External publications

A new contract for financing the UN development system: what does it mean and how can it be achieved?

Baumann, Max-Otto / Pratyush Sharma
External Publications (2017)

in: Financing the UN Development System: pathways to reposition for Agenda 2030, Uppsala: Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (UN MPTFO), 66-69

Volltext/Document

Follow the money’, goes the advice, for understanding any organisation. In the UN development system (UNDS), the bulk of member states’ contributions take a fairly ballistic course: launched with political fanfare, the money is aimed at the narrow landing place of a concrete project or purpose. 77% of development and humanitarian resources were earmarked in this way in 2015, ‘bilateralizing’ and bypassing the UNDS’ multilateral- and valueadding mechanisms. The three largest donors, accounting for 47%, also rely heavily on earmarking, and have thus practically cancelled the contract according to which the UNDS, like any other organistion, is (core-) funded to implement joint global agendas. Emerging donors are adapting the same transactional funding pattern for their South-South Cooperation.