| United Nations | A/50/34 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/50/34 Report of the Joint Inspection Unit Official Records T Fiftieth Session Supplement No.34 (A/50/34)
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ISSN 0255-1969
--CONTENTS
Chapter Paragraphs Page
FOREWORD .........................................................v
I. INTRODUCTION .........................................1 - 41
II. PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS .......................... 52
III. COMPOSITION OF THE JOINT INSPECTION UNIT .............6 - 73
IV. SECRETARIAT ..........................................8 - 164
V. WORK PROGRAMME .......................................17 - 276
VI. MEASURES TO ENHANCE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE UNIT ......28 - 488
VII. RELATIONS AND COOPERATION WITH THE PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS, EXTERNAL OVERSIGHT BODIES AND OTHER
A. Participating organizations ...................... 50 - 5911
B. Other external oversight bodies .................. 60 - 6412
C. Office of Internal Oversight Services ............ 65 - 7013
D. Other concerned organizations .................... 7114
VIII. RESULTS, FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JOINT INSPECTION UNIT .........72 - 12915
implementation of the Joint Inspection Unit
recommendations .................................. 81 - 8316
C. Overall analysis of the results and follow-up of
the Joint Inspection Unit recommendations ........ 84 - 8916
1. Management, budgetary and administrative
issues .......................................90 - 11318
(a) Accountability, management improvement
and oversight ........................... 92 - 10318
(b) Information technology .................. 104 - 10721
(c) Human resources management .............. 108 - 11321
2. Operational activities for development .......114 - 12322
3. Peace-keeping activities and humanitarian
assistance ...................................124 - 12924
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
Annexes
of participating organizations ...................................27
II. 1995 work programme and preliminary work programme for 1996 and
beyond ...........................................................29
FOREWORD
The Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) was created on an experimental basis
Unit became a subsidiary organ of the legislative bodies of the
organizations within the United Nations system which have accepted the
statute of the Unit. Those organizations, hereinafter referred to as the
participating organizations, are listed in chapter II of the present
report. The main purpose of the Unit is to enhance the efficiency of the
administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations system.
According to its statute, the Unit shall, inter alia, satisfy itself that
the activities undertaken by the participating organizations are carried
out in the most economical manner and that optimum use is made of resources
available for carrying out their activities. The Unit is composed of 11
Inspectors having experience in national or international administrative
and financial matters, including management questions, and are appointed by
the General Assembly on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.
They serve in their personal capacity for a term of five years, renewable
once.
Inspectors have the broadest powers of investigation in all matters
having a bearing on the efficiency of services and proper use of resources
and may make on-the-spot inquiries and investigations. They are also
mandated to inspect and evaluate the activities of the participating
organizations and make recommendations aimed at improving management and
methods and at achieving greater coordination among those organizations.
At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly, in the preamble of
resolution 48/221 of 23 December 1993, reaffirmed the statute of the Unit,
as the only independent system-wide inspection, evaluation and
investigation body.
The Unit prepares reports, notes and confidential letters addressed to
one or more organizations and/or of interest to the United Nations system
as a whole. In addition, the Unit submits an annual report, covering its
main activities during the year, to the General Assembly and to the
legislative organs of the participating organizations.
The present report is the twenty-seventh of its kind prepared by the Unit
since its establishment.
--I. INTRODUCTION
1. The present report gives an account of the activities carried out by
the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) during the period from 1 July 1994 to 30
June 1995.
2. The quality of JIU work depends on several factors, including the
performance of members and staff of the Unit, the guidance and support
received from legislative bodies and Member States, and the cooperation of
other external oversight bodies as well as that of the secretariats of the
participating organizations.
3. The overall performance and impact of the Unit could be further
enhanced if the individual Member States that propose candidates and the
General Assembly could take the necessary action to ensure that the
selection of Inspectors is governed by the qualifications and experience
stipulated in article 2, paragraph 1, of the JIU statute. It would also
seem advisable for the legislative bodies of the participating
organizations to devote the necessary attention to, and take action on, the
reports and recommendations of the Unit, instead of simply taking note of
them or thanking the Inspectors, which has been the prevailing practice to
date. The secretariats of the participating organizations should ascertain
the implementation and follow-up of the recommendations of the Unit as
approved by their legislative organs.
4. Furthermore, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in complying
with article 17 of the JIU statute, should provide the facilities and
administrative support required by the Unit. Chapter VI of the present
report contains the recommendations of the Unit for enhancing its role,
functions and productivity.
II. PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
5. The following organizations have accepted the statute of the Joint
Inspection Unit:
United Nations and its affiliated bodies
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
III. COMPOSITION OF THE JOINT INSPECTION UNIT
6. The composition of the Joint Inspection Unit as at 30 June 1995 was as
follows:
Mr. Fatih Bouayad-Agha (Algeria),** Chairman
Mr. Homero L. Hernandez-Sanchez (Dominican Republic),** Vice-Chairman
Mr. Andrzej Abraszewski (Poland)*****
Mrs. Erica-Irene Daes (Greece)*
Mr. Richard Hennes (United States of America)*
Mr. Tunsala Kabongo (Zaire)*
Mr. Boris P. Krasulin (Russian Federation)**
Mr. Sumihiro Kuyama (Japan)****
Mr. Francesco Mezzalama (Italy)**
Mr. Khalil I. Othman (Jordan)**
Mr. Raul Quijano (Argentina)***
7. In accordance with article 18 of its statute, the Unit elected Mr.
Fatih Bouayad-Agha as Chairman and Mr. Homero L. Hernandez-Sanchez, Vice-
Chairman for 1995. During 1994, Mr. Andrzej Abraszewski and Mr. Fatih
Bouayad-Agha were, respectively, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Unit.
* Term of office expires on 31 December 1995.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 1997.
*** Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
**** Term of office expires on 31 December 1999.
***** Term of office expires on 31 December 2000.
IV. SECRETARIAT
8. The Joint Inspection Unit has a small secretariat, consisting of an
Executive Secretary, 7 research officers, 2 research assistants at the
principal General Service level and 8 other General Service staff. Despite
the increase in workload over the years, the JIU secretariat manning table
has decreased from 21 at its inception to 18 at present. Moreover,
turnover in research officer posts has further constrained the output of
the Unit. In November 1994, a new Executive Secretary was appointed upon
the retirement of the former Executive Secretary.
9. The JIU has stressed the need for additional research staff. In its
resolution 43/221 of 21 December 1988 the General Assembly invited the
Secretary-General, in his capacity as Chairman of the Administrative
Committee on Coordination (ACC) and in consultation with the Joint
Inspection Unit, to ensure the maintenance of an efficient and effective
research capability within the secretariat of the Unit. In paragraph 3 of
its resolution 45/237 of 21 December 1990, the General Assembly requested
the Secretary-General to review, in the context of the proposed programme
budget for the biennium 1992-1993, the research and analytical capacity of
the secretariat of the Joint Inspection Unit in order to enhance its
performance, with due respect for the statute of the Unit.
10. In its report to the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly 1/
the Unit requested two additional Professional posts. In its decision
46/446 of 20 December 1991, the General Assembly decided that those
proposals had to be examined by the Advisory Committee on Administrative
and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). In responding to that decision, the
ACABQ, in its report on the functioning of JIU, expressed the following
opinion: "The Advisory Committee is of the view that an increase in
resources should not be entertained at the present time; it would consider
an increase in computer resources in the context of the proposed programme
budget, taking account of the contribution computers may make as a way of
improving productivity" (see A/47/755, para. 42).
11. In their report to the General Assembly's forty-eighth session, 2/ the
Inspectors stated that they would refrain from reiterating the requests to
strengthen the staffing capacities made in previous reports in
consideration of the existing financial constraints. They observed,
however, that the proposals remained valid and hoped that they could be met
at a more favourable juncture. Thus, in its resolution 48/221 of 23
December 1993, the General Assembly, inter alia, recognized the need to
give adequate means to the JIU in order to enable it to carry out its
functions and requested the Secretary-General and the executive heads of
the participating organizations, without prejudice to article 20 of the
statute of the Joint Inspection Unit, to consider providing the Unit with
extrabudgetary resources and programme support funds for specific
activities of inspection, evaluation and investigation in those areas which
were linked to those resources.
