Letter from the Chair

Ambassador Christian Frutiger

2022 MOPAN Chair

Assistant Director General, Head of Global Cooperation Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland

As 2022 comes to an end, I want to reflect on the success of the past twelve months and look ahead to the exciting opportunities for MOPAN.

The year started with the multilateral system being placed under further stress following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. With official development assistance budgets under increasing pressure, it is critically important that the multilateral system is effective and improves its performance - making it stronger, better, and smarter.

Members agreed that MOPAN has a key role in achieving this goal. This is reflected by members’ strong and unanimous support for extending the Memorandum of Understanding between the OECD and MOPAN for 2023-24 alongside the Network Response to the MOPAN External Evaluation, which highlights how MOPAN has largely delivered on its reform agenda, leading to “[an] increased quality of MOPAN’s products and their credibility”, supported by efforts to improve learning and uptake.

MOPAN continued to focus on delivery, implementing the core work of our institutional performance assessments. Alongside the launch of the Global Fund report ahead of its replenishment, 14 assessments are currently ongoing, including the focus on international finance insitutions (AfDB, IDB, IDB Invest, IDAIBRD, IFC and EBRD) and other organisations (GAVI, GPE, IFAD, IOM, UNAIDS, UNHCR, UNRWA and WHO). I look forward to their successful completion in the near future.

Other highlights in 2022 include the launch of our Lessons in Multilateral Effectiveness on COVID-19 and our reflections on rethinking effective humanitarian organisations, which provide important insights about the multilateral system’s response to these critical issues. In addition, MOPAN has continued to strengthen its analysis on sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, such as the recent Brief regarding the emerging performance patterns of six UN organisations in preventing sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (PSEAH).

I was delighted that Switzerland could conclude its Chairmanship by celebrating MOPAN’s 20th Anniversary at the December High-Level Event, led by President Ignazio Cassis. Alongside the Heads of Agencies and senior member representatives, it was great to witness the Network’s convening power in action. And as President Cassis said, in a changing world with a multilateral system in need of reform, MOPAN is needed now more than ever.

This year has also been important for Switzerland as we marked our twenty years of membership of the United Nations with our election to the United Nations Security Council for the first time. This means that MOPAN and Switzerland can look ahead to 2023 with optimism.

The work of the Strategy Group, endorsed by the MOPAN Steering Committee, will be integral to members agreeing on the Network’s medium-term strategic vision and future direction, for which members will be kept informed via a transparent and inclusive process.

Therefore, in concluding, I would like to say how 2022 has strengthened my belief in the multilateral system and the necessity to seek global solutions to global challenges. MOPAN plays an important role in this regard, which is why Switzerland has provided an additional voluntary contribution to support the Network and I look forward to MOPAN strengthening its activities going forward.

It has been an honour to serve as the MOPAN Chair, and I look forward to Italy’s 2023 Chairmanship under the guidance of Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Director General, Ms. Laura Aghilarre.

For a final point, I would like to thank my Swiss colleagues for their support during this year, and the Head of Secretariat, Suzanne Steensen, and her team who have gone above and beyond in their efforts.