Are strong UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) really prepared to limit their autonomy?
They have to. The UN sub-agencies report to the Secretary General and are controlled by the General Assembly. They have no institutional autonomy. However, coordination is not easy. UNICEF, for example, has resisted “One UN” for a long time. Meantime, however, to my knowledge, the cooperation is running very well between the four key agencies, UNICEF, WFP, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Development Programme (UNDP). It will be more difficult with the UN special agencies such as the World Health Organisation and the World Bank which are institutionally autonomous. But there are also positive approaches for them becoming involved in harmonisation. These agencies are aware that they will be marginalised in the medium-term if they do not get involved with “One UN”. The World Bank is still labouring under its leadership crisis, the International Monetary Fund has been seeking a new role for a long time and the World Trade Organisation cannot get itself out of the Doha cr
