Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-02-Speech-3-045"
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"en.20010502.3.3-045"2
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". – Over the past year, the Commission has had numerous contacts with the UN at political level. President Prodi met with Secretary-General Annan in October 2000 and visited Geneva in January this year. I have met the Secretary-General and most of the Heads of all the UN agencies over the last 18 months. In January this year, I paid a very successful visit to New York, where the Commission for the first time accepted an invitation to speak in the Joint Executive Boards of UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP.
The Communication focuses on the administrative environment necessary to reach these objectives. We need:
A successful conclusion of the ongoing negotiations on a Verification Clause, giving the EC controllers satisfactory access to information about the use of EC funds.
A re-negotiation of the 1999 EC/UN Framework Agreement to focus, in co-financing operations, on output-based budgeting and upstream programme funding.
A speedy Council approval of the Commission’s proposal on the recasting of the Financial Regulation [COM(2000) 461 of 17 December 2000]. I would like to draw this point, in particular, to the attention of Parliament.
Finally, the Communication adopted today sends an important message to our UN partners:
The EC is proposing to intensify cooperation on EC priorities that match key capabilities of UN agencies. To ensure smooth cooperation on this, strong UN inter-agency coordination is required.
The EC is suggesting amending legal and administrative provisions governing EC/UN financial cooperation. The Commission hopes and expects that this will be met with flexibility from UN negotiators in recognition of the special role and status of the European Community in the work of the UN institutions.
The EC is proposing to provide programme funding to selected UN agencies. It is a prerequisite that UN agencies continue efforts to further UN reform and to improve their quality of delivery.
This in turn should lead to an improvement of our own efficiency and effectiveness, both in the policy and operational domain, and in turn, to a sizeable improvement in the quality and impact of EC development and humanitarian policies and activities.
But let me conclude by stating one thing quite clearly: this is not about giving the UN system a blank cheque! This new approach by the Commission can only succeed if we can count upon active collaboration from the United Nations. Improving EC/UN policy and operational cooperation in the development and humanitarian fields is conditional to the UN strengthening in-house coordination, focusing its thematic strengths along the lines of its ongoing reform process and pursuing negotiations on the legal and financial cooperation framework.
So relations are close, and on both sides there is a strong political will to strengthen them. Over recent years, a consensus on the fundamental objectives and strategies of development cooperation has emerged on the global scene. This must result in better coordination and more coherence.
We are fully committed to upholding the fundamental principles of sound and transparent management of the resources of the European taxpayer. We will make clear to the United Nations that the Commission is prepared to reduce or even suspend its support to individual UN partners, which fail to perform to an acceptable standard.
But, to relate in a more open and cooperative manner within the UN system is also an element in making our own development cooperation and humanitarian activities more efficient. There is a limit to the kind of relationship we can enter into. It is called the United Nations, it is not called the United Commission. We will remain different, but what we are proposing to do will improve and normalise the way we can work together with these partners also at country level and this is what we want to do.
The EC finances activities carried out by UN agencies at an average of EUR 354 million per year. This is a rather modest amount compared to the globality of what we are doing. Nevertheless, it is an important contribution.
Many UN agencies, funds and programs possess reservoirs of professional skills and know-how as well as broad-based information and data systems. Making better use of those assets is one of the reasons for presenting this communication.
Neither side has been able to draw maximum benefits from the existing cooperation. Different administrative cultures and regulatory obstacles are among the reasons for this situation. I have described this situation as the war of accountants: this war is still not over but we can see solutions on the horizon.
The Communication sets out a number of fundamental principles for strengthening the working relationship:
Selectivity: The EC will be a positive, but demanding multilateral partner. The Commission will seek to focus on strengthening cooperation with those UN entities that work in the areas identified by the EU and where working at the Community level provides added-value.
Predictability: By clearly setting out long-term priority areas for cooperation, both the EC and UN will be able to enjoy a more predictable flow of EC financial contributions. We have to move from projects to programmes.
Active presence: The EC will further exploit the already extensive opportunities for active EC participation in the work of the governing bodies of priority UN entities."@en1
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