12. With regard to the Secretary-General's proposed programme budget for
the biennium 1996-1997, the Unit opted for a more modest request than for
the previous biennium by proposing to upgrade one P-5 post to D-1 and to
obtain one additional P-4 post to be financed, if feasible, through the
support account of peace-keeping operations, taking into account, inter
alia, that in resolution 48/221, the General Assembly requested the Unit to
study and to report to it on means by which the Unit could enhance its
inspection and evaluation of specific activities such as peace-keeping
operations and humanitarian assistance.
13. Since out of the 12 reports the Unit is currently carrying out, 4
(one third) deal with peace-keeping operations and humanitarian assistance,
the Unit has only two options open to it to meet the General Assembly
requirements, namely, either to request additional staff resources or to
redeploy resources from other areas of interest, such as administration and
management and development and technical cooperation. In this respect, the
Joint Inspection Unit wishes to emphasize that in its report of the eighty-
second session held in London in February 1995, the Consultative Committee
on Administrative Questions (CCAQ) stated that organizations which were not
involved in peace-keeping activities questioned the extent of the use of
the Unit's resources, which were jointly financed, for those types of
studies, in particular given the fact that the cost-sharing formula
excluded expenditure on peace-keeping.
14. Although articles 17 and 20 of the statute of the Joint Inspection
Unit are clear in defining the procedure for the consideration of the
budget of the Unit and although the Unit was willing to provide any
clarification, those proposals were not included in the Secretary-General's
proposed programme budget for the 1996-1997 biennium, and no reason was
given to the Unit for the omission. The United Nations Secretariat
proposals for the JIU budget show a real negative growth of 0.27 per cent.
15. In complying with article 20, paragraph 1, of its statute, the Unit
was invited to present its budget estimates to the ACABQ. All the facts
included in the present report were explained in detail to the ACABQ,
which, in turn, expressed its position in its report to the General
Assembly on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997. 3/
16. In that report, the ACABQ, inter alia, expressed its belief that the
Secretary-General's budget proposal for JIU for 1996-1997 should be
considered in the light of the requirements of General Assembly resolution
48/221, with regard to the Unit's programme of work, as well as the need to
strengthen the external oversight control mechanisms, as emphasized by the
Assembly in its resolution 48/218 B of 29 July 1994. The ACABQ further
recalled, in particular, paragraph 12 of resolution 48/221 and recommended
that the Secretary General report on the steps taken and arrangements made
for providing the Unit with extrabudgetary resources and programme support
for specific activities of inspection, evaluation and investigation in
those areas linked to those resources. The action and guidance of the
General Assembly in this regard would be extremely useful to the JIU.
V. WORK PROGRAMME
17. The Unit has established its work programme for 1995 and a preliminary
work programme for 1996 and beyond (see annex II and A/50/140). As
explained in document A/50/140, the list is tentative and does not
necessarily imply that the JIU will undertake all the studies. Work
programmes are flexible enough to allow the addition of priority issues
that may emerge.
18. In drawing up the work programme, the Unit has been guided by a
fundamental objective, namely, to continue the trend of good performance
and improve the quality and relevance of its output. The Inspectors were
aware that a well-balanced, flexible and realistic work programme was a key
element for that purpose. The work programme for 1995, then, constituted
an important step for further shaping an action-oriented strategy for the
Unit's activities.
19. All efforts were made to comply with the provisions of the statute of
the JIU, in particular articles 5 and 9; the relevant resolutions of the
legislative organs of the participating organizations, especially General
Assembly resolutions 47/201 of 22 December 1992 and 48/221 (paras. 3, 4 and
13); and the internal guidelines and procedures of the Unit.
20. In establishing its work programme, under article 9, paragraph 1, of
its statute, the Unit strived as much as possible to satisfy the concerns
expressed by the legislative bodies of the participating organizations and
their secretariats and internal and external oversight bodies. Indeed, the
secretariats have been active in making suggestions for the Unit's work
programmes, unlike the legislative bodies and several external oversight
organs. Other external oversight bodies have also been requested to be more
active in commenting on JIU work programmes. Those bodies are an
indispensable source of ideas on issues to be taken up by the JIU.
21. None the less, the Unit endeavoured to include in its work programme
important priority items falling within its competence and aimed at making
a substantial contribution to the solution of concrete problems by
providing practical and action-oriented recommendations.
22. Efforts were made to coordinate the JIU work programme with those of
other external oversight bodies. Consideration was also given to the need
to achieve a better mix of evaluation, investigation and inspection in line
with the relevant General Assembly resolutions.
23. The current JIU annual report cycle is July-June, while the JIU work
programme previously covered the calendar year. Since most legislative
organs of participating organizations meet between the summer and autumn
seasons, there was a lack of synchronization between the calendars of
meetings of participating organizations and the JIU work programme. To
avoid this discrepancy, the Unit has decided to shift its work programme
cycle from January-December to July-June. The main purpose of this
decision was to spread the reviews contained in the work programme
throughout the new cycle and thus even out the workload to the extent
possible in order to ensure the timely presentation of JIU reports to the
pertinent legislative organs, especially the General Assembly.
Consequently, the 1995-1996 work programme should be considered
transitional and will overlap somewhat with the 1995 work programme.
24. The work programme also attempts to concentrate the Unit's efforts in
areas of importance and relevance to the United Nations system, having a
bearing on the efficiency of services; on optimal management methods; on
attaining common or comparable standards and on achieving greater
coordination among participating organizations.
25. Of the total, five topics concern the United Nations, seven are
system-wide and two are of concern to several organizations. With respect
to field of activity, eight are devoted to administration and management,
two fall under development cooperation, two under peace-keeping operations
or related matters and two under humanitarian assistance.
26. Since the description and analysis of its work programme appear in
document A/50/140, they are not included in the present report, and the
Unit considers it timely to discontinue the practice of repeating the
description and analysis of its work programmes in future annual reports.
27. In its resolution 45/237 of 21 December 1990, the General Assembly
requested the JIU to include in its annual report a summary of its reports
and recommendations. The JIU has been doing so over the years. In its
view, experience has proved this exercise to be an unnecessary repetition
of JIU recommendations that have been previously approved by pertinent
legislative bodies, including the General Assembly. If the General
Assembly does not object, the Unit considers it timely to discontinue this
practice and instead to concentrate its efforts on the actual follow-up and
implementation of the JIU recommendations approved by the legislative
organs.
VI. MEASURES TO ENHANCE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE UNIT
28. The improvement of any activity is a continuous process. The General
Assembly has adopted several resolutions encouraging the JIU to improve its
performance, effectiveness and efficiency. The Unit has in turn remained
attentive to all comments and recommendations concerning its performance,
has responded positively to them and continues to make efforts in this
regard.
29. The impact of the work of the Unit should not only be regarded in
terms of its reports and recommendations. The interactions of Inspectors
with the various heads of participating organizations and other United
Nations system officials during the course of inspections, investigations
and evaluations have proved to be a key advisory tool for encouraging those
heads and officials to take concrete steps for solving specific
difficulties faced by the various services of the United Nations system.
Those heads and officials have benefited from the broad system-wide
experience of the Inspectors and in many cases have anticipated suggestions
and recommendations which later appear in the Unit's reports. This
intangible role of the JIU should always be kept in mind when the Unit's
performance is being assessed.
30. The JIU has, on several occasions, submitted to the General Assembly
proposals to improve its work, some of which are contained in its reports
for 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. In its 1994 report, 4/ the Unit
recapitulated the actions taken to implement a number of recommendations
which had been addressed to it, in particular those contained in General
Assembly resolution 48/221.
31. The Unit also presented its views on measures to improve the
effectiveness and possible strengthening of the external oversight
mechanisms, as requested by the General Assembly in its decision 47/454,
paragraph (b), of 23 December 1992, and reaffirmed in its decision 48/493 A
of 29 July 1994.
