The first of the five major objectives is better management of human resources, together with improvement in staff capabilities and accomplishments. An entirely new strategy for human resources was introduced in the Organization and subsequently endorsed by the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session. The implementation of the system will modernize and reform the management of human resources. Among the components of this new system is a new work planning and performance appraisal system, which is based on staff/ management-agreed work outputs and performance measurements.
The strategy is based on the need to access the continuously changing and evolving role of the Organization and the requirement to respond progressively to changing needs with a breadth and depth of skills. The strategy involves a concerted effort to provide career training that meets changing staff needs. There is also the need, as a management tool, for active implementation of an attrition programme. An early separation programme for staff at various levels in both the Professional and General Service categories will contribute to an adaptable staff with a varied skills mix, leading to greater effectiveness and efficiency in the context of constantly changing demands on the Secretariat. Lastly, a total remake of the adjudication process has begun, replacing litigation of staff/management issues with an informal dispute-reconciliation process or timely and time-saving arbitral disposition.
Vigorous efforts are being made by the Office of Human Resources Management to integrate goals and targets for improvement in the status of women into the overall strategy. The adoption of a proactive, more people-centred human resource strategy has been conducive to achieving this goal. The percentage of women in posts subject to geographical distribution is continually rising and at the end of July 1995 stood at 33.6 per cent, up from 32.6 per cent at the end of June 1994. During the same period 51.42 per cent of all promotions were those of women.
The second objective is better management of the Organization's programme from the identification of strategic priorities, through the budgetary process by which resources are allocated to achieve those priorities and through a performance measurement system by which programme managers are held accountable for achieving the strategic priorities. Clearer lines of responsibility and greater managerial accountability characterize the new format for the medium-term plan, the Organization's basic strategic document. The new format of the medium-term plan provides for clearly defined objectives and emphasizes full congruence between the identified programmes and the departments responsible for their implementation. The process of managerial responsibility and accountability has been considerably tightened through improved linkage between programmes, budgets and performance measurement. Financial congruence has been achieved at each step in planning and execution. Member States will now be able to tell what is to be done, who is responsible for doing it and what is accomplished.
Third is better information with which to manage and its timely availability. Work continued in 1994 and 1995 on the development of the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), which aims at modernizing and enhancing the internal flow and use of management information in such areas as human resources, finance, accounts and procurement. The IMIS project represents an ambitious effort to make good, through one massive effort, 30 years of neglect in upgrading existing electronic data-processing systems. The system is a revolutionary step towards the electronic integration of all of the offices of the Organization performing administrative tasks regardless of location. The first two releases of the system, the human resource components, were fully and successfully implemented at Headquarters. The other releases -- accounts, finance and procurement -- will be gradually phased in during the next year, with the whole system operational worldwide by the end of 1997.
Fourth is management of technology and extension of its availability throughout the Organization. Technology, with its potential for improved services and greater cost-effectiveness, will also facilitate the role of Conference Services. Technological advances in communication and networking, text-processing, desktop publishing, translation and document tracking have provided savings. Further expansion of the United Nations telecommunication network will produce additional savings for the United Nations system as a whole. The optical disk system, now being expanded to accommodate increasing user demand, offers easy, high-speed electronic access to United Nations documents. The development of remote translation and text-processing techniques has brought down the cost of holding meetings away from established headquarters by reducing the staff required on-site. As a result, the number of staff who travelled to the Cairo Conference was significantly reduced from that of previous conferences, and no translators will be going to the Beijing Conference.
The fifth objective is better management of the Organization's cost structure and an enhanced programme for cost-effectiveness. The budget process is being used to drive the Organization to a higher level of efficiency. The proposed 1996-1997 programme budget is smaller than the budget for the biennium 1994-1995. The proposals include the abolition of 201 posts, offset in part by the proposed creation of 66 new posts in priority areas of peace-keeping, international and regional cooperation for development, drug control, crime prevention, population, human rights and humanitarian affairs and internal oversight. The aggregate reduced spending will be achieved through more cost-effective ways of implementing mandates, rationalizing work programmes and technological innovations. The proposed reductions were achieved without curtailment of mandated activities. At the same time, efficiency gains of $35 million have been proposed throughout the Secretariat without compromising the quality of programme outputs.
