The Triple Disconnect: Power, Money and Voice in the UN Development System

Veranstaltungsart
Roundtable Discussion

Ort / Datum
Berlin, 27.04.2026

German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Cepei

The UN Development System sits at the heart of global development cooperation. Despite not controlling the most substantial financial resources, it shapes the norms, priorities, and legitimacy of multilateral action. Yet behind the formal architecture of boards, committees, and mandates lies a more complex reality: decisions are increasingly shaped by informal power, financial leverage, and unequal access to influence.

This roundtable event, organised by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Cepei, presented a new report that systematically maps where power actually resides within the UN Development System. The report offers an empirical analysis of how governance functions in practice, highlighting the ways in which current dynamics may be compromising the legitimacy of the system at a critical moment for UN multilateralism.

This event provided practitioners and experts a deeper understanding of power distribution and influence within the UN Development System.

Hinweis

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