EU Statement – UN ECOSOC: Recalibrating the Resident Coordinator System

EU Statement - UN ECOSOC: Recalibrating the Resident Coordinator System

1 April 2026, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States by Renaud Savignat, EU Ambassador to ECOSOC and Head of the Section for Sustainable Development and International Partnership, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the Briefing by the UN Deputy Secretary-General: Recalibrating the Resident Coordinator System

Check against delivery

Deputy Secretary-General,

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Esteemed Colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

Thank you to the Deputy Secretary-General for this opportunity to discuss an important component of the UN80 reform for the sustainable development pillar.

The 2018 UN Development System reform was a landmark commitment to deliver as one-a promise to make the UN more coherent, accountable, and impactful on the ground. Yet, eight years on, the vision remains only partially fulfilled.

While progress has been made, Resident Coordinators (RCs) still lack the authority, political backing and resources to fully play their intended role as strategic leaders of the UN's country-level work, with full operational clarity.

Our discussion today is an opportunity to recalibrate the system-to ensure that the Resident Coordinators are not just coordinators in name, but true catalysts for sustainable development.

First, we must close the gap between political support and on-the-ground reality. Here in New York, Member States-including the EU-consistently endorse the RC system. Yet in capitals and country offices, old habits persist: fragmentation, competition for funding, and bypassing the RC in favour of direct engagements with individual agencies. This disconnect undermines the very purpose of the reform.

The EU is committed to leading by example: engaging with RCs first, as the primary entry point for all UN development related activities on the ground. But this must be a collective effort. We call on all Member States to align their actions-ensuring that RCs are the default interlocutor for government partners and donors alike.

Second, the RC system needs political teeth, clearer incentives for cooperation from all UN entities and sustainable financing. The 2018 reform gave RCs a mandate, but not always the tools to fulfil it. To change this, we need 3 elements:

1. A political push: The value of a coordinated system in country speaks for itself but we need a political push .Member States need to provide coherent messages across UN entities' governing bodies, and clearly convey our expectations to work with and through the RCs. In the same vein, the UN Secretary-General as well as Heads of Funds and Programmes should instruct all UN entities to work through RCs-not around them, without prejudging the UN 80-related assessments nor the Agencies' mandates.

2. Predictable funding: RC offices cannot depend on short-term, project-based resources. We all need to join efforts to find realistic, efficient, long-term financing solutions-including through the General Assembly's 5th Committee, and taking into account the refined report requested during the 81st session of the GA -to ensure RCs have the stability and flexibility they need, adapted to the country context. The EU stands ready to continue providing guidance and advocate for quality funding, including through UN80.

3. Strengthened accountability-both towards Member States and to the people we serve. RCs should not only coordinate but lead the design of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, ensuring the UN's offer is coherent, locally owned, and results-driven.

To achieve this, ECOSOC must play a stronger oversight role, including through regular interactive dialogues with RCs to review progress and challenges including through the Operational Activities Segment (OAS).

A possibility that we are putting forward in the ECOSOC/HLPF Review could be to connect the OAS with the yearly meeting of Resident Coordinators. This would enable OAS to be more outcome-oriented and include deeper analysis of impact on the ground.

Country-level reconfigurations must be evidence-based, with RCs driving prioritisation and division of labour to avoid duplication and look for best expertise including outside Country Teams on demand and in the regional platforms.

Dear Deputy Secretary-General,

Dear Colleagues,

We must work together-Member States, the UN system, and partners at all levels-to turn the RC system into the engine of change it was meant to be and we look forward to engaging on the outcome of the recalibration exercise.