Identifying efficiency gains is now a key component of management planning. The first phase of this programme has concentrated on the simplification of existing procedures: redefining work programmes, improving productivity, substituting lower cost alternatives, streamlining staff requirements and reducing overheads.
The next phase will concentrate on the elimination of duplication and overlap in programme delivery and the elimination of programmes without a mandate and programmes that do not return adequate value to Member States.
An Efficiency Board, chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management, Mr. Joseph Connor, will identify during the next biennium further significant opportunities for cost containment beyond those proposed in the 1996-1997 budget. These will include removing overregulating procedures in the personnel, finance and purchasing areas, eliminating duplicate efforts between Headquarters and other duty stations, and studying "outsourcing" alternatives.
Procedures are being revised for better transparency and fairness of procurement efforts. Some steps already taken, or in the initial phase, include the extension of basic professional procurement training; revised delegation of procurement authority for peace-keeping missions; institution of global system/blanket contracts; review and updating of the vendor roster; and establishment of the office of ombudsman, to which all vendors may address complaints.
In its first year of operations, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, headed by Under-Secretary-General Mr. Karl-Theodor Paschke, has provided the United Nations with oversight coverage, promoting effective and efficient programme management. The Office also finds and reports on instances of waste, fraud and mismanagement. I look forward to the findings and conclusions of the first annual report of the Office, to be submitted to the General Assembly in September 1995.
The Office of Legal Affairs, headed by Mr. Hans Corell, has been heavily involved in legal work related to the continued expansion and diversification of the activities of the Security Council, ranging from the establishment of a new international criminal tribunal to establishing new peace-keeping missions and winding down others.
During the period under review, the Office was involved in current operations such as those in Angola, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Tajikistan, Western Sahara and the former Yugoslavia. Legal officers from the Office have served as legal advisers in a number of those operations.
The Office of Legal Affairs is involved in the implementation of various aspects of Security Council decisions. It has assisted in the drafting and interpretation of status-of-forces agreements and status-of-mission agreements and given advice to operational departments. The Office has developed modalities and instruments for the procurement of necessary systems, facilities, equipment and services required for peace-keeping and other activities. Particular attention was given to the rights of contractors and to third-party claims arising out of Chapter VII operations.
Novel issues of international humanitarian law have arisen during the period under review. The Office has provided advice and opinions in relation to the detention of United Nations personnel in Bosnia and the treatment of Bosnian prisoners by United Nations forces. The progress towards a referendum in Western Sahara has required legal assistance in the preparation of a code of conduct for the referendum campaign.
The Office of Legal Affairs advised on the question of setting up an international judicial commission to investigate the Burundi coup d'état of 1993 and on the proposed establishment of a commission of inquiry or truth in Burundi. The Office assisted in the drafting of the terms of reference of the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate the events at Kibeho, Rwanda.
The Office contributed to filling a gap in United Nations practice, highlighted following a United Nations inquiry into a 1993 massacre of civilians in Liberia, by preparing a set of guidelines for United Nations investigations into allegations of massacres. The Secretary-General has approved the guidelines for publication and circulation.
The establishment by the Security Council of international tribunals dealing with serious violations of international humanitarian law in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda raises difficult and complex legal issues. The Office of Legal Affairs is providing legal and administrative support to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. The Office played a central role in launching the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda by providing advice on the drafting of the statute and rules of procedure and evidence and by providing the initial budget for the administrative and financial support from Headquarters, coordinating a technical mission to the field in order to negotiate a headquarters and lease agreement for its premises and preparing reports on the seat of the Tribunal.
At its past session, the General Assembly established an ad hoc committee open to all States to review substantive and administrative issues arising out of the draft statute for an international criminal court elaborated by the International Law Commission. The ad hoc committee held a first series of meetings in April 1995 focusing on the following subjects: establishment and composition of the Court, applicable law and jurisdiction, exercise of jurisdiction, methods of proceedings (due process), relationship between States parties and the Court, and budget and administration. While progress has been made in the consideration of these issues, the ad hoc committee agreed to hold a second series of meetings from 14 to 25 August. Its report will be before the General Assembly at its forthcoming fiftieth session.
The continuation of economic sanctions and other measures against Iraq, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya requires monitoring and assistance by the Office and advice to the various sanctions committees. In the case of Iraq, the Office advises on the scope of mandates under relevant Security Council resolutions, such as those concerning compensation to Iraqi farmers relocated from Kuwait and the return of Kuwaiti property. The Office is supporting the work of the Compensation Commission, which has been carrying out an impressive amount of work in processing claims, and will soon examine the more complex and larger claims of corporations and Governments.
The Office of Legal Affairs is ensuring consistency in the implementation of General Assembly decisions on the participation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and its status throughout the United Nations system. The question lies at the intersection between international law and United Nations political decisions on sensitive issues.
The Office of Legal Affairs was responsible for the organization and agenda of the United Nations Congress on Public International Law, held from 13 to 17 March in New York, under the general theme "Towards the Twenty-first Century: International Law as a Language for International Relations". Some 571 scholars and professionals from 126 countries attended the event, which marked the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of International Law. International lawyers exchanged views on such issues as the progressive development of international law and its codification; research, education and training in international law; and the challenges expected in the twenty-first century.
The Office of Legal Affairs provides advice relating to the technical aspects of treaties and treaty law. The information in the Multilateral Treaties deposited with the Secretary-General is electronically updated daily. Outdated and disparate laws governing international trade pose an obstacle to the maintenance and expansion of trade links. The success of economic and social reforms currently under way in many States depends on the adoption of adequate laws that facilitate international trade. The Office of Legal Affairs is assisting the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to elaborate modern and harmonized trade laws as well as non-legislative texts aimed at facilitating international trade. Issues recently addressed are the draft convention on independent bank guarantees and stand-by letters of credit, and the use of electronic data interchange in international trade.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea calls for the establishment of three new institutions subsequent to the entry into force of the Convention: the International Seabed Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The Office of Legal Affairs convened and serviced the first and second parts of the first session of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority, held from 16 to 18 November 1994 and from 27 February to 17 March 1995, respectively, at Kingston. The third and final part of the Assembly was held also at Kingston from 7 to 18 August.
Pursuant to the mandate provided by the General Assembly in its resolution 49/28 of 6 December 1994, the Office of Legal Affairs convened the first part and serviced the first and second parts of the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, held in November 1994 and May 1995 in New York, relating to the organization of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The Meeting agreed on the approach to be taken in the establishment of the Tribunal and its initial functions. The Office is involved in the preparation of the draft budget, which will be submitted to the next Meeting of States Parties, to be held from 27 November to 1 December 1995 in New York.
The Office of Legal Affairs is carrying out preparatory work regarding the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Following the 1993 findings of an ad hoc group of experts that examined the relevant provisions of the Convention on the definition of the continental shelf, the Office prepared background notes, initiated cooperative arrangements with competent international organizations and is in the process of convening a group of experts to deal with the composition and work programme of the Commission, scheduled to meet from 11 to 14 September in New York.
The United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks concluded its substantive work on 4 August with the consensus adoption of an Agreement for the Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. The Conference decided to hold a formal signature ceremony on 4 December. The Office of Legal Affairs convened and serviced the fifth and sixth sessions of the Conference, from 27 March to 12 April and from 24 July to 4 August, respectively, in New York.
Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 49/28, the Office of Legal Affairs is strengthening the system for the collection, compilation and dissemination of information on the law of the sea and developing an integrated database on legislation and marine policy, as well as establishing a system for notifying Member States and relevant international organizations of information submitted by States and intergovernmental bodies.
The Department of Public Information, headed by Mr. Samir Sanbar, is seeking to surmount resource constraints by engaging in closer professional cooperation with other bodies of the United Nations system, especially UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA.
