9 September 2016: The second regular session of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS) discussed support for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Board also considered UNDP’s revised Evaluation Policy, which aims to professionalize evaluation and strengthen accountability and effectiveness.

Addressing the Board, which met from 6-9 September 2016, in New York, US, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said “successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda is a top priority for UNDP and the entire UN development system.” She highlighted UNDP’s work to implement the SDGs by: supporting countries to carry out multi-sector planning for SDG implementation and promote coherence action across government levels; strengthening statistical capacities to monitor progress; supporting countries to conduct multi-dimensional poverty assessments to ensure no one is left behind; and raising awareness and leveraging partnerships.

Clark highlighted UNDP’s upcoming launch of a multi-stakeholder ‘Global Alliance for Reporting Progress on Promoting Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies’ at the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) in September 2016, in order to support meaningful reporting on SDG 16 and its related targets. On climate change, Clark shared UNDP’s support to countries to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as well as efforts to protect forests, strengthen adaptation and build clean energy systems. Clark also shared UNDP’s contributions to, inter alia: addressing migration and displacement, including through SDG implementation; promoting a New Urban Agenda; and introducing a global pooled funding mechanism to support UN agencies in a joined-up approach to SDG implementation.

UNDP Assistant Administrator Magdy Martínez-Solimán shared UNDP’s revised Evaluation Policy with the Executive Board, which he said will “professionalize the evaluation function and strengthen accountability and effectiveness.” He highlighted the Policy’s: focus on organization learning; emphasis on strengthening capacities to optimize planning and maximize resources and results; and introduction of a quality assessment system.

Martínez-Solimán also described how UNDP has incorporated recommendations of a 2013 evaluation on UNDP’s response to poverty reduction, emphasizing three changes: adoption of UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, which makes ending poverty UNDP’s first principle and the benchmark against which all its work is measured, and aligns with the 2030 Agenda; adoption of stronger quality assurance and accountability measures, including that country programme documents now articulate a theory of change on how proposed actions will lead to poverty reduction; and organization-wide restructuring which has helped UNDP to maximize its development impact and end a silo approach.

The Board also discussed UNDP’s finances, UNDP’s commitment to transparency and accountability, country programmes, and issues related to UNFPA and UNOPS, among other topics. [UNDP Administrator Statement] [UNDP Assistant Administrator Statement on Evaluation Policy] [UNDP Assistant Administrator Statement on Evaluation Implementation] [Meeting Website]