B owne, S ephen; Ma hys, F ede ik; Palm, De le ; Baumann, Max-O o
Wo king Pape
Beyond aid: A new ision o he UN de elopmen unc ion
IDOS Discussion Pape , No. 32/2025
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn
Sugges ed Ci a ion: B owne, S ephen; Ma hys, F ede ik; Palm, De le ; Baumann, Max-O o (2025) :
Beyond aid: A new ision o he UN de elopmen unc ion, IDOS Discussion Pape , No. 32/2025,
ISBN 978-3-96021-277-5, Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS), Bonn,
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Beyond Aid: A New Vision o he UN
De elopmen Func ion
S ephen B owne
F ede ik Ma hys
De le Palm
Max-O o Baumann
IDOS DISCUSSION PAPER
32/2025
Beyond aid: a new ision o he UN
de elopmen unc ion
S ephen B owne
F ede ik Ma hys
De le Palm
Max-O o Baumann
Bonn 2025
S ephen B owne is a isi ing lec u e a uni e si ies in he UK, Swi ze land and India. He spen mo e han 30
yea s in he UN de elopmen sys em and has published many books and a icles on he UN and o eign
assis ance.
Email: s b [email protected]
F ede ik Ma hys is Senio Ad iso a Tomo ow Is Possible wi h a ocus on sus ainable de elopmen ,
in e na ional coope a ion and mul ila e al e o m.
Email: ede ik@ omo owispossible.com
De le Palm wo ked o UNICEF o 30 yea s in coun y o ices and a headqua e s. He se ed as he ocal
poin o p og amme policy, an audi o and a ep esen a i e.
Email: de le [email protected]
D Max-O o Baumann is a Senio Resea che in he depa men “In e - and T ansna ional Coope a ion” a he
Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS) in Bonn.
Email: max-o o.baumann@idos- esea ch.de
The Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS) is ins i u ionally inanced by he Fede al Minis y
o Economic Coope a ion and De elopmen (BMZ), based on a esolu ion o he Ge man Bundes ag, and he
s a e o No h Rhine-Wes phalia (NRW) as a membe o he Johannes-Rau-Fo schungsgemeinscha (JRF).
Sugges ed ci a ion:
B owne, S., Ma hys, F., Palm, D., & Baumann, M.-O. (2025). Beyond aid: a new ision o he UN de elopmen
unc ion (IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025). IDOS. h ps://doi.o g/10.23661/idp32.2025
Disclaime :
The analyses exp essed in his pape a e hose o he au ho (s) and do no necessa ily e lec he iews o
policies o he Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y (IDOS).
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ISSN 2751-4439 (P in )
ISSN 2751-4447 (Online)
ISBN 978-3-96021-277-5 (P in )
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.23661/idp32.2025
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P in ed on eco- iendly, ce i ied pape .
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
III
Con en s
Abb e ia ions
Execu i e summa y 1
1 In oduc ion 2
2 The need o e o m 3
2.1 Slow o adap : he UN de elopmen sys em does no su icien ly conside
he in e dependence o coun ies in add essing global challenges 3
2.2 Beyond No h-Sou h: adjus ing coope a ion o a mul ipola wo ld 4
2.3 Lack o e ec i eness: how ins i u ional de ici s unde mine UN pe o mance 5
2.4 Losing i s edge: he ma ginalisa ion o he UN’s no ma i e powe 5
3 Calib a ing he pe spec i e: Wha d i es de elopmen ? 6
3.1 D i e s o na ional de elopmen 6
3.2 The place o ex e nal suppo 7
3.3 The mul ila e al dimension 8
4 Re iewing he s a us quo: how he UN does de elopmen 9
4.1 O igins and ea ly con ou s 9
4.2 Recen e o ms and hei ocus on coo dina ion 11
4.3 Th ee pa hologies o he cu en UN de elopmen sys em 12
4.3.1 En enched pa onage: dono and ecipien in e es s o e de elopmen impac 12
4.3.2 Miscons uing de elopmen : echnical ixes wi hou poli ical p ocess 13
4.3.3 P ojec o e load: a sys em lacking meaning ul pu pose 14
5 Elemen s o a new ision o he UN’s de elopmen unc ion 14
5.1 Mee ing he demand o ad ice: posi ioning he UN de elopmen sys em as a
knowledge acili a o 15
5.2 P o iding public ad ocacy ha ma e s: ele a ing no ms and shaping na ional deba es 17
5.3 Engaging uni e sally: a de elopmen unc ion o all membe s a es 18
5.4 Taking ca e in agile se ings: he UN as an ac o o las eso 19
6 Nex s eps 20
7 Conclusion 22
Re e ences 23
Boxes
Box 1: A ican oices on o eign aid 7
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
IV
Abb e ia ions
ECOSOC Uni ed Na ions Economic and Social Council
G77 G oup o 77
IDOS Ge man Ins i u e o De elopmen and Sus ainabili y
ILO In e na ional Labou O ganiza ion
JIU Join Inspec ion Uni
MOPAN Mul ila e al O ganisa ion Pe o mance Assessmen Ne wo k
ODA o icial de elopmen assis ance
OECD O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen
QCPR Quad ennial Comp ehensi e Policy Re iew
SDG Sus ainable De elopmen Goal
UN Uni ed Na ions
UNAIDS Join Uni ed Na ions P og amme on HIV/AIDS
UNDP Uni ed Na ions De elopmen P og amme
UNDESA Uni ed Na ions Depa men o Economic and Social A ai s
UNESCO Uni ed Na ions Educa ional, Scien i ic and Cul u al O ganiza ion
UNICEF Uni ed Na ions Child en’s Fund
UN80 UN80 Ini ia i e
UN Women Uni ed Na ions P og amme o Gende Equali y and he Empowe men o
Women
WHO Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
1
Execu i e summa y
This discussion pape ad ances a new ision o he Uni ed Na ions (UN)’s de elopmen unc ion
a a momen when he o ganisa ion is acing p o ound p essu es and pe sis en scep icism abou
i s ele ance. Al hough a consensus exis s ha e o m is o e due, pas ini ia i es ha e been oo
inc emen al, ocusing on coo dina ion and e iciency wi hou add essing deepe ins i u ional and
poli ical pa hologies. The esul is a UN de elopmen sys em ha has g own inancially la ge bu is
losing poli ical signi icance. I is inc easingly shaped by dono ea ma king, en enched pa onage
and a p ojec deli e y model ha bea s li le esemblance o how na ional de elopmen ac ually
occu s.
Ou ision ma ks a signi ican depa u e om he UN’s his o ical ole as an aid channel p edica ed
on he No h-Sou h di ide. Ins ead, he UN’s u u e ele ance lies in le e aging i s uni e sal
legi imacy, no ma i e au ho i y and con ening powe .
We a gue o a UN de elopmen sys em ha :
1. Ac s as a us ed knowledge acili a o : p o iding high-le el and echnical ad ice, suppo ing
pee exchange and helping go e nmen s na iga e complex policy ade-o s in ways ha a e
independen , poli ically in o med and no ma i ely g ounded.
2. Engages in public ad ocacy ha ma e s: ele a ing no ms, co ec ing misin o ma ion and
shaping na ional deba es in line wi h globally ag eed s anda ds, wi h sensi i i y o na ional
con ex s.
3. Applies uni e sali y in p ac ice: mo ing beyond he ou da ed dis inc ion be ween dono and
ecipien o engage wi h all membe s a es – including middle- and high-income coun ies –
h ough global moni o ing and pee accoun abili y.
4. Se es as an ac o o las eso in agile se ings: p o iding ope a ional suppo only whe e
na ional go e nmen s canno o will no ac , wi h s ic sunse clauses and sa egua ds agains
unin en ional ha m.
