Progress Report on UN Reform -- June 2006
New York, 5 June 2006 -- Find below an overview of progress on UN reform based on commitments outlined in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document.
GA Resolution 60/251 establishing the Human Rights Council, 15 March 2006
Former Co-Chairs: Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, Ambassador Dumisani S. Kumalo of South Africa
Update: The first session of the Human Rights Council will be held for two weeks from 19-30 June 2006 and will be followed by a three week session from 11-29 September. Mexico has been elected president of the Human Rights Council for its first year. Luis Alfonso de Alba, who has been Mexico's representative to the international organizations in Geneva, has been designated by the government to take up the presidency in June. The ambassador is currently holding consultations in Geneva on the Council’s agenda and organization of the upcoming sessions.
On 9 May 2006, the General Assembly elected the 47 founding members of the UN’s new Human Rights Council for staggered 1-3 year terms. The first members on the Council will have the responsibility of developing the Council’s architecture, including its agenda, working methods, rules and procedures, and mechanisms for the universal periodic review. While several countries with notably poor human rights records (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Russia) were elected, others such as Iran and Venezuela did not receive enough votes while countries previously on the Commission on Human rights were dissuaded from even running (Sudan, Zimbabwe, Syria, Libya, Nepal, Eritrea and Ethiopia). To avoid attracting members whose purpose in joining the Council is to block scrutiny of their human rights records, members of the Human Rights Council will be the first countries subject to the Council’s universal periodic review, which will assess fulfillment of countries’ human rights obligations and commitments. The first session of the Human Rights Council will commence on 19 June 2006.
Members:
* Terms lengths noted in parentheses
Africa (13 seats): Algeria (1) Cameroon (3), Djibouti (3), Gabon (2), Ghana (2), Mali (2), Mauritius (3), Morocco (1), Nigeria (3), Senegal (3), South Africa (1), Tunisia (1), Zambia (2)
Asia (13 seats): Bahrain (1), Bangladesh (3), China (3), India (1), Indonesia (1), Japan (2), Jordan (3), Malaysia (3), Pakistan (2), Philippines (1), Republic of Korea (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Sri Lanka (2)
Eastern Europe (6 seats): Azerbaijan (3), Czech Republic (1), Poland (1), Romania (2), Russian Federation (3), Ukraine (2)
Latin American/Caribbean States (8 seats): Argentina (1), Brazil (1), Cuba (3), Ecuador (1), Guatemala (2), Mexico (3), Peru (2), Uruguay (3)
Western Europe/Other (7seats): Canada (3), Finland (1), France (2), Germany (3), Netherlands (1), Switzerland (3), United Kingdom (2)
Overview: While the Commission on Human Rights played an instrumental role in
establishing a strong framework of human rights norms and standards, the December
2004 High Level Panel Report and the Secretary-General’s subsequent report recognized its limits as well as its eroding credibility, often attributed to membership, selective approach or lack of capacity for implementation. The GA then engaged in a long series of negotiations to create a new body. On 15 March 2006, recognizing both the achievements and shortcomings of the Commission on Human Rights, the General Assembly adopted resolution 60/251 creating a new Human Rights Council in a vote of 170 to 4 (Israel, US, Palau, Marshall Islands) with 3 abstentions (Belarus, Iran, Venezuela).
The Council will be responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights, addressing human rights violations, and promoting effective coordination and mainstreaming of human rights within the UN system. Unlike the 53-member Commission which met for 6 weeks per year and was a subsidiary body of ECOSOC, the 47 member Human Rights Council will be a subsidiary body of the General Assembly and will meet for a minimum of three sessions for no less than ten weeks per year, with the ability to convene additional sessions.
Members are now elected by absolute majority of the GA, requiring 96 votes, according to a new regional allocation based on equitable geographic distribution. After serving two consecutive terms, members will no longer be immediately re-eligible to serve another term, thus prohibiting de facto permanent membership. In addition to taking into account candidates' contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights and voluntary pledges/commitments, members are required to cooperate with the Council and the GA will have the ability, through a two-thirds majority vote, to suspend the membership of a Council member that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.