32. Furthermore, the General Assembly has regularly reaffirmed the statute
of the Unit. Resolutions 48/218 and 48/221 are of particular relevance in
this respect. In section II, paragraph 6, of resolution 48/218 A of 23
December 1993, the Assembly emphasized the need to ensure respect for the
separate and distinct roles and functions of external and internal
oversight mechanisms and also to strengthen the external oversight control
mechanisms. In its resolution 48/221, the Assembly reaffirmed the statute
of the Joint Inspection Unit as the only independent system-wide
inspection, evaluation and investigation body.
33. Without wishing to repeat its previous proposals, the Unit considers
it necessary to call to the attention of the General Assembly the actions
it has taken and the recommendations it has made over the years to improve
its performance, as described, in particular, in its 1993 report. It is
hoped that such a review of internal improvement initiatives would
contribute to the ongoing debate in the Assembly's Fifth Committee on ways
and means of strengthening the external oversight bodies.
34. The Unit established a working group to develop a set of internal
standards and guidelines for inspection, evaluation and investigation. The
Unit is engaged in refining those important tools for its work, as
envisaged in article 8 of its statute.
35. The Unit is gradually developing a solid internal technological
information system that will be the core element of an information and
documentation centre which it plans to establish soon and which should help
to improve the Unit's productivity in issuing reports and recommendations.
The Unit wishes to recall its request for additional computer workstations
included in its 1991 report. 1/
36. Subsequently, in paragraph 42 of its report on the functioning of the
JIU, as cited in paragraph 10 above, the ACABQ indicated that "it would
consider an increase in computer resources in the context of the proposed
programme budget, taking account of the contribution computers may make as
a way of improving productivity". Although this recommendation was
approved by the General Assembly, corresponding provision was not included
in the proposed programme budget for 1994-1995.
37. When the Unit was moved in 1993 from the Palais des Nations, where it
was at least technically connected to the United Nations main library and
technological information systems, to a building outside the Palais
complex, it became disconnected from such systems. This and other
inconveniences have constituted a setback in the Unit's performance.
38. After continuous efforts, most of the technical requirements are being
met and the Unit will be able to set up its own technological information
system, provided it receives the necessary resources for both the
acquisition and the installation of the additional computer workstations
that are needed.
39. The Unit expects to increase tangibly its research capacity when such
a system is in place, particularly through having a more solid database;
making more feasibility studies before choosing new items for inspection,
investigation or evaluation; making a thorough analysis of the discussions,
reports, resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and of the
legislative organs of other participating organizations, as expressed in
paragraph 28 of its 1994 report, 4/ and establishing a very accurate
follow-up mechanism. The importance and the impact of such systems are
described in paragraph 66 of the 1994 report.
40. In paragraph 5 of resolution 48/221, the General Assembly requested
"the Joint Inspection Unit, when appropriate, to provide in its reports
information on estimated financial implications or possible cost-savings
resulting from implementation of the recommendations formulated therein".
The Unit wishes to recall that in its report entitled "Analysis of cost
savings from JIU reports, 1985-1992" (see A/48/606), it gave an account of
the cost-savings resulting from its past recommendations. The Unit
considers its useful for the General Assembly to take that report into
account when discussing the Unit's performance.
41. In general, the Unit is increasingly exercising the collective wisdom
approach in preparing its reports, as envisaged in article 11, paragraph 2,
of its statute and consistent with the relevant General Assembly
resolutions and its internal guidelines and procedures in developing its
programmes of work.
42. None the less, along with its internal efforts and endeavours, the JIU
also needs more engagement and support from the Member States and the
participating organizations and other associated bodies. This requires
analysing the JIU reports and drawing concrete conclusions from them.
43. Finally, the Unit wishes to add certain observations on issues of
particular concern to it and to its constituencies. It is, of course,
aware of certain proposals made and discussions under way among Member
States and officials of the United Nations system.
44. The main issues relate to the strengthening of the Unit's
secretariat, the selection of inspectors, the budgetary and administrative
independence of the Unit, and the Unit's leadership.
45. First, as discussed in chapter IV, despite the General Assembly's
recognition of the Unit's support staff needs, its requirements have not
yet been met. The Unit remains of the opinion that its requests for
strengthening its support staff continue to be in the interest of Member
States in having a more effective oversight performance of the Unit.
46. Secondly, the Inspectors would like to reiterate their belief that the
General Assembly should continue to pay special attention to the selection
and appointment of inspectors, in accordance with the requisite
qualifications stipulated under article 2, paragraph 1, of the statute of
the Unit.
47. Thirdly, the very fact that, in accordance with article 20 of the
statute, the Unit's budgetary proposals are assessed and decided upon by
the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations after consultation, within the
ACC, with the executive heads of the participating organizations, who are
precisely the subjects of the Unit's inspection, investigation and
evaluation responsibilities, poses an institutional dilemma for both the
Unit and the Secretary-General and ACC. Although the General Assembly
stipulated in article 7 of the Unit's statute that: "The Inspectors shall
discharge their duties in full independence and in the sole interest of the
organizations", the Unit's independence has been compromised in practical
terms by existing interpretations of articles 17 and 20 of the statute.
The General Assembly may wish to clarify this dilemma.
48. Fourthly, and within the context of article 18 of its statute, the
Unit is studying ways of having more effective leadership roles by its
Chairman and Vice-Chairman, including modifying the rotational practice.
VII. RELATIONS AND COOPERATION WITH THE PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS, EXTERNAL OVERSIGHT BODIES AND OTHER
RELEVANT BODIES WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM
49. The Unit is fully aware of the importance of its relations with the
participating organizations and with bodies bearing oversight
responsibilities as a fundamental working tool aimed at exchanging
information and views, improving the quality and accuracy of background
information and avoiding overlapping and unnecessary duplication of effort.
A. Participating organizations
50. The Unit has continued to make efforts to strengthen its cooperation
and coordination with both the legislative bodies and the secretariats of
the participating organizations. In this regard, the Unit has regularly
called upon legislative bodies to give greater attention to its reports and
recommendations and to provide it with their comments, suggestions and
instructions.
51. In accordance with article 6 of its statute, the Unit is empowered to
make on-the-spot inquiries and investigations, some of which may be without
prior notification, as and when the Inspectors themselves may decide, in
any of the services of the organizations. However, the Unit has refrained
from exercising that prerogative in order to allow the secretariats
involved enough time and full opportunity to interact with the responsible
Inspectors and the Unit and also to satisfy the essential requisite of
transparency.
52. During the period of the present report, JIU members attended the
forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in particular the meetings of
the Assembly's Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Committees, to introduce and
discuss the Unit's reports.
53. It is useful to point out that the practice of presenting reports of
concern to the Economic and Social Council was re-established. The Unit
wishes to recognize the cooperation granted by the secretariat of the
Council in this regard and is pleased to continue and reinforce this
practice.
54. The Chairman attended the first part of the thirty-fourth session of
the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), held in New York from
16 to 23 May 1994, at which JIU reports were considered.
55. The Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and individual Inspectors attended
meetings of legislative bodies of participating organizations where issues
of concern to the JIU would be discussed. The following meetings, among
others, were attended by Inspectors:
-twenty-sixth meeting of representatives of Internal Audit Services of
United Nations Organizations and Multilateral Financial Institutions, 22-24
May 1995, New York;
-meeting of the Consultative Committee on Administrative Questions
(CCAQ), 1 and 2 June 1995, Geneva;
-thirtieth session of the Economic Commission for Africa, twenty-first
meeting of the Conference of Ministers, 1-4 May 1995, Addis Ababa;
-eighty-second session of the General Conference, International Labour
Organization, 6-23 June 1995, Geneva;
-forty-first session of the Trade and Development Board, United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, 20-31 March 1995, Geneva;
-substantive session of the Economic and Social Council, 26 June28 July
1995, Geneva;
-fifty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights, 30 January10
March 1995, Geneva;
-eighteenth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia, 22-25 May 1995, Beirut.
56. The exchange of views and contacts with the secretariats of
participating organizations, especially with internal oversight units, have
increased over the years. The Chairman, usually accompanied by the
Executive Secretary, held meetings in Geneva with a number of heads of
agencies and programmes. The discussions dealt with ways and means of
improving the working relations with the respective secretariats, as
requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/221.
