09 February 2010
























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Secretary-General Responds to Coherence Report, General Assembly Discussion Begins

New York, 27 April 2007 – On 16 April, the General Assembly met to consider the proposals of the Secretary-General’s response to the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence’s recommendations on the issues of development, humanitarian assistance, and the environment, as well as gender equality.

The Panel, led by three heads of state, was mandated by the 2005 World Summit, partly in response to the fragmentation of UN programs at the country level and the competition for resources between UN entities.  The Panel’s report was released on 9 November 2006.In then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s transmittal note he encouraged some of the proposals to move forward quickly, while the more far-reaching recommendations be considered carefully in order to build “collective leadership and ownership” of the initiatives.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s response, a six-page report (A/61/836) released on 3 April, gave “broad support” to the recommendations put forth by the Panel.  He reiterated the Panel’s focus on improving the UN’s operations by consolidating and streamlining the numerous UN agencies with the goal of better meeting the needs of those for whom UN assistance is “a matter of life and death.”  Placing particular importance on results and performance, the SG echoed the Panel’s call to “deliver as one” at all levels, especially at the county-level, in an effort to overcome the current fragmentation.  He also emphasized that “efficiency, transparency and accountability” should guide ongoing reform of the organization.

The President of the General Assembly noted that in her bilateral consultations with member states since the report was released she had identified commonalities including views that the UN should remain at the heart of the multi-lateral development system, that there is a need for national ownership in the coherence process, and that the outcome of the pilot-tested “One UN” program will be essential.

Below is a summary of Ban’s recommendations on the Coherence Panel’s findings, along with Member States’ responses as expressed in the GA meetings on 16-17 April. The meeting was attended by several ministers from member states.

Ban’s Recommendations and Member States’ Responses

Process for Discussing Panel Findings

Secretary-General’s Comments:

  • Ban recommended that the High-level Panel’s findings be pursued as an integrated whole, and within the context of the wider reform agenda currently being undertaken.  In other words, where a recommendation from the Panel matches existing reform mandates, it should be implemented quickly. That urgency must be balanced with respect for intergovernmental consideration, he noted.

  • Ban identified recommendations that should be pursued immediately via intergovernmental deliberations, such as the creation of an Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women.

  • Recommendations that should be handled by the relevant processes already in place, Ban said, include assessing the progress of the eight countries currently pilot-testing the “one country” aspect of the Panel’s recommendations. (The Panel recommenced that five countries participate in the pilot phase.)  The resulting information should be considered at the 2007 triennial comprehensive policy review (TCPR). 

  • Ban said that in addition to intergovernmental consideration of the recommendations, the upcoming steps should include consultations with ECOSOC and UN organizations. 

  • He also announced that Deputy Secretary-General Migiro would oversee the Member States’ consideration of the report and the implementation of its recommendations.

  • One issue not addressed by Ban was the proposal for an independent task force that would carry out further consolidation, building on the Panel’s work.

Member States’ Responses:

  • Several Member States (CANZ, Mexico, Switzerland, China, Russia and India) agreed that elements of the report should be considered separately, depending on how much consensus each has – what some referred to as a “multi-track process.”

  • Member States reaffirmed that the General Assembly should be the main deliberative body on these issues and noted the need for other actors – both from within and from without the UN system – to become involved in the process.

  • Member States welcomed the proposal for a Task Force to carry out further coherence reforms.

Development

The Panel recommended a consolidation of the UN’s country-level activities, which would be directed by an enhanced resident coordinator.  This proposal should be pilot-tested by five countries. The UN Development Group would be the lead agency for the UN's field work in all countries. Further, a Sustainable Development Board, reporting to ECOSOC, would be created to oversee the so-called “One UN” program. The Panel recommended that multi-year funding be ensured, that the World Bank and International Monetary Fund review their involvement with the UN’s intergovernmental mechanisms for development work, that a Global Leaders’ Forum (L27) be created within ECOSOC to upgrade that body’s policy coordination role, building on the reforms established in the November 2006 GA resolution on strengthening ECOSOC.

