UNDG Asia–Pacific and capacity support to UN Country Teams

1. UNDG Asia–Pacific and capacity support to UN Country Teams Economic and Social Council - 2010 Operational Activities Segment 9-13 July, 2010, New York

2. The UNDG Asia-Pacific _______________________________________________ • Established in 2006 with 4 members to support UN reforms at the country level • Expanded in 2008 to include NRAs and Specialized Agencies to further support country level UN coordination and coherence • Currently membership of 18 agencies including Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Regional Commission

3. UNDG Asia-Pacific – Role and Responsibilities Functions include: • Technical support to UNCTs • Quality assurance support to UNCTs in UNDAF and other UN programming processes • Resident Coordinator and UNCT Oversight and Performance management; and • “Trouble shooting” in difficult country situations, dispute resolution, etc

4. UNDG A-P support to UN Country Teams • The UNDG A-P provides support to UNCTs through : • Interaction with UNCTs preparing new UNDAFs • Individual & inter-agency Regional Director country missions • Peer Support Group and joint inter-agency missions, to support to UNDAF programming processes

5. Performance management and oversight role in support of country level UN reforms________________________________________ • RC and UNCT annual appraisals are conducted by an expanded group of Regional Directors since 2008 • Further improvement and simplification of RC/UNCT Appraisal system continues to be a UNDG A-P priority • One80 competency development tool in the region rolled-out and used to inform the appraisal process as well as strengthen UNCT capacity and group dynamics

6. Collaboration with RCM in A-P region ________________________________________ • ESCAP became a member of the expanded UNDG A-P in November 2008 • RCM and UNDG A-P meetings convened back to back whenever feasible • Respective roles & responsibilities clarified: • RCM to take the lead on regional policy and normative matters • UNDG A-P to lead in country level program work and oversight.

7. UN country level capacity assessment in DaO pilot countries – Key Findings • Mix of UN interventions (policy advice, program, finance, etc) same in all countries irrespective of context, income level and development needs • Increasing demand by governments, donors and UN leaders for UNCTs to focus on upstream technical and policy support • Need for the UN development system at all levels to develop its own capacity to respond to this demand in a coherent and coordinated manner

8. UNDG A-P and UN country team capacity requirements • Challenges posed by a very diverse range of countries (LDCs, MICs, Crisis, Pacific Island Countries, etc) in the region • Increased commitment of regional agencies to provide coordinated and coherent strategic advice and technical support to UNCTs for UNDAF programming processes and other country needs related to achievement of the MDGs, climate change, economic crisis, etc • Mapping of UN technical expertise in the region seen as an important area of work to be undertaken to enhance UNCT information and access • Emerging UNDG priorities further emphasize role of regional UNDGs to streamline and focus substantive support to countries in consultation with the UNCTs

9. Matching Regional and Country Capacities: Some Examples • Gender • Joint Violence Against Women Prevention Programmes • Gender considerations in MDG achievement • MDG Reporting • HIV/AIDS • Regional Directors’ Forum

10. Some Next Steps... • Knowledge Sharing • Systems and tools for improved information and knowledge sharing • Capacity Mapping • Improved data on UN human resource capacities and placement across the region