16 135. Over the past year, the Secretariat has worked to facilitate a number of Security Council missions, engaged with Member States to enhance the effectiveness of the Council’s subsidiary bodies and expert groups and assisted in orienting newly elected Council members. As part of an initiative to increase transparency and information exchange, the Secretariat has also continued to make progress on technical matters, including the wider and more user-friendly dissemination of information vital to Member State implementation of the Security Council’s mandatory sanctions measures, as well as the provision of information on the Security Council’s programme and activities to non-Council members. 136. The Organization is following with interest the efforts of the Security Council to collaborate with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and to streamline its working methods. The Organization trusts that the Security Council will consolidate the gains that have been made and keep moving forward. 137. The Secretary-General views reform of the Security Council as part of the ongoing efforts to make this indispensable organ more broadly representative and efficient. He encourages all Member States to maintain the momentum and engage in a fruitful process of negotiation. 138. The Organization appreciates the contribution of the Economic and Social Council to advancing thinking on the global economic crisis and financing for development. The Council’s high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development produced important inputs for the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development convened in June 2009. 139. The Economic and Social Council has also provided important support to the global health agenda. In addition to a special event on “Philanthropy and the global health agenda”, the Council has encouraged five country-led regional meetings on financing strategies for health care, promoting health literacy, addressing non-communicable diseases, fighting hiv/aids and promoting e-health. These contributed to the preparation of the 2009 Annual Ministerial Review on the theme of “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health”. 3. System-wide coherence
140. The 2007 comprehensive policy review, General Assembly resolution 62/277 and ongoing informal consultations with Member States on systemwide coherence continue to guide our efforts to make
Yearbook of the United Nations, 2009 the United Nations more coherent, efficient and effective at country, regional and global levels. 141. A bottom-up approach owned by national Governments is driving the progress that has been made to date in the “Delivering as one” pilot countries. Pilot countries are exhibiting greater Government ownership of United Nations development assistance at the country level; closer alignment of United Nations initiatives with national priorities owing to more coherent and simplified common country programming and joint budgetary frameworks; efficiency gains and cost savings thanks to increasingly streamlined and harmonized business practices; better access to the normative, substantive and technical expertise of non-resident agencies; and empowered leadership in the United Nations country team/resident coordinator system. The pilots clearly present an important achievement for United Nations reform and strengthening efforts. 142. The Chief Executives Board, through its three pillars focusing on policy coherence, management and harmonization of business practices and the provision of operational guidance and tools, is providing more coordinated support to countries. The work of the Co-Chairs for system-wide coherence has advanced the intergovernmental dialogue on funding, governance, gender equality and empowerment of women. These efforts, both within the United Nations family and through the intergovernmental process, provide us with the foundations for the Organization to work more effectively in meeting the complex development needs of Member States. 4. Cooperation with regional organizations
143. The unfolding financial and economic crisis has further emphasized the importance of and opportunities for building partnerships with regional organizations and leveraging joint resources. 144. Strengthening the United Nations partnership with the African Union within the framework of the Ten-Year Capacity-Building Programme is a high priority. The recommendations of the Prodi report (S/2008/813, annex) on practical ways to support African Union peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations will assist efforts to meet peace and security challenges on the continent. Desk-to-desk consultations between the Department of Political Affairs of the Secretariat and the African Union and collaboration with the Southern African Development Community and the Economic Community of West African States on building capacities in mediation and conflict prevention provide excellent opportunities for coordinating and strengthening our joint peacemaking and post-conflict peacebuilding efforts.