The role of the United Nations in rebuilding trust: technical assistance for major projects

In a recent reflection, the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, emphasises that some of today’s challenges stem from a gradual weakening of the multilateral order and that this crisis is, in turn, first and foremost a crisis of trust. Stubb reflects, in fact, on the fact that it is informal exchanges outside the confines of official meetings that drive the work forward, through the building of personal relationships and an understanding of each other’s perspectives on the broader context. If it is therefore true that international relations are essentially based on human relations, it is equally true that these relations are founded on trust and the ability to meet the expectations on which that trust is placed. Rebuilding this trust once it has been broken requires a long and difficult process. Our most important asset is – today as always – the credibility of our word and how this translates into tangible actions.

The United Nations, with which the current international order is firmly associated, is both a victim of this growing disillusionment and a potential means of rebuilding trust amongst international actors. In particular, one of the ways in which the United Nations’ structures can help to counter this scepticism – which now appears to be one of the predominant features of relations between states – is to support countries in implementing and upholding the commitments made in international forums which have produced significant results and paved the way for the adoption of shared objectives and related instruments – from which to look to the future with pragmatism and a constructive approach.

As the global governance model has evolved, the forums for dialogue between states have changed, and informal forums have increasingly become decision-oriented. Consider platforms such as the BRICS, the G7 and the G20, and the many multilateral forums, founded on shared interests and selective membership criteria. These meetings give rise to decisions and processes that guide the actions of international organisations as well, and set long-term objectives towards which a whole range of public and private actors are working (or at least ought to be).

In the current climate, the less restrictive nature of these formats is appreciated, as is the opportunity for the annual presidencies to set clear, flexible strategic objectives during their term of office and then decide how to pursue those objectives through multilateral and bilateral channels. From the perspective of development policy and the energy transition – key issues for the UNDP – I am thinking of the Italian G20 Presidency in 2021, which led to the establishment of the Italian Climate Fund managed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and the commitments made at COP26; I am thinking of the European Commission’s Global Gateway and, above all, the Italian G7 Presidency in 2024, which succeeded in building a strong consensus amongst all members on the priorities of the Mattei Plan and the adoption of a new paradigm towards the African continent.

It is precisely here that ‘traditional’ international organisations can find a new role — and a new legitimacy — in rebuilding the trust that Stubb spoke of. Summit meetings produce announcements and instruments that must be put into practice and implemented: and it is in their multilateral nature that these organisations possess a comparative advantage that is difficult for individual states to replicate, acting as a focal point where technical expertise meets a presence in partner countries. These countries are not merely the ultimate beneficiaries of these initiatives, but also the guarantors of the financial sustainability of a system in which traditional donors — according to the OECD classification — are reorienting their priorities and resources, making it essential to mobilise new forms of capital alongside the involvement of new actors on the international stage. It is precisely the mobilisation of public and private financial resources and technical assistance programmes aimed at developing project proposals to attract investment that lie at the heart of the Mattei Plan’s approach and provide a clear framework within which international organisations can demonstrate the added value of their work and rebuild trust. This clarity and focus have led to the setting of concrete objectives, and to achieve and implement these, the G7 members have decided to draw on the expertise of the United Nations Development Programme, which is essentially the United Nations’ Ministry of Economic Development.