General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

14 September 1995

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                 A/RES/49/252
                                                 107th plenary meeting
                                                 14 September 1995
 
            49/252. Strengthening of the United Nations system
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recognizing that the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations is an
occasion for re-examination and strengthening of the United Nations system, as
the United Nations prepares for the challenges of the twenty-first century,
 
      Determined to strengthen the role, capacity, effectiveness and
efficiency of the United Nations system and thus improve its performance in
order to realize the full potential of the Organization, in accordance with
the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and to
respond more effectively to the needs and aspirations of the Member States,
 
      Conscious of the importance of a viable financial basis and adequate and
predictable resources for the effective functioning of the United Nations
system,
 
      Encouraged by the ongoing efforts to improve the administration,
management and performance of the United Nations system,
 
      Noting that important work is already proceeding in the Ad Hoc Open-
ended Working Group on An Agenda for Development, the High-level Open-ended
Working Group on the Financial Situation of the United Nations, the Open-ended
Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in
the Membership of the Security Council, the Informal Open-ended Working Group
on An Agenda for Peace and the Consultations on Prospective New Modalities for
Financing Operational Activities for Development, all of which report to the
General Assembly,
 
      Noting also that the Secretary-General and a number of United Nations
bodies, as well as independent commissions, institutions, scholars and other
experts, have studied the United Nations system and recommended a variety of
measures designed to revitalize, strengthen and reform the United Nations
system,
 
      1.    Decides to establish an open-ended high-level working group of the
General Assembly, under the chairmanship of the President of the General
Assembly and with two vice-chairmen to be elected by the working group, and
that the group may establish, as necessary, sub-groups open to the
participation of all Member States;
 
      2.    Decides also that the working group will undertake a thorough
review of the studies and reports of the relevant United Nations bodies and
submissions of Member States and observers, as well as studies and reports of
independent commissions, non-governmental organizations, institutions,
scholars and other experts, on subjects relating to the revitalization,
strengthening and reform of the United Nations system, to be selected by the
working group with the assistance of the Secretariat, and, without in any way
duplicating or impeding the work of the other working groups referred to
above, specify by consensus those ideas and proposals drawn therefrom that it
concludes are appropriate for the purpose of revitalization, strengthening and
reform of the United Nations system in fulfilment of the principles and
purposes of the Charter of the United Nations;
 
      3.    Requests the bureau of the working group to maintain regular
contacts with the bureaux of the working groups mentioned above;
 
      4.    Requests the working group to commence its substantive work during
the fiftieth session of the General Assembly and submit a report on its work
before the end of that session;
 
      5.    Requests the Secretary-General to provide, within existing
resources, to be supplemented by a trust fund to which voluntary contributions
could be solicited, full assistance to the working group, including the
facilities and support services necessary for it to conduct its work;
 
      6.    Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fiftieth
session an item entitled "Strengthening of the United Nations system".