A coordinated and unified public information strategy aimed at increasing public understanding and support for the United Nations has become of crucial importance for the Organization's peace-keeping and other political missions. The Department of Public Information has formed an interdepartmental working group consisting of those departments playing a leading role in such field operations with a view to developing practical proposals for informational projects.
To convey an accurately balanced view of United Nations activities, the Department has made a special effort to highlight economic and social development activities and issues, in particular the recent major United Nations conferences held in Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing, and the forthcoming Habitat II Conference in Istanbul. Focal points have been established within the Department for each conference to design, in cooperation with the substantive departments concerned, public information strategies and programmes that are budgeted jointly. Assessment of post-conference feedback has shown the value of this multifaceted approach to the promotion of international conferences.
A major new activity of the Department's publishing programme is the Secretary-General's Blue Books Series. The Series describes the role the United Nations has played in some of the pivotal peace operations and other international issues of our time. Each volume in the Series encapsulates -- in an overview provided by the Secretary-General -- how the United Nations marshalled international forces, opinion or consensus to achieve objectives in such areas as the struggle against apartheid, the drive to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the promotion of human rights. Blue Books on peace operations in Cambodia, El Salvador and Mozambique have been published. The United Nations and the Advancement of Women was published in August 1995 and made available for the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Some 17 titles are currently planned for publication.
The Department's dissemination of information to direct users and redisseminators has been enhanced by modern technology and techniques, including the use of several electronic networks. On the Internet, for example, can be found the Department's database containing important United Nations documentation and publications. These materials reach their audiences in electronic form at enormous speed and are accessed by an average of 16,000 users daily. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations at San Francisco on 26 June 1995, the Department launched the "UN Home Page" on the World Wide Web. This pilot project provides instantaneous information to Internet users in a multimedia service format consisting of text, graphics and sound. Examples of its contents include basic information about the United Nations and its history, press releases, documents, publications and photos, as well as pictorial highlights of the guided tour of Headquarters. To make documentation accessible to a wider audience, the United Nations Bibliographic Information System (UNBIS Plus) has been produced on CD-ROM.
Radio is one of the most cost-effective and penetrating media available to the Department, which is improving access by United Nations Radio to airwaves worldwide. Currently, 29 programmes in 15 languages are being sent to broadcasters in over 180 countries. The Department also operates an electronic radio news service in English, French and Spanish that facilitates access by broadcasters to news programmes updated twice daily and is accessible through regular telephone lines.
The Department continues with the help of new technologies to reach its goals to explore the huge potential represented by television audiences. For instance, the Department transmitted "Year in Review" via satellite to broadcasters around the world in the six official languages. The programme was received and retransmitted by major broadcasters in over 24 countries, representing a total potential audience of over 360 million television households. This satellite transmission proved to be an extremely quick and cost-effective distribution channel and represented the largest audience ever reached by the programme.
In connection with the fiftieth anniversary, the Department initiated a major campaign of television spots. A series of 40 "UN Minutes" were produced, charting the history and accomplishments of the Organization. In addition, a series of "Question and Answer" quiz announcements were made. These television spots have been aired on both domestic and international Cable News Network channels, and by Time Warner Cable Company on many channels in the New York area. The Department thus obtained several million dollars worth of free air time donated by these two companies alone.
Responsibility for the Department's global outreach activities is assumed in large part by the network of information centres and services located in 68 countries around the world. They perform both a passive information role in dealing with a mounting volume of inquiries and requests for information, and an active role in engaging in a wide variety of contacts in pursuance of their mandate. As an example of the latter role, the centres have been the catalyst for the creation of approximately 80 national committees for the observance of the fiftieth anniversary.
The United Nations Office at Geneva, under its Director-General, Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, continues to provide administrative and logistical support to Geneva-based United Nations programmes and activities in human rights, humanitarian operations, trade and development, as well as major environment, disarmament and security-related matters.
There is a growing demand from Member States to visit the United Nations Office at Geneva to establish or explore further cooperation between their countries and Geneva-based specialized agencies and programmes. Seven official visits were organized for that purpose and included the Heads of State or Government of Guatemala, Italy, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Slovenia and Tunisia. These exchanges are a major factor in consolidating the Office's role in the region and beyond.
Activities with regional organizations increased throughout the year. A number of tripartite meetings took place with the participation of the Council of Europe, OSCE and the United Nations, represented by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Centre for Human Rights. During the course of the year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was also associated with the meetings, which dealt with humanitarian issues in Europe.
Dialogue with Member States of the region contributed to the organizing of national committees for the United Nations fiftieth anniversary, important activities at the national level and joint projects included in the Geneva programme for the fiftieth anniversary. In that respect, cooperation with the host country and Geneva authorities, including major building projects to meet the needs of the United Nations Office at Geneva, was particularly fruitful.
The United Nations Office at Geneva continues to host an increasingly large number of meetings. From September 1994 to March 1995, 1,775 meetings were serviced with interpretation (including 154 meetings outside Geneva) and 2,455 without interpretation (including 105 meetings outside Geneva). During the period from April to August 1995, 1,354 meetings were planned to be held with interpretation (including 148 meetings outside Geneva) and 1,760 without interpretation (including 68 meetings outside Geneva).
In addition to servicing the Office's established bodies, the Palais des Nations hosted a number of important political or peace-keeping-related meetings, such as the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia, the Compensation Commission, the meetings of the Georgia/Abkhazia parties and the Commission of Experts on Rwanda. The United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations and the Centre for Science and Technology for Development were transferred to Geneva in 1993/94, and the Commission on Transnational Corporations and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development held regular sessions producing important documentation. The increasing activities of the Centre for Human Rights will give rise to new committees and/or working groups, which will meet at the United Nations Office at Geneva. These developments will require careful management of the allocation of facilities.
The Office has been involved in United Nations work on the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia; the Georgia/Abkhazia conflict; the meetings between Portugal and Indonesia concerning East Timor under the good offices of the Secretary-General; the talks on Yemen; and discussions on biological, conventional and nuclear weapons. The Office has also been involved with the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), UNCTAD and the United Nations Compensation Commission, and has provided support for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), round tables organized by the Department for Humanitarian Affairs for a number of countries in Africa and Asia, and working groups of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR).
During this period the round table set up by the Director-General, with the participation of senior and staff representatives of all Geneva-based organs and programmes, made recommendations aimed at strengthening and simplifying security arrangements, as well as achieving a larger degree of control over documentation, with the ultimate goal of sizeably reducing its volume.
The Office has conducted two main studies aimed at identifying areas of duplication and overlap in the administrative sector within the Office, as well as between the Office and various United Nations entities and programmes located at Geneva. The first phase of a management study led to a greater delegation of authority between Headquarters and Geneva in the personnel and budget/finance fields. Such delegation will not only sizeably reduce duplication and overlap, but will also allow for more timely processing of administrative actions at Geneva. The next phase of the management study will finalize administrative arrangements at Geneva and determine the relationship between the various entities. The second study, a work-flow analysis conducted in the context of the future introduction of IMIS at Geneva, has just been completed. By the end of the year, the reorganization will be almost completed, permitting the Office to respond more efficiently to the increasing demands placed upon it by Member States of the region and the Organization as a whole.
Also located at Geneva, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) has completed its restructuring process as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/227 of 8 April 1993. This year UNITAR completed a training programme in international affairs management, including peacemaking and preventive diplomacy, environmental law and policy, and a fellowship in international law. In addition, the UNITAR training programme for the management of economic and social development has been reorganized. The aim of the programme now is to upgrade the professional skills of human resources in specific fields and to put the UNITAR training initiative at the service of multilateral and bilateral cooperation agencies, in particular the secretariats of organizations in charge of facilitating the implementation of international legal instruments. The coming years are likely to see a consolidation of UNITAR training and capacity-building activities, while research programmes are progressively discontinued. It is hoped that Member States will ensure the long-term continuity of the Institute.
The United Nations Office at Vienna, headed by the Director-General, Mr. Giorgio Giacomelli, provides administrative support to the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control and other United Nations activities based at Vienna, serves functions related to crime prevention and cooperation in space activities, and is an important meeting-place and support centre for peace-keeping operations. From 1 July 1994 to 1 July 1995, a total of 2,209 meetings were planned and serviced at Vienna.
Beginning 1 April 1995, after extensive negotiations, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Office at Vienna merged conference planning, coordinating and language and servicing capabilities to form a Unified Conference Service under the Office's management. A number of seminars, training courses and technical cooperation projects have taken place; others are being planned or are being implemented.
The Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the United Nations Office at Vienna has promoted international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice and provided assistance to Member States on problems of both national and transnational crime. The Office organized the International Conference on Preventing and Controlling Money Laundering and the Use of the Proceeds of Crime: A Global Approach (Courmayeur, Italy, 18-20 June 1994), the World Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime (Naples, Italy, 21-23 November 1994) and the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (Cairo, 29 April-8 May 1995).
The World Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime adopted the Naples Political Declaration and Global Action Plan against Organized Transnational Crime, approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 49/159 of 23 December 1994. In the Declaration, Heads of State and Government, ministers responsible for criminal justice systems and other high-level representatives of Governments expressed their resolve to protect their societies from organized crime through effective legislative measures and operational instruments. The Global Action Plan emphasized that the United Nations should facilitate the provision of technical cooperation, including the systematic exchange of experience and expertise, by drafting legislation, providing special training for criminal justice officials and gathering, analysing and exchanging information.
The Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders found that new forms and dimensions of crime and the links among criminal organizations threatened the security and stability of States and made global action imperative. The Congress discussed four substantive topics and held six demonstration and research workshops that permitted a more technical consideration of priority issues of direct concern to Member States. The discussion on combating corruption involving public officials attracted considerable attention and a number of recommendations were proposed. The plenary meeting on technical cooperation assessed the progress achieved and problems encountered in operational activities. Member States, in particular developing countries and countries in transition, discussed their needs for assistance from the United Nations and the international community.
The work of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch was oriented towards operational activities and technical assistance, in particular for developing countries and countries in transition. The Branch focused its efforts on the promotion of effective and fair criminal justice systems based on the rule of law, taking account of United Nations norms, standards and model treaties. It provided assistance to Member States, upon request, in legislative and criminal justice reform, the elaboration and implementation of criminal codes and international treaties, the planning and formulation of national criminal justice policies and strategies, and the establishment of information networks and databases. The programme also contributed to peace-keeping and peacemaking missions of the United Nations by assisting in building legal and criminal justice infrastructures, and providing support to the missions and countries concerned. Two interregional advisers provided advisory services to various countries, carried out needs assessment missions and developed project proposals.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the body responsible for policy guidance in this field, meets annually at Vienna. At its fourth session, held from 30 May to 9 June 1995, the Commission addressed the conclusions and recommendations of the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, as well as of the World Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime. It recommended follow-up measures to the conclusions of the Congress and to the Naples Political Declaration and Global Action Plan adopted by the Conference. All recommendations of the Commission were approved by the Economic and Social Council during its substantive session, held at Geneva from 26 June to 28 July 1995.
The Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch cooperated closely with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the Centre for Human Rights. The Branch also undertook cooperation and coordination activities with the interregional, regional and associated institutes in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in areas of mutual concern.
The Office for Outer Space Affairs, which relocated to the United Nations Office at Vienna in October 1993, implemented its multisectoral programme with political, legal, scientific and technical assistance components. Through its Programme on Space Applications, the Office organized and conducted workshops, training courses and symposia on various aspects of space science and technology and their applications for economic and social development. The Office continued its service as the substantive secretariat for the General Assembly's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and its Legal Subcommittee, as well as their subsidiary bodies.