As an important step forward, the Council will undertake a new universal periodic review to assess all states' fulfillment of human rights obligations/commitments and elected members of the Council will be subject to this review during their term.
Furthermore, the Council will maintain key strengths of the Commission such as its system of special procedures, mechanisms for NGO participation and country-specific resolutions.
GA Resolution 60/180 establishing the Peacebuilding Commission
Former Co-Chairs: Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Loj of Denmark, Ambassador Augustine P. Mahiga of Tanzania
Update: Selections for the Peacebuilding Commission’s 31 member Organizational Committee were finalized on 16 May 2006 and are as follows:
- Security Council (7 seats - 5 permanent members +2 non-permanent): China, Denmark, France, Russia, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States
- ECOSOC (7 seats - 5 seats for each region +1 Africa and 1 Asia): Angola, Guinea Bissau, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Poland, Brazil, Belgium
- Top Financial Contributors (5 seats – top 5): Japan, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Norway
- Top Troop Contributors (5 seats – top 5): Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Ghana
- General Assembly (5 seats based on equitable geographic distribution): Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Croatia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Chile
The first official meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Organizational Committee is expected to be held at the end of June. The Committee will then be responsible for adopting an agenda and identifying the first country situations to be taken up by the Commission in order to initiate its substantive work within country-specific meetings, which are expected to start in the fall. Within Africa, Burundi and Liberia have frequently been proposed as initial cases. Carolyn McAskie, who was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi, has will take up the position of Assistant Secretary-General in the Peacebuilding Support Office. The Support Office will have up to $1,571,300 from the provision on special political missions for the current budget cycle for 15 posts. It has also been decided that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be responsible for administering the Peacebuilding Fund.
Fifth Committee Resolution A/C.5/60/L.35
Security Council Resolution 1646 establishing P5 membership on the PBC (adopted 20 December 2005)
ECOSOC Draft Resolution E/2006/L.2/Rev2 on membership of ECOSOC in the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission (adopted 8 May 2006)
GA Draft Resolution A/60/L.52 on election of seven members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission (adopted 8 May 2006)
Overview: On 20 December 2005, upon the recommendations of the Secretary-General and his high level panel, the Security Council and the General Assembly ended a long phase of intergovernmental negotiations by adopting joint resolutions establishing a new UN Peacebuilding Commission. The Commission will be responsible for addressing a critical institutional gap within the UN and global systems by providing a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach to post-conflict peacebuilding and facilitating dialogue amongst key actors. The Commission will be composed of an intergovernmental Organizational Committee to address country-specific situations, a Peacebuilding Support Office within the Secretariat, and a multi-year standing Peacebuilding Fund administered by UNDP to support initiatives on post-conflict stabilization and capacity building.
Key functions:
- Bring together relevant actors to marshal resources;
- Advise on integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and sustainable development;
- Focus attention on reconstruction and institution-building efforts;
- Provide recommendations and information to improve coordination of all relevant actors
- Identify best practices;
- Help to ensure predictable financing;
- Extend the period of attention of the international community to post-conflict recovery.
Full overview of the Peacebuilding Commission.
3. Secretariat/Management Reform
Co-Chairs: Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan, Ambassador Allan Rock of Canada
Update: The General Assembly is currently focusing on two key reform areas: a. reforming the overall structure and culture of the UN Secretariat; and b. carrying out a review of all UN mandates older than five years. The Security Council and ECOSOC have also initiated consultations on their respective reviews of relevant UN mandates. Management reform issues continue to ignite tensions between developed and developing countries. While the G77 countries have blocked significant progress on Secretariat reform, requesting additional reports from the Secretariat, the US, Japan and the EU have threatened to impose additional spending caps on the UN budget unless significant reforms take place. The UN biennium budget has already been subject to a six-month spending cap which ends on June 30th and is likely to be followed by renewals due to US demands for results on management reform. It has been reported that the UK has distributed a draft proposal on management reform.