57. In general, the executive heads concerned expressed appreciation for
the work of the JIU and recognized its contribution to the internal
administrative and management functioning of the respective organizations.
The Unit welcomes constructive criticism supported by objective analysis of
its reports.
58. The relations with the ACC and its subsidiary bodies continue to be
constructive and pragmatic. The ACC has been attentive to JIU reports and
is making efforts to produce joint comments on time in accordance with the
JIU reporting procedure as envisaged in article 11 of its statute.
59. The ACC and its subsidiary bodies are aware of the importance of
issuing their comments as expeditiously as possible. The JIU is committed
to circulating its reports on time in order to allow the ACC to produce
meaningful and timely comments.
B. Other external oversight bodies
60. The Unit has continued its working relations and practical cooperation
with other external oversight bodies. A joint ACABQ-JIU meeting took place
in Geneva in September 1994. It was an opportunity for a discussion of
issues of common interest in order to maintain a close relationship between
the two bodies, as recommended in paragraph 7 of General Assembly
resolution 48/221 of 23 December 1993. On various occasions, the Chairman,
the Vice-Chairman and other members of the Unit met with their counterparts
in the ACABQ. For example, the presentation by the Chairman of the JIU
budget proposals became a good opportunity for the Unit to exchange views
with the ACABQ.
61. In accordance with article 11, paragraph 4 (d) of the JIU statute, the
ACABQ is entitled to issue comments and observations on any of the JIU's
reports which fall within its competence. Furthermore, in accordance with
article 9 of the statute, in preparing its work programme, the Unit shall
take into account suggestions received from, among others, bodies of the
United Nations system concerned with budgetary control, investigation,
coordination and evaluation. The Unit is aware of the heavy workload of the
ACABQ but it hopes that the Committee will make an extra effort in this
regard.
62. The working interactions with the CPC are also meaningful. The CPC
has traditionally been interested in considering JIU reports and normally
makes concrete comments, suggestions and recommendations for consideration
by the General Assembly. It has also been active in making suggestions for
issues to be included in the JIU work programme. The JIU welcomes and
commends this cooperation between the two external oversight bodies.
63. The close relationship between the JIU and the International Civil
Service Commission (ICSC) should be highlighted. The ICSC has been active
in providing comments on the JIU work programme. The JIU has benefited
from the experience of the ICSC in its field of competence and intends to
develop further this cooperation by more practical means. The Chairman and
the Executive Secretary of the ICSC held a meeting with the Inspectors in
Geneva. It was also an opportunity for a discussion of issues of common
interest.
64. The JIU's relations with the Panel of External Auditors and the United
Nations Board of Auditors further expanded during the reporting period both
through exchange of documents and information and through consultations on
common issues, including relations with the Office of Internal Oversight
Services.
C. Office of Internal Oversight Services
65. The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was established by
the General Assembly through its resolution 48/218 B of 29 July 1994, in
which the Assembly again emphasized the need to ensure respect for the
separate and distinct roles of internal and external oversight mechanisms
and to strengthen the external oversight mechanisms, and also reaffirmed
the role of the JIU in accordance with its mandate.
66. As part of the reporting procedure of the OIOS, the role of the JIU in
the area of oversight services was highlighted in paragraph 5, subparagraph
(e) (iii) of resolution 48/218 B, which stated that: "The Board of
Auditors and the Joint Inspection Unit shall be provided with copies of all
final reports produced by the Office as well as the comments of the
Secretary-General on them and shall provide the Assembly with their
comments as appropriate".
67. The Unit welcomes this additional responsibility and has approached it
seriously in its determination to satisfy Member States to whom it is
accountable. It has done so despite the added strains on its resources
which that responsibility has entailed.
68. Working relations between the JIU and the OIOS are excellent. Both
units are aware of their separate and distinct roles, the former as the
only external system-wide oversight body accountable to the Member States
and the latter as the United Nations internal oversight body accountable to
the Secretary-General.
69. The JIU is satisfied with the current operational relations between
the two units and intends to improve, strengthen and refine them. In fact,
several issues included in the work programme of the JIU have been
suggested to it by the OIOS as an example of constructive cooperation.
70. The JIU wishes to reiterate the proposal contained in its 1994 report
to the General Assembly 4/ that compliance with and follow-up of approved
recommendations concerning the United Nations emanating from external
oversight bodies should be included in the functions assigned to the OIOS.
The General Assembly may wish to take action on that recommendation.
D. Other concerned organizations
71. The JIU, as a system-wide external oversight body with broad powers,
has in the course of its work developed over the years relations with
organizations and institutions outside of the United Nations system,
including governmental institutions; regional organizations such as the
European Union, the League of Arab States, the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, the Organization of American States, the Organization of
African Unity, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Latin
American Economic System and the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe; non-governmental organizations, and research institutions. The
JIU is currently taking steps aimed at increasing and further developing
relations with specialized institutions like the International Organization
of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
VIII. RESULTS, FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE JOINT INSPECTION UNIT
A. General comments
72. Follow-up is an active concept and a continuous process that starts
immediately after a JIU report is sent out for action (the so-called "blue
cover report"). Indeed, this constitutes the most important phase and
starting-point for testing the quality and the potential impact of the JIU
recommendations.
73. The General Assembly has always been aware of this fact and very keen
in stressing the need for the various secretariats of participating
organizations and the JIU to develop practical procedures to ascertain
compliance with the reporting and follow-up procedures.
74. In its resolution 32/199 of 21 December 1977, the General Assembly
decided that the reports of the Secretary-General on implementation of the
recommendations of the JIU should provide concise information only with
regard to those reports that have been indicated by the Unit to be of
interest to the Assembly, one of its Main Committees or its other
subsidiary organs. Since then, the Unit has been providing the Secretary-
General with such indications.
75. In its decision 46/446 of 20 December 1991, the General Assembly
requested the heads of participating organizations and the ACC to observe
strictly the time-limit for commenting on JIU reports. In its resolution
44/184 of 19 December 1989, the Assembly invited the JIU to continue to
make every possible effort to issue its reports well in advance of meetings
of the legislative bodies of its participating organizations to ensure that
the comments of the Secretary-General and those of the ACC, where
pertinent, are issued in accordance with existing regulations for the
timely receipt of documentation.
76. In its resolution 48/221, the General Assembly called upon the JIU to
follow up on the implementation of its recommendations and to include the
relevant information regularly in its annual reports.
77. Thus it can be seen that the timely presentation of JIU reports and
the required comments by the Secretary-General and by individual heads of
other participating organizations and/or the ACC, as appropriate, is a
common endeavour between the JIU and those bodies.
78. The JIU is committed to meeting this target but sometimes it is
difficult for the Unit to abide by the internal timetables for the
completion of its reports. One major difficulty faced by the Unit in
speeding up the preparation of its reports is obtaining from the various
secretariats timely and required information.
79. At its twenty-fourth session, the CPC requested that it be authorized
to examine the pertinent reports of the JIU even without the written
comments of the Secretary-General if they were not available and added that
those comments could be made orally. 5/ In its resolution 39/238 of 18
December 1984, the General Assembly approved the conclusions and other
recommendations of the CPC. The General Assembly and other legislative
bodies of the participating organizations may wish to decide to proceed in
the same way.
80. In a new attempt to respond positively and efficiently to the
invitation of the General Assembly, the Unit is taking concrete steps to
achieve a punctual and systematic follow-up of its reports and
recommendations from an early stage until the full implementation of its
recommendations as approved by the legislative organs of participating
organizations. Among other measures, the Unit intends to request the
concerned heads to provide it with a timetable for the implementation of
approved JIU recommendations after they are approved by the concerned
legislative bodies. The General Assembly and other legislative bodies of
participating organizations may wish to support JIU in this effort.
B. Comments on the report of the Secretary-General on
implementation of the JIU recommendations
81. In conformity with the current practice described in paragraph 94
below, the Secretary-General issued a report on 4 November 1994 (A/49/632)
on implementation of the recommendations contained in four JIU reports:
African Institute for Economic Development and Planning; Assessment of the
environmental focus of projects financed by the United Nations Development
Programme and other United Nations agencies; Concluding report on the
implementation of General Assembly resolution 32/197 on the restructuring
of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations system; and Grade
overlap.
