A group of 18 of UNAIDS’ top donors have published a report highlighting UNAIDS’ unique value to the communities it serves and its partners and key stakeholders. The assessment, carried out by the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), which was set up to monitor the performance of multilateral development organizations at the country level, found UNAIDS’ use of strategic information, convening power and mutual accountability systems to be among its key strengths.

UNAIDS was assessed on areas that include strategic and operational management and delivering results. The assessment identified a set of core areas in which UNAIDS scored most highly, including achievement of results, organizational and financial framework, relevance to partners and results focus.

“It is reassuring to hear that UNAIDS’ work continues to be highly valued by our partners and donors,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “UNAIDS is a unique programme that consistently adapts to the new realities of global health and development, drives change and promotes innovation. We are pleased with this assessment and we will use it to continue to strengthen our impact."

The assessment shows that the UNAIDS Secretariat meets the vast majority of the requirements of an effective multilateral organization and highlights the unique value of UNAIDS as a force for change at this critical point in the AIDS epidemic.

Luxembourg led the assessment process and convened a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 13 March to discuss the report. UNAIDS’ senior leadership, the MOPAN Secretariat and representatives of more than 35 permanent missions attended the meeting.

“A key strength is building up the capacity for local partners, especially community-based organizations and networks to support community-based programmes for the most vulnerable groups,” said a partner interviewed for the MOPAN assessment.

The assessment also provides an opportunity for UNAIDS to build on key areas of work, including improving evaluation systems to better capture results and incorporate learning into developing new innovations.

The report presents a comprehensive, robust, evidence-informed review of UNAIDS’ work in countries and UNAIDS encourages donors to continue to use the tool to assess UNAIDS’ work in the future. The positive assessment will help UNAIDS to continue to improve and build on its unique strengths to provide the most effective support to partners in our joint efforts to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.  

MOPAN members are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, which represent 94% of UNAIDS’ core funding.