Enabling mandate implementation: Private Partnerships Co-Chair Non-Paper for the International Conference
In line with UNRWA’s Resource Mobilization Strategy and the Medium-term Strategy, since 2017, the Agency has made modest investments in increasing and diversifying its resources from private partners. In 2018, the drastic reduction in funding from traditional donors led to a focus on strengthening and expanding non-state funding portals through advocacy and outreach of the Dignity is Priceless Campaign.
Following the campaign, private partnership expansion was undertaken through the Strategic Partnerships Division, which in late 2020 was fully integrated with the public sector team into a Partnership Division, which is part of a restructured External Relations Department (ERD). With these changes, UNRWA hopes to improve efficiency and coordination between private and public sector donor engagement.
Despite these many changes and calls for increased engagement with private partners made by the UN Member States through the consultations on sustainable predictable funding for UNRWA held in early 2017, UNRWA has faced a number of challenges in reaching its full potential in securing non-state funding.
The level of resources to support UNRWA’s resource mobilization efforts still falls well below those of other UN agencies. UNHCR ‘s private partnerships budget (investment), which reached 126 million USD in 2019 required 28.9 million USD for its Headquarters Division of External Relations.