3 November 2015: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Mogens Lykketoft and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the need for increased transparency and accountability and for improving the functioning of the Office of the UNGA President (OPGA), during the annual joint debate on the UNGA’s revitalization.
The meeting took place on 3 November 2015, in New York, US.
Lykketoft reported that an Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the UNGA, chaired by Vladimir Drobnjak, Permanent Representative of Croatia, and Wilfried Emvula, Permanent Representative of Namibia, focused on four thematic clusters. On the role and authority of the UNGA, Lykketoft said work is being undertaken to increase cooperation, coordination and exchange of information with the presidents of the principal organs and the UN Secretary-General. On the UNGA’s working methods, he noted progress made through the sharing of best practices and lessons learned between the UNGA’s Main Committees, including a meeting at which Lykketoft and the General Committee discussed the streamlining of the UNGA agenda in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which he said will be followed by another meeting in November 2015. On the selection and appointment of the next UN Secretary-General, he said that he and the President of the Security Council will circulate a joint letter to the membership inviting candidates to be presented in a timely manner, and describing the entire process.
On the fourth cluster, the running of the President’s office, Lykketoft said this has taken on greater significance because of recent events relating to the accusations of corruption against former UNGA President John Ashe. He outlined checks and balances to which OPGA is subject, including briefings to Member States, audits of the regular budget, audits of the OPGA trust fund, and reporting through the UNGA Revitalization process. Lykketoft suggested this issue be considered in further detail as a priority by the Ad hoc Working Group, especially on: matters of disclosure; financial independence; and staffing and reporting. He also stressed that engagement with external actors is another important issue, given the emphasis on partnership in the 2030 Agenda. Lykketoft announced a new transparency page on his website, which includes an Information Note on the OPGA that builds on the PGA Handbook.
Finally, noting the need to further rebuild confidence, Lykketoft identified three principles of conduct for himself and his office during his Presidency: integrity and impartiality – representing the UNGA in an impartial manner, avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring gender and geographical balance in the Office; transparency and accountability – providing information about official travel, finances and engagements and communicating openly with the membership and external audiences and complying with all relevant rules and procedures; and professionalism and effectiveness – running the OPGA effectively and using resources efficiently, keeping appropriate records and ensuring a smooth transition to the President of the next UNGA session (UNGA 71).
Ban said Member States must improve the functioning of the OPGA to make it more robustly organized, including the budget supporting the President’s activities, and stressed the need for transparency and accountability. He said he has taken note of the intent of the US Attorney to get to the bottom of “the very serious allegations about the propriety of the conduct” of John Ashe, and explained his steps taken to address the issue. He said he has: requested an internal audit by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) of the interactions between the UN and the entities mentioned in the criminal complaint, including any funds received from these entities and funds disbursed by the UN to them; established an internal Task Force, chaired by his Chef de Cabinet Susana Malcorra, to review the arrangements for the OPGA’s financing and staffing and recommend ways to promote enhanced transparency and accountability; and requested the heads of UN entities mentioned in the criminal complaint that may have engaged with the entities involved in the criminal complaint to advise him about what they are doing to look into the matter.
The Secretary-General welcomed the involvement of more stakeholders in UNGA discussions on issues of importance to the international community, and the inclusion of civil society and others in the informal interactive thematic debates. [UN Press Release] [UNGA President Remarks] [UNGA President Remarks (Webcast)] [UNGA President Press Stakeout] [UN Secretary-General Remarks] [UN Secretary-General Remarks (Webcast)] [Press Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General] [Documents on UNGA Revitalization] [Letter from UNGA President on Transparency] [Transparency Webpage]