Four UN agencies launch first global consultation on Strategic Plans 2022-2025

UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women host joint online discussions from 18 December 2020 to 17 January 2021 on engagement platform SparkBlue

New York, 17 December 2020 – For the first time in the history of the United Nations, four agencies – the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) – will host a joint public consultation to inform their new Strategic Plans to be implemented during a four-year period, 2022-2025.

The online discussions will be open from 18 December 2020 to 17 January 2021 on the engagement platform SparkBlue. Anyone with access to the internet can join these discussions, including UN agencies’ Executive Board members, Member States and donors; National Committees; other UN entities and development actors; private sector and civil society partners; supporters; and the general public.

Essential to the UN agencies as they provide key strategic directions for the next four years and towards 2030, the new Strategic Plans will be especially important because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global progress. Each agency will explain what they will do to address the health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, as well as how they still intend to help the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in these exceptional times.

In the face of these emerging global challenges, the UN agencies know that they will be stronger and achieve better results if they work together. By leveraging each agency’s strengths and expertise, this joint global consultation opens a space for new and innovative reflection on how they can jointly scale up efforts and help the world deliver the global goals.

The consultation will focus on five key thematic areas critical to the priorities of all four agencies:

Impact of COVID-19 on global development goals.
Climate and the Environment.
Gender Equality.
Strengthening Data and Innovation.
Joint and complementary contribution to reaching the SDGs, including leaving no one behind.

For more information, please visit SparkBlue.com/interagency or contact:

UNFPA: Eddie Wright (ewright@unfpa.org)
UNDP: Clarice Wilson (clarice.wilson@undp.org)
UNICEF: Morgane Griveaud (mgriveaud@unicef.org)
UN-Women: Helene Merlot (helene.merlot@unwomen.org)