UN chief unveils progress report on structural reforms, program realignments

United Nations, Sep 19 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres unveiled a progress report on structural reforms and program realignments under the third workstream of the UN80 Initiative.

In the report shared with UN member states, the UN chief outlined proposals for paradigm-shifting changes in the United Nations' structure, in the way its entities collaborate, and in how it operates, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report, "Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver," sets out proposals to strengthen the United Nations' delivery across all three pillars of its work -- peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, while also advancing more effective collaboration across the pillars, according to a press release issued by the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

It launches a new humanitarian compact to cut bureaucracy and integrate billions of dollars in global supply chains, establishes a system-wide human rights group to coordinate human rights systematically across all UN activities, and proposes the creation of a UN System Data Commons and a Technology Accelerator Platform to drive the modernization of the system, the release said.

The report complements earlier reports on efficiency and on the mandate implementation review. Issued before the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week scheduled to kick off next week, the report is intended to inform UN member state deliberations on ways to strengthen the UN system, the release said.

"This is a work in progress. We look forward to working with Member States -- as owners of the process -- to realize our common ambition: a UN system that is more coherent, more effective, and better equipped to serve 'We the Peoples'," Guterres said in the report.

--IANS

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