This econcep ualisa ion is no p ima ily abou money. I implies a inancially smalle bu poli ically
s onge UN de elopmen sys em ha is less dependen on dono s and mo e ele an o oday’s
mul ipola wo ld. The eal benchma k o success is no he olume o aid p o ided bu he quali y
o ad ice, ad ocacy and esul ing coope a ion.
Reaching his ision will be di icul . The UN’s de elopmen appa a us is shaped by es ed
in e es s, pa h dependency and poli ical ine ia. Ye , oppo uni ies o change exis . The collapse o
adi ional aid inancing, he insis ence o middle-income coun ies on equi able pa ne ships and
a igue wi h he cu en p ojec -hea y model all poin owa ds he need o a new app oach. The
Sec e a y-Gene al’s UN80 Ini ia i e o e s a pla o m o bold ideas, bu only i he deba e mo es
beyond echnical ixes and acknowledges he poli ical ade-o s inhe en in ans o ma ion.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
2
The Pu poses o he Uni ed Na ions a e: […] To achie e in e na ional co-ope a ion in sol ing
in e na ional p oblems o an economic, social, cul u al, o humani a ian cha ac e , and in
p omo ing and encou aging espec o human igh s and o undamen al eedoms o all wi hou
dis inc ion as o ace, sex, language, o eligion; and o be a cen e o ha monizing he ac ions o
na ions in he a ainmen o hese common ends.
Cha e o he Uni ed Na ions, §1
1 In oduc ion
The es ablishmen o he Uni ed Na ions (UN) coun s as one o he mos signi ican ins i u ional
achie emen s o he 20 h cen u y. Th oughou i s eigh decades o exis ence, he UN has acili a ed
mul ila e al coope a ion, p omo ed ag eemen s on in e na ional no ms and s anda ds and helped
wi h implemen a ion. I s de elopmen unc ion, which soon eme ged a e he UN’s incep ion, was
ins umen al in pos -independence na ion-building, assis ing wi h economic g ow h, public se ice
deli e y and ins i u ional o ma ion. Landma k accomplishmen s in add essing global challenges –
such as disease e adica ion, sa ing he ozone laye , p omo ing human igh s and in oducing he
concep o human de elopmen – a e a leas pa ially a ibu ed o he UN. Th oughou i s his o y,
he UN has ad anced “ideas ha changed he wo ld” (Jolly, Emme ij, & Weiss, 2009), mos ecen ly
he Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (SDGs).
The UN80 Ini ia i e, launched by he UN Sec e a y-Gene al in ea ly 2025, is only he mos ecen
p oposal o e o m in a long line ha da es almos o he incep ion o he UN (see Be and, 1985;
Jackson, 1969). Pas e o s o e o m he UN’s de elopmen sys em, which comp ises 44 UN
en i ies1 and had collec i e e enue o app oxima ely USD 45 billion in 2023,2 ha e o en un
ag ound on sho - e m poli ical in e es s, wi hou p o iding adequa e answe s o ques ions abou
he abili y o he UN o suppo membe s a es in he a ea o sus ainable de elopmen .3 The deba e
in UN ci cles abou he UN80 Ini ia i e is d i en by he u gency o managing he UN’s unding
collapse. Howe e , un esol ed ins i u ional challenges and new equi emen s necessi a e a
undamen al e hink o he UN’s de elopmen unc ion, i he pu pose is o ully exploi he po en ial
o he UN as a mul ila e al o ganisa ion o helping membe s a es manage sus ainable de elopmen .
The discussion pape aims o con ibu e wo hings o he e o m deba e: i s , o p o ide a diagnosis
o he “pa ien ’s sickness” (Jackson, 1969), showing how he UN is ailing o li e up o i s po en ial.
To do so, he pape e iews bo h he UN’s ins i u ional de ici s ha ha e g own h ough decades o
neglec , pa onage, and pa h dependency as well as he changing demands o de elopmen
coope a ion. The main h us o he pape is hen o p o ide elemen s o a new ision o how he
UN’s de elopmen unc ion can become mo e e ec i e and ele an in add essing oday’s
challenges. This ision cen es on a depa u e om de elopmen assis ance as i is cu en ly being
p ac ised, he pa adigma ic case o which is he ee-s anding de elopmen p ojec , inanced wi h
esou ces om he Global No h and bene i ing a so-called de eloping coun y. Acco ding o ou
new ision, he UN de elopmen sys em lea es old global di ides behind, cen es on engagemen
in na ional decision-making p ocesses and is embedded in he UN’s global go e nance unc ions,
which also need o be s eng hened h ough he inc eased inclusi i y o all membe s a es. Al hough
he pape does no emula e he comp ehensi eness o ea lie e o m epo s, such as hose by
1 Acco ding o UNDESA’s inancial epo ing; see he la es s a is ical annex o he annual Quad ennial
Comp ehensi e Policy Re iew (QCPR) epo s.
2 UN Chie Execu i es Boa d o Coo dina ion.
3 See he Mul ila e al O ganisa ion Pe o mance Assessmen Ne wo k (MOPAN, 2021), Weinlich e al.
(2022) and Uni ed Na ions (UN, 2025a) ega ding assessmen s o he la es e o m om 2018.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
3
Jackson (1969) and Be and (1985), we emain inspi ed by he same spi i o an independen ,
c i ical and cons uc i e su ey o he UN’s cu en condi ion.
The au ho s’ analysis and iews ha e been o med h ough long- e m in ol emen in he UN’s
de elopmen unc ion – as p ac i ione s se ing in du y s a ions a ound he wo ld and in he UN’s
headqua e s, as independen esea che s and as p o ide s o policy ad ice o go e nmen s as
well as he UN. As his is p edominan ly an opinion piece, we d aw mainly on ou own insigh s. Bu
we iangula e hem o he ex en p ac icable wi h e e ence o a wide body o UN documen s
( epo s, e alua ions, unding da a) and academic li e a u e, which he in e es ed eade may ind
use ul o u he eading. The pape also bene i ed om consul a ions wi h o he expe s.4
No ma i ely, he pape is guided by he IDOS ision o wo k owa ds be e in e na ional
coope a ion o sus ainable u u es. I s a ge audience a e membe s a es, UN o icials and expe s
who, e y much like ou sel es, a e g appling wi h he ongoing global changes and wha hey should
mean o he UN. The pape seeks o inspi e a mo e undamen al deba e abou he u u e o he
UN in he a ea o de elopmen .
2 The need o e o m
The global poli ical en i onmen , ma ked by a bumpy e olu ion owa ds mul ipola i y, is cu en ly
no a ou able o e o ms ha aim a “ enewed mul ila e alism” (Ishmael, Klingebiel, & Sume ,
2025; Schulz, 2025). Howe e , ad e se condi ions do no change he need o sus ainable
de elopmen . I emains a challenge o ou imes o educe he p essu e on plane a y bounda ies
and secu e p ospe i y, global public goods and a li e in digni y o all. The manda e o he UN
Cha e o “achie e in e na ional co-ope a ion in sol ing in e na ional p oblems o an economic,
social, cul u al, o humani a ian cha ac e ” is s ill incon es able. Bu he e a e, in ou analysis, ou
easons why he UN’s de elopmen unc ion needs e o m, i we emain guided by he aspi a ions
o he UN.
