Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. Administrator, for your thoughtful reflections and for sharing with us in real time the very important progress on the Safer tanker operation. We join other colleagues in congratulating you on that achievement and a record year of implementation for UNDP in 2022.

This achievement demonstrates UNDP’s important role in the international community’s response to multiple and unprecedented global challenges – from poverty alleviation to conflict prevention, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, and peacebuilding. The United States is proud to have been UNDP’s second largest contributor to core resources in 2022 – helping to enable this level of program delivery. We thank UNDP staff worldwide for their dedication to achieving results.

The United States believes 2023 to be a most consequential year for development and is fully committed to the implementation of the SDGs. We acknowledge we are at a critical inflection point in our efforts to deliver on the promise of Agenda 2030.

As we embrace this SDG stocktaking moment, we must simultaneously prepare for the road ahead. In this regard, we welcome your prioritization, Mr. Administrator, of achieving greater impact and better measuring results. We look forward to hearing more about this, including how Member States can support you in this effort.

We know there are challenges ahead, but we believe strongly in the value of the UN system and the role of the funds and programs. At the end of the day, our work together is about upholding the inherent dignity of every human being.

The United States looks forward to working with UNDP and the Executive Board to advance this goal. We are committed to an:

1. Honest and open dialogue to identify the innovative solutions we urgently seek.
2. Balancing ambition with pragmatism and strengthening transparency, accountability, and program delivery, and, most importantly,
3. Results and recommit to efforts around gender equality, inclusivity for all those left behind, and strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus.

The United States supports the Board President’s commitment to supporting UNDP’s efforts to deliver results in the most effective, efficient, and impactful way for our most vulnerable

populations. We welcome constructive, intentional, and open-minded engagement with all UN agencies and Executive Boards in the months ahead as we explore opportunities in this regard.

Colleagues now is the moment to turn ambition and words into concrete change. Every action of this Executive Board should have a clear objective and serve to unify our efforts around the potential for UNDP to support our collective ambition. We do not have a moment to lose.

Thank you.

Original source can be found here.