EU Presidency Statement - Efficiency of the United Nations

I speak on behalf of the European Union. My statement is endorsed by the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union (Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Romania) and by the other associated countries, Cyprus and Malta.

The European Union first of all wishes to thank the Chairman of the Joint Inspection Unit, Mr Jean-Dominique Ouedraogo, for presenting A/54/960 and A/55/34 for our examination, one document relating to the Joint Inspection Unit's activities over the past year and the other presenting the work programme for 2000 and beyond.

Mr Chairman,

For many years the European Union has supported the development of oversight mechanisms allowing for efficient functioning of the organisations of the UN system. It is the job of the Joint Inspection Unit, in accordance with the provisions of its statutes, to participate in meeting this aim of making optimum use of participating organisations' resources for carrying out their tasks.

We feel that the Joint Inspection Unit must set an example here, as regards both the organisation of its work and the use it makes of its own resources. Resolution 54/16 confirms, in this respect, the improvements initiated over the past few years. The European Union welcomes the fact that the mechanism for systematically following up the Joint Inspection Unit's recommendations is well on the way to being implemented. This mechanism could in future enable the Joint Inspection Unit's activities to be geared towards clear and measurable objectives, adding to the efficiency of the UN system. We understand from the provisions of Resolution 54/16 that the General Assembly will return to this subject at its 56th session, after giving itself a two-year period, and will evaluate in detail the operation of this follow-up mechanism.

The work programme for 2000 and beyond is useful and is being given our full attention. Allow me, Mr Chairman, to recall some of the remarks made by the European Union when the Joint Inspection Unit's work programme was presented a year ago. The European Union understands that the report which the Joint Inspection Unit intends to publish on the planning cycle, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation within the UN system is awaited by a very large number of participating organisations. It nevertheless considers that the PPBME rules, which have recently been updated by the General Assembly, can only be assessed at a later date.

The European Union also wonders about progress on the report on real estate management at UN headquarters, while at the same time the General Assembly has been given a real estate master plan which provides for a complete renovation of the building. In our opinion, this point on the Joint Inspection Unit's work programme requires some clarifications.

Thank you Mr Chairman.

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