2.1 Slow o adap : he UN de elopmen sys em does no
su icien ly conside he in e dependence o coun ies in
add essing global challenges
The wo ld oday is di e en om he wo ld 80 yea s ago. Al hough some p oblems a e he same,
new challenges ha e eme ged o e he las decades o which he UN s ill has no adap ed
adequa ely. Mos o hese a e sys emic and ansbounda y: clima e change, pandemics, digi al
ans o ma ion, inancial ola ili y, u banisa ion, access o echnology, demog aphic change and
mig a ion demand egional o global esponses. The Human De elopmen Repo om 2023/2024
makes i clea ha “mismanaged” in e dependence has nega i e e ec s on human de elopmen
(UNDP [UN De elopmen P og amme], 2024, p. 13). The epo joins he calls o a new global
public goods app oach, which can spa k a new mindse o how o ackle sus ainable de elopmen
and manage i s inhe en complexi y (Ho ne , 2020; Ho ne & Hulme, 2017; Kloke-Lesch, 2021).
Agains his backd op, he UN’s adi ional p og amma ic app oach o de elopmen , which e lec s
he o e all o icial de elopmen assis ance (ODA) egime wi h i s ocus on No h-Sou h ans e s,
4 A wo kshop was held a IDOS in July 2025, b inging oge he a dozen UN expe s om di e en
backg ounds. The documen was u he sha ed o pee e iew wi h a numbe o expe s on de elopmen
coope a ion.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
10
ans e o esou ces and skills – dubbed “ echnical assis ance” o “capaci y-building” – om No h
o Sou h has emained a he hea o he UN’s de elopmen unc ion. I p o ed so a ac i e – o
luc a i e, in a mo e cynical eading – ha e en he UN’s specialised agencies ha a e conce ned
wi h in e na ional no ms and s anda ds expanded hei ope a ional suppo o de eloping coun ies.
Today, he Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion (WHO), he In e na ional Labou O ganiza ion (ILO), he
Food and Ag icul u e O ganiza ion and o he specialised agencies a e pa o he UN de elopmen
sys em and many UN coun y eams. An ODA coe icien de ines how much o hei expendi u e
can be coun ed as ODA, cons i u ing an incen i e o expand he deli e y o ope a ional suppo
(Bo chmeye & Mi , 2019).
Dono s ini ially had conce ns abou handing o e esou ces. Va ious schemes we e de ised wi hin
he UN o encou age co- inancing by ecipien go e nmen s as p oo o demand o echnical
assis ance and o ensu e owne ship. Acco ding o ECOSOC, ecipien coun ies we e expec ed
“no mally o assume esponsibili y o a subs an ial pa o he cos s o echnical se ices wi h which
hey a e p o ided” (UN, 1949, pa a. 4). These coun e pa esou ces soon wi he ed away, howe e ,
because UN o ganisa ions – conce ned abou main aining disbu semen s – s opped insis ing on
hem. As a esul , g an assis ance became a one-way low o esou ces, accen ua ing he na u e
o UN de elopmen wo k as g an echnical assis ance, a he han as a o m o coope a ion ha
would in ol e elemen s o mu ual esponsibili y based on global ag eemen s.
This a ec ed how UN de elopmen wo k was app oached a he global le el. One-way echnical
assis ance – unhinged om he managemen o common global a ai s – con ibu ed owa ds
deepening he poli ical No h and Sou h dicho omy wi hin he UN. Al hough “de eloping coun ies”
did no seek such suppo ini ially – ocusing a he on he c ea ion o a new global economic o de 14
– as soon as de elopmen aid s a ed lowing, i became a de ining issue in he a ea o UN
de elopmen coope a ion. Being an ODA ecipien became a common dis inguishing ea u e o he
inc easingly a iega ed G77 coun ies. Subsequen ly, e e y majo UN de elopmen con e ence –
om he Rio Ea h Summi in 1992 o Mon e ey in 2002 and he SDG Summi in 2019 – has been
anima ed and impe illed by a gumen s abou unding, main aining he assump ion ha
de elopmen p oblems can only be sol ed wi h mo e money om he No h, a posi ion ha belies
he concep o so e eign y. When economic g ow h and o he de elopmen a ge s we e no me ,
aid, which cons an ly ell sho o he o e all 0.7 pe cen a ge , was o blame. This acile and highly
inaccu a e causal ela ionship has always been he a ionale o de elopmen assis ance, in
pa icula wi hin he UN.
I was in he na u e o one-way echnical assis ance – done h ough p og ammes and p ojec s (no
ag eed UN e minology exis s on how o dis inguish be ween he wo) – ha he g ow h o such
in e en ions led o agmen a ion. Ea ly e o m epo s desc ibed he immense adminis a i e
bu den o de eloping coun ies ha had o deal wi h dozens o UN en i ies, each o e ing se ices
on hei own e ms (Be and, 1985), no o speak o he many bila e al suppo p og ammes.
Be ween 2004 and 2023, he numbe o dono s g ew om 63 o 118, and he numbe o dono
agencies inc eased d ama ically, ising om 227 o 622 (Wo ld Bank, 2025). The same end is
isible in he UN. New UN en i ies we e c ea ed, ypically by aking p og ammes ou o exis ing
o ganisa ions and u ning hem in o mo e sel -con ained ones, as dono s sough o s eng hen
a ious hema ic a eas. Uni ed Na ions Popula ion Fund (UNFPA), o example, had o iginally been
pa o UNDP un il i became a sepa a e o ganisa ion in 1972 (UN, 1972). UNAIDS, by con as ,
was se up in 1994 as a join p og amme o mul iple UN agencies wi h i s own Sec e a ia , a he
han as a new specialised o ganisa ion. I illus a es how new s uc u es we e added o he sys em
14 The Bandung Con e ence, a p ecu so o he Non-Aligned Mo emen and he G77, did no men ion aid
once in i s ou come documen om 1955 (Bandung Con e ence, 1955). And he G77, he alliance o
de eloping coun ies a he UN, was o med du ing he i s con e ence on ade in 1964, which ook place
in Gene a (Sau an , 1981). I was only du ing he 1980s ha i was mo ed o New Yo k.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
11
in esponse o dono p io i ies and hema ic u gency. To emedy his si ua ion, he ocus soon
shi ed o coo dina ion in o de o p o ide be e UN de elopmen suppo .
4.2 Recen e o ms and hei ocus on coo dina ion
The his o y o UN de elopmen sys em e o m has cen ed on e o s o imp o e coo dina ion, which
has been seen as he mos ob ious and deepes challenge (B owne, 2019). Ye , success has
emained elusi e. Wha has changed mos signi ican ly has been he one, becoming e e mo e
euphemis ic: The Jackson epo om 1969 desc ibes he sys em as “unmanageable in he s ic es
use o he wo d” and ma ked by “sickness” (Jackson, 1969, pp. i, iii), and Be and la e no es he
“impossibili y o coo dina ion” (Be and, 1985). No discou aged, hose who ha e a emp ed mo e
ecen e o m e o s ha e se he ba highe , aiming a signi ican imp o emen s in coo dina ion
while ocusing almos exclusi ely on he coun y le el. The 2006 e o m aspi ed o “deli e as one”,
wi h he ambi ion o ha e he a ious UN en i ies ep esen ed in each coun y speaking wi h one
oice, ope a ing wi h one p og amme and sha ing one o ice (UN, 2006).15 I achie ed no able
successes in a ew pilo coun ies bu was no ully scaled up, no we e he necessa y s uc u al
changes implemen ed a he global le el, as indi idual o ganisa ions esis ed coope a ion. Dono s
we e no consis en wi h hei suppo , did no p o ide adequa e unding o incen i ise he p ocess
and many p e e ed o con inue hei ela ionships wi h UN en i ies indi idually.
