Ban Ki-moon To Order Vast Changes in UN Departments?
New York, 16 January 2007 - A major restructuring of the United Nations Secretariat is being considered by new Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to several sources.
Various sources recently supported the rumor of a restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). The newspaper The Australian last week reported that Ban planned to separate DPKO into two new divisions: Operational and Management, with the Operational side in charge of deployments, and the Management division responsible for logistical support and training. The source of the report was a 4 January internal memo summarizing Ban’s intentions.
With this change Ban reportedly hopes to boost efficiency and accountability by reducing costs and “red tape.” According to the memo, Ban has voiced concern over continuing reports of sexual misconduct by UN peacekeepers and blames an oversized and overstretched DPKO for the incidents.
Some sources expect that in this scenario, the current head of DPKO, Jean-Marie Guehenno (France), Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, would be designated the head of Operations, and a Japanese national would be appointed to head the Management side. Another rumored possibility is that Ban will recommend a management team to be sent to each peacekeeping operation around the world, to supplement the leadership of each force commander.
During his first press conference as Secretary-General on 8 January, Ban himself introduced the prospect of structural changes in the Secretariat:
I will seek to strengthen institutional capacity, and to ensure that the Secretariat is structured in a way that allows it to respond effectively to the demands placed on us. Today, I will begin consultations with Member States about a possible restructuring of departments and offices related to peace and security.”
DPKO is not the only department that may be subject to Ban’s proposed changes. Another reported possibility is for the Department of Disarmament Affairs (DDA) and the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) to be moved under the leadership of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). This would dramatically expand DPA’s domain, creating a Department of Disarmament and Political Affairs (DDPA) – or what some have referred to as a “Super-DPA.”
This possibility makes Ban’s awaited appointment of the new head of DPA even more significant. The department currently is led by Ibrahim Gambari (Nigeria), the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. Four out of five of Ban’s appointments in the Secretariat so far come from developing countries (Haiti, India, Mexico, and Tanzania; the fifth is British). This record would change if Ban selects the current U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, Lynn Pascoe, to lead DPA. The appointment has not been made yet, but sources report that Pascoe is the only candidate heard of and is already preparing for the official take-over. One likely function of this decision would be to relieve some of the pressure from the United States for a leadership position in Peacekeeping.
Click here to read The Australian’s 11 January report.
Click here for an outline of the present structure of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Click here for Lynn Pascoe’s biography from the U.S. State Department.
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