09/20/2008

News / United Nations Management Reform

“The United States believes in a United Nations that is strong and effective. And we have ambitious hopes for its future.” — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

The United States is dedicated to United Nations management reform, intent upon moving this important international organization toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. This determination underscores the U.S. commitment to multilateral diplomacy and to the responsible stewardship of UN resources. In order to achieve these goals, the United States has been a leading proponent of efforts to improve the functioning of the UN Secretariat, the UN Funds and Programs, and the Specialized Agencies.

U.S. Priorities for UN Reform

* Greater independence and adequate resources for the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
* A stronger, more transparent UN procurement system.
* More effective overall internal controls and an organization-wide approach to risk management.

Accountability and Transparency

* The general principles of accountability, transparency, and integrity must be reinforced throughout the UN system by consistent actions. The United States has identified a number of areas where all UN entities should be held to a common standard under the United Nations Transparency and Accountability Initiative (UNTAI):
o Independence of the respective internal oversight bodies;
o Availability of internal audits and other oversight reports, evaluations, and investigations to
o Member States;
o Public access to all relevant documentation related to operations and activities including budget information and procurement activities;
o An effective ethics function;
o “Whistleblower” protections;
o Financial disclosure programs;
o Adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards; and
o Transparent administrative support costs for voluntarily funded activities.

Effectiveness and Efficiency

* The United Nations is only as strong and effective as its component parts and needs members’ conduct to reflect the ideals of the UN Charter. Nations that violate these ideals should not be elected to limited membership bodies, such as the UN Security Council or the UN Human Rights Council, nor should such nations be elected to leadership positions in any UN body.
* The main challenge, not only for the United States, but for all nations, is to guide the UN system toward constructive, responsible activity by using the levers of financial support and diplomatic engagement to support exemplary UN bodies.
* Effective, results-based management together with careful prioritization will help maximize the resources available to improve the lives of the worlds neediest. It is in the interest of all nations, whether large or small contributors to the UN budget, to take seriously their responsibility within the UN budget process to optimize the use of limited resources.
* The United States believes the General Assembly and the biennial budget process should reward programs that achieve desired results. This approach requires:
o Objective and measurable standards for success;
o Regular assessments of programs against those standards; and
o Phasing out activities that are ineffective or unnecessary.
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