Further progress was made on the Office's initiative to establish regional centres for space science and technology education in the developing countries. Those centres will provide individuals from developing countries with education and training in space-related disciplines and applications. In 1994, the Office decided to establish a centre, which will be co-hosted by Brazil and Mexico, for the Latin American and Caribbean region, and to establish the first node of the centre for the Asia and Pacific region in India. It is expected that 1995 will yield firm agreements on the location of the centres in the Middle East and Africa. The Office in 1994 expanded its Space Information Service to include a limited computer database capability as well as a gateway, or "home page", on the Internet. The home page provides basic data on the space-related activities of the United Nations and is the first step in the development of the broad information system mandated by the General Assembly. The Office has initiated plans to provide support for the preparatory work in intergovernmental committees concerning the convening of a third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
The Administrative Committee on Coordination, comprising the executive heads of the specialized agencies, including the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as all United Nations programmes under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General, provides the main instrument to establish an effective system of inter-agency cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system. In line with the objectives that have guided the recent restructuring of its machinery, the Committee's capacity to identify the main policy issues facing the international community and to promote and organize joint initiatives and responses towards common objectives has been progressively strengthened. The improvements the Secretary-General seeks to introduce within the United Nations, at both the policy and management levels, must be pursued as an integral part of a broader effort to adapt priorities and methods of work to changing requirements at the level of the system as a whole. Thus, at its past two sessions, the Committee pursued its consideration of policies that could lead to a more effective division of labour and to greater complementarity of action within the United Nations system. The Committee devoted particular attention to building and strengthening cooperative arrangements between the Bretton Woods institutions and United Nations funds, programmes and other specialized agencies. In the same context, particular attention was given by the Committee to ways and means of enhancing the capacity of the resident coordinator system to promote effective coordination among all economic and social actors at the country level in support of national development efforts. The achievement of greater complementarity between the country strategy notes, launched by the General Assembly, and the policy framework papers, under the aegis of the Bretton Woods institutions, was viewed as a key objective to those ends.
At the global level, the Committee's efforts to promote a coordinated follow-up to the results of major conferences on interrelated development issues are helping to promote a more effective division of labour within the system, drawing on the new policy insights, priorities and commitments generated by those conferences. The continuing discussions in the Committee on the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and its consideration, at its session in February 1995, of issues relating to international drug abuse control have helped equally to promote a more effective distribution of responsibilities and mutually reinforcing activities by the organizations of the United Nations system in addressing emerging global priorities.
African economic recovery and development was a major focus of attention at the last two sessions of the Committee. While United Nations organizations individually and collectively have placed high priority on the development of Africa, the current level of effort does not match the scale of economic and social problems confronting the region. The Committee concluded that a much higher level of commitment and resources at all levels was necessary to overcome the crisis facing many countries of the continent. As Chairman of the Committee, the Secretary-General called for a renewed joint effort to develop further practical initiatives with clear targets. The Committee agreed to establish a high-level steering committee to present a set of concrete recommendations for approval at its next session. The broad programme areas identified for this purpose include availability and management of water; sustainable food security; human development and capacity-building; and the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, with special emphasis on poverty alleviation. The steering committee also focuses on the consideration of means to enhance political and financial support for African development. Its initial work was drawn upon in preparing for the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council devoted to African development.
Regarding management issues, members of the Committee reaffirmed their strong commitment to ensuring the advancement of the status of women throughout the United Nations system. It was generally agreed that management commitment at the highest levels was crucial to the achievement of gender equality. The Committee identified specific measures to increase the flexibility with which the United Nations system deals with women candidates; to remove obstacles to their recruitment, retention in service, promotion and mobility; and to create a supportive environment.
The Committee also addressed issues affecting the security and safety of United Nations staff, as well as questions relating to improvements in conditions of service. A special meeting in June of the Consultative Committee on Administrative Questions, in which most senior agency officials responsible for administration and management participated, pursued ways to enhance management effectiveness throughout the system.
In February 1995, all Committee members, and a number of distinguished personalities who have led independent reviews on ways to strengthen the United Nations system, met at Vienna at a Forum on the Future of the United Nations. The Forum addressed the changing requirements for global and regional governance arising from the emerging new political and economic framework and their implications for the Organization; new approaches to the financing of the United Nations system; the implications of the changing role of the system for the international civil service; and the public image of the United Nations, in particular the challenge of mobilizing and focusing the attention of the media on the Organization's economic and social work.
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