2025 Operational Activities for Development Segment

Pre-Segment Briefing

Briefing on OAS by the Vice-President of ECOSOC 

24 April 2025, ECOSOC Chamber, Informal briefing on the OAS by the Vice-President of ECOSOC

Programme of the 2025 Economic and Social Council Operational Activities Segment

Day 1
  • 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
    Opening of the segment
     
  • 10:30 AM – 1: 00 PM
    Supporting the front-lines of operational activities for development: Messages from the field
     
  • 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
    High-level Dialogue with the Secretary-General on his report on the Implementation of General Assembly resolution 79/226 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system
Day 2
  • 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM 
    Dialogue with the Deputy Secretary-General on the UNSDG Chair’s report on the Development Coordination Office and the Resident Coordinator system
     
  • 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM 
    Dialogue with UNDS Executive Heads: Supporting countries to achieve sustainable development in the current context
     
  • 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
    SDG financing at the country level: dialogue with UN country teams and other actors
Day 3
  • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
    Effective accountability: UN system evaluation  Report of the System-wide Evaluation Office (SWEO) Dialogue on recent evaluation results and management response
     
  • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
    Effective accountability: Action for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment
     
  • 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
    Supporting countries in implementing the SDGs in complex settings: interlinkages between develop
     
  • 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
    Development needs and solutions for internally displaced persons
     
  • 5:45 PM– 6:00 PM
    Closing

Side events

  • Call for side events
    Side events will be held on the margins of the Economic and Social Council Operational Activities for development Segment (OAS), 20 to 22 May 2025.> 
UN Effectiveness: how to drive system wide change in order to boost impact

UN Effectiveness: how to drive system wide change in order to boost impact

Time :  Thursday 22 May, 1.30-2.30pm
Location : UK Mission to the UN, New York City
RSVP : https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=09Ci08h8Uk-7-YW9Q9lCeenI-WU9H89DmO9WrJVioMVURjA5U0s1OUlXOE9FQ1dYSkY4U01WQTQ4Sy4u

The United Kingdom and MOPAN will convene a side event to explore how MOPAN’s independent performance evidence can support Member States discussions on improving the effectiveness of the UN development system and subsequently support implementation of the QCPR. In a challenging geo-political context, an effective and efficient multilateral system that can deliver results is needed now more than ever. The 2024 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review stressed the importance of enhanced effectiveness of operational activities for development within and among all levels of the UN development system. Drawing on lessons learned from the 2020-2024 QCPR period and the opportunities of the UN80 Initiative, the panel will discuss how MOPAN’s performance information can be used to inform decisions and discussions with Member States to identify strengths and areas for improvement within the UN development system to facilitate system-wide change and support the UNDS to accelerate progress toward the SDGs over the next QCPR period. Complementing the Secretary-General’s report, the event will draw on findings from MOPAN’s assessments of 12 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes during the 2020-2024 QCPR period1 and discuss how Member States and the UN Taskforce might use these findings to inform UN80 outcomes.

The side-event will be structured as a panel discussion, where speakers will reflect on how Member States and the UNDS can draw on MOPAN’s findings and lessons from the previous QCPR period, respond to the evolving context, and utilise opportunities of the UN80 Initiative to drive system-wide improvements. This will be followed by an interactive and participatory Q&A. The session will feature key representatives from the UK, Nepal, the Netherlands, MOPAN, and the UNSDG System-Wide Evaluation Office, followed by an interactive Q&A.

From Evidence to Action: The Strategic Role of Evaluation in Achieving the SDGs

From Evidence to Action: The Strategic Role of Evaluation in Achieving the SDGs

Time : Wednesday, 21 May 1:30-2:30pm
Location : Conference Room B, UN Secretariat Building

This panel discussion will examine how national governments and UN agencies can strengthen evaluation systems to accelerate SDG progress, in line with resolutions 79/226 (QCPR), 69/237 (evaluation capacity-building) and 70/1 (2030 Agenda). Featuring representatives from UNEG,UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, the moderated session will explore the evolution of UN entity approaches to building evaluative capacity to support evaluation and data use. They will share experiences in their work towards building skills, evaluation infrastructure and enabling environments for evidence use that support both SDG reporting mechanisms and greater decision-making transparency and learning. The discussion will be focused on how we can meet the evidence challenges we face, and how we can use evidence to uncover relevant and effective solutions to development challenges. Member States will have the opportunity to share their experiences and interests and ask questions of the Heads of Evaluation from these four UN evaluation offices.  The discussion will be moderated by the Executive Director of the UN SDG System-Wide Evaluation Office.

Future-proofing Development Systems: Youth and Civil Society Advancing Implementation & Accountability of Multilateral Policy

Future-proofing Development Systems: Youth and Civil Society Advancing Implementation & Accountability of Multilateral Policy

Time :  Thursday, 22 May, 08:00- 9:30 am
Location : Virtual 
RSVP : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1p-LLygqDAuI5jGTTa4hRCI9tH8Mo8zHJGeynb2GBt5g/edit 

Substantive Documentation

2025 Secretary General’s Report on the implementation of the QCPR 
2025 Report of the Chair of the UNSDG on the Development Coordination Office 
2025 Annual report of the Executive Director of the UNSDG System-Wide Evaluation Office

Statements 

Opening
High-level Dialogue with the Secretary-General on his report on the Implementation of General Assembly resolution 79/226 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system
Dialogue with the Deputy Secretary-General on the UNSDG Chair’s report on the Development Coordination Office and the Resident Coordinator system
Dialogue with UNDS Executive Heads: Supporting countries to achieve sustainable development in the current context
SDG financing at the country level: dialogue with UN country teams and other actors
Effective accountability: UN system evaluation
Effective accountability: Action for the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment
Supporting countries in implementing the SDGs in complex settings: interlinkages between development and peacebuilding
Development needs and solutions for internally displaced persons
Closing

2025 ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment Vice President's Summary

Vice President's Summary

Summary will be added after the Segment

Background material

DESA Survey Questionnaires

  • Survey of Governments (PDF: EN | FR | ES | RU | AR / Word: EN | FR | ES  | RU | AR)
  • Survey of Resident Coordinators (PDF / Word)
  • Survey of UN Country Teams (PDF / Word)
  • Survey of Headquarters of UN development system entities (PDF / Word)

Short evaluation survey of the Segment

Share your thoughts about this year’s Segment