High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence Meets to Discuss Structural and Operational Reforms of the UN System in Development, Humanitarian Assistance and the Environment
New York, 5 April 2006 -- In February the Secretary-General announced the formation of a new High-Level Panel responsible for performing a study on United Nations System-wide Coherence in the Areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance, and the Environment. The panel addresses paragraph 169 of the World Summit Outcome Document, which looks to "strengthen the management and coordination of the UN's operational activities" in these areas.
The panel, co-chaired by Prime Ministers Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, Luisa Dias Diogo of Mozambique, and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, held one of its first meetings on 5 April 2006. On 6 April 2006, the President of the General Assembly will hold an informal plenary meeting for several panelists to discuss the study with Member States.
The study, which will look primarily at organizational and funding issues, will attempt to assess how the UN system works, identify comparative advantages, identify areas of overlap and duplication of work products across UN agencies, and provide recommendations on rationalization to maximize resources and minimize overhead and administrative costs. According to the terms of reference, the recommendations will probably be proposed in phases: initial rationalization, preliminary restructuring, and a final phase of comprehensive restructuring. Currently, the panel plans to consult with the UN Chief Executives Board in April, hold consultations with Member States in July and complete the study during the 61st session of the GA for possible implementation in 2007.
The panel will seek to provide insight on some of the following functions:
Humanitarian Assistance: strengthening the coordination of the humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the UN; improving timeliness and predictability of humanitarian funding; developing and improving mechanisms for the use of emergency standby capacities.
Environmental Activities: assessing how the UN can best provide more comprehensive and coherent management and monitoring of the multilateral environmental agreements; improving the integration of the environmental perspective within the principle of sustainable development in UN country-level activities and technology/capacity building support within the UN system.
Development: analyzing how the UN system can provide more efficient, coherent demand-driven support to national partners and build on core normative, technical assistance and capacity building strengths to partner with longer-term financing; strengthening linkages between normative and operational work; linking these developments to reforms within ECOSOC's.
In the past month a number of European countries have began actively pushing for significant structural and operational reforms of the UN system. Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK had previously prepared papers on various aspects of reforming the UN's development architecture and enhancing system-wide coherence. Recommendations outlined in these papers are likely to play a role in shaping the current discussions. Suggestions include creating three central UN agencies on development, humanitarian assistance and the environment, integrating the relevant UN agencies into one of the three and eliminating or adding others as appropriate. The creation of a new environmental entity could mark one important addition, while possible attempts to eliminate existing bodies such as UNCTAD are likely to meet significant opposition, particularly from developing countries.
Many developing countries, as reflected in the positions of the G77, are concerned that attempts to eliminate duplication and overlaps and to identify the UN's comparative advantages in relation to the International Financial Institutions will translate into an overall weakening of the UN's role and capacity in development.
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