In 2018, ano he signi ican a emp a UN de elopmen sys em e o m ied o build on he ambi ion
o deli e ing as one, hough he e m i sel was no longe used. This ime, he e o m aimed o
in oduce a “new gene a ion o UN coun y eams” and a “ ein igo a ed esiden coo dina o
sys em” (UN, 2017a). The e o m was designed o es ablish a mo e s uc u ed and ha monised
app oach o p og amming, aligning UN e o s mo e closely wi h na ional p io i ies and he 2030
Agenda. Bu he esiden coo dina o sys em has always been an addi ional s uc u e, and his
e o m, like he p e ious ones, also inc eased in complexi y,16 bu lacked he accoun abili y and
incen i es needed o make i wo k. A ecen e alua ion ound ha coo dina ion a he coun y le el
is s ill “mo e adminis a i e han subs an i e” (UN, 2025a).17 Be and’s con en ion 40 yea s ago
abou he “impossibili y o coo dina ion” la gely ings ue, and coo dina ion mechanisms migh e en
ha e agg a a ed issues o agmen a ion and o e lap.18
In he backg ound o hese a emp s a e o m, wo o he majo changes ha e made he p ocess
e en ha de . The i s change has been in he pa e n o unding con ibu ions o UN de elopmen
15 No en i ely a new idea. In he 1990s, he Commission on Global Go e nance p oposed single UN o ices
in each de eloping coun y “headed by a UN coo dina o appoin ed by he Sec e a y-Gene al, wi hou
pe sonal esponsibili y o he managemen o any one p og amme” (Commission on Global Go e nance,
1995, p. 289).
16 A ecen handbook on he UN’s coun y le el wo k is a ound 140 pages long (Go e nmen o Swi ze land,
2025).
17 P oblems s a wi h he coope a ion amewo ks, which, se en yea s a e hei e o m, “a e no deli e ing
a mo e ocused, p io i ised, and cohe en Uni ed Na ions de elopmen o e a he coun y le el, as
in ended”. The language o amewo ks is o en b oad and ague. Annual join wo k plans – mean o
p o ide mo e de ail on how coope a ion amewo ks a e implemen ed – “a e o en a me e colla ion (o en
ex-pos ) o en i y ac i i ies a he han cohe en and s a egic and hey a ely d i e s a egic coo dina ion”.
18 Coo dina ion s uc u e may e en ha e con ibu ed o p oblems. I may also ha e c ea ed an incen i e o
agencies o be isible in he coun y p og ammes, such as he UN De elopmen Assis ance F amewo ks
o la e he UN Sus ainable De elopmen Coope a ion F amewo k as p oo o hei ele ancy. Simila ly,
he call o “join p og ammes” o wo o mo e UN en i ies may ha e con ibu ed o he opposi e o wha
was in ended. Ra he han b inging UN en i ies oge he o coo dina ed esponses, i encou aged mission
c eep, as UN en i ies en u ed in o p og amme a eas ha p e iously we e clea ly iden i ied as he domain
o a single en i y.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
12
en i ies. S a ing in he 1990s, he amoun o esou ces ea ma ked by dono s o speci ic pu poses
ose as hey sough o align he UN wi h hei own agendas (e en o ac i i ies ou side o hei
manda es), and exe g ea e con ol o e he use o hei unding (G aham, 2023). In 2023 ( he
la es yea o which da a a e a ailable), 81 pe cen o he UN de elopmen sys em’s income was
ea ma ked (UN, 2025b). Fo UNDP, he numbe was 90 pe cen , o he Wo ld Food P og amme
93 pe cen .19 Indi idual ea ma ked con ibu ions may o en be jus i iable, enabling he UN o do
hings i migh o he wise no be able o do. Bu ea ma king comes wi h sys emic side-e ec s o
inc eased agmen a ion, he compe i ion o esou ces, he ac u ing o accoun abili y and he
co osion o he UN’s egali a ian mul ila e alism (G aham, 2023). I con ibu es o making he UN
“ esponsi e, bu no esponsible” (P om-Jackson, 2017): esponsi e o dono s (which can also
include hos go e nmen s), bu no esponsible in he sense o i s manda es and mission (Baumann
& Reinsbe g, in p ess; G aham, 2023; Weinlich e al., 2022).
The o he consequen ial change has been he decen alisa ion o o ganisa ional capaci ies o he
ield. The addi ion o inc easingly mo e coun y o ices by indi idual UN de elopmen en i ies had
been going on o many yea s. In 2006, he e we e al eady mo e han 1,000 ield o ices o UN
de elopmen sys em o ganisa ions (UN, 2017b). In 2016, a e o m documen ga e a numbe o
1,432. In de elopmen ci cles, decen alisa ion o he coun y le el (and some imes o he
subna ional le el) is seen as suppo ing na ional o communal owne ship, ensu ing ha
de elopmen p ojec s i local needs and ha money eaches ecipien s a he han s aying a
headqua e s – p inciples conside ed impo an in Gene al Assembly esolu ions. Membe s a es
ha e he e o e p essed UN en i ies o decades o mo e human esou ces and esponsibili ies o
he coun y le el, esul ing in a sys em whe e, in he wo ds o Jackson om 1969, he
“adminis a i e en acles h us downwa ds”, whe e hey become pa o na ional ecosys ems and
ake on li es o hei own. Decen alisa ion may seem like a wo hy goal in he con ex o adi ional
aid pa onage, bu o he UN i has had he e ec o diminishing he exe cise o i s mul ila e al
unc ions and con ibu ing o pe o mance de ici s, which a e desc ibed in he nex sec ion.
4.3 Th ee pa hologies o he cu en UN de elopmen sys em
All he ac o s desc ibed abo e – an unguided, ad hoc ins i u ional e olu ion, o ganisa ional sel -
in e es , he UN de elopmen sys em’s unding pa e ns and a high deg ee o decen alisa ion –
ha e con ibu ed o a UN de elopmen unc ion ha is o ack. Th ee basic de ici s – o
“pa hologies”, o use a heal h analogy – may se e o desc ibe wha is w ong wi h he cu en
sys em. They ha e been in he making and known o a long ime. Bu hey bea epea ing.
4.3.1 En enched pa onage: dono and ecipien in e es s o e de elopmen
impac
The UN, like any mul ila e al o ganisa ion, depends on a ce ain deg ee o au onomy om membe
s a es o be able o pe o m i s unc ions.20 This au onomy, howe e , has been unde mined by
es ed in e es s ha ha e become a s ong ea u e o UN de elopmen coope a ion. The UN
de elopmen sys em has been analysed as ha ing become he child o dono s, ac ing as hei
agen o implemen a ion and helping hem ex end hei in luence while aking ad an age o he
massi e UN ield ne wo k (G aham, 2023; Weinlich e al., 2022). The esul o widesp ead
ea ma king is a supply-d i en way o ope a ing21 ha unde mines pe o mance o impac , which
19 Own calcula ion, based on UN (2025e).
20 Fo academic li e a u e on his, see Abbo and Snidal (1998), Collins and Whi e (2011), Hawkins e al.
(2006) and Co ell and Pe e son (2022).
21 E en coun y-le el o ices un hei own in elligence on dono policies o an icipa e unding in e es s and
adjus hei o e s acco dingly (Weinlich e al., 2022).
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
13
would equi e esponding o genuine de elopmen demands and aligning wi h domes ic policy
issues. UN s a a e consequen ly no a uned o he need o coope a ion, lea ning o inno a ion.
