For the second year in a row, the world is no longer making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Contributing factors include the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and accelerating climate change. This calls for more multilateral cooperation and a multilateral development system that reaches its full potential. The UN development system (UNDS) has a unique role to play. While overall UNDS funding has been growing, more than 80 per cent comes in form of earmarked contributions. What does the current UN funding situation look like? What kind of consequences does it carry for the UN’s work and for multilateralism? Why are bilateral contributions so heavily earmarked to the UNDS and what are the incentives to support more flexible funding?

The speakers were:

• Introductory words by Henrik Hammargren, Executive Director, Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, and Jennifer Topping, Executive Coordinator, UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office
• Dr. Silke Weinlich, Senior Researcher, German Institute of Development and Sustainability
• Suzanne Steensen, Head of the Secretariat, Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network

This event was part of the OECD online event series during the Multilateral Development Finance Week 2022