The ninth annual Partnership Report "Saving and Improving Lives" presents the United Nations - European Union humanitarian and development cooperation in 2013. 

At the occasion of the UN Day, the United Nations Team in Brussels is pleased to present the ninth Annual UN-EU Partnership report on the results of our collaboration with the European Union in 2013. The report spans the range of our joint actions across the world, both thematically and geographically.

In 2013, the UN and the EU worked together to support governments and civil society in over 110 countries. Our partnership, as these annual publications demonstrate, continues to save and improve the lives of millions of people in the developing world every year.

For instance, in 2013, as the Syria conflict continued to intensify, we jointly provided vital support to those most impacted by the crisis, both within the country and in neighbouring countries. In fact, Syria was the top recipient country of EU funding through the UN system in 2013.

We also provided life-saving assistance to 12 million refugees across the world, and enabled the registration of over 233 million people so they could participate in elections held in ten countries.

These are just a few examples of where practical cooperation between the EU and the UN is making an impact where it counts most: in the lives of people.

This latest report clearly illustrates that the UN-EU partnership does make a difference. “Collectively, we achieved far more than our organizations could have done alone”, says Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General.

Both organizations continue to learn from each other’s best practices, and develop joint strategies and policies. “Cooperating with the UN and drawing on its expertise is crucial to the EU’s role as a major development actor”, says Jose Barroso, President of the European Commission.

The importance of the UN-EU partnership is likely to increase in the future.

“Solid development partnerships like ours are exactly what the world needs – especially now, as the international community works together to shape a post-2015 framework”, says Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation.