EU Presidency notes - Informal meeting on UN Management Reform

UK Presidency of the European Union Speaking notes on Informal Meeting on UN Management Reform, New York

General

• The EU is grateful for the direction set in the Co-Chairs' letter of 1 December. We believe it defines clearly what is possible before the end of the year and sets out a clear programme for next year. We are happy to support the proposed manner of proceeding.
  
  
• The key for the EU is implementation of the decisions taken by the World Summit. Our Leaders made pledges in September that we must now act upon.
  
  
• They rightly pledged to enhance the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and credibility of the UN system, recognising that this was our shared responsibility and interest (Outcome Document paragraph 15).
  
  
• This pledge is key to the UN's future at the centre of an effective multilateral system.
  
  
• The UN is doing more than ever before. And it is doing it in contexts that are changing faster than ever. The EU believes that the UN must continue to adapt to the changes it faces if it is indeed to maintain and - as pledged by our leaders- enhance its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and credibility.
  
  
• All these considerations apply to the way the UN manages itself. It must make the most efficient use of its human and financial resources. I am sure we all agree on that, and that capacity to adapt and efficiency of delivery on agreed UN objectives are important to the UN's credibility and therefore to its effectiveness.
  
  
• The Ambassador of Jamaica referred to the bad atmospherics in which this debate was launched. We therefore welcome these discussions and hope for their continuation at ambassadorial level in order to build some common ground.
  
  
• The EU view is that we must deliver some progress on management reform before the end of the year. But it is clear that not everything in Summit Document can be completed so quickly.
  
  
• The Ambassador of Jamaica expressed concern that we should not rush but must have time to consider the proposals before us. He is right to want to avoid adding to UN bureaucracy but we need to send a signal of what we are doing.

• We thank the UN Controller for his presentation of the proposals before us (A/60/568) on the Ethics Office, the proposed Terms of Reference for an Independent Audit Advisory Committee, and proposals concerning the external evaluation of oversight structures. This reminds us that we are in a process of reform that we need to continue.
  
  
• While we still have to study this report in detail, I can underline at this stage that the EU wants the early establishment of an Ethics Office in the Secretariat, along with the finalisation of related policies, such as whistleblower protection policy, fraud prevention policy and changes to financial disclosure regulations.
  
  
• The Ambassador of Jamaica asked whether we were doing too much. The UN needs to be visibly responsive to international concerns about weaknesses in the area of transparency and accountability.
  
  
• We also want to start the process of strengthening oversight. The first step would be to ensure the operational independence of OIOS. We believe that the creation of an independent advisory body would contribute to that process and assist the General Assembly in its oversight functions.
  
  
• These steps are sometimes described as low-hanging fruit. But we should not under-estimate their importance.

• There is plenty to do next year. It is important that the governance review and evaluation of oversight structures should be completed by the middle of next year. So we would strongly advocate agreement within the next few weeks on the terms of reference for such a study. We hope that this might partly address the concerns of the Jamaican Ambassador about the need to see how the oversight issues inter-relate.
  
  
• As for the remaining issues (review of regulations, review of mandates, and staff buy-out), we expect the Secretariat to provide the membership with appropriate documentation at the latest in February so that we can conclude our own decision-making process in good time. If the Secretariat would find it useful to have guidance from the membership before February, the EU is ready to contribute our ideas.
  
  
• We believe we should use one of the sessions you chair to agree before the end of this month on a clear timetable for discussion and implementation of management reform next year. In doing so, we also need to respond to the ideas on timing in the Secretary General's first Implementation Report (A/60/430). We need to ensure that the preparation of the strategic framework for 2008-09 is undertaken at a time when the results of our decisions next year on management reform can be taken into account.
  
  
• This does not mean we are acting in haste. We have had sufficient time and need to set a timetable for next year.
  
  
• In conclusion, the Co-Chairs can count on the EU's willingness to contribute constructively to the debate.

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