Dono s a e awa e o he nega i e impac o ea ma king, bu p e e o inance p ojec s ha e lec
he in e es s o hei axpaye s, and which a e easy o epo on. Sys ems ha we e designed o
co ec his, such as “ esou ce-based managemen ” (P om-Jackson, 2017) and he UN’s
moni o ing and e alua ion sys ems, ha e become ools o pa onage. The ocus o moni o ing and
e alua ion has been on dono in e es s and sho - e m ou pu s, a he han assessing he UN
agains i s manda es and mission.22
The ela ionship o UN de elopmen en i ies wi h p og amme coun ies also in i es pa onage. Mos
p ojec s a ge he public sec o s o hos coun ies, as discussed abo e, and UN coun e pa s enjoy
a ange o bene i s in e ms o incomes, ehicles, pe sonal compu e s, aining p og ammes and
o e seas a el. These bene i s help ensu e pa ne commi men o UN ac i i ies, bu hey abso b
signi ican p opo ions o esou ces ha migh o he wise be di ec ly spen on na ional p og ammes
in suppo o bene icia ies. These es ed in e es s, whe he on he dono o ecipien side, a e a
majo eason o he eluc ance o membe s a es o change he s a us quo.
4.3.2 Miscons uing de elopmen : echnical ixes wi hou poli ical p ocess
The UN’s ins i u ions a e unde igh sc u iny by dono s o hei le els o e iciency, an i- aud
policies, gende policies and o he aspec s. Majo o ganisa ional e iews, such as hose conduc ed
by he Mul ila e al O ganisa ion Pe o mance Assessmen Ne wo k (MOPAN) and he Join
Inspec ion Uni (JIU), egula ly sc u inise all o ganisa ional aspec s. Bu hey do no c i ically
examine he concep ual disposi ions ha unde lie UN de elopmen wo k o guide ope a ional
app oaches. Widesp ead allacies (no unique o he UN) ha e a ec ed he ele ance and
e ec i eness o i s de elopmen suppo .
One such allacy is he concep ion o de elopmen as a echnical p oblem a he han a poli ical
p ocess. P o iding echnical bluep in s, pilo ing solu ions, building sys ems, ga he ing da a and
issuing epo s a e all pa o he UN’s oolbox. Unde lying his is a cul u e in many UN en i ies –
and in pa icula ield o ices – o s ay clea om poli ical p ocesses and sa egua d he speedy and
o de ly implemen a ion o dono p ojec s based on p e-ag eed plans. One aspec o echnical
app oaches is capaci y-building, which is unde s ood in he sense o s eng hening skills. I
accoun s o he bulk o he de elopmen expendi u e o he UN de elopmen sys em (Dalbe g,
2017, p. 13).23 Capaci y-building es s on he assump ion ha coun ies lack he able numbe o
ci il se an s o ha people will ake be e decisions a e hey ha e been ained. Howe e , he
eali y o UN capaci y-building is p obably close o wha he mos ecen e alua ion we ound on
his opic s a es: “ini ia i es a e cu en ly sho - e m, small scale, disconnec ed and ad hoc, limi ing
hei abili y o con ibu e o ans o ma i e and sus ainable impac ” (UN Women, 2023, p. 51).24
The e is a b oade p oblem. Like o he dono s, he UN has he dual objec i e o wan ing o inc ease
na ional capaci y o p o ide se ices and o ac ually p o ide hose se ices o end-use s as an
indica o o success. As Fukuyama has a i med, he la e objec i e o en wins ou , and “ he di ec
p o ision o se ices almos always unde mines he local go e nmen ’s capaci y o p o ide hem
once he aid p og amme e mina es” (Fukuyama, 2004, p. 40).
22 Baumann and Reinsbe g (in p ess). These de ici s a e also equen ly no ed in MOPAN assessmen s o
UN en i ies and in me a o syn hesis e alua ions o UN de elopmen en i ies, o example UNDP (2018)
and UNICEF (2020).
23 The e is no ag eed UN de ini ion o “capaci y-building”. In a b oad unde s anding, capaci y-building can
be a synonym o de elopmen suppo , and i may also be aken o include building ins i u ions. The
Dalbe g su ey o he UN’s unc ions b ough he de ini ion o capaci y-building down o “include aining,
lea ning- ocused wo kshops, expe con en ad ice, e c.”
24 A he same ime, capaci y-building can be c i icised as a good business p oposi ion, because demand
o capaci y-building ne e ends, i espec i e o na ional de elopmen s.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
14
The no ion o “deli e ing” de elopmen a he han con ibu ing o he na ionally owned de elop-
men p ocess has become a UN ca chwo d, adop ed o demons a e alue- o -money o i s dono s.
A epo by he Sec e a y-Gene al speaks o “ensu ing he e ec i e deli e y o de elopmen esul s
on he g ound” as a “key p inciple” o he UN de elopmen sys em (UN, 2017a, pa a. 4); a
subsequen epo ad ances he no ion o a UN sys em “equipped o deli e on he Sus ainable
De elopmen Goals” (UN, 2025d, pa a. 140). This sugges s an abili y o enginee ou comes om
he ou side when achie ing sus ainable de elopmen esul s is he esponsibili y o na ional ac o s.
Fo he UN o suppo de elopmen e ec i ely, i mus be clea -eyed abou i s limi ed ole and
whe e i can s ill be e ec i e.
4.3.3 P ojec o e load: a sys em lacking meaning ul pu pose
The hi d pa hological synd ome o he UN’s de elopmen unc ion is, in ou analysis, an
exagge a ed ocus on small-scale p ojec wo k coupled wi h he absence o a mission o compelling
idea o wha he UN can o e . O en, bo h indi idual UN en i ies and en i e UN coun y eams a e
inwa d-looking and s uggle o de ine he co e o hei (collec i e) con ibu ion o na ional
de elopmen (MOPAN, 2021, p. 54; Weinlich e al., 2022). A all o ganisa ional le els, p og am-
ma ic documen s a e o en me e colla ions (o en ex-pos ) o en i y ac i i ies and do no p o ide
s a egic ocus o cla i y o mission.25 De elopmen planning migh ollow p o ocol in e ms o
analysis, bu he analysis is shaped by wha an agency can o e , no necessa ily by wha a coun y
needs o whe he he agency has a compa a i e ad an age o his ype o assis ance wi hin he
de elopmen communi y: he supply- a he - han-demand synd ome again.
This lack o mission, o s a egic leade ship, con as s wi h a la ge numbe o p ojec s. Each will
pu po o do some hing bene icial, bu he high numbe alone poin s o he ac o s ha c ea ed
hese p ojec s: oppo unism, he a ailabili y o unding, pa onage and misaligned incen i e
s uc u es. Today, e e y p og amme manage mus be a esou ce mobilise .26 All his comes wi h
an o e eliance on p og amme s a who adminis e and mic omanage unds, and on consul an s
who do much o he wo k.27 In con as , he UN is no known o ha ing seasoned subjec -ma e
expe s in a eas ha ma e o go e nmen s. The UN ope a es in i s own cosmos o dono -d i en
p ojec s, wi h li le connec ion o b oade na ional p ocesses.
5 Elemen s o a new ision o he UN’s de elopmen
unc ion
The p e ious sec ion es ablished ha he UN’s app oach o p edominan ly small-scale p ojec wo k
is no e ec i e. Mo e impo an ly, i is also poo ly aligned wi h he eali y o how na ional
de elopmen p ocesses wo k and he ole o eign engagemen can play in i , as analysed in Sec ion
3. Tha he p oblem has no been co ec ed wi h pas e o ms conju es he image o he boiling og
25 An ex eme example is UN Women’s p ac ice o alloca ing esou ces o coun ies. A MOPAN assessmen
ound ha he coun y alloca ion o he s a egic plan is based on he success o esou ce mobilisa ion in
he p e ious phase (MOPAN, 2019).
