At the recent Financing for Development Summit in Seville, UN Resident Coordinators Hanaa Singer-Hamdy of Nepal and Ana Graça of Panama highlighted how the UN is driving impact at the country level by forging partnerships, strengthening financing ecosystems, and advancing inclusive development solutions. Their work demonstrates the crucial role Resident Coordinators play in ensuring that no one is left behind.
In Nepal, which is preparing to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2026, Singer-Hamdy stressed that the transition must be smooth and supported to avoid setbacks. Under her leadership, the UN Country Team has facilitated strategic dialogue, regional cooperation, and investment mobilization to back the government’s priorities. Nepal has also led South-South collaboration with Bangladesh and Laos, uniting their voices to secure recognition in the summit’s outcome document — the Compromiso de Sevilla — which calls for tailored support for transitioning countries even after graduation.
Concrete results are already visible at home. In April 2024, the UN co-organized an investment summit with the Nepal Investment Board, attracting more than 1,700 investors from 55 countries and generating $63 million in pledges. A multi-agency task force involving UN Women, UNICEF, FAO, and ILO has also advanced financing efforts around private capital, gender equity, and climate resilience. Singer-Hamdy noted that the Resident Coordinator’s strength lies in uniting the UN under one voice to align international financing with national goals, from blended finance to green transitions.
In Panama, a high-middle-income country with persistent inequality, Graça and her team are working to turn commitments into action by building innovative partnerships. With academic institutions, CAF, and UN agencies such as UNDP and UNFPA, the team has mobilized over $90 million for short-cycle higher education linked to employment, directly addressing youth empowerment and informality.
Graça has also brought together more than 75 private sector actors to scale sustainable solutions, ranging from indigenous-led coffee production to technology-driven rural development. Through the Joint SDG Fund, a circular economy pilot has expanded across municipal markets, while collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution and universities are advancing sustainable food systems and gastronomy, showing how development finance can deliver transformative results.
Both Resident Coordinators emphasized their role as connectors who enable impact by aligning efforts. Singer-Hamdy noted that while they may not always be in the spotlight, they create conditions for success. Graça added that governments see Resident Coordinators as trusted entry points capable of mobilizing the full UN system, from social bonds to impact investing. Their leadership underscores how the UN development system, when working as one, can provide governments with coherent, impactful support rooted in a shared purpose.
