Decentralization of the economic and social activities of the United Nations and strengthening of the regional economic commissions
- Author: UN General Assembly
- Document source:
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Date:
19 December 1961
XVI. RESOLUTION ADOPTED ON THE REPORT OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE
1709. Decentralization of the economic and social activities of the United Nations and strengthening of the regional economic commissions
1. Notes with appreciation the Secretary-General's action and proposed arrangements with regard to decentralization and to the strengthening of the regional economic commissions, as stated in his report to the General Assembly;[3]
2. Welcomes Economic and Social Council resolution 823 (XXXII) of 20 July 1961 and the emphasis placed therein on the important functions to be fulfilled by the regional economic commissions in the initiation, implementation and co-ordination of economic and social activities of the United Nations at the regional level;
3. Commends the Economic and Social Council for its resolution 856 (XXXII) of 4 August 1961 concerning co-operation between the resident representatives of the Technical Assistance Board and the executive secretaries of the regional economic commissions, and the Technical Assistance Committee for its resolution recommending to the Executive Chairman of the Technical Assistance Board that he invite the executive secretaries of the regional economic commissions to present their views on the economic and social factors to be taken into account in the preparation of technical assistance programmes;[4]
4. Urges the strengthening, without delay, of the secretariats of the regional economic commissions as executive arms of the Organization in the economic and social fields, including technical assistance operations, by means of an increasing delegation to those secretariats of substantive and operational functions and responsibilities and the provision of the requisite resources, including personnel, while maintaining the central substantive functions, including policy guidance and co-ordination, and without affecting the provision of assistance to countries that are not members of any regional economic commission;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to take immediate steps towards the full implementation of the policy of decentralization through appropriate administrative arrangements to be decided upon in continuing consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and, when necessary, the Technical Assistance Committee, taking into account the recommendations made by the Committee of Experts to review the activities and Organization of the Secretariat in part V of its report and the Secretary-General's comments thereon;
6. Urges that the decentralization of the economic and social activities of the United Nations should, among other things, aim at achieving simplicity of procedure and of administrative methods for technical co-operation;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council at its thirty-fourth session and to the General Assembly at its seventeenth session on the new organizational measures taken, or to be taken, to enable the secretariats of the regional economic commissions to discharge fully their responsibilities as executive instruments for the programmes of technical co-operation, and on the strengthening of those secretariats as required for the effective execution of the above tasks;
8. Invites the executive heads of the specialized agencies concerned and the executive secretaries of the regional economic commissions further to adjust cooperative arrangements to the extent required by decentralization;
9. Requests the regional economic commissions further to develop close co-operation among themselves in their substantive and operational activities, and to report on the progress made in their annual reports to the Economic and Social Council.
1084th plenary meeting,19 December 1961.
[1]1 Ibid., Sixteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 61, document A/4776. [2] Ibid., document A/4794. [3] Ibid., agenda items 12, 28, 29 and 30, document A/4911. [4] Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Thirty-second Session, Annexes, agenda item 11, document E/3547, para. 129.
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