82. In its 1994 report, the Unit stated that it intended to provide its
comments on the Secretary-General reports in an addendum, but taking into
account that that report will be considered together with the present one,
the Unit has decided to include its comments in the present report.
83. Since the comments of the Secretary-General on the four reports
provide a detailed account of what is being done by the United Nations and
by other participating organizations concerned, especially the United
Nations Development Programme, in implementing the JIU recommendations as
approved by the General Assembly and the Unit is satisfied with those
accounts, it decided not to make a detailed analysis of each of them this
time as has been the past practice.
C. Overall analysis of the results and follow-up of
the JIU recommendations
84. For the past four years, the JIU has been particularly engaged in a
process and dialogue designed to improve the substance and results of its
work. The objective is to ensure that its limited resources are used to
produce reports that make the maximum possible contribution to improving
the programmes and performance of the United Nations system. This evolving
process has been reflected in each of the most recent JIU annual reports.
(a) The 1991 report 1/ summarized actions being taken to enhance JIU
workprogramming, particularly through more active consultation with
participating organizations and development of a more systematic and long-
range programming strategy. It also responded to the General Assembly's
request that JIU provide more detailed commentary in its annual reports on
the implementation of its recommendations by the United Nations and other
participating organizations.
(b) The 1992 report 6/ analysed the significantly different types of
impact of JIU reports:
(i)the impact of JIU reports over a decade or longer in such major areas
as programme planning and budgeting, development cooperation, conference
services, evaluation and personnel matters;
(ii)significant implementation actions taken by organizations in
relatively rapid response to some JIU recommendations, particularly in the
evaluation, management, budgetary and administrative areas to which the
General Assembly had requested that the Unit give greater attention;
(iii)deferred impact, where major JIU recommendations had eventually
proven valid, but only after the organizations had moved very slowly to
take the necessary corrective actions;
(iv)cost-savings resulting from JIU recommendations, and a review which
the Unit had launched to make a quantitative analysis of recent results.
(c) The 1993 report 2/ discussed the establishment of a new longer-range
JIU work programme structure divided into the four priority areas:
administration and management; operational activities for development;
peace-keeping operations and related issues; and humanitarian assistance.
It also discussed the analysis of cost-savings contained in JIU reports for
the 1985-1992 period; and, as requested by the General Assembly, the Unit's
views and proposals for enhancing its productivity and performance.
(d) The 1994 report 4/ discussed the Unit's ongoing efforts to sharpen
the focus of its current and future work programmes on priority issues
identified by legislative bodies and secretariats, and the status of
measures taken within the JIU to improve its working procedures and methods
and enhance the quality of its reports.
85. Several years ago a practice was established that every year the JIU
would indicate four of its reports issued three or four years earlier to
the Secretary-General for follow-up, obtain summary comments from him
concerning follow-up actions taken on its reports and recommendations, and
provide brief comments thereon in its annual report.
86. The follow-up of those actions, however, remains unsatisfactory. The
lack of objective criteria for selection has proved this practice to be
non-operational and restrictive. It ignores the whole interplan of impacts
from (a) recommendations which are quickly acted on, (b) those where major
action is finally taken, but only after a decade or more, and (c) JIU
reports which progressively follow up on needed corrective actions in a
major management or programme area with a series of successive studies.
Under these circumstances, the Unit has decided to discontinue it because
all the recommendations of the JIU, as approved by the General Assembly,
must be subjected to a follow-up.
87. The Unit intends to draw on the experience of the past concerning
follow-up of reports. Each future JIU annual report will provide the
General Assembly and all the participating organizations with a clearer,
more comprehensive, coherent and up-to-date follow-up analysis of results
that the Unit's reports have achieved and are achieving. The JIU will also
relate action on these recent and ongoing reports to the priority
directions and topics being developed for future JIU work programmes. In
this way, the organizations will be in a better position to understand
JIU's activities and contribute their ideas and guidance in order to keep
JIU work focused on the priority concerns of Member States.
88. The Unit will seek other measures to improve the process of
consideration and implementation of its individual reports by the
participating organizations throughout the United Nations system. One such
step is to include in the JIU annual reports specific information on delays
for submitting comments on individual JIU reports. A table on delays in
preparing agency comments was most recently included in the 1991 annual
report. In the future, this data will be updated in each annual report
until the situation becomes satisfactory.
89. The new results and follow-up chapter being introduced in the present
report will be included each year according to the major categories of JIU
work. Currently, there are three such categories, as presented below.
1. Management, budgetary and administrative issues
90. During its first two decades, the work of the JIU in this area
concentrated primarily on programming, budgeting and, subsequently,
evaluation issues. The Unit also reviewed areas such as personnel,
conference services, control of documentation, and other administrative
systems and processes which Member States and the organizations identified
as priority concerns.
91. The JIU concentration on programme plans, budgets and evaluation was
most intense during the 1970s and early 1980s. Then, as those systems were
largely established throughout the United Nations system, this work
diminished. In part two of its 1991 annual report, 1/ the Unit reported in
some detail on the essential completion and results of its series of more
than 20 reports on evaluation methodology, establishment of internal
evaluation systems, and specific evaluation of programmes undertaken during
the 1976-1991 period. The Inspectors stated that while they would continue
evaluation work as requested, they would in future respond more to General
Assembly resolutions calling for increased in-depth reviews of management
system problems. The result has been a concentration on the three
following areas, with continued work in some other requested areas as well:
(a) Accountability, management improvement and oversight;
(b) Information technology;
(c) Human resources management.
(a) Accountability, management improvement and oversight
92. During the 1985-1990 period, several JIU reports began the transition
to a much stronger emphasis on oversight and improvement of management and
accountability in the United Nations system. In a 1985 report on the
status of internal evaluation in organizations of the United Nations system
(see A/41/201), the JIU recommended above all that the organizations
develop an integrated and continuous system of performance information and
management development to provide managers and legislative bodies with
streamlined and up-to-date information on programme results. A 1989 report
entitled "Budgeting in organizations of the United Nations system: some
comparisons" (see A/45/130) provided analysis and comprehensive tables on
budgeting practices. A 1990 report entitled "Extrabudgetary resources of
the United Nations: towards transparency of presentation, management and
reporting" (see A/45/797) examined the need for transparency in management
and reporting in this area. The Secretariat never provided comments to the
General Assembly on this report, but significant reforms have nevertheless
been made, as the JIU report had recommended, in the presentation of
extrabudgetary resources in Programme Budget Implications (PBIs) and the
creation of independent audit functions.
93. Most directly, however, the General Assembly's Fifth Committee
expressed very strong dissatisfaction in 1985 with the almost total lack of
information provided to it on past Secretariat performance. A 1988 JIU
report entitled "Reporting on the performance and results of United Nations
programmes: monitoring, evaluation and management review components" (see
A/43/124) recommended decisive action to correct the very serious
inadequacies of the existing Secretariat monitoring and evaluation reports
and to begin to provide regular and analytical reporting on programme
results and quality to governing bodies.
94. The General Assembly agreed with the JIU, emphasizing the importance
of measuring results against objectives. However, the Secretary-General
reported in 1989, in essence, that existing monitoring and evaluation
systems were too weak to provide adequate reporting of programme results.
In 199l the General Assembly requested the ACABQ and the CPC to reconsider
the JIU report. They joined the JIU in criticizing the lack of improvement
in analytical reporting and urged a "change of culture" within the
Secretariat. However, a 1991 report of the Secretary-General proposed no
major changes. In fact, it emphasized that reporting on programme quality
would "remain outside the scope" of Secretariat monitoring of programme
performance.
95. In 1992 the Secretariat finally acknowledged that evaluation was "a
somewhat sickly child". The CPC also called for more analysis of
implementation instead of "output-counting" monitoring reports, and for
strengthened individual accountability through United Nations programmes.