Secretary-General’s Comments:

  • Ban endorsed the “One UN” approach, which eight volunteer countries are now pilot-testing (Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay, and Vietnam).  Ban stressed that the process should be strategic and cross-cutting, rather than sector- or project-focused.

  • In response to the Panel’s proposals to strengthen ECOSOC, Ban suggested that member states prioritize full implementation of the ECOSOC reforms already agreed upon in November 2006.

Member States’ Responses:

  • Establishment of the eight “One UN” pilot programs was well-received by most member states, with several stressing the need for good governance and accountability at the country level.  The pilot states collectively welcomed the Panel’s proposals and suggested both that coherence is not a cost-cutting exercise and that national ownership will be critical for success of the process. Members of the G77 and the NAM stressed that the “One UN” initiative must not be seen as “one-size-fits-all.” Such responses seemed to arise from concerns voiced by developing countries that consolidating the UN's programs in their countries into a single voice might undermine their sovereignty and impinge upon their freedom to work with the partner they choose. There was some hesitation about creating a Sustainable Development Board.

 

Humanitarian Assistance

Secretary-General’s Comments:

  • Ban said that more needed to be done to strengthen the UN’s role as international coordinator of humanitarian efforts, including increased investment in early-warning systems and building on established efforts to mitigate the harmful effects of international disasters. He said that the Panel’s recommendations in these areas should be “further considered.”

  • Ban did not mention the Panel’s recommendation of full funding for the Central Emergency Response Fund, or the suggestion to clarify the roles of the UN’s various humanitarian agencies and organizations.

Member States’ Responses:

  • Reaction to the Panel’s suggestions was lukewarm.  Some states, including EU members, agreed with the Secretary-General’s views.  The pilot countries emphasized that CERF should be fully funded. Other members – such as Columbia and China – believed that humanitarian assistance should be given additional review after the pilot programs are completed at the end of the year.

Environment

Secretary-General’s Comments:

  • Ban echoed the Panel’s suggestion that its recommendations in the area of environmental governance be taken as complementary to the ongoing consultations on this issue in the General Assembly.  He said that the Panel’s recommendations thus “could” be addressed in the GA’s informal working group. 

  • He intended to pay attention to the recommendation that the UN’s current system of international environmental governance undergo an independent assessment.  He did not specify how this process would interact with the GA’s consultative process.

  • He did not respond to the Panel’s recommendation that the Global Environmental Facility, an independent financial organization, be strengthened as the major financial mechanism to help developing countries address climate change, etc.

Member States’ Responses:

  • While some member states, notably France and Japan, backed the creation of a designated UN Environmental Organization, others (Russia, others) felt that reform should be undertaken within the existing UN architecture. 

  • The seemingly predominant feeling among member states was that the General Assembly should continue to be the main site for further debate on issues of environmental governance.

Gender Equality

Secretary-General’s Comments:

  • Ban expressed “full agreement” with the Panel’s recommendation that a new entity dealing with gender equality and women’s empowerment be created by consolidating the three existing, under-resourced entities.  He also said that gender equality will remain a mandate of all UN organizations.

  • A decision on whether to appoint a representative at the rank of Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women to lead the reformed gender architecture will be pursued pending approval from member states. He encouraged them to reach “a positive early agreement on this proposal.”

  • Ban did not mention the Panel’s suggestion that the new gender entity be fully funded.

Member States’ Responses:

  • While there were some concerns voiced by China about this issue leading to politicization of the reform process, member states overwhelmingly welcomed the proposals given by the Secretary-General and the recommendations of the Panel. There was general support for increasing the UN’s capacity to deliver on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

  • CANZ members (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) supported appointing a new Under-Secretary-General and hoped to move quickly. 

Other Aspects of Coherence Report

  • The Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is geared towards improving the UN system’s coherence. The Panel recommended a review of its functioning. Ban chaired the session on 21-22 April, at which members discussed options for making the body more effective and transparent.  

  • The Panel recommended the upgrading and coordination of business practices throughout the UN system, such as creating a common staff evaluation system and improving human resources development, including staff mobility.  Ban said that the recommendations “should be actively pursued in all relevant forums.” He said that much of this work is included under the CEB’s purview, and he suggested that the CEB provide a report on its work on business practices to the General Assembly to facilitate discussion of this issue.   

