A/RES/56/201
Stressing that national plans and priorities constitute the only viable frame of
reference for the national programming of operational activities for development of
the United Nations system and that programmes should be based on such
development plans and priorities and should therefore be country-driven,
Bearing in mind that the effectiveness of operational activities should be
assessed by their impact on poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable
development of recipient countries as set out in the commitments, goals and targets
of the Millennium Declaration and of the major United Nations conferences,
Welcoming the efforts undertaken so far to rationalize and improve the
functioning and impact of United Nations funds, programmes and specialized
agencies,
Recognizing that globalization, technological change and the need for the
integration of the developing countries and other recipient countries into the world
economy represent major challenges and, at the same time, opportunities for their
development,
Recognizing also that new technologies, including information and
communication technologies, present an opportunity to accelerate development,
especially in developing countries, but that the access to those technologies is
uneven and that a digital divide still prevails,
Noting that, while the scope of operational activities of the organizations of the
United Nations system includes situations where a more flexible response capacity
of the system is required, the focus of operational activities should be on actions
that have a long-term impact on poverty eradication, economic growth and
sustainable development,
Recognizing the urgent and specific needs of low-income countries, in
particular the least developed countries,
Emphasizing that developing countries are responsible for their development
processes, and in this context stressing the responsibility of the international
community, in partnership, to assist developing countries in their national
development efforts,
Recognizing that the United Nations development system should take into
account the specific needs and requirements of the countries with economies in
transition and other recipient countries,
Recalling the role of the Economic and Social Council in providing
coordination and guidance to the United Nations system to ensure that policies
formulated by the General Assembly, in particular during the triennial policy review
of operational activities, are implemented on a system-wide basis in accordance
with Assembly resolutions 48/162 of 20 December 1993 and 50/227 of 24 May
1996,
Noting with deep concern the failure to provide the United Nations
development system with a critical mass of the core resources required to enable
long-term development cooperation towards attaining development goals and targets
and towards providing a more integrated development support,
1.
Takes note with appreciation of the reports of the Secretary-General on
the triennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development
2