Those matters have subsequently been pursued with demands by the CPC and
then the General Assembly in December 1993 that the Secretariat install a
new system of "accountability and responsibility" by 1 January 1995, and
further pursued by JIU, as discussed below.
96. A two-part JIU report on United Nations system cooperation with
multilateral financial institutions 7/ concentrated on the performance and
innovation challenges involved in closer operational work with those
institutions. The Inspectors concluded that organizations will indeed find
partners, even in the highly competitive international development area, if
they have high-quality programmes and can deliver them promptly and
efficiently. JIU identified ten key success factors, such as a strategic
approach, identifying a "niche" of comparative advantage, and quality
control. The Inspectors urged organizations to develop much more creative,
responsive and performance-oriented programmes and to have much better
performance reporting to their legislative bodies. The organizations'
response acknowledged those points, but argued that JIU had not fully
reflected their recent actions (omitting the fact that their joint comments
were not issued until 16 months after the JIU report was published). In
May 1993, the CPC commended the JIU report and its strong emphasis on high-
quality performance to the organizations of the system.
97. Also in 1993, to respond to all the above concerns the JIU began a
broad-scale review of accountability, management improvement and oversight
processes throughout the United Nations system. As part of this process,
the Inspectors issued an interim report on accountability and oversight in
the United Nations Secretariat (see A/48/420), which identified serious
weaknesses in the small internal oversight units and in other Secretariat
accountability and oversight processes as well. The Inspectors recommended
that a single, consolidated oversight unit be established, which the
Secretary-General did in August 1993. (In 1994, this transitional unit was
established by the General Assembly as a new Office of Internal Oversight
Services, following most of the modalities proposed by the JIU for this new
office.) In addition, the General Assembly, in resolution 48/218, of 23
December 1993, on management improvement regretted the lack of
responsiveness of the Secretary-General's report on accountability and
responsibility, noted with appreciation the above JIU report, and called
for the establishment of a "transparent and effective system of
accountability and responsibility" in the United Nations by 1 January 1995,
as recommended by the CPC.
98. The JIU issued its first comprehensive survey in 1995 in a two-part
report entitled "Accountability, management improvement and oversight in
the United Nations system: Part I, Overview and analysis; Part II,
Comparative tables (see A/50/503 and Add.1). Part II of this report
includes detailed tables summarizing the recent actions and reforms of 39
different organizations in 13 major subject areas. Part I analyses
patterns, problems and developments in the following major management areas
of the system:
- internal oversight units;
- management systems (internal controls and information technology);
-human resources management (management development and training,
management improvement programmes);
-strategic planning and performance management: the integrated
management of change;
- inter-agency activities;
- external system-wide oversight bodies; and
-oversight governing bodies: oversight activities, reporting and
external review.
99. The Unit regards the report not only as a comprehensive "baseline
survey" of present activities and plans of organizations throughout the
system for use by secretariats and governing bodies, but also as an
important input for future JIU work, as in the key areas of information
technology and human resources management discussed below.
100. Finally, JIU is completing for the General Assembly's fiftieth
session a report on progress in installing the new management systems in
the United Nations. At the Assembly's forty-ninth session, the Secretariat
provided two reports outlining planned new systems and reforms: the 1995
report will follow up on accomplishments and gaps in installing those new
system components, as well as the challenges posed in determining exactly
who the "United Nations managers" are, by the "downsizing" of system
organizations, and by the continuing need to establish much stronger
reporting to the General Assembly on programme performance and results,
which JIU raised in its 1988 report and which is still very much lacking.
101. Recent related JIU reports and notes, namely, the note on transport
operations of the United Nations Children's Fund (programming and
management issues); 8/ the report on management of buildings in the United
Nations system (see A/49/560); and the report entitled "Analysis of cost-
savings from JIU reports, 1985-1992" (see A/48/606); already discussed
above (para. 40) could also be regarded as important managerial tools for
the secretariats concerned.
102. The JIU is currently carrying out investigations on common services
of the United Nations in New York and on the management-staff union
relationship in the United Nations system and has included in its work
programme for 1995-1996 inspection of common services in Geneva and
investigation of the efforts to streamline United Nations activities and of
contracting out in the United Nations system. All these reviews should be
regarded as an effort aimed at providing an integrated and coordinated
follow-up in the area of administration and management.
103. The JIU included in its 1995 work programme inspection of the United
Nations Access Control System (Card Access System). However, aware that
the OIOS was conducting an investigation on the same subject, the Unit
decided to wait for the pertinent information. The OIOS promised the Unit
to put at its disposal the outcome of its investigation, but it has not yet
been received.
(b) Information technology
104. A 1985 JIU report entitled "The changing use of computers in
organizations of the United Nations system in Geneva: management issues"
(see A/40/410) called especially on the urgent need to develop and exploit
the potentials of computer systems. The JIU 1995 system-wide survey report
identified information technology as a key recent development, together
with human resources management, of great significance for the United
Nations system. In its 1995-1996 work programme, the Unit has envisaged an
investigation of the use of information technology in the United Nations
system. This new broad-scale study will not only review the key elements
of information technology use throughout the United Nations system but also
will identify many important substantive and management aspects of the
effective use of these powerful new tools and systems, discuss their
potential advantages and disadvantages and propose alternatives for
potential common use at system level.
105. The JIU reports entitled "Problems of storage and its costs in
organizations of the United Nations system" (see A/41/806 and Corr.1 and
A/42/724 and Corr.1) and, especially, "From the optical disc pilot project
at the United Nations Office at Geneva to an optical disc system for the
United Nations" (see A/44/684) discussed large applications and cost-
savings now emerging in the system despite slow implementation. The Unit
considers that the United Nations Secretariat should speed up the
application of this new technological information system, thus
systematically replacing other more costly services like facsimile.
106. In 1992 the JIU issued a report entitled "Towards an integrated
library network of the United Nations system" (see A/47/669).
107. A 1995 report entitled "A review of telecommunications and related
information technologies in the United Nations system" 9/ followed the
reports of 1972 and 1982 and has been an important contribution to the
current debate on this important matter. Several user agencies have
praised the JIU for this report. The comments of the ACC on this report
have not yet been issued.
(c) Human resources management
108. JIU work on personnel matters goes back to a 1971 report entitled
"Summary of the report on personnel problems in the United Nations
(professional category and above)" (A/8454). The 1995 system-wide report
identifies the area of human resources management as a second key
development in improving management in the United Nations system (see
A/50/503 and Add.1).
109. The 1994 report entitled "Advancement of the status of women in the
United Nations Secretariat in an era of 'human resources management' and
'accountability': a new beginning?" (see A/49/176) illustrated the
critical importance of good human resources management. The recommendation
on human resources strategy and a new planning unit has already been
endorsed by the General Assembly and is being introduced, as well as a new
strategy for the advancement of women. In addition, the 1995 system-wide
report entitled "The advancement of women through and in the programmes of
the United Nations system: what happens after the Fourth World Conference
on Women" (see A/50/509) contains an analysis of important new human
resource issues which the organizations need to address, such as mobility,
work/family, counselling and communication, sexual harassment and codes of
conduct.
110. The 1994 JIU report entitled "Towards a new system of performance
appraisal in the United Nations Secretariat: requirements for successful
implementation" (see A/49/219) noted stronger new appraisal systems
elsewhere in the United Nations system; investigated and confirmed the
seriously defective United Nations system which exists; and identified key
elements needed if the new performance appraisal system is to be
successfully installed and in full formal use by 1997. The report also
noted recurring cost-savings amounting to millions of dollars which could
be obtained by not routinely awarding salary step increases each year to
staff whom the new performance appraisal systems identify as sub-standard
performers.
111. A JIU inspection led to the issuance in January 1995 of part I of a
report entitled "Inspection of the application of United Nations
recruitment, placement and promotion policies" (see A/49/845). All the
recommendations were specifically endorsed by the General Assembly at its
forty-ninth session; although it is too early to determine specific
results, it is expected that their implementation by the United Nations
Secretariat will improve the situation in this important area. In its 1995
work programme, the JIU included part II (placement and promotion) of this
inspection.
