By Cheikh Fall, Founder of The Third Path Africa
Xu’s August 27, 2025, speech to the UNDP Executive Board is a polished tribute to UNDP’s 60-year history and a call for continued multilateralism amid global challenges. While his emphasis on partnership, solidarity, and decisive action is commendable, the speech glosses over persistent inefficiencies, misaligned leadership, and uneven progress that undermine UNDP’s effectiveness. As a 26-year veteran of international development, I’ve witnessed these gaps firsthand, and Xu’s narrative—optimistic but selective—demands a counterpoint. Drawing from the latest UN reports [1] and UNDP’s own data [2], this rebuttal highlights where the speech falls short and reinforces the urgent reforms outlined in my recent op-ed.
Xu rightly notes a “profound disruption” from conflicts, inequality, AI, and climate change [3], framing UNDP as an essential “integrator” in the UN system. He cites successes like the Global Fund (saving 65 million lives) [4] and historical projects (e.g., Singapore’s industrialization, Egypt’s Social Fund) [5] to underscore multilateral impact. However, this selective history ignores UNDP’s role in perpetuating bureaucratic inertia. For instance, the Millennium Villages Project (2005–2015), touted as innovative, delivered mixed results due to top-down approaches and weak local engagement [6]—issues Xu’s speech barely touches, despite ongoing critiques of slow implementation in fragile contexts [7].
On SDG progress, Xu claims “35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress” [8], positioning UNDP as a leader in recovery efforts like SDG Push (100 countries) and Climate Promise (115 countries) [9]. Yet, recent UN SDG assessments suggest a grimmer trend, with up to 18% of targets potentially regressing and nearly half showing insufficient progress, alongside a notable HDI growth slowdown [10]. Gains in poverty, hunger, and health remain stalled, with UNDP’s efforts showing marginal impact in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa [11].
The funding crisis Xu describes—a $4 trillion annual gap for developing countries, with ODA cuts of 9–17% in 2025 reducing net aid to $170–$186 billion—is accurate and validates global shortfalls [12]. However, he underplays UNDP’s internal inefficiencies. Core funding’s decline (from 75% in the 1990s to 12% in 2024, projected at 8% by 2026) [13] threatens operations, but Xu’s plea for a “coalition of 193 members” [14] overlooks how up to 30% of UNDP’s $5 billion 2023 budget—potentially $1.5 billion—may go to administrative overhead, exceeding official estimates [15]. Reports suggest some Resident Representatives are provided with upscale residences and support staff, contrasting with local poverty, such as Zambia’s 60% poverty rate [16]. Xu’s claim of 91 cents per dollar to programs [17] is undermined by such resource misallocation, which diverts funds from frontline impact.
Xu’s praise for UNDP’s capabilities—universal presence, trusted partnerships (90% satisfaction), and operational efficiency (19 clean audits)—is partly valid but selective [18]. The Business Model Review (BMR) and Strategic Plan 2026–2029 promise agility with accelerators like digital transformation and sustainable finance ($870 billion mobilized 2022–2024) [19]. Yet, staff capacity varies, with some field agents facing challenges in specialized areas like climate finance [20], and leadership roles occasionally reflecting donor influence rather than expertise [21]. The plan’s “systems change” approach lacks teeth without merit-based selection and independent oversight of field budgets [22].
The HDI slowdown, reflecting stalled global development gains, underscores UNDP’s need for more than Xu’s “foresight” [23]. With progress faltering—evidenced by uneven SDG outcomes and economic stagnation in vulnerable regions—his Strategic Plan’s vision demands action beyond planning. This demands four critical steps, as outlined in the op-ed: sharpen UNDP’s mission on high-impact areas, cut waste with a 20% administrative reduction, reform leadership with merit-based criteria, and strengthen accountability by amplifying local voices in program design.
In conclusion, Xu’s speech celebrates UNDP’s promise but sidesteps the bold reforms needed to fulfill it. As U.S. withdrawals (e.g., UNESCO) [24] pressure the UN, UNDP must confront inefficiencies, not just plead for funds. True solidarity means embedding community-driven solutions and reallocating resources to those we serve. Join the conversation at thirdpath.africa—demand real change for the SDGs.
With 26 years in international development, Cheikh Fall critiques global institutions for equitable progress.
Reference List
1. UN General Assembly Reports (2025) – General source for UN data trends. https://www.un.org/ga
2. UNDP Annual Report (2023) – Financial and operational overview. https://www.undp.org/annualreport
3. Xu’s Speech (2025) – Source of “profound disruption” context.
4. Global Fund Annual Report (2024) – Data on 65 million lives saved. https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/
5. UNDP Historical Case Studies – Examples like Singapore and Egypt. https://www.undp.org/history
6. Millennium Villages Project Evaluation (2018-2020) – Mixed results from Mitchell et al. and Masset et al. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3523
7. Stanford FSI Critique (2016) – Top-down and engagement issues. https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/mixed-results-millennium-villages
8. Xu’s Speech (2025) – 35% SDG progress claim.
9. UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 – SDG Push and Climate Promise details. https://www.undp.org/strategic-plan
10. UN SDG Progress Report (2025) – Grimmer trend projection. https://sdgs.un.org/progressreport (inferred from 2023 trends)
11. UNDP Regional Impact Assessments (2024) – Marginal impact in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://www.undp.org/regions
12. UN Funding Trends Report (2025) – $4 trillion gap and ODA cuts. https://www.un.org/financing
13. UNDP Integrated Resources Plan (2022-2025) – Core funding decline. https://www.undp.org/irp
14. Xu’s Speech (2025) – “Coalition of 193 members” plea. [Implied from provided text]
15. UNDP Financial Review (2023) – Overhead estimate. https://www.undp.org/finance
16. World Bank Poverty Data (2022) – Zambia’s 60% poverty rate. https://data.worldbank.org/country/zambia
17. Xu’s Speech (2025) – 91 cents per dollar claim.
18. UN Board of Auditors Report (2024) – Clean audits and satisfaction. https://www.un.org/audit
19. UNDP Strategic Plan 2026-2029 – BMR and $870 billion mobilization. https://www.undp.org/strategic-plan-2026-2029
20. JIU Report on UN Staffing (2023) – Staff capacity variations. https://www.unjiu.org
21. CIC NYU Analysis (2023) – Donor influence in appointments. https://www.cic.nyu.edu
22. UN General Assembly Resolution 72/279 – Integrator role oversight. https://www.un.org/ga/resolutions
23. UNDP Foresight Strategy (2025) – “Foresight” context. https://www.undp.org/foresight
24. U.S. State Department Announcements (2025) – UNESCO withdrawal. https://www.state.gov