Overview
a. Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger Organization worldwide
To complement the current reviews on oversight and internal justice, the Secretary-General released his report “Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger Organization worldwide,” on 7 March 2006. In this report, the Secretary-General presents 23 recommendations in six areas (people, leadership, information and communications technology, delivering services, budget and finance, and governance) on how to radically overhaul the rules, structure, systems and culture of the UN Secretariat.
Within these categories the SG has focused on a number of goals, which include: enhancing the Secretariat’s ability to manage complex operations; delegating management tasks to the Deputy Secretary-General while building middle and senior management capacity; exploring new ways of delivering services such as relocation and outsourcing; shortening the cycle for reviewing and adopting the budget with consolidation of budget appropriations; giving the SG expanded authority to redeploy posts and use available savings; putting in place a stronger results-oriented budget monitoring and evaluation framework; and enhancing transparency and accountability of the budget and decision-making processes.
While the purpose of Secretary-General’s report is to reduce ineffective and time-consuming micromanagement in the General Assembly by allowing the Secretary-General to make basic financial, budgetary and post reallocations without the approval of the GA, developing countries have interpreted the recommendations as an encroachment upon their already limited authority within the UN.
The GA's Fifth Committee, which covers budgetary and administrative decision-making, reviewed the Secretary-General's report on 28 April 2006 and voted 108 to 50 (3 abstentions) to approve a resolution introduced by South Africa, on behalf of the G77, calling for the Secretariat to produce 10 additional detailed reports. The resolution was brought to a vote, despite attempts by the Secretary-General to address the concerns of developing countries by withdrawing two of the most contentious proposals involving redistribution of authority from the GA to the Secretary-General on specific decision-making and budgeting aspects. The resolution, which will significantly delay if not block progress on Secretariat and management reform, was opposed by the US, EU and Japan and may provoke some of the larger donors to reduce dues or suspend funds to the UN's assessed budget.
Fifth Committee Report on Management and Secretariat Reform
b. Mandating and delivering: analysis and recommendations to facilitate the review of mandates
On 30 March 2006, the Secretary-General introduced his report for the GA’s mandate review entitled, "Mandating and delivering: analysis and recommendations to facilitate the review of mandates." The report, which is described as an analytical framework for the mandate review, is accompanied by an electronic database of mandates (http://www.un.org/mandatereview/index.html). The registry provides Member States with access to information on the Organization's active/potentially active mandates that are older than five years and the GA, ECOSOC or Security Council resolutions from which they derive.
A mandate has been defined as "a request or a direction for action by the United Nations Secretariat or other implementing entities in the system, which originates in a resolution of the General Assembly or one of the other organs." The Secretary-General's Report outlines problems that the mandate review should address to allow the UN to better analyze the effectiveness of its mandates and assess how such mandates contribute to the organization's priorities. The main problems highlighted in the report were burdensome reporting requirements; overlap between and within organs; an unwieldy and duplicative architecture for implementation; and gaps between mandates and resources.
Member States have begun consultations on the individual clusters in the report which cover the following: maintenance of international peace and security; promotion of sustained growth and sustainable development; development of Africa; promotion of human rights; effective coordination of humanitarian assistance; promotion of justice and international law; disarmament; drug control/crime prevention/combating international terrorism; gender equality and empowerment of women; research and training institutes.
Other Management Reforms: Progress has been made on management and secretariat reform in the following areas:
· Establishment of an Ethics Office (January 2006)
· Agreement to establish an independent audit advisory committee
· Preparation of an official whistleblower policy and a comprehensive policy on the prevention of fraud and corruption
· Terms of reference prepared for an independent external evaluation of the UN's oversight system
· Establishment of a working group to develop proposals on budgetary, financial and human resources policy
· Establishment of a Management Performance Board
Co-Chairs: Ambassador Johan C. Verbeke of Belgium, Ambassador Cheick Sidi Diarra of the Republic of Mali
Update: Member states continue to negotiate on the two draft resolutions on development end ECOSOC reform.