112. Upon a request from the UNESCO secretariat, the Unit is carrying out
a closely related system-wide evaluation of comparative methods of
geographical distribution of posts in the various secretariats. The Unit
hopes that this review will contribute to the current debate on this
matter.
113. Other reports on the rotation of staff within the United Nations (see
A/46/326), on grade overlap (see A/47/140) and on advantages and
disadvantages of the post classification system (see A/47/168) have proved
to very useful tools for staff administration and management.
2. Operational activities for development
114. Because operational activities for development continue to claim a
substantial portion of the financial and human resources of the JIU's
participating organizations, the Unit has maintained and recently expanded
its inspection and evaluation coverage of the economic, social and related
sectors of the United Nations development system.
115. The central objective of the Unit in this major area of its work has
been to assist the organizations in devising more cost-effective strategies
and institutional arrangements for building the self-reliant or sustainable
development capacities of the developing countries. To that end, the JIU
has, since its inception, issued numerous reports and made recommendations
on specific themes of development cooperation, such as rationalization and
coordination of the system's operations at country level, harmonization of
programme and budget cycles and programme support procedures, common
premises and services in the field, decentralization to the operational
level, and government (national) execution of projects.
116. The Unit's progressive emphasis on these themes over the years has
formed the core substance of legislative directives for the operational
activities for development of the organizations, as illustrated more
comprehensively by the General Assembly in its resolutions 44/211 of 22
December 1989 and 47/199 of 22 December 1992.
117. In the past several years the Unit has intensified its inspection and
evaluation of the development cooperation activities of the organizations
by issuing, between 1990 and 1994, some 20 reports containing over 100
recommendations. Twelve (60 per cent) of those reports were of system-wide
scope or of direct concern to all the participating organizations of the
Unit, while eight were of specific interest to individual organizations of
the system. Because of the lack of systematic reporting on follow-up
actions on JIU reports and recommendations, the Unit has still to develop a
comprehensive picture of the aggregate results and impact of its more
recent work in development cooperation.
118. None the less, most of the reports issued by the Unit since 1990 have
generally received favourable reviews by legislative bodies of the system.
A number of reports either contributed directly to enhance operational
efficiency and cost-savings in programme operations or identified areas
where improved redesign of policies and systems could sharpen the
effectiveness of technical cooperation programmes.
119. Examples of such reports include the 1991 JIU note on transport
operations of the United Nations Children's Fund, 8/ which enabled UNICEF
to achieve recurrent annual cost-savings in the order of US$ 15 million; a
report entitled "A forward-looking assessment of the technical cooperation
programme of the International Civil Aviation Organization, 10/ which made
a significant contribution to the reorganization and strengthening of
ICAO's technical cooperation programme; or the two-part report on
decentralization of organizations within the United Nations system (see
A/48/78) which, inter alia, has contributed to concrete actions in some
specialized agencies, especially FAO, IMO, ITU, UNESCO, UNIDO and UPU;
those agencies have reorganized or reinforced their field presence in
accordance with the report's main recommendations.
120. Increased institutional collaboration among partners in development
cooperation in their support of the developing countries has been another
major theme of the Unit's reports since 1990. Foremost in this vein was
the two-part report on United Nations system cooperation with multilateral
financial institutions, 7/ which urged the organizations of the system to
foster creativity, competitiveness, programme responsiveness and sustained
performance improvement to enable them to collaborate more effectively with
the multilateral financial institutions. The ILO is cited in the report
for its cooperation with the multilateral financial institutions. Recent
trends in the development of cooperative relationships between these two
groups of development partners, especially in the field, are in line with
the main recommendations of the report.
121. Similarly, the report entitled "Working with non-governmental
organizations: operational activities for development of the United
Nations system with non-governmental organizations and Governments at the
grass-roots and national levels" (see A/49/122-E/1994/44) has contributed
to heightened awareness within the United Nations system of the potential
benefits for the developing countries of expanded collaboration between the
organizations of the United Nations system and non-governmental
organizations at the grass-roots and national levels in order to enable the
organizations to reach out more directly to the millions of rural people
who have been largely left behind by existing development programmes
supported by the system.
122. Recent JIU reports have equally emphasized the efficiency and cost-
savings benefits of more streamlined and cohesive institutional
arrangements at the country level, especially through a more unitary
approach to field representation of United Nations system organizations
(see A/49/133-E/1994/49) or through the implementation of a world-wide
programme of United Nations system common premises and services in the
field (see A/49/629), the aggregate cost-savings of which could be
substantial.
123. The Unit decided to undertake a three-part review to assess United
Nations system-wide cooperation in science and technology for development
in the developing countries. The Unit has completed its reviews regarding
Asia and Africa and intends to initiate the review concerning Latin America
and the Caribbean region. At its 1995 substantive session, the Economic
and Social Council praised the report regarding Africa (see A/50/125-
E/1995/19) and took note of it.
3. Peace-keeping activities and humanitarian assistance
124. The report on the coordination of activities related to early warning
of possible refugee flows (see A/45/649 and Corr.1) was the first issued by
JIU in this area. One of the main conclusions of the report was the
necessity of introducing early warning as a regular component of work in
the United Nations in a coordinated manner, by making use of existing
structures and designating a control focal point within the United Nations
system for monitoring factors related to refugee flows and by establishing
an inter-agency consultative mechanism. The General Assembly, in its
resolution 46/127 of 17 December 1991, endorsed the relevant JIU
recommendations. Within the framework of implementation, a post of
emergency relief coordinator was created and an inter-agency working group
on early warning of refugees and displaced persons was set up.
125. In the note entitled "Some proposals for improving the peace-keeping
operations of the United Nations", 11/ JIU, in a selective analysis,
addressed certain managerial and financial problems, as well as those
related to the contribution of troops. As a result, the Unit made a number
of proposals to the Secretary-General for improvement in each of those
areas. Financial issues related to peace-keeping operations were further
pursued in the "Note on an Agenda for Peace: some reflections on chapter
XI - financing". 12/
126. The report on staffing of the United Nations peace-keeping and
related missions (civilian component) (see A/48/421) analysed the
functioning of the different departments and units of the United Nations
Secretariat in managing peace-keeping operations and the extent of
interdepartmental coordination and cooperation and organizational
structures and functions, both at Headquarters and in the field, with a
view to having more coherent and consolidated management, avoiding
duplication, enhancing coordination and sharpening the process of early
warning, planning, deployment, and monitoring and evaluation. It also
looked into measures recommended and/or adopted by the Secretariat to
improve its management. The report was favourably commented upon by the
Secretary-General (see A/48/421/Add.1). Some of its recommendations have
already been implemented. The report was also considered in the Fifth and
Special Political Committees at the forty-eighth session of the General
Assembly and was referred to in resolution 48/42, adopted by the Assembly
on 10 December 1993. Following an in-depth discussion of the report, the
CPC expressed appreciation for its timeliness and agreement with the
diagnosis of the imperfections in the civilian component of the staffing of
United Nations peace-keeping and related missions. The CPC also expressed
satisfaction that some of the recommendations made by the Inspectors in the
report had already been implemented.
127. Concerned with the increasing United Nations burden in peace-keeping
operations, JIU produced a report on sharing responsibilities in peace-
keeping: the United Nations and regional organizations (see A/50/571). The
report put forward findings and recommendations on cooperation between the
United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of peace and
security. Its objective is to contribute to the current efforts to
increase the involvement of regional organizations in collective security,
in the hope that this would ease the burden on the United Nations.
128. A report entitled "Investigation of the relationship between
humanitarian assistance and peace-keeping operations" (see A/50/572)
focuses primarily on how to improve and make effective the mechanisms for
cooperation and coordination both at Headquarters and field levels among
the different actors in complex emergencies. It explores the possibility
and feasibility of reviewing and formulating rules of conduct (guidelines)
of agencies participating in complex situations, bearing in mind their
competence, priorities, the new demands on peace-keeping and humanitarian
assistance, with full respect for the principles of independence,
neutrality, humanity and impartiality in international and internal
conflicts. Some emblematic cases of complex operations are examined to
draw lessons from both past successes and negative experiences. The
protection and security of United Nations personnel are also addressed.
