IDB, UN Agencies Harmonize Operating Procedures for Countries to Meet Development Goals

NEW YORK - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and UN agencies signed six agreements to harmonize operating procedures and simplify hiring processes, making it easier for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to meet development goals by working with the IDB and the UN.

The agreements aim to increase the efficiency of joint development work done by the IDB and UN agencies while expanding the reach of the IDB, especially in fragile environments where either public-sector capacity or IDB resources are limited and where UN agencies may have greater on-the-ground experience or expertise.

The agreements, signed on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, establish a comprehensive framework for cooperation between the IDB and the UN that will facilitate the contracting of UN Agencies to work on IDB-backed development projects. They will also enhance operational efficiency and create a more efficient structure for the agencies to provide specialized services to borrowers and beneficiaries.

The UN agencies that signed the agreements include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Program (WFP).

The agreements come after the IDB signed a similar initiative in April 2024 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and they build on existing IDB partnerships with other multilateral development banks (MDBs), including the World Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, and European Investment Bank. The agreements also come at a time when MDBs are making unprecedented progress to work collectively, for the first time, as a system, a system that puts countries at the center and that focuses on the most vulnerable countries and people.

Increasing collaboration among international development institutions is critical to helping countries meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reducing the operational burden on borrowers and beneficiaries. To that end, MDBs published a Viewpoint Note in April outlining 16 concrete deliverables that cover areas that are critical to meeting the SDGs.

Among other things, the Viewpoint Note emphasizes the importance of harmonizing operating policies and procedures and signing mutual reliance agreements related to procurement, reinforcing commitments made under the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda.

"The IDB's Impact+ transformational changes underscores the importance of synergies, partnerships, resource mobilization, and collaboration with other multilateral agencies. The MDBs are collaborating in an unprecedented way. By systematically harmonizing and simplifying our frameworks with UN agencies, we will build stronger ties that accelerate progress toward the sustainable development goals in Latin America and the Caribbean," said Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB.

Quotes from UN agencies:

"We are excited to strengthen our collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank. This framework gives us the necessary instrument to help us better serve our respective memberships, and to assist sustainable development and the fight against hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean in support of the 2030 Agenda and the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life - leaving no one behind" said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu

"We are proud to reaffirm and expand our enduring partnership with the IDB, a collaboration dedicated to improve health across the Americas. Together, we are committed to the sustainable development of our Member States and to build resilient communities throughout the region", PAHO's Director Jarbas Barbosa said.

"Our partnership with the IDB will enable UNESCO to accelerate progress in Latin America and the Caribbean in all areas of our mandate - in education, climate disruption mitigation and resilience, conservation of biodiversity, tackling challenges related to artificial intelligence, combatting inequalities, and, in supporting the creative economy," said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's Director-General.

"This agreement marks a significant step forward in our collective efforts to help tackle the climate crisis and advance sustainable development across Latin America and Caribbean. We are proud to establish a strong framework for cooperation with the IDB that will help to address current needs and respond to future challenges." said Jorge Moreira da Silva, Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director.

"I am pleased to see the continued strengthening of the partnership between UNICEF and The Inter-American Development Bank," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "UNICEF looks forward to working together to achieve concrete and far-reaching outcomes for children and young people in Latin America and the Caribbean."

"Today's agreement between WFP and IDB marks an ambitious new phase in our expanding partnership," said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. "Our closer collaboration will boost support to governments across the region as we all join hands to deliver innovative and effective solutions to hunger and food insecurity fueled by the climate crisis. Together, we are driving progress toward a more resilient, food secure and sustainable future for the people of Latin America and the Caribbean."