Programme planning and co-ordination within the United Nations system

  • Author: UN General Assembly (38th sess. : 1983-1984)
  • Document source:
  • Date:
    20 December 1983
 

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Programme planning and co-ordination within the United Nations system

  A Programme Planning The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 3043 (XXVII) of 19 December 1972, in which it approved the new form of presentation of the United Nations budget, Recalling also its resolutions 3199 (XXVIII) of 18 December 1973, 3534 (XXX) of 17 December 1975, 31/93 of 14 December 1976, 32/197 of 20 December 1977, 32/206 of 21 December 1977, 33/118 of 19 December 1978, 34/224 of 20 December 1979, 35/9 of 3 November 1980, 36/228 of 18 December 1981 and 37/234 of 21 December 1982, in which it elaborated further on the establishment of an integrated programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation system in the United Nations, Having considered the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination on the work of its twenty-third session, the report of the Economic and Social Council on its second regular session of 1983 and the reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, Having also considered the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, the reports of the Secretary-General on the set of rules governing programme planning, the programme aspects of the budget, the monitoring of implementation and methods of evaluation, on the integration of the programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation functions in the Secretariat of the United Nations, on the methods, procedures and timetable followed in the preparation of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, and on strengthening the capacity of the United Nations evaluation units and systems and timetable for review of the evaluation programmes, as well as the second report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the elaboration of regulations for the planning, programming and evaluation cycle of the United Nations, Concerned by the delay in the submission of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985 to the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Recalling the intention expressed by the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to improve the effectiveness of the programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation system of the United Nations, Stressing that the budgetary policy of maximum restraint should not adversely affect the efficient and effective implementation of the activities and programmes of the Organization, Taking note with satisfaction of the improvements in the quality of the presentation of programmes in various sections of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, I Medium-term plan Adopts subprogramme 5 of programme 1 of chapter 21 (Social development and humanitarian affairs) and chapter 25 (Marine affairs) of the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989, as revised by the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session and the Economic and Social Council in its resolutions 1983/48 and 1983/49 of 29 July 1983, and subject to any observations with regard to that subprogramme that may be formulated by the Third Committee of the General Assembly; II Programme planning, programme aspects of the budget, monitoring of implementation and methods of evaluation

1. Requests the Secretary-General to improve the programme analyses of all the sections of the programme budget, and to strengthen the capacity of United Nations programme planning units and systems;

2. Takes note of the assurance given by the Secretary-General that he will take appropriate measures in order to avoid delays in the future in the issuance of documentation regarding the programme budget;

3. Takes note further of the intention expressed by the Secretary-General to review the operation, structure and performance of the Secretariat in 1984;

4. Requests the Secretary-General, in undertaking the review referred to in paragraph 3 above, to take fully into account General Assembly resolution 32/197, in particular section VIII of the annex thereto as well as the related views expressed by Member States during the thirty-eighth session, and to submit his proposals on organizational changes, if any, to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his review of the Secretariat information on the measures taken to maximize and improve secretariat support to the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination, taking into account the recommendations contained in paragraphs 413 to 415 of the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session, and to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session, through the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-fourth session;

6. Urges the Secretary-General to issue as soon as possible the rules in implementation of the Regulations Governing Programme Planning, the Programming Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation, adopted by the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session, as requested by the Assembly in section II of its resolution 37/234, taking fully into account the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session;

7. Reaffirms its request to the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly with programme implications of draft resolutions being considered by the Assembly in accordance with the following general guidelines:

(a) Each statement should be an integrated statement of programme, financial and administrative implications;

(b) Each statement should indicate how the activities proposed in the draft resolution fulfil or reinforce the objectives and strategies of current legislative mandate;

(c) Each statement should provide, for decision by the General Assembly:

(i) An analysis and recommendation of the Secretary-General for the funding of the proposed activities;

(ii) An analysis of alternative solutions to the funding of the proposed activities through existing or additional appropriations;

(iii) Further indications of clear implications with regard to the existing programmes within the relevant sections of the programme budget, in the case of possible funding through existing resources;

8. Decides that the adoption of new resolutions by the General Assembly will not imply the elimination of existing activities or programmes carried out as a result of legislative mandates, nor the elimination or reduction of resources appropriated to them by the Assembly, unless the Assembly expressly decides otherwise;

9. Decides that the fact that the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination will not normally be in a position to review the programme implications statements during the General Assembly should not prevent or delay their adoption by the Assembly, and their subsequent implementation by the Secretariat, unless the Assembly decides otherwise;

10. Decides that the review of integrated programme, financial and administrative implications statements shall be subject to the same procedures as specified in rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly for the review of administrative and financial implications statements by the Assembly;

11. Decides that the new methods and procedures for the provision of programme, financial and administrative implications statements should apply initially only to draft resolutions and decisions submitted to the General Assembly during its sessions;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fortieth session, through the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-fifth session, on the experience gