The statement was delivered on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the EU as a donor.

Mister President,

Distinguished Members of the Executive Board,

Excellencies

I deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, the EU as a donor, and my own country Germany.

We reiterate our full support for the UN80 initiative. In accordance with the QCPR, we support greater coherence, complementarity and impact across the UN development system in line with countries’ priorities, while emphasizing that reforms must remain anchored in mandates and normative roles agreed by Member States and translate into tangible improvements at country level.

As stressed by the Secretary General, member states are vital in crafting key outcomes of UN80. To fulfil this role effectively, we need timely, robust and evidence-based information, as well as inclusive and transparent opportunities for engagement across Boards.

With regard to UNFPA and UN Women, we welcome ongoing efforts to explore options for closer cooperation, greater alignment, institutional coherence, and organisational and operational improvements.

The preservation, visibility and full implementation of both organisations’ unique and distinct mandates must remain a guiding principle for reform and are prerequisites for effective delivery. Any reform thus should be assessed not only in terms of efficiency, but also in terms of its impact on effective delivery for women, girls, young people and communities in vulnerable situations. This is particularly important in the current global context marked by a growing pushback against gender equality, women’s empowerment, SRHR, population dynamics and the principle of leaving no one behind.

We therefore encourage UNFPA and UN Women to continue to strive for greater alignment, coordination and efficiency in a transparent manner. We remain open to considering options, where evidence demonstrates clear added value, feasibility, cost-effectiveness and a positive impact on delivery, as long as mandates and critical normative roles are protected. This safeguard is of paramount importance to us and must not be compromised at any stage of the process.

With regard to UNDP and UNOPS, we appreciate the collaboration between the two entities on the joint development of a draft terms of reference for the independent validation of the merger assessment. This process should provide a sound basis for Member States to consider a way forward in line with decision 2026/16, including possible structural options such as a full merger of both organizations, while also identifying opportunities and alternatives for closer cooperation, greater efficiency and strengthened country-level delivery.

More broadly, these discussions should not be viewed in isolation. Other UN80 work packages, including UN country team reconfiguration, the regional reset, expertise-on-demand and financing arrangements, will also be essential to strengthening the impact, effectiveness, coherence, transparency and accountability of the UN development system. We therefore call on all organisations concerned to engage fully and constructively in taking these reforms forward.

We remain committed to engaging constructively, across regions and across Boards, to shape a coherent, evidence-based and Member State-led way forward on UN80 — one that advances meaningful reform while preserving the distinct mandates, normative work and strengths of each entity, leading to improved results for the people and communities they serve.

I thank you.