A/RES/56/201 19. Underlines the need to avoid over-dependence on a limited number of donors, emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility in a spirit of partnership, taking into account established official development assistance targets, including targets established at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, and calls upon donors and countries in a position to do so to increase their contributions to the core or regular resources of United Nations funds and programmes; 20. Appreciates, in this context, the efforts of countries, including donor and programme countries, that have increased or maintained their high level of contributions to the core resources of United Nations funds and programmes, and of those that have made multi-year pledges to core resources; 21. Notes the increase in non-core resources, including cost-sharing, trust funds and non-traditional sources of financing, as a mechanism to supplement the means of operational activities for development, contributing to an increase in total resources, while recognizing that non-core resources are not a substitute for core resources; 22. Reaffirms the need for priority allocation of scarce grant resources to programmes and projects in low-income countries, in particular the least developed countries; 23. Requests that the establishment of new trust funds by United Nations funds and programmes be done in accordance with their mandates, mission statements and the relevant decisions of their governing bodies, and that such new trust funds, to the extent possible, be multi-donor in nature and not detrimental to core or regular resources; 24. Notes, in this context, the contributions of private sources, which can supplement but cannot substitute for contributions of Governments, to finance or extend programmes implemented within existing guidelines of United Nations funds and programmes; 25. Stresses the need for continuous overall improvement in the effectiveness, efficiency, management and impact of the United Nations system in delivering its development assistance, and welcomes steps that have been taken to that end; 26. Requests the Secretary-General to submit, for consideration by the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session, a report presenting options alternative to the current modality of the annual United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, including a regular pledging event, taking into account the funding sessions convened under the multi-year funding frameworks, the needs of other agencies of the United Nations system, appropriate timing and options to enhance public support for operational activities for development of the United Nations system, including through the proposed options; 27. Requests the Economic and Social Council to consider, at its substantive session of 2003, the conclusions reached at the present triennial policy review on resources for operational activities for development, reviewing the progress made on the issue of funding of development cooperation activities of the United Nations system; 5