Draft Resolution on ECOSOC Reform
Draft Resolution on Development
Overview: The draft resolutions set out various measures to build upon and improve current development efforts on implementation, coordination and integration such as follow-up on the major conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields. The draft resolution on ECOSOC reform attempts to establish a more coherent framework of high level dialogues to enhance ECOSOC's coordinating role in global economic affairs. This framework would consist of High-Level Segment with Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization and UNCTAD and would include the following:
- A biennial policy dialogue with thematic discussions
- A biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forum to review trends in international development cooperation
- Annual Ministerial-level substantive reviews to assess progress on follow-up of the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits on development issues
Update: Progress continues to be slow on Security Council reform. The open-ended working group on Security Council reform issues resumed its work on Thursday 20 April 2006. On Monday 20 March 2006, Switzerland along with Singapore, Liechtenstein, Jordan and Costa Rica tabled their draft resolution calling for reform of the Security Council’s working methods to enhance transparency and accountability and to improve collaboration between the Council and the larger UN membership. The draft resolution outlines 19 recommendations, including measures for greater transparency over sanctions and peacekeeping operations and mechanisms to limit the use of the veto in cases of large scale human rights abuse. The group decided to move forward on their resolution after noting lack of progress on Security Council enlargement.
Japan, which is pushing for 6 new Security Council members, has decided not to table its resolution by September given the current lack of support, particularly among permanent members.
Overview of the current Security Council reform proposals:
- G4/3 (Germany, Brazil, India): 10 new members - 6 new permanent without veto/4 new non-permanent (re-tabled during 60th session)
- African Union : 11 new members - 6 new permanent with veto/5 new non-permanent (re-tabled during 60th session)
- Uniting for Consensus Group: 10 new non-permanent members eligible for re-election
- Japan: 6 new members/permanent seats for countries that receive 2/3 majority vote/non-permanent seats for those that receive simple majority
- A proposal introduced by Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Jordan, Costa Rica and Singapore has also been submitted on reforming the Security Council's working methods.
Co-Chairs of the High-Level Panel: Shaukat Aziz (Prime Minister of Pakistan), Luisa Dias Diogo (Prime Minister of Mozambique), Jens Stoltenberg (Prime Minister of Norway)
Executive Director of the Panel: Adnan Amin, Director of the UNEP’s New York office
Update/Overview: Based on paragraph 169 in the World Summit Outcome Document, which looks to "strengthen the management and coordination of the UN's operational activities," the Secretary-General has established a 15 member high-level panel to carry out a study and make recommendations on United Nations System-wide Coherence in the Areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance, and the Environment. The panel, co-chaired by Prime Ministers Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, Luisa Dias Diogo of Mozambique, and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, consists largely of political leaders with the aim of enhancing political ownership of the final recommendations.
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.
While the panel will take into account possibilities of comprehensive restructuring, their main focus will be on delivery mechanisms rather than the creation of new organs or agencies. While financing and the Resident Coordinator system have been highlighted as the two main priorities, the panel will look at several priority areas:
- Financing of the UN system
- Development: how to make business practices within this sector more effective in areas such as management, IT and communications.
- Enhancing the efficacy of the Resident Coordinator system
- Humanitarian assistance: addressing the transition gap from relief to development taking into account the existing framework and new developments such as the Peacebuilding Commission and the Central Emergency Response Fund.
- Environment: mainstreaming the environment into development and translating environmental issues at the field level.
- Mainstreaming of three crosscutting issues: gender, human rights and sustainable development. Need to establish an institutional home for sustainable development at the UN, the CSD is insufficient.
The panel may hold a hearing with civil society on the crosscutting issues (gender, human rights, sustainable development) prior to the ECOSOC High Level Segment at the start of July. Currently, the panel plans to complete the study during the 61st session of the GA for possible implementation in 2007.
Secretary-General’s statement at April 5th meeting of the High-Level Panel
Secretary-General's letter and the Terms of Reference for the study on system-wide coherence
Co-Chairs: Ambassador Solveiga Silkalna of Latvia and Ambassador Abdullah M. Alsaidi of Yemen
The Ad Hoc Working Group on Revitalization of the General Assembly was established to develop and submit a report with recommendations to the General Assembly during the 60th session. Within these consultations, the thematic meetings have and will cover the role and authority of the GA, the working methods and agenda of the GA, and the role of the GA in the selection of the Secretary-General.
