Swedish assessment 2008 of multilateral organisations The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Facts about the organisation Mandate and direction of operations of developments in Gaza/the West Bank, and to some UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency extent also in Lebanon. for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, is a humani- UMWRA’s strategic direction is set out in an In- tarian organisation that was established in 1949 by terim Programme Strategy for the period 2008–2009, UN General Assembly resolution 302 (IV). UNRWA’s which is linked to its budget and to resource mobili- founding mandate was to support and assist the sation. The Programme Strategy states the following Palestinian refugees who left their homes as a result mission for UNRWA: “To help Palestine refugees of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. UNRWA’s man- achieve their full potential in human development date was subsequently extended to also cover the terms under the difficult circumstances in which Palestinians who fled in connection with the 1967 they live”. Annual emergency appeals specify the war. Its mandate is temporary and is renewed every emergency humanitarian needs and the direction of three years. Until a political solution is found to the emergency relief in the coming year. refugee issue, UNRWA’s mandate is likely to con- UNRWA has 28 000 employees, 99 per cent of tinue to be renewed in this way. In 1949 there were whom are Palestinians, the great majority being refu- around 700 000 refugees. Since then this figure has gees. In addition to its headquarters in Gaza and grown many times over with the addition of new Amman, UNRWA has 5 field offices. Out of its total generations of refugees. Today UNRWA assists some of 28 000 employees, 27 000 are in the field. 4.5 million refugees in five field areas: the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. So in geographical Governance, organisation and Swedish terms its mandate is clearly defined. UNRWA’s pro- participation grammes cover education, health care, social services, UNRWA is led by a Commissioner-General reporting infrastructure and microfinance. It also does purely direct to the UN General Assembly. There is also a humanitarian life-sustaining work. Humanitarian Deputy Commissioner-General. The organisation action has increased in the past eight years as a result has headquarters in Gaza (however, many staff have Background to the Swedish assessments In April 2007 Sweden adopted its first strategy for multilateral development cooperation. One of the strategy’s recommendations is to make regular structured assessments of the multilateral organisations receiving Swedish support. The strategy’s key concepts – relevance and effectiveness – are intended to guide the assessment of each organisation. In spring 2008 assessments of multilateral organisations were conducted jointly by the Government Offices, Sida and Swedish embassies in developing countries. These assessments will be used as one of several inputs for budget decisions, the preparation of organisation strategies and policy dialogues. The main intention is for them to increase knowledge of the individual organisations and form a basis for following the development of each organisation. However, the assessments do not claim to be comprehen- sive. Nor should comparisons be made between organisations on the basis of this information. The forms for these assessments are being developed and routines for what information is to be gathered, assessed and reported are still being tested. been evacuated to Jerusalem) and Amman. Its field Assessment operations are handled by 5 field offices. The Hosts and Donors Meeting (HDM) is held once a year and Relevance in relation to Swedish its main purpose is to exchange information and discuss general matters. The largest donors, the host development objectives countries and UNRWA meet 2–3 times a year in the UNRWA is very relevant in terms of Swedish priorities Advisory Commission, AdCom. It was expanded in in the humanitarian area, with its unique mandate 2006 to include 20 countries, with Sweden as one of and responsibility for a very large group of refugees the new countries. In general the MFA participates in a limited geographical area. The severe deteriora- in the HDM and AdCom with the support of the tion of the humanitarian situation in the occupied Consulate-General in Jerusalem. Since 2007 there Palestinian territories, and especially in Gaza, has has been a local Sub-Committee of the AdCom that further increased the demand for UNRWA services. prepares matters and draft recommendations to be UNRWA has an explicit overall aim of contributing adopted by the AdCom. Sweden is represented at these to the refugees’ ‘human development’. UNRWA is meetings by the Consulate-General in Jerusalem. The also a unique organisation in the way it conducts Sub-Committee has developed into an important very broad activities and has tasks handled by local preparatory forum for the