Guidance on UN country-level strategic planning for development in exceptional circumstances
In line with the 2020 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (A/C.2/75/L.61), as a general rule, all countries that have a programmatic presence of the United Nations Development System (UNDS), where there is a Resident Coordinator (RC) and an established UN Country Team (UNCT), are expected to have a UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) as the most important planning and implementation instrument of development activities, prepared and finalized in full consultation and agreement with national Governments (OP71). In exceptional cases, however, the necessary conditions may not be in place to develop a full-fledged UNSDCF and/or to co-sign it with the host government in full compliance with the guidance.
The purpose of this section of the guidance is to describe possible options and steps to be followed in such exceptional circumstances. It is not the purpose of this guidance to offer criteria or fixed definitions of these circumstances. Rather, the guidance provides parameters for RCs and UNCTs who determine that it is not going to be possible to proceed with a UNSDCF.