  • The section of the Panel’s report on governance of the UN, and by extension management of the Secretariat, “requires further deliberation and discussion,” said Ban. The recommendations would provide a framework for country-level UN structures and coherent management and governance arrangements at headquarters and in the regions. Ban emphasized that the process should build common ownership and the resulting framework should reflect the principle of country ownership. A parallel initiative on governance was launched in October 2006. The “four nations initiative” (4NI) by Chile, South Africa, Sweden, and Thailand will deal with the Secretariat’s mandate and roles; governance, accountability and transparency; and budget and financing, in an 18-month process of five phases. The 4NI will attempt to intersect with the follow-up activities to the Coherence report.

  • The Panel recommended clarifying responsibilities for human rights protection and promotion; the current misunderstandings over responsibilities have hindered progress in this area.  In particular, the UN country teams “should be held accountable and be better equipped to support countries ... in implementing their human rights obligations....”  Ban did not address this recommendation directly, but said that the UN’s normative and operational work in human rights should be linked.   He also highlighted the need to make the HRC an effective and credible body.  Few Member States commented on this area.

Next Steps

The President of the General Assembly said that she would conduct formal consultations regarding both substance and process in the near future, and she will outline for member states a process for additional consideration of the High Level Panel’s recommendations.

Civil Society Responses

A civil society discussion on 16 April focused on the Panel’s recommendations on development. Speakers from the Center of Concern, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service and the South Centre raised concerns, including that the Panel’s emphasis on aid delivery overshadows the broader context of development policy. A government representative from a European country suggested that the Panel had responded to its relatively narrow mandate to improve development operations. He emphasized that success of the Panel’s recommendations would require a commitment from donors to change their funding behavior to make it more predictable and less ear-marked.  He said that he sensed that major donor countries, especially Nordic countries, were willing to make such a change.

Another civil society concern was that the Panel did not provide sufficient proposals for the UN to take up what should be its primary role in global economic governance, the only place where the norms of the development and aid delivery context can be universally deliberated and set.  In this light, some civil society groups prefer to see the UN – and particularly ECOSOC – exercising oversight of the World Trade Organization, the World Bank and the IMF.  In this regard the Global Leaders’ Forum proposal was welcomed. 

“A Civil Society Response to the Report of the UN High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence” Position document by Center of Concern, ITUC, UBUNTU, WFM-IGP (April 2007)

An event on 28 February addressed potential reforms to international environmental governance in light of the Panel report as well as the ongoing consultations in the General Assembly. The speakers described an “emerging consensus” that the current structure for international environmental governance is insufficient for the growing environmental challenges.  This view is apparent, they said, in the General Assembly discussions on the issue as well as throughout civil society. The disagreement that remains is over whether to upgrade the UNEP into a UNEO or to repair systemic problems of the current system.  The Coherence Panel itself stopped short of advocating a UNEO but it stressed the need to upgrade UNEP and increased its authority within the UN system. 

Civil society responses to the Coherence Panel’s overall report are being collected by the Stakeholder Forum at this website.

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New Civil Society Initiative for a More Democratic UN

The Committee for a Democratic UN (KDUN) of Germany has launched an international campaign for a citizen's parliament at the UN.  The UN Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) would aim to bring greater transparency, democracy and efficiency to the United Nations. It has been signed by 550 politicians, academics, and business leaders from Europe and around the world, with the aim of overcoming the "democratic deficit" in global affairs and giving citizens a bigger voice in global decision-making.

The appeal recommends a gradual implementation of democratic participation and representation on the global level.  The UNPA could initially be comprised of national parliamentarians, eventually becoming an assembly of directly elected representatives. Establishing such an assembly would require a majority vote in the GA, but not a change to the UN Charter, unless it were given greater powers in the future. The campaign will hold an international conference in Geneva in October, hosted by former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Website of Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly

The e-Newsletter of ReformtheUN.org is a free service.  To subscribe, go to http://reformtheun.org/mailmanlistinfo/latestdevelopments. Please forward this announcement widely to individuals and organizations that have expressed an interest in UN reform.