Member States exchanged initial views on the zero draft of the resolution on the review of mandate implementation, following its presentation to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) by the co-chairs of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on the Mandate Implementation Review of the UN80 reform initiative.

Permanent Representative of Jamaica Brian Wallace and Permanent Representative of New Zealand Carolyn Schwalger circulated the draft in a letter dated 8 January 2026, kicking off the production phase of the Group’s work.

Titled, ‘Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Effective United Nations,’ the draft resolution outlines a set of principles to be applied across the UN system throughout the mandate lifecycle. They encompass:

• A culture of continuous improvement and enhanced strategic coordination across the UN system, which is essential to ensure effective responses to global challenges;
• The purpose of mandates across the UN, which is to maximize impact for the people it serves;
• Improvements to the creation, implementation, and review of mandates, to be undertaken in a balanced manner across the three pillars of the UN – peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights;
• Decisions on the creation, renewal, and retirement of mandates, which, the draft states, are the exclusive prerogative of Member States;
• Standardized approaches derived from best practices, to be applied throughout the mandate lifecycle, while taking full account of the diverse nature of mandates;
• Enhanced visibility and transparency of the mandate landscape, which are required to ensure coherence and avoid duplication of mandates;
• Data, analysis, and evidence to inform Member States’ decision making throughout the mandate lifecycle;
• Member States exercising restraint and striving for enhanced clarity when creating mandates;
• Mandates being adequately and appropriately resourced to ensure effective implementation;
• Regular review of mandates with a view to monitor their implementation, assess their impact, and inform decisions on their future; and
• Member States’ decision making throughout the mandate lifecycle, which is to be supported by impartial and structured administrative, technical, and substantive secretariat support.

The draft resolution spells out additional commitments across the phases of mandate creation, implementation, and review.

By the text, the UNGA would monitor implementation of these principles and actions from 1 April 2026 onwards. The draft also envisions “a review of existing intergovernmental coordination and oversight mechanisms to develop recommendations on possible improvements to avoid duplication, and harmonize and enhance delivery of mandates.” This review would be conducted by the Presidents of the UNGA, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Security Council in consultation with the Secretary-General and the wider UN system, to be provided to Member States by 31 December 2026.

According to a letter dated 23 December 2025, the roadmap for the production phase includes an exchange of general statements on the zero draft on 19 January, a series of hybrid workshops on the different sections of the draft, the production of a revised draft, and, following the Group’s conclusion of its work on 24 March, the adoption of the final resolution by the UNGA on 31 March. [Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on the Mandate Implementation Review] [UN80 Initiative]