory mechanisms would help translate consultative status into meaningful influence. Inclusive governance is not a concession; it is a condition for legitimacy and implementation effectiveness.
Transform the HLPF from a platform of visibility to a platform of consequence: Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) must move beyond descriptive reporting toward driving measurable policy change. Strengthened follow-up mechanisms, clearer institutional linkages with ECOSOC, and integration of financing discussions are essential. The credibility of the SDG architecture depends on whether review mechanisms generate enforceable commitments, not additional declarations.

The review will not fix everything, but it will show whether Member States are ready to match mandates with the means to deliver them.

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Arelys Bellorini is a co-author of ‘The Triple Disconnect: Power, Money and Voice in the UN Development System,’ Senior Multilateral Strategist for Global Equity, Dignity and SDG Policy, and Senior Policy Analyst at Cepei.