Relational accountability

The cornerstone of clarity and trust in the United Nations system

Relational accountability is the approach to strengthen the United Nations-centred multilateral system by clarifying how the three groups of stakeholders — States, United Nations entities, and non-State stakeholders — work together to build “a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of (…) common ends” (United Nations Charter).
Initiatives to improve the United Nations system have been recurrent since its inception, but these efforts have focused on one group of stakeholders or another (Security Council reform and States; United Nations development system reform and specialised agencies; etc.), rather than all three groups of stakeholders and the relational aspect of accountability.
Relational accountability is about the actions that create the premise and structure for stakeholders’ interactions, within or between the groups. This includes inter-Member State negotiations, inter-agency platforms, and interactions at legislative organs and governing bodies meetings between Member States, Observers and the Administration of a United Nations entity.