Belgium, 2024 chair of the MOPAN (Multilateral Performance Network)

This year, Belgium is chairing the Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN).

Faithful to its strong commitment to multilateralism, our country will assume responsibility for this presidency after Italy (2023), and before the Netherlands (2025).

The defence and strengthening of the multilateral system are of particular importance in the current context.

The multiplication of crises puts international organizations under pressure. They face numerous challenges and at the same time strong criticism and even sometimes a loss of confidence. Contributing to restoring this confidence is an objective which perfectly fits Belgium’s commitment to multilateralism.

While its Secretariat is hosted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), MOPAN is an independent and growing network of 22 member countries who share the same vision to ensure the effectiveness of the international organizations they finance, govern and support.

Together the 22 current countries provide nearly 90% of the total Development Assistance funding which passes to and through the multilateral system.

Member countries select international organizations – including from the United Nations system, international financial institutions, development banks and vertical funds – and commission MOPAN to provide independent and in-depth assessments.

The assessments focus on the functioning of these organizations and their effectiveness – ensuring they are “fit for purpose” and can deliver on their objectives. Their assessment reports are global public goods and are shared with all countries of the organization, whether they are members of MOPAN or not. This ensures the reports contribute to debates on reforms that may be necessary.

Several MOPAN assessments of international organizations will be presented publicly in 2024, including that of the World Health Organization (WHO) for which Belgium, Luxembourg and Canada play a leading role. The MOPAN assessment of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was presented recently in Geneva, and other forthcoming reports include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UN Women, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) with MOPAN assessing 27 organisations over the 2023-24 biennium.

MOPAN will also release over the coming period thematic insights on the climate response and organisations’ efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.

In addition to chairing the network, Belgium will chair its Technical Group in 2024, which is responsible for refining the MOPAN methodology.

More information on MOPAN