Joint statement: UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women welcome Sweden's multi-year commitment to core funding

NEW YORK, 12 June 2018 – UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women welcome with appreciation the Government of Sweden’s decision to enter into multi-year core funding agreements with our agencies.  These will enhance our ability to fulfil our mandates and carry out our work with the greatest possible flexibility and predictability.

This 6.8 billion SEK contribution will help us deliver better results for the communities we serve.

Core funding allows UN agencies to provide sustained support to national priorities as countries progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals; to respond in a timely and effective way to crises; and to operate to high standards of accountability, quality and transparency.  Core funds pay for essential enablers for our work on the ground, including maintaining staff and offices where they are most needed, training professional staff and funding operational functions like audit and human resources.  All these activities guarantee the quality and integrity of our work and help us deliver maximum value for every dollar contributed.  

The multi-year nature of Sweden’s commitment is especially welcome.  It will significantly enhance our agencies’ capacities to plan and implement our Strategic Plans and to collaborate towards Agenda 2030, fulfilling our collective commitment to “leave no-one behind”, as the common chapter of our Strategic Plans commits us to do.

With the General Assembly having passed its resolution on the repositioning of the UN Development System on 31 May, Sweden’s decision comes at a particularly opportune moment as our agencies look forward to playing our part in an ever more effective and efficient UN system.  Our new agreements with Sweden provide strategic, coherent, predictable, results-based and structured frameworks for collaboration, supporting the UN Secretary-General’s vision of more flexible and pooled funding for the UN Development System, which includes his call to increase core funding to UN development agencies to 30%.

We are grateful to the Government of Sweden for their leadership and support.  We look forward to working together towards the Sustainable Development Goals and a more equal and prosperous world for all.