Programmatic activities

Programmatic activities is a term used to describe certain activities funded through peacekeeping budgets.

Definitions
Programmatic activities are operational, time-limited activities with an identified end state in support of mandate implementation, undertaken by a peacekeeping mission and/or implementing partners activities to implement civilian mandated tasks. These include but are not limited to capacity-building, infrastructure projects, training, procurement of material and equipment, temporary consultancies and technical expertise. Implementation can be carried out both by missions and through collaborative arrangements with implementing partners who are often United Nations country team entities.

Examples of programmatic activities include
 * Civilian arms control
 * Community stabilization projects
 * Rule of law and security sector reform
 * Community violence reduction
 * Confidence-building
 * Electoral assistance
 * Community violence reduction
 * Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
 * Mine action

Programmatic funding involves the utilization of assessed funding during a specific budget period for programmatic activities to implement mandated tasks. Programmatic funding does not include related military or police or civilian personnel costs, and is distinct from quick-impact projects.

Member State concerns
Some Member States have voiced concerns about the inclusion of programmatic funding in peacekeeping budget requests, as these types of activities are generally performed by United Nations country teams. Despite these concerns, funding for programmatic activities is routinely included in peacekeeping budgets where those activities are mandated by the Security Council.

Implementation by country teams
Programmatic activities have increasingly been implemented on behalf of missions by members of the country team. Mission transitions have been a major catalyst for such efforts. One of the first major examples was the provision of $2.7 million in the 2012/13 UNMIT budget to UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Women and UNFPA to implement activities in support of the transition process, facilitated by joint planning and the singing of memorandums of understanding between the mission and the relevant funds and programmes. Similarly, the country team was engaged in the implementation of mandated mission tasks during the transition of UNMIL, and state liaison functions managed by the country team but funded through the UNAMID budget were a critical element of the transition in Darfur.

In July 2018, the General Assembly encouraged the Secretary-General to develop an accountability framework for programmatic activities funded though mission budgets but implemented by non-Secretariat entities. . This was reaffirmed in each of the peacekeeping financing resolutions adopted in July 2019, which also included the following paragraphs:


 * Notes that the various programmatic activities to be financed through assessed contributions by peacekeeping missions must be directly linked to Security Council mandates and reflect the evolution of these mandates;


 * Requests the Secretary-General to include, in the performance report of the mission, detailed information on programmatic activities including on how the implementation of those activities contributed to implementing mission mandates;

In responding to these requests, Secretary-General included the following information in the peacekeeping overview report for 2020/21, saying:


 * When a mission decides to implement programmatic activities through an implementing partner that is not part of the Secretariat, the accountability framework is provided by entering into a standard memorandum of understanding, included in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations-Department of Field Support guidelines of November 2017 (annex F). Under the memorandum of understanding, the responsibilities of the implementing partners  and  their  reporting  obligations  towards  the  missions  are established. These include a calendar for submitting to the mission substantive and financial reports on the implementation of services and related outputs, achievements and financial outcome. It is also required under the memorandum of understanding that implementing partners comply with its internal and external audit procedures as set out in its financial regulations and rules and that, on that basis, the mission and the  implementing  partners  should  cooperate  to  rectify  any  issues  with  respect  to activities relating to the funds provided by the mission under the memorandum of understanding. Furthermore, with respect to accountability standards, the template memorandum  of  understanding  includes  the  provisions  regarding  due  care  and diligence  in  the  performance  of  services  by  the  implementing  partners  and  the responsibility for claims brought by any third party. The Secretariat has disseminated the memorandum of understanding to all missions and provides them with technical assistance, when requested, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes.

Budget requests for programmatic activities
Since the 2017/18 financial period, a summary table of programmatic funding requests contained in the proposed budgets for peacekeeping operations has been contained in the peacekeeping overview report.