UN Mandate Reform: Environment, Development Focus Stressed
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has presented his report on reforms of the UN mandate –“Mandating and delivering: analysis and recommendations to facilitate the review of mandates” – to the General Assembly on 30 March 2006.

Annan highlighted that the report aims to provide an analytical framework to ensure complementary and mutually reinforcing strategies to address global issues and determine the priorities for the UN.
In the report, the Secretary-General emphasized sustainable development and human settlements as areas that may require attention to possible overlaps and redundancy, specifically referring to the work of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-Habitat, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), as well as the regional commissions and the multilateral environmental conventions secretariats. The Secretary-General also makes a clear link between the ongoing consultative process in the General Assembly on a more coherent institutional framework for environmental activities, and the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian affairs and the environment. The UN has also set up a searchable electronic registry of still-active mandates originating from the resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. After informal plenary consultations, the Secretariat and Management Reform Co-Chairs Allan Rock (Canada) and Munir Akram (Pakistan) are expected to outline a work plan for further consideration of the matter.
Secretary-General’s Report on UN Management Presented
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General’s report “Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger Organization worldwide” on UN management reform was presented on 3 April 2006 to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of the General Assembly by UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, who highlighted the need to transform the United Nations into a field-driven organization. Previously, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) had requested the Secretary-General to prepare a detailed implementation report by the beginning of May, to set out in a concrete manner the actions and resources required to develop and carry out his vision, and a history of previous similar proposals, assessment of their impact, explanation of how accountability would be defined and enforced in relation to the proposals, as well as information on the projected return on investment and time lines for implementation. The Fifth Committee was expected to conclude its consideration by 18 April at the latest, but countries views diverged as to whether considering the report beyond this date, in light of ACABQ’s requests for additional information.
Development, Humanitarian and Environment Coherence Panel Meets
On 5 April, the UN High-level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence in the Areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance and the Environment convened for the first time at the UN headquarters in New York. The Panel is expected to strengthen the governance, management, coordination and coherence of the UN system. Emphasizing the need to continuously engage member States and other stakeholders in the Panel’s deliberations, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a focus on: the UN system’s international development cooperation work, issues of transition to development and peace building, mainstreaming the environment into development decision-making, and the comparative advantages of the UN System in the broader international multilateral system. Annan also announced the establishment of a Secretariat to support the Panel’s work and the preparation of a concept paper and proposals for future research and consultation, to facilitate the Panel’s initial discussions. The Panel discussed the need for coherence between national programmes and UN agencies activities at the country level, for financial coherence among UN agencies with overlapping mandates, and for reforming the UN to meet current and future global changes.
Links to further information
UN Mandate Review Report, April 2006
UN Mandate registry, April 2006
UN press releases on mandate reforms, April 2006
UN press release, 30 March 2006
UN News Centre, 30 March 2006
UN press release, 30 March 2006
Mandating and Delivering: Report of the Secretary General
UN press releases on management reforms, April 2006
UN press release, 3 April 2006
UN press release, 30 March 2006
UN System-wide Coherence Panel information, April 2006
UN News Centre, 5 April 2006
UN News Centre, 6 April 2006
The Secretary-General’s Statements