AdCom. administrations in other societies, such as educa- tion and health care. Its humanitarian work comes Financial information on top of this. These broad activities mean that UNRWA also contributes to the pursuit of the In 2007 income for the regular budget was USD Millennium Development Goals even though this is 480 million. For 2008 income for the regular budget not the organisation’s primary aim. Its activities are for use in core activities is in excess of USD 578 also in line with Sweden’s policy for global develop- million; on average only around 70 per cent of ment and the thematic priorities, especially human approved funding is received. Additional contri- rights and gender equality. butions are received through the UN’s Consoli- dated Appeals Process (CAP) for the occupied Internal effectiveness Palestinian territories. In 2008 this amounts to almost USD 240 million for UNRWA; on average, UNRWA is assessed as having good internal effective- two thirds of the CAP has been forthcoming in re- ness at present. However, given the major challenges cent years. Over and above this, there are a separate that face UNRWA with growing emergency humani- project budget and a separate budget totalling USD tarian needs, a rising number of refugees, chronic 28 million for the reform package for 2007–2009, under-funding and major access problems, the organi- known as the OD (Organisational Development) sation must further increase its effectiveness to be Package, see below under internal effectiveness. able to continue to fulfil its mandate. An extensive programme of reform was therefore started in 2004. A three-year reform package, the Organisational Swedish contributions 2005 2006 2007 Development Package (OD Package) is being imple- mented in 2007–2009 with the aim of increasing the Total paid in Swedish effectiveness of all operations. The focus is on manage- contributions, SEK million 250 276 312 ment, decentralisation and systems for results-based management. A significant increase is being sought in - of which contributions from internal effectiveness. UNRWA’s leadership is strong the Government Offices, and its organisational structure is fit for purpose. The SEK million 250 232 242 work now under way on decentralisation is expected - of which multilateral/ to gear the organisation better to the specific needs bilateral support from Sida of its operations in each field area. Good progress has SEK million 0 44 70 been made in implementing results-based manage- ment and a great deal of work is in train to plan, im- plement and evaluate UNRWA activities using such a Sweden’s contribution in 2008 consists of contri- system. A number of tools are in place, including the butions of SEK 252 million from the MFA to the re- Interim Programme Strategy for 2008–2009. Other gular budget, with a minor portion being assigned to instruments are being developed and a process is the OD Package. In addition, support totalling SEK under way to identify clearer and better indicators. 65 million is given to the UN CAP by Sida. Sweden The evaluation function has been weak but is being was the third largest donor after the United States strengthened through the reform process. There are and the European Commission in 2007, and will pro- effective systems for promoting transparency and bably also be so in 2008. for ensuring good audit and procurement routines. UNRWA is an organisation that has lived for 60 years However, changes in the dollar exchange rate and in a highly political setting, which has required a high higher food prices are having a negative impact on level of openness and regulatory compliance in areas UNRWA’s activities. such as audit. Sweden has played a strongly proactive and supportive role in the reform process. Trends Along with the rising number of refugees in the 2000s, External effectiveness the poorer socio-economic situation and increased UNRWA’s activities build on the whole of its man- humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian ter- date and its external effectiveness is assessed as very ritories have increased demand for the services of good. However, its operations are greatly hampered UNRWA. The emergency humanitarian needs are ex- by developments in the area and increased humani- pected to remain high in the next few years. tarian needs, especially in the occupied Palestinian Internal effectiveness has developed very positively territories, as well as chronic under-funding and since 2004. UNRWA has become a more open and access problems. UNRWA contributes in the best transparent organisation. So there are good prospects possible way to the coordination with other humani- of UNRWA achieving a really high level of effective- tarian organisations and aid actors. CAP work, where ness when the whole of the internal reform package UNRWA has a sectoral responsibility, has improved and has been implemented. This is essential to meet the strengthened coordination with the local UN Humani- increase in demand and to deal with the problems of tarian Coordinator and OCHA.