Highlights of the Secretary-General's main initiatives

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Highlights of the Secretary-General's main initiatives

https://www.un.org/annualreport/pdf/en/Full_Report.pdf

Upon taking office, I identified a number of challenges we must address in order to fulfill the vision of the Charter.

In some areas we have made progress, but elsewhere complex crises continue to elude solution.

Globalization has taken root, generating remarkable gains, yet too many people are unable to share in these benefits, and millions continue to live in extreme poverty. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — an integrated and universal framework — is our contribution to a fair globalization that leaves no one behind. The launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has generated coordinated efforts by Member States and civil society to alleviate poverty and build peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies. Reform of the UN development system – the most comprehensive effort in decades – aims to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to support Member States in pursuit of the SDGs.

Gender equality is central to leaving no one behind, but progress is generally slow and some parts of the world are moving backwards on legal protections and rights. The global gender pay gap is 23 per cent – underscoring persistent inequalities. Women make up more than half the world’s population and all of us lose when this vast wealth of skills in underutilized or ignored.

2017 - 2018

Enhanced preventive diplomacy through the use of good offices and mediation capacity

Established High-Level Advisory Board for Mediation

Created an integrated prevention platform for early detection of and action on crises

Repositioned UN development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda

Introduced Gender Parity Strategy for UN system; Reached gender parity in the 44-member Senior Management Group and among country Resident Coordinators

Reviewed peace and security architecture to address fragmentation, funding and institutional architecture

Streamlined work and budget for peacekeeping operations and began independent, strategic reviews of all peacekeeping operations;

Established Office of of Counter-Terrorism to enhance implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

Worked with the World Bank of new technologies to create the WB-UN study Pathways to Peace

Introduced concrete steps to end sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment and establish a mechanism to protect victims

Established a finance strategy to ensure objectives of the 2030 Agenda, including by accelerating implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda

Mobilized political support among Member States, the United Nations system and other stakeholders in preparation for a climate summit in 2019

Recalibrated the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel and developed a support plan to improve coordination of initiatives in the region

Established the Joint Steering Committee to Advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration

Adopted an integrated transition strategy for Haiti, working with the Government of Haiti and partners based on the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the new approach to cholera

Established the Joint Fund for the 2030 Agenda to support country-level implementation, advocacy, and communication by Sustainable Development Goal advocates

Provided political support to negotiations on the Global Compact for Migration

Created a global health engagement strategy to advance universal health coverage, the response to emergency health crises, antimicrobial resistance, maternal, child and mental health

Formed a youth strategy to enhance system-wide efforts

Launched management reforms to enhance the Organization’s work and make it more effective, responsive, transparent and accountable

Improved ability to plan and budget activities by moving from a biennial to an annual programme budget

Established the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation

Developed an internal strategy on new technologies

Committed to coherent, integrated core partnerships, including the United Nations-World Bank Group Strategic Partnership Framework for the 2030 Agenda, the African Union-United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda, and the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security

Launched the transition of Headquarters management and support structures into two new departments to be fully operational by January 2019: one providing guidance on strategic, policy and compliance matters and another providing operational and transactional support for the entire Secretariat

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