Timetable for the Working Group on GA Revitalization
GA President’s statement at the 29 March meeting of the Working Group on GA Revitalization
Secretariat’s Background Note on GA Revitalization
UN Chart on Implementation of Revitalization Resolutions
8. HIV/AIDS
Co-Chairs: Ambassador Christopher Fitzherbert Hackett of Barbados and Ambassador Laxanachantorn Laohaphan of Thailand
Update/Overview: The General Assembly convened the follow-up session to the 2001 Declaration of Commitment to HIV/AIDS from May 31 to June 2, 2006 in order to evaluate progress, consider further recommendations, and renew commitments to take action against HIV/AIDS. In an opening statement to the High Level Plenary Session on June 2, General Assembly President Jan Eliasson commended the three day meeting for its unprecedented level of interaction between civil society and Member States with approximately 800 civil society organizations in attendance. The three day conference was comprised of an opening plenary session, five round table discussions, five panel discussions, an informal hearing with civil society, and a High Level Plenary Session. The meeting resulted in a draft outcome declaration on recommended measures that can be taken to further the efforts against HIV/AIDS.
Draft Political Declaration – 2006 High-Level Meeting on AIDS
On 6 March 2006, the Secretary-General led the inaugural meeting of the UN Democracy Fund, which consists of a 17-member advisory board. The fund, which was established last July and endorsed in the World Summit Outcome Document, has been established to set up projects in different countries to strengthen democratic institutions, enhance democratic governments and institute the rule of law, independent courts, a free press, political parties, trade unions, etc. Thus far the fund has received pledges from 17 countries amounting to $41 million. The projects are to be assessed by the Fund’s staff.
10. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
On 9 March 2006, the UN launched its $500 million Central Emergency Response Fund to provide more rapid, effective and predictable/balanced disaster response. Thus far the Fund has attracted $256 million in pledges from governments and it will eventually accept donations from corporations and individuals. Preparations for the first disbursements of funds for relief efforts in the Horn of Africa and Cote d’Ivoire are currently underway. In April the Secretary-General appointed a 12 member Advisory Group of independent experts in humanitarian affairs. The group will provide periodic policy guidance and expert advice to the SG on the use and impact of the Fund and assess its performance against the objectives set by the SG. For more information visit
http://ochaonline2.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline2.un.org/cerf
Co-Chairs: Ambassador Enrique Berruga of Mexico and Ambassador Peter Maurer of Switzerland
Update: Based on paragraph 169 of the Summit Outcome Document on “Environmental activities”, the GA began Informal consultations on the institutional framework for the UN’s environmental activities in April 2006. The consultations seek to identify some of the main problems and challenges of the UN system in its environmental work and ways to build a more coherent institutional framework to address such challenges. The main needs highlighted in paragraph 169 of the outcome document include: enhanced coordination; improved policy advice/guidance; strengthened scientific knowledge, assessment and cooperation; better treaty compliance; and better integration of environmental activities in the sustainable development framework at the operational level. In January the Secretariat prepared a background note outlining the current institutional framework for the UN system’s environmental activities.
While the UN’s Sixth Committee continues to work on completing a convention on terrorism, the GA plenary initiated consultations on a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy on 11 May 2006 based on a report issued by the Secretary General on 27 April 2006 - Uniting against terrorism: recommendations for a global counter-terrorism strategy. The Secretary-General’s report aims to provide guidance on developing an operational strategy for strengthening UN capacity to combat terrorism with an emphasis on the rule of law and human rights. The report outlines five pillars to guide Member States in shaping a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy: dissuading people from resorting to terrorism or supporting it; denying terrorists the means to carry out an attack; deterring States from supporting terrorism; developing state capacity to prevent terrorism; defending human rights.
The e-Newsletter of ReformtheUN.org is a free service. To subscribe, go to http://reformtheun.org/mailman/listinfo/latestdevelopments_reformtheun.org. Please forward this announcement widely to individuals and organizations that have expressed an interest in UN reform.
