8-9 April 2008 Thematic Debate
Towards a Common Understanding on Management Reform

Prepared by the Center for UN Reform Education

INTERVENTIONS BY MEMBER STATES

Following is an overview – by no means exhaustive and the order arbitrary – of key points in statements made by Member States on 8 April 2008. Naturally, some of these reflect diverging views. See the website of the GA President for links to many of the statements.

General remarks

• We agreed to management reform at the 2005 World Summit
• We are pleased that there is a readiness from all sides to move forward
• Reform is an ongoing process, adaptations may be necessary because of new realities
• Reform is not an aim in itself
• Reform requires political will, flexibility and mutual trust
• We should try and avoid the North-South fault line and approach issues with a fresh mindset
• Management reform is part of a bigger reform process to make the UN more democratic, effective and representative
• Much has been achieved, more needs to be done
• Maybe there is a lack of vision of where the organization should be headed in this reform process
• We welcome the Four Nations Initiative which explores governance vs management
• The implementation of the proposals should be done more quickly
• Reform should be the result of intergovernmental processes, involving all Member States
• The Fifth Committee is the body where management reform proposals should be discussed
• We should be open to other pragmatic review approaches on a case-by-case basis
• Policy aspects of reform proposals need to be discussed at the political level besides financial considerations
• The reform proposals are all interlinked and an holistic approach is therefore required
• A step-by-step approach is preferable, progressing from easier issues to more complex ones
• Member States’ ideas and perspectives are needed, especially on governance issues
• Continued dialogue is needed among Member States and between member States and the Secretariat in order to build trust, identify common concerns, and agree to steps forward
• The UN has a unique character and cannot be approached as if it were a private corporation
• Reform measures will require the endorsement of the entire membership and will require increased dialogue and cooperation – it will require consensus

  
  Mandates/Accountability

• Reforming the planning and budgetary process of the UN (incl. results-based management and results-based budgeting) should not change the current decision-making processes
• When formulating mandates, duplication and overlap with other mandates should be avoided and cross-cutting issues considered
• Mandates should be based on real needs
• The formulation, implementation, and evaluation of mandates should be carefully considered
• The planning process as to programmatic aspects of the UN’s activities is crucial in the budget process
• Evaluation findings should be taken into account when formulating new mandates (feedback)
• Member States should be clearer about the objectives and terms of each mandate
• Accountability and transparency: improved reporting from the Secretariat to Member States is key
• Evaluation should also entail “self-evaluation” by programme managers, using existing guidelines
• An effective system to monitor implementation of mandates is needed
• Monitoring mandates should be done by periodical reports on the status of implementation or through oral briefings or written notes from the Secretary-General
• Member States should consider time-limits for mandates
• Defining timeframes may be very ambitious and difficult considering issues of prioritization and allocation of necessary resources – especially when a Member State considers a mandate of particular importance
• Establishing criteria for considering a mandate completed will be difficult
• Results-based budgeting and results-based management are key
• Member States should improve coordination among their delegates who produce the mandates and their fifth committee delegates.
• The mandate review should eliminate obsolete, overlapping or redundant mandates. The lack of significant progress in the mandate review is frustrating.

  
  Human Resources Management

• The staff is the most valuable asset of the organization – the implementation of mandates depends on the quality of the staff
• We need qualified, motivated and well-managed staff
• It is regrettable that the first resumed session was not able to agree on human resources management reform
• The myriad of contracts should be streamlined, conditions of service unified, mobility should be done fairly
• Recruitment: the UN must ensure equitable geographical and gender representation among its staff. This should not just be left to programme managers.
• That so many staff persons are retiring offers a good opportunity to improve the international character of the organization
• Senior management positions in important departments should not be exclusively preserved for certain Member States
• the National Competitive Recruitment Examination must be strengthened, those who pass the exam should not have to wait so long before being hired. There should be more P2 and P3 positions for those who enter the UN system through exams
• Staff members should adhere to the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity
• The UN needs young, multi-skilled, versatile, competent, mobile staff
• Job descriptions should be less rigid, mobility encouraged
• The most important outstanding proposals relate to streamlining the system of contractual arrangements, harmonizing conditions of service, and increasing the effectiveness of UN field missions

  
  Procurement reform

• Much progress has been made on procurement reform
• Proper diversification of the origin of vendors in UN procurement is key

  
  Financial aspects

• Existing resources should be efficiently used
• Budgets should not be presented in a piecemeal fashion, with add-ons to be approved during the two-year budget cycle
• The piecemeal budgeting does not allow prioritizing
• There needs to be more discipline in regards to add-ons but they are unavoidable
• Budgetary discipline should not be synonymous with sweeping linear budget cuts
• Management reform should reduce waste
• New mandates will require additional resources
• Budgeting requires integrity – budgets should not be ‘padded’
• Reform should not be a cost-cutting exercise
• The Secretary General should propose off-sets as one of the means for financing new or expanded activities not involving matters of peace and security
• Many mandates are funded by extra budgetary resources but these will still require proper oversight to ensure balance in the implementation of all activities of the UN
• Management reforms are costly but should be weighed against long-term gains
• As many mandates concern new or emerging needs, additional expenditures are unavoidable
• When we authorize activities – e.g. Special Political Missions – we should be prepared to fund them
• Add-ons should where possible be funded from existing sources or the contingency fund. The Secretary-General should also use the $20 million discretionary funds before asking for additional funds. Otherwise add-ons should be deferred.
• Efficient implementation of mandates require adequate resources
• The UN should not be brought to the brink of financial insolvency by some Member States
• As Member States, we share some of the blame as to inefficiency, because we are the creators of UN mandates