Delivering together and stronger: UNCT Joint Retreat 2020

The UN in the Pacific marked the beginning of a new year with a Joint UN Country Team Retreat to deliberate and strategize on delivering together and stronger to better serve the people.



2020 is also an eventful year for the UN Samoa as they move to deliver on their mandated programmes, at the same time, are also coming together as the One UN to deliver three major joint programmes which are the Spotlight Initiative, the Samoa Knowledge Society and the Social Protection.

These programmes aim to address crippling issues such as violence against women, the need to provide access to information for knowledge; and balancing the poverty line especially at the end of the most vulnerable individuals and families.

The Pacific indeed, has a long list of development needs and challenges.

They are most vulnerable to the devastating impacts of climate change and natural disasters. There are major challenges within their health and education systems, which all of course places great stress on their fragile economies. However, these challenges are not being left out.

The UN has captured all these challenges and needs within its main development planning and implementation strategy documented as the United Nations Pacific Strategy. Endorsed by its 14 member countries in the Pacific region in 2017, the UNPS is the main tool guiding all UN support for the Pacific people through these challenges.

It is no easy feat for the UN, as each country has its own unique challenges.

The UNCT Retreat held in Nadi Fiji from the 29 -31 January, provided the opportunity for them to sit together and really focus on gaps and opportunities for the UN to better design and deliver country needs based programmes.

The UNCT also needed to agree on the best approaches, tools and resources that adds value to not only their programmes but to their reputation as a trusted development partner for the Pacific.

The main expectations of this retreat are that all discussions, the exchange of views and ideas were captured to design a Roadmap which will guide the UNCT forward. Also, most importantly, the UNCT operates within the framework of the UN reforms in the way that it works with the structures and systems of the Pacific governments and all its partners.

UN Heads of Agencies, Heads of UN programmes in Samoa and Fiji, non-resident UN agencies based in Canberra, UN Joint Presence Office representatives, and staff of the two Resident Coordinator Offices participated in this crucial and timely Retreat, as the UN progresses through the early phases of the UN Development System Reform.

The reform was mandated by the General Assembly of the UN in 2018, and it reflects the vision and dedication of the Secretary-General António Guterres to change the way the UN delivers for the people it serves.

The Reform of the United Nations development system (UNDS) involves a set of far-reaching changes to help countries around the world in achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These changes include a new generation of UN Country Teams, guided by a clear and relevant strategic UN Development Assistance Framework; and led by an impartial, independent and empowered Resident Coordinator. 

By January 2019, these changes became effective for the UN Multi Country Office for Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau, based in Samoa.

The UN MCO in Samoa is made up of 12 UN organizations each with a different mandate, diverse legislative, governing bodies and historical roots.

2019 was a challenging year being the first year that the UN MCO in Samoa transitioned accordingly with the reform expectations, however amidst the challenges there was tremendous and solid commitment from the UNCT which resulted in several significant achievements.

Despite all the challenges and difficulties for the UNCT to better deliver in the Pacific, this Retreat has been reinvigorating and UNCT members will take on 2020 with a new vision and greater passion.