Amina J. Mohammed (UN Deputy Secretary-General…

Excellencies,

The Regional Reset arrives at a telling moment. Regions are carrying more weight, taking on more responsibility, facing challenges that are more complex and more interconnected than ever, and they are doing so as resources come under strain.

That said, the regional coordination architecture built in the 2018 reform of the UN development system has put us on stronger footing.

The Regional Collaborative Platforms, in particular, have been a significant step forward. For the first time, entities across the system are working through one shared mechanism. That is helping us bridge divides between normative and operational work which have held us back for far too long.

And we are seeing tangible results because of them.

Regions are tackling what no country can solve alone:– cross-border challenges, transboundary initiatives and regional public goods.

Access to regional expertise has improved, satisfaction among governments has gone up, and there are clear examples of delivery at scale: from a comprehensive SDG data platform in Africa to coordinated climate responses in Latin America.

But findings from independent evaluations, surveys and consultations held as part of the Reset are just as clear that this progress remains incomplete.

Over the past eight months, USG Nakamitsu, who has helped shape the recommendations before you, and I have engaged in a series of discussions right across the UN regional architecture. I am also joined today by USG Jens Wandel, whose data and evidence have been essential to this work. He will present the main findings shortly.

Four gaps stand out from our recommendations.

First, we are seeing a persistent disconnect across global, regional, and country levels. Regional expertise does not consistently translate into country-level support, and we are not seeing the lessons from implementation feeding back into global policy.

Second, there is fragmented access to expertise and knowledge. The system has the capacity, but not the interface. There is no predictable, system-wide way for countries to access regional support, and no common platform to match demand with available expertise.

Third, a gap in accountability and alignment. Coordination has improved but delivery has not followed. Incentives for joint action remain weak, engagement with Member States is often too ad hoc, and regional platforms are not sufficiently anchored in intergovernmental processes.

Fourth, integrated approaches across the development, humanitarian and peace pillars remain uneven and insufficiently institutionalized at the regional level. Regional structures continue to operate largely along pillar-specific lines with limited joint analysis, planning and programming.

The true cost is revealed in missed opportunities to address multidimensional risks and fragmented responses.

Taken together, these gaps point to a system that is stronger than it was - but not yet fully fit for purpose.

Against this backdrop, the direction of travel, then, is not about creating new structures. It is about making the existing system work as one.

This means moving towards a regional offer where assets are systematically aligned to support country priorities, deliver cross-border solutions, and connect global mandates to implementation on the ground.

It also means placing country demand at the centre, with Resident Coordinators acting as the gateway through which regional expertise is mobilized coherently and in time.

And it means equipping the regional level to provide analysis and capabilities across the development, humanitarian, peace, and human rights pillars, so that the UN can support Member States in addressing the multidimensional challenges they face.

This does not mean changing mandates, but making sure regional assets work in the way that best supports countries on their sustainable development path.

This is the rationale behind the proposed evolution from Regional Collaborative Platforms to Regional Platforms for Integration - not as new structures, but as more empowered, more accountable hubs that can drive system-wide coherence and action.

In consultations with UN entities, we now have areas of work/recommendations to translate this direction into a set of practical shifts.

First, strengthening the regional platform itself - building on the experience of the Regional Collaborative Platforms - with clearer functions, stronger accountability, and the ability to act as a true integration hub. This includes managing Expertise on Demand, supporting joint analysis, and enabling faster, more coordinated responses to crises and transboundary challenges.

Second, tightening the link between regional and country levels. Cooperation Frameworks should become the anchor for regional support to UN country teams so that regional workplans, analysis, and coalitions are aligned with country priorities and cycles.

Third, repositioning Issue-Based Coalitions as time-bound, demand-driven delivery mechanisms. This should be focused on results, not process, and backed by the right incentives for staff and entities to contribute.

Fourth, anchoring expertise-on-demand at the regional level, with a system-wide matching function that connects country needs with the full breadth of UN expertise, including from non-resident entities.

Fifth, building integrated data and knowledge ecosystems, so that regional analysis feeds systematically into country programming and global policy, supported by interoperable platforms and shared standards.

Sixth, adjusting institutional arrangements and accountability, including stronger intergovernmental anchoring, closer alignment with ECOSOC, and clearer leadership and decision-making structures at the regional level.

Seventh, optimizing the regional footprint - through more strategic co-location, better alignment of capacities, and greater transparency on workforce and resources.

And finally, strengthening funding and partnerships. Not through new mechanisms, but by making better use of the instruments we already have, by increasing flexible funding, and by deepening structured engagement with regional organizations and international financial institutions.

Excellencies,

The Regional Reset is, at its core, a pragmatic agenda.

It does not seek to redesign the system, but to make it work better by clarifying purpose, strengthening interfaces, and aligning incentives.

Its success will depend not only on the architecture, but on implementation: on whether we can translate these proposals into more timely support to countries, more coherent responses to regional challenges, and ultimately, more tangible results on the ground.

If we get this right, the regional level can become what it was always intended to be: a bridge - connecting global ambition with country-level impact.

Thank you".