Funding the UN system

Weinlich, Silke
External Publications (2014)

in: Stephen Browne / Thomas Weiss (eds.), Post-2015 UN development: making change happen?, Abingdon: Routledge, 75-94

ISBN: 978-0-415-85663-8
Information

Money is not only relevant for realizing the UN’s development-related activities, ranging from norm and standard-setting to advocacy, knowledge production to technical assistance. It provides powerful incentives and consequently has a significant impact on the internal logic, functioning, and performance of the UN development system (UNDS). This chapter analyzes past and current trends as well as future prospects for funding the UNDS and discusses the consequences of the current funding system. At the moment, the UNDS relies foremost on supply-driven, headquarter-centered, and agency-oriented funding. The current funding system is fundamentally flawed and in need of reform, with significant consequences for UNDS effectiveness and efficiency as well as for its multilateral character. The chapter begins with an overview of the different types of funding, overall funding trends, and funding sources. It then discusses the impact of the current system on the efficiency, effectiveness and the multilateral core of the UNDS. The chapter concludes by highlighting cur-rent reform proposals, discussing their potential for success, and proposing a way forward.

About the author

Weinlich, Silke

Political Science