United nations sustainable development cooperation: Making the most of the UN development system in countries

To galvanize progress on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations must accelerate its delivery of results within countries. The ambitious agenda is a commitment made by 193 governments in 2015 to boost social, economic and environmental gains while leaving no one behind. That’s why UN Member States have supported reforms to reposition the UN development system, encapsulated in UN General Assembly resolution 72/279. The aim: ensure that countries and societies can readily access the full breadth of experience and expertise at the United Nations, in-country and from around the world.

The new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (Cooperation Framework) sits at the centre of the reforms. It is the most important planning and implementation instrument for UN development activities within countries, translating the vision of Member States into UN actions and impacts on the ground. It heightens

the ambition of the UN development system, and makes it more agile and equipped to achieve the transformative results that countries now demand.