Statement by Mr. Nirupam Dev Nath, Counsellor at First Regular Session of UNDP Executive Board on the segment titled  ‘Evaluation of UNDP support to climate change adaptation, and management responses’ , 02 February 2021

I thank you Madam President for giving me the floor.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank the Independent Evaluation office for its report on UNDP’s performance in helping program countries adapt to climate change. And we appreciate UNDP’s comprehensive response to the report.

I would have two specific questions:

First, the evaluation report has recommended UNDP to improve technical underpinnings of its adaptation service, especially in disaster risk reduction. As one the most climate vulnerable countries in the world, we recognize the importance of the nexus between climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR). The COVID-19 pandemic has put sharp spotlight on this issue. Since its outbreak, many climate vulnerable countries including my own have faced climate induced disasters. Yet the management response identifies this recommendation to be partially acceptable. What are the rationales behind this? What are the new lessons that UNDP learned in the areas of DRR amid COVID-19? And what are the challenges that UNDP face in providing enhanced support  for DRR to climate vulnerable countries?

Second, the evaluation report underpins the importance of reducing fragmentation across UNDP’s CCA programming. And UNDP accepts this in its management response. On a broader scale, the QCPR 2020 also underpins the importance of a common approach for climate and biodiversity actions in the policy and program delivery of the UN. What are the systematic challenges that prevent enhanced synergies within UNDP and across various UN organs? And how the UNDS reforms are responding to those challenges?

I thank you very much.