UN80: SECRETARIAT UPDATE TO MEMBER STATES ON THE UN80 INITIATIVE
NEW HUMANITARIAN COMPACT AND TRAINING AND RESEARCH
Statement by H.E Mr. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
27 February 2026
Thank you, President and as noted I speak for CANZ.
Thank you to all of our briefers today.
Today, I’d like to make four main points.
First, transparent, timely and accessible information is essential. We welcome the added clarity on how the New Humanitarian Compact aligns with the Humanitarian Reset and on progress under each action.
We encourage stronger efforts to deliver real efficiency gains through integrated UN supply chains and expanded common services. The integrated supply chain initiative is making solid progress, and it is important to maintain this momentum.
We urge all agencies to join common services, data initiatives and supply chain work to drive greater efficiency and effectiveness.
This work must be guided by sound risk management and value for money. We encourage partners to validate cost-saving assumptions, consider future users and ensure roles are allocated to make best use of resources.
Robust monitoring and evaluation across all Compact actions will be essential to track improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.
We also encourage partners to explore how emerging technologies, including appropriate use of artificial intelligence, can support further improvements.
Second, we support efforts to reduce fragmentation and duplication across the humanitarian system.
We welcome aligning agency responsibilities under Actions 22–25 to strengthen operational coherence and improve the efficiency and predictability of humanitarian support.
This alignment should make full use of each agency’s comparative advantages.
Third, we welcome further detail on the proposed Collaborative Humanitarian Diplomacy Initiative, including how Member States can support more coherent diplomatic engagement.
Working together, the system can help reverse worsening trends that endanger civilians and humanitarian personnel.
This is why Australia partnered with Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Switzerland and the UK to champion the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, with our CANZ partners Canada and New Zealand immediately supporting the initiative.
We welcome the 112 countries that have joined the Declaration and encourage others to do so.
Finally, on Work Package 17, CANZ supports maximising coherence, efficiency and impact across the UN’s training and research system.
We welcome the use of external expertise and the clear timeline for merging the UN System Staff College into UNITAR.
We also seek more information on how current programs will be affected and what funding models are being considered.
We urge leads to ensure that integrating the UN Research Institute for Social Development into the United Nations University genuinely removes duplication. Digital tools should be used to review UNRISD’s frameworks efficiently.
We request clarity on which bodies will fall under the proposed Joint UN System Coordination Mechanism and evidence that it will deliver real efficiencies.
We also question whether creating a new mechanism during consolidation is the most efficient option.
President,
CANZ supports bold, ambitious UN reform that ensures the system delivers for those who need it most. We cannot afford overlapping mandates or duplication. The focus must stay on purpose and core functions, not structure.
Australia, Canada and New Zealand remain committed to working constructively with all Member States and UN partners to deliver practical, forward‑looking reforms that strengthen the UN’s operational effectiveness.
Thank you.