Seminar on UN Reform

Summary

Date: 9-11 September 2008
Venue: United Nations Headquarters

Over the past decade, the need to reform the United Nations and make it a more legitimate, effective and efficient world body has been affirmed by Member States and the UN System alike. Proposals and implementation efforts have ranged from institutional innovations and reform of governing bodies to greater coherence and improved management, oversight and ethical conduct at UN headquarters and in the field.

This seminar provided newly arrived diplomats at UN headquarters and interested UN staff with a comprehensive overview of the evolution and current status of UN reform initiatives undertaken over the last decade. The seminar drew on a number of perspectives from within the UN system to allow new delegates and interested parties to become acquainted with the varied assessments, proposals and concerns that this subject evokes.

Working Language: English

Contact:  Sarah Rosengaertner

Seminar Materials 2008

Downloads (pdf):

• Summary report of the seminar discussions
• Information note on the seminar organization
• Seminar programme
  

Presentations (pdf):

• The Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR)
  Mr. Thomas Gass, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN
• International Environmental Governance & UN system-wide coherence: the case for sustainable development
  Maria Teresa Mesquita Pessôa, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations
• The UN Accountability Architecture
  Ms. Nancy Hurtz Soyka, Chief, Accountability and Oversight Support Office, Department of Management
• Challenges in the UN Budget Process and the Relevance of Results-based Budgeting (RBB)
  Introduction by Mr. Graham Joscelyne
• Challenges in the UN budget process and the relevance of RBB
  Mr. Jun Yamazaki, Assistant Secretary-General, Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, Controller
• OIOS’s perspective on the budget process and RBB
  Mr. Arild Hauge, Section Chief Inspection and Evaluation, OIOS
• The UN budget process observed from a UK perspective
  Mr. Martin Sinclair, Assistant Auditor General, UK National Audit Office
• Lessons learned from RBB in the World Bank and application for the UN
  Mr. Glenn Miles, Director Corporate Resource Management, The World Bank

Background reading (pdf):

• Results-based management in the United Nations in the context of the reform process
  Note by the Secretary General (A/61/805)
• Accountability framework, enterprise risk management and internal control framework, and results-based management framework
  Report of the Secretary-General (A/62/701)
• Accountability framework, enterprise risk management and internal control framework, and results-based management framework
  Corrigendum (A/62/701/Corr.1)
• Revised estimates relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 related to the accountability framework, enterprise risk management and internal control framework, and results-based management framework
  Report of the Secretary-General (A/62/701/Add.1)
• Report of the Joint Inspection Unit on results-based management in the United Nations in the context of the reform process
  Note by the Secretary-General (A/62/704)
• Review of the Efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations
  General Assembly resolution A/RES/41/213
• Implementation of General Assembly resolution 41/213
  General Assembly resolution A/RES/42/211
• General Assembly resolution on Results-based budgeting
  (A/RES/55/231)
• Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation
  Secretary-General’s bulletin (ST/SGB/2000/8)
• Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations
  (ST/SGB/2003/7)
   

Related Links

• Official UN website on Reform
• Website of the President of the 61st Session of the General Assembly
• Website of the President of the 62nd Session of the General Assembly
• The Center for UN Reform Education
• The Global Policy Forum
• World Federalist Movement's Institute for Global Policy:
  Reform the UN website