General Assembly confirms second 4-year term for UN’s chief development official

The United Nations General Assembly today confirmed Mark Malloch Brown to a further four-year term as the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) beginning on 1 July.

In a statement after confirmation, Assembly President Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic noted that when Mr. Malloch Brown became UNDP Administrator in 1999, the agency was in a difficult situation as core resources had fallen to an all-time low of $630 million, and there were expectations that this drop would continue.

“In four short years, the funding situation has been turned around,” he said, adding that confidence in the organization has increased dramatically, the core budget is growing, as is UNDP’s contribution to world development.

“Today, if UNDP is a strong voice for the United Nations in development, if it has become an efficient, result-driven, and increasingly better-funded organization, it is to Mark Malloch Brown’s credit,” Mr. Kavan said. “His talented, highly motivated staff shares the credit for this turnaround with him.”