May 2025

A first round of eleven “mini-Utstein” meetings held in Burundi, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Jordan, Moldova, Mozambique, Panama, Tanzania and Uganda has generated concrete suggestions on how to strengthen UN reforms and aid coordination at country level.The mini-Utstein format brings together donors, the UN Resident Coordinator, UN agencies and, in some cases, host governments for focused in-country discussions. Participants welcomed these meetings as a useful kick-start for more coherent dialogue on how the UN operates as a system on the ground.Across countries, participants underlined the UN’s unique role, rooted in its mandates, norms and values and its focus on the most marginalized. They called for form to follow function, with the UN concentrating on areas where it has clear added value. Common recommendations included better information flow between headquarters and country offices, more efficient common services, and using donor funding to incentivize collaboration, quality pooled funding and behaviour aligned with agreed reform commitments.The feedback also highlighted key challenges: fragmented and highly earmarked funding, incomplete implementation of reforms, limited authority and information access for Resident Coordinators, duplication among agencies and high transaction costs. These findings will guide follow-up efforts to support a more joined-up, accountable and effective UN presence at country level.