129. The concerns and interests expressed by Member States are being
followed by JIU in the following ongoing studies:
(a) A report on the involvement of the United Nations system in
providing and coordinating humanitarian assistance aims (i) to look at the
progress and problems of United Nations coordination mechanisms for
humanitarian assistance, its overall stand-by capacity, operational and
organizational mechanisms, and its planning and preparedness techniques in
handling complex emergencies; and (ii) to shed light on the major areas in
which humanitarian operations can be further improved. The recommendations
include action to further shift from the fragmented approach to emergency
response and consolidate comprehensive frameworks for operations in the
field, with lateral cooperation at Headquarters, in the field and between
the two.
(b) The Unit is also conducting a review on strengthening the United
Nations system capacity for conflict prevention. The report aims (i) to
review the past and current activities and capacities of the United Nations
system in dealing with conflicts and (ii) to highlight the importance of
conflict prevention on the basis of a comprehensive approach to conflict
prevention which would include addressing root causes of conflicts,
upgrading the United Nations capacity in preventive diplomacy as well as
active involvement of all actors. The recommendations contain concrete
proposals for action to be taken by Member States and the Secretary-General
and at the inter-agency level in order to strengthen the capacity of the
United Nations system for conflict prevention.
(c) The report on the military component of United Nations peace-keeping
operations complements and builds upon the previous JIU study on the
civilian component. Through examination of a number of issues, the
Inspectors hope to contribute to current efforts to improve the capability
of the United Nations in planning and managing the military component of
peace operations. Thus, the Inspectors examine and deal with three broad
issues. The first is the managerial aspects of mandates for peace-keeping,
emphasizing the importance of consultations among members of the Security
Council, troop-contributing countries and the Secretariat, as well as the
importance of unity of command and control. The second is the availability
of troops and equipment and their readiness and timely deployment. Within
this context, some of the ongoing efforts to improve the effectiveness of
peace-keeping operations are discussed, namely: rapid-reaction force,
stand-by arrangements, rapid-reaction capability and other related issues
such as rotation of troops, safety and security of personnel, death and
disability benefits and reimbursements for equipment. The third issue is
the capacity of the United Nations Secretariat to manage peace-keeping
operations. It deals with the functioning and recent restructuring of
different departments, especially the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations, concentrating on elements such as planning, legal arrangements,
training, information and logistic support services. The importance of
communication and coordination within Headquarters and the field and
between them is also discussed. The recommendations follow up on these
issues in detail.
Notes
1/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-sixth Session,
Supplement No. 34 (A/46/34).
2/ Ibid., Forty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 34 (A/48/34).
3/ Ibid., Fiftieth Session, Supplement No. 7 (A/50/7), part IX.B.
4/ Ibid., Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 34 (A/49/34).
5/ Ibid., Thirty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/39/38), para. 387.
6/ Ibid., Forty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 34 (A/47/34).
7/ E/1993/18 and Add.1.
8/ JIU/NOTE/91/1.
9/ JIU/REP/95/3.
10/ JIU/REP/92/3.
11/ JIU/NOTE/92/1.
12/ JIU/NOTE/93/1.
ANNEX I
List of reports before the General Assembly and legislative
bodies of participating organizations
A/49/423Review and assessment of efforts to restructure the regional
dimension of United Nations economic and social activities
A/49/564Staff turnover and delays in recruitment (the lapse factor)
A/49/629United Nations system common premises and services in the field
A/50/113 andNational execution of projects
Add.1
A/50/125- United Nations system support for science and technology in
E/1995/19 Africa
A/50/126Communication for development programmes in the United Nations
system
A/50/503 and Accountability, management improvement, and oversight in the
Add.1 United Nations system, parts I and II
A/50/507Management in the United Nations: work in progress
A/50/509 The advancement of women through and in the programmes of the
United Nations system: what happens after the Fourth World Conference on
Women?
A/50/571Report on sharing responsibilities in peace-keeping: the United
Nations and regional organizations
A/50/572 Investigation of the relationship between humanitarian assistance
and peace-keeping operations
E/1993/119Relationship agreements between the United Nations and the
specialized agencies: review and strengthening of sections pertaining to
the common system of salaries, allowances and conditions of service
JIU/REP/95/3A review of telecommunications and related information
technologies in the United Nations system
JIU/REP/95/7United Nations system support for science and technology in
Asia and the Pacific
Ongoing studies
Travel in the United Nations: issues of efficiency and cost savings
Evaluation of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the
Development of Africa in the 1990s
Military component of United Nations peace-keeping operations
Strengthening the United Nations system capacity for conflict prevention
Involvement of the United Nations system in providing and coordinating
humanitarian assistance
ANNEX II
1995 Work programme
A. Management, budgetary and administrative issues
1.An investigation into the management-Staff Union relationship in the
United Nations system
2.Advancement of women through and in the programmes of the United Nations
system: what happens after the Fourth World Conference on Women
3.Management in the United Nations Secretariat
4. Common services of United Nations organizations in New York
5.A system-wide comparative review of methods of geographical distribution
6.Travel in the United Nations: issues of efficiency and cost savings
7.United Nations access control system (card access system)
8.Inspection of the application of United Nations recruitment, placement
and promotion policies: part II - placement and promotion
B. Operational activities for development
1.United Nations system development cooperation in science and technology:
Latin America and the Caribbean
2.Evaluation of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the
Development of Africa in the 1990s
C. Peace-keeping and related operations
1.Military component of United Nations peace operations
2.Strengthening the United Nations system's capacity for conflict
prevention
D.Humanitarian assistance
1.Investigation of the relationship between humanitarian assistance and
peace-keeping operations
2.Involvement of the United Nations system in providing and coordinating
humanitarian assistance
Preliminary work programme for 1996 and beyond
A. Management, budgetary and administrative issues
1.Common services in Geneva: part II (initiated internally)
2.Use of information technology in the United Nations system (initiated
internally)
3.Inspection of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
(initiated internally)
4.System-wide review of ways to improve programming methodology: system-
wide review of planning, programming and budgeting procedures (suggested by
ESCWA)
5.Review of procurement policies and procedures (suggested by FAO)
6.A review of printing arrangements within the United Nations system
(suggested by FAO)
7.Costs involved for the system as a whole in preparing and disseminating
the larger number of reports and studies mandated by General Assembly and
Economic and Social Council resolutions (suggested by the World Food
Programme)
8.Cost/benefit analysis of the restructuring of the United Nations
Secretariat and related efforts to streamline United Nations activities
(suggested by OIOS)
9.Investigation of the Centre for Human Rights (suggested by OIOS)
10.Construction of a United Nations Conference Centre at Addis Ababa for
the Economic Commission for Africa and at Bangkok for the Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (suggested by the Office of
Conference and Support Services of the United Nations Secretariat )
11.Subcontracting in the United Nations system (initiated internally)
12.An analysis of the number, size and cost of conferences, seminars,
workshops and other meetings and gatherings in the technical cooperation
programmes of the United Nations system (suggested by UNDP)
B.Development and cooperation
1.Relationship between the funding agencies of the United Nations system
and the United Nations Secretariat, particularly regional commissions and
the United Nations Population Fund (suggested by the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean)
2.Cooperation between Global Environment Facility implementing agencies and
the specialized agencies of the United Nations system (suggested by FAO)
3.Financial and administrative applications of a meaningful UNDP presence
and activities in the net contributor countries (suggested by UNDP)
4.Strengthening field representation and operations in the context of
decentralization of organizations within the United Nations system
(followup Note) (suggested by UNIDO)
C.Peace-keeping and related operations
1.Problems of the start-up phase of peace-keeping operations (upon specific
request from the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session)
2.Coordination at Headquarters and field level, within the framework of "An
Agenda for Peace", between the United Nations agencies in peace-building:
an assessment of the possibilities (suggested by UNESCO)
3.Peace-keeping operations office and living-quarters camps; budgeting,
procurement, management and removal from one mission and reinstallation in
another mission (initiated internally)
D.Humanitarian affairs and related operations
1.An assessment of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the
Secretariat and other bodies concerned on their humanitarian activities
(initiated internally)
95-31106 (E) 071195-31-