26 The e may be a ge s, bu hey a e no ele an . “I don’ e en know my a ge ”, one UN esiden
ep esen a i e said in an in e iew, poin ing ou ha esou ce mobilisa ion anyway would no s op a he
a ge (Weinlich e al., 2022).
27 The ocus on esou ce- and s a -in ensi e p ojec wo k can also ha e a nega i e e ec on na ional
capaci y, which i is o en supposed o s eng hen, by poaching alen om go e nmen . I may di e
commi ed go e nmen s a in o a pa allel wo ld o aid p o ide s. This is a p oblem “clea o anyone who
has spen ime in he de eloping wo ld” (Shaikh, 2010), and i occu s pa icula ly in poo -coun y se ings
(Lemay-Hébe , 2019).
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
15
ha has passed he momen when i can s ill jump o sa e y. Fo decades, membe s a es, UN
ins i u ions and la ge pa s o he epis emic aid communi y ha e g own so accus omed o he UN’s
de elopmen app oach ha i may be di icul o many o see al e na i es.28 In he ollowing, we
p o ide elemen s o a new ision o he UN de elopmen unc ion. Each elemen is buil a ound a
speci ic idea, bu all ou a e based on he UN Cha e and hus p o ide a no ion o wha a UN
de elopmen unc ion based on he concep o coope a ion could look like – in p inciple and in
p ac ice. All ou elemen s a e consis en wi h he idea ha he UN de elopmen unc ion should
e ol e om he deli e y o p ojec s and se ices which he UN owns (despi e he o mal
commi men o na ional owne ship), owa ds engaging wi h na ional sus ainable de elopmen
p ocesses d i en by go e nmen s and socie ies. Mo eo e , all elemen s migh esul in a UN ha
is inancially smalle (because eal demand o UN engagemen migh be less han wha cu en
inancial h oughpu sugges s), bu mo e poli ically ele an na ionally and globally.
5.1 Mee ing he demand o ad ice: posi ioning he UN
de elopmen sys em as a knowledge acili a o
Coun ies can bene i om echnical and s a egic ad ice, i i comes om a sou ce hey us . Each
coun y’s leade ship mus g apple wi h s a egic ques ions, which in Sec ion 3 we desc ibed as
being he mos impo an ac o s in de e mining he cou se and he o unes o na ional
de elopmen unde gi en ci cums ances. These a e ques ions o how o na iga e complex policy
challenges; p io i ise de elopmen conce ns; alloca e he na ional budge ; econcile compe ing
demands o a di e se popula ion; imp o e he e ec i eness o hei adminis a ions, basic heal h
se ices, da a collec ion sys ems, ax sys ems and so on. The ole o he UN would be o assis
coun ies, help sa egua d hei in e es s, seek ou bes p ac ices and ensu e he alignmen o
solu ions wi h global no ms and s anda ds. Impo an ly, go e nmen s mus eel ha he UN is
adding alue and seek he suppo o he espec i e UN en i y.
I he UN cu en ly does no li e up o his expec a ion, ha may ha e mo e o do wi h he inabili y
o p o ide such ad ice han wi h a lack o demand (Baumann, 2022). Consul ancy se ices o
go e nmen s a e a mul i-billion-dolla ma ke , and he e is a speci ic niche o he UN. The Gene al
Assembly seems o ecognise his, as i has in ecen decades consis en ly manda ed UN
de elopmen en i ies o engage in policy ad ice.29 Wha se s he UN de elopmen o ganisa ions
apa om o he p o ide s is he us linked o a uni e sal o ganisa ion ha is no a ached o any
speci ic ideology and no domina ed by any speci ic membe s a e o g oup o membe s a es. In
p ac ice, his neu ali y would be suppo ed by he Gene al Assembly’s o e sigh o ope a ional
ac i i ies. Ins i u ionally, i would es on ca ee s a wi h s ong allegiance o he UN. To ensu e
ha he UN is ep esen a i e o i s membe s a es, i equi es ha he e be mo e e o o ensu e a
be e mix be ween s a o igina ing om he Global No h and he Global Sou h. This would also
inc ease c edibili y wi h de eloping coun ies ha he UN is no ep esen ing iews d i en by a
ce ain numbe o “ ich” coun ies.
UN policy ad ice could ake di e en o ms. The UN could acili a e high-le el ad ice om
uni e sally acknowledged expe s. They could include ecognised o me poli icians, eminen
pe sonali ies, in luen ial economis s and acknowledged hough leade s in he ield o de elopmen
who ha e demons a ed a commi men o he spi i o he UN Cha e , ha e a p o en ack eco d
and whose ad ice a go e nmen can ely on wi h a deg ee o con idence. The UN has employed
many Nobel p ize winne s in he pas (Jolly e al., 2009), bu i does no need o sys ema ically d aw
such indi iduals in o i s anks. The UN can assis in iden i ying app op ia e indi iduals and expe
28 Fo a no able excep ion, see Jenks and Jones (2013).
29 See pas QCPR esolu ions, he esolu ions h ough which he UN Gene al Assembly moni o s and
manda es he UN de elopmen sys em.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
16
ne wo ks. Visible engagemen wi h ex e nal igu es p o iding ad ice migh be exac ly wha is
needed o b eak a s alema e in he public discou se.
The UN could also ha e a di ec ole in mo e echnical policy issues. In he pas , ad ice has mos ly
been p o ided in he con ex o p ojec s, such as how o inc ease co e age o a se ice, how o
boos ag icul u al ou pu o how o engage wi h ma ginalised g oups. Speci ic consul an s a e o en
included in dono aid packages – in his o m, he UN al eady engages policy ad ice bu wi hou
using o building i s own capaci y. Consul an s come and go and do no con ibu e owa ds building
he kind o ins i u ional expe ise and us ed ela ionships needed o gene a ing policy ad ice
(Baumann, 2022). As a esul , he go e nmen s migh seek suppo elsewhe e.30 A speci ic o m o
policy ad ice could come h ough acili a ing pee e iews, exchanges and lea ning. Whe eas some
wo ld egions a e well-in eg a ed and ea u e es ablished pee -exchange mechanisms (e.g. in he
con ex o he OECD), o he s a e no . In such cases – o in hose whe e coun ies could bene i
om an exchange wi h dis an pee s – he UN could ha e a ole in making i happen.
The UN could also be a us ed pa ne o consul a ion on (la ge-scale) bila e al p ojec s ins ead
o conduc ing p ojec s i sel . I could suppo de eloping coun ies wi h expe ise o help hem
nego ia e on equal e ms wi h dono coun ies, mul ina ional en e p ises and banks on ma e s ha
e lec hei long- e m in e es s and align wi h global no ms. This ole could ex end o la ge-scale
global ini ia i es such as China’s Bel and Road Ini ia i e and he Eu opean Global Ga eway
Ini ia i e, bo h o which a e associa ed wi h inancial and en i onmen al isks o ecipien s. The
UN’s ole in hese cases would ypically no be in he shape o o mal in ol emen . Ra he , he UN
should be a ailable as a us ed iend o o e in o mal ad ice behind he scenes. Ho izon al
assis ance is also inc easingly alid, as coun ies a e seeking examples o emula e along Sou h-
Sou h, No h-Sou h and Sou h-No h di ec ions.
A he global le el, we can imagine he UN playing an ad iso y ole o global go e nance on
sus ainable de elopmen and pe o ming a meaning ul unc ion by moni o ing p og ess – as he
UN al eady does wi h he SDGs – bu wi h a g ea e quali a i e componen while ocusing on
speci ic coun ies ha ha e achie ed no able success. I should ga he and analyse bes p ac ices
so ha hey can be ed in o policy deba es. I should unde ake analyses on issues ela ed o global
public goods, in e dependencies and policy cohe ence, econciling ade, clima e, mig a ion,
axa ion, and secu i y policies and de e mine how hey suppo o unde mine sus ainable
de elopmen , bo h a he coun y and global le els. Such a unc ion could be seen as enc oaching
upon sensi i e a eas o esponsibili y, bu i is key o he concep o in e na ional coope a ion,
whe eby membe s a es ade ce ain p e oga i es o he bene i o collec i e p oblem-sol ing.
Reposi ioning he UN as a key acili a o o knowledge and expe ad ice is no hing new. UN
o ganisa ions al eady p o ide and acili a e ad iso y se ices, albei o a limi ed ex en . Specialised
agencies would con inue o sha e hei expe ise while pe aining o he no ms and s anda ds o
which hey a e cus odians. O he UN en i ies would need o build hei expe ise, which would
equi e inc eased capaci ies ha can be deployed a he global, egional and coun y le els. In
addi ion, UN en i ies would need o ap in o la ge policy ne wo ks ha include hink anks,
uni e si ies, ci il socie y, g oups o elde s and mo emen s a ound he wo ld, especially in he
Global Sou h. Less bu eauc a ic a angemen s need o be made o make knowledge and expe s
accessible o coun ies. Ra he han glossy celeb a ions o UN ac i i ies, epo s would be based
on analy ical ma e ial wi h immedia e p ac ical ele ance.
30 An example om a Balkan coun y: The Minis y o Labou wished o e o m i s oca ional educa ion
p og amme in o de o ensu e p i a e-sec o pa icipa ion and inc ease he chances o g adua es o ind
employmen . The combined UN coun y eam (including ILO, UNICEF, UNESCO) we e unable o
espond. The minis y hen con ac ed he labou o ice in Nu embe g (Ge many) o help se up he sys em
o app en iceship in Albania.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
17
5.2 P o iding public ad ocacy ha ma e s: ele a ing no ms
and shaping na ional deba es
Sound ad ice o go e nmen o icials is only one aspec o na ional decision-making p ocesses.
Behind policy decisions a e he compe ing p e e ences, belie s and o en con lic ing demands o a
coun y’s socie y. Na ional decisions end o eme ge h ough a poli ical p ocess culmina ing in
pa liamen a y and/o eli e deba e, bu public discou se does no ollow a p ese and o de ly agenda.
I is in luenced by my iad ac o s and suscep ible o in o ma ion and – inc easingly so –
disin o ma ion,31 asse ions, emo ions, deep- oo ed con ic ions, pa onage and pa y poli ics. As
laid ou in Sec ion 3, mul ila e al o ganisa ions ha e a ole in p o iding objec i e in o ma ion; in he
con ex o de elopmen coope a ion, his should also ex end o na ional p ocesses. In cases whe e
issues ela ed o he manda e o UN en i ies a e a s ake, ep esen a i es o hese o ganisa ions
should be in ol ed as discussan s o ad oca es o co ec ac s, a ionalise discussions, ep esen
he global consensus and sha e good p ac ices om compa able coun ies in o de o a ou sound
decisions and policies.32 The ad ocacy o WHO du ing he COVID pandemic and he ole o he
In e go e nmen al Panel on Clima e Change in clima e deba es a e jus wo o many examples.
UNICEF’s ad ocacy o child en’s igh s may also be ci ed, al hough ha may play a much smalle
ole in i s day- o-day wo k han o icial communica ion sugges s (Hagn, 2018).
E en mo e so han policy ad ice, public ad ocacy as a o m o some imes unsolici ed engagemen
can come in o ension wi h so e eign y and – in he con ex o de elopmen poli ics – migh be seen
as p oblema ic. UN Gene al Assembly esolu ions ha e, in ha spi i , s ipula ed ha UN suppo
mus be “ olun a y” and “a he eques o coun ies” (UN, 2024b) – QCPR esolu ions do no
men ion ad ocacy as manda ed UN unc ions. These adi ional p o isions e lec mo e a pa adigm
o aid, o assis ance, han mul ila e al coope a ion. Unde he la e , membe s a es sign on o
ce ain in e na ional amewo ks and by doing so, hey s ep in o he a ena o in e na ional
coope a ion, which includes elemen s o mu ual accoun abili y. In he UN’s human igh s pilla ,
go e nmen s ha e accep ed global moni o ing and accoun abili y. Sus ainable de elopmen is a
less sensi i e. In p ac ice, ad ocacy will – i deli e ed p uden ly – be unde s ood o se e he
in e es s o go e nmen s and socie y, helping hem o implemen in e na ional amewo ks and
na ional goals. Fu he mi iga ing he in usi e na u e o ad ocacy, he ole o he UN is no o speak
loudly o o shame and blame, bu o con ibu e ac ual assessmen s.33
In gene al, UN en i ies should be ac i e ad oca es o hei own missions, be i o he igh s o
women and child en, public heal h, he en i onmen , cul u al he i age, mig a ion o he many o he
domains consis en wi h he UN Cha e and subsequen con en ions, ea ies and o he
amewo ks. Howe e , gi en he ade-o s in de elopmen – wi h he in e es s o some pa ies
a ec ing he in e es s o o he s – ad ocacy should no be limi ed o he manda es o indi idual UN
en i ies. I should also weigh in on policies ha ha e a bea ing on hei cons i uency o manda ed
issue. Logically hen, no all UN agencies ha e o speak wi h one oice. The impo ance is ha he
bes a gumen s a e known o help he coun y o decide.
31 In he UN’s “Pac o he Fu u e”, ag eed in 2024, membe s a es ecognise he g owing h ea om
disin o ma ion and “decide o […]. Add ess he isks o sus aining peace posed by disin o ma ion,
misin o ma ion, ha e speech and con en inci ing ha m” (UN, 2024a, pp. 14, 15).
32 Fo example, he majo i y o people in a coun y (and i s go e nmen ) may hink ha young o ende s
should be inca ce a ed o “lea n a lesson”. The people and hei go e nmen should know ha he es o
he wo ld hinks di e en ly. Go e nmen alone is no going o change legisla ion on ju enile jus ice agains
he belie o he majo i y – hence he impo ance o he ele an UN expe o engage in he public
discou se.
33 The UN has expe ience wi h adap ing he demands o in e na ional amewo ks in o locally accep able
concep s. Fo example, bi h con ol can be ad oca ed h ough “spacing”, which wo ks be e in some
cul u es.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
18
The UN’s ad ocacy is impo an o all coun ies, al hough i mus be adap ed o each unique
poli ical con ex . In democ acies wi h a ib an ci il socie y landscape and o ganised in e es s on
almos e e y issue, he UN migh ocus on illing blind spo s in na ional deba es – issues such as
hose iden i ied abo e ha may ela e o policy cohe ence and he de imen al e ec s o na ional
policies in o he coun ies. Such coun ies a e gene ally accus omed o obus public deba e and
ole an o ex e nal oices om o mal o ganisa ions. In mo e au ho i a ian se ings, he UN migh
p o ide some so o sa e space o na ional oices o con ibu e hei iews and expe ise, as i has
o en done in he pas . This will wo k be e on issues ela ed o economic o social de elopmen
han on igh s issues, whe e he UN’s ole and i s eedom o exp ession will be subjec o na ow
limi s, e en in he bes scena io.
Public ad ocacy should displace much o he UN’s p ojec implemen a ion ac i i ies ha a e no
ela ed o i s no ms. Con ibu ing ad ocacy o a law on p ope y igh s will be cheape han
implemen ing many kinds o p ojec s, and pe haps e en mo e e ec i e. This g ea e emphasis on
ad ocacy will equi e a comp ehensi e unde s anding by UN s a o no ma i e amewo ks and
hei applica ion o complex policy deba es. To ollow he dynamics o public deba e, UN s a would
need o be mo e poli ically a uned, comp ising mo e lawye s, poli ical scien is s, sociologis s, e c.,
and ewe p ojec manage s. The na u e o UN en i ies’ accoun abili y o hei go e ning bodies
would also need o change, being based on pe o mance me ics ela ed, in e alia, o public
isibili y, expe eedback and he impac o ad ocacy ac i i ies.
5.3 Engaging uni e sally: a de elopmen unc ion o all
membe s a es
Al hough he UN’s secu i y and human igh s pilla s a e uni e sal – applying o all membe s a es
in exac ly he same way – he UN’s de elopmen sys em is o ganised acco ding o an e e mo e
a i icial and anach onis ic dono – ecipien dis inc ion. This anomaly is inc easingly a odds wi h he
eali y o global economic de elopmen s, a g owing sense o emancipa ion and poli ical agency o
he Global Sou h, and mo e ecen no ma i e de elopmen s, including he 2030 Agenda, which
explici ly emphasises he uni e sali y p inciple (wi h some coun ies o he Global Sou h ha ing
been mo e success ul in mee ing he goals han no he n coun ies). Majo global challenges
canno be sepa a ed in o global hemisphe es. The UN’s de elopmen unc ion he e o e needs o
ully emb ace uni e sali y and engage wi h all membe s a es (Baumann & Haug, 2024) in o de o
u ilise he po en ial o he UN’s global go e nance unc ion and gi e p ac ical meaning o he
commi men in he UN Cha e o “achie e in e na ional co-ope a ion in sol ing in e na ional
p oblems”.
Two unc ions a e key. Fi s , o add essing global challenges, he UN equi es an egali a ian and
inclusi e go e nance unc ion. Unequal ela ions make o unheal hy mul ila e alism, whe eby
ma ginalisa ion leads o esen men and hea ed he o ic (Baumann e al., 2024). Going a beyond
he High-Le el Poli ical Fo um, whe e na ional e o s o ad ance sus ainable de elopmen a e
discussed, he UN needs o p o ide a pla o m whe e all membe s a es can engage on an equal
oo ing in “shaping condi ions wi hin (o he ) coun ies by using coope a i e and p omo ional means”
(Kloke-Lesch, 2021). I dono coun ies can shape UN p io i ies o “de eloping coun ies” – h ough
Execu i e Boa d sc u iny o agency coun y p og amme documen s34 – hen “de eloping coun ies”
should equally ha e he oppo uni y o e iew sus ainable de elopmen p og ess in high-income
coun ies and indica e whe e UN engagemen migh be needed. This would e lec he uni e sali y
o he SDGs and ensu e a genuinely inclusi e app oach. ECOSOC and he Gene al Assembly
could be e o med o allow o meaning ul engagemen wi h issues a ound global public goods,
c oss-bo de linkages and spill-o e e ec s, and he ex e nali ies c ea ed by ade, clima e and
34 A e iew o ecen commen s on d a UNICEF coun y p og amme documen s demons a es ha i ually
all subs an i e commen s a e made by dono coun ies.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
19
secu i y policies o de elopmen chances elsewhe e on he globe. The pu pose would no jus be
o c ea e g ea e ecip oci y be ween membe s a es, bu also o iden i y oppo uni ies o mo e
p oduc i e economic coope a ion. In policy discou se, he deba es a ound “policy cohe ence”
(O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen , 2023) and “beyond aid” (B owne,
1999; Janus, Klingebiel, & Paulo, 2014) ocus on hese issues.
Second, he UN would ha e o inc ease i s global moni o ing, which is a key mul ila e al unc ion.35
The UN should u he de elop i s analysis o c oss-bo de linkages – om s a is ics a he
agg ega e le el o coun y-speci ic and quali a i e accoun s. The UN human igh s pilla , which
ep esen s less han 1 pe cen o UN spending (UN, 2025c), p o ides inspi a ion o how ha
should be done in he ield o de elopmen . Simila o he Uni e sal Pe iodic Re iew, he UN should
de elop coun y-speci ic epo s on sus ainable de elopmen ha go beyond oday’s olun a y
na ional e iews. Among o he asks, hese epo s should c i ically analyse wha ac ions o policies
(high-income) coun ies ough o conside in o de o a oid c ea ing disad an ages o damages in
o he (de eloping) coun ies. Unlike olun a y na ional e iews, which emain olun a y, sel -
epo ed and une en in quali y, such assessmen s would need o be sys ema ic, independen and
compa able ac oss coun ies. Thei indings should in o m bo h ECOSOC and he UN’s
engagemen a he coun y le el o iden i y whe e UN ac ion in he o m o ad ice and ad ocacy
(see abo e) is needed.36
Uni e sal engagemen wi h all membe s a es does no mean he UN will ha e he same p esence
and unc ion in all coun ies. In coun ies wi h highe incomes, he UN could be p esen wi h e y
ew s a , pe o ming ad iso y and ad ocacy unc ions as desc ibed abo e. The engagemen
pa e ns in high-income coun ies could p o ide a compelling model o how he UN could be mo e
e ec i e e en in middle- and low-income coun ies. Rega ding he UN’s headqua e s le el, a
g ea e global go e nance unc ion, whe he in ECOSOC o in he execu i e boa ds, would equi e
b inging expe s om na ional minis ies in o UN pla o ms (Rosen hal, 2005, p. 30). The
specialised agencies p o ide an example. A WHO, o example, he Wo ld Heal h Assembly is
a ended by he Minis e s o Heal h. I migh be wo hwhile o hink abou u ning mo e UN en i ies
in o membe ship o ganisa ions such as he specialised agencies. This would inally shi he
discussion om “dono – ecipien ” o a mo e subs an i e, echnical le el.
5.4 Taking ca e in agile se ings: he UN as an ac o o las
eso
The las elemen in ou ision o a e o med UN de elopmen sys em conce ns i s ole in agile,
con lic -p one o poli ically uns able se ings, whe e he UN may be he ac o o las eso ollowing
he depa u e o o he ex e nal o ganisa ions. This is al eady amilia e i o y o he UN. Howe e ,
ou ision o esees a di e en way in which he UN engages. The las - eso unc ion does no
sepa a e he wo ld in o dono s and ecipien s bu is mo e like a collec i ely owned eme gency
unc ion a ailable whe e needed. People enmeshed in agile se ings should hus be able o look
o he UN as he one body ha un ailingly wo ks owa ds hei in e es , in a con ex whe e na ional
poli ics alls sho . As his unc ion impinges on na ional so e eign y,37 i needs o be s ic ly limi ed
o doing wha hos go e nmen s canno – o a e no willing o – do by hemsel es, and new o ms
o accoun abili y need o accompany he exe cise o unc ions akin o s a ec a . And i needs o be
35 Fo example, UNICEF’s epo ca d on Eu opean coun ies (UNICEF, s.a.).
36 This would go agains he cu en p inciples o UN assis ance being demand-d i en (demand as
a icula ed by go e nmen s). Howe e , go e nmen s migh be gi en he op ion o op ou om he UN’s
acili a ion o global p oblem-sol ing.
37 The UN’s e y limi ed expe ience wi h he Responsibili y o P o ec (R2P) ac s as a ha binge o he
di icul ies o he app oach.
IDOS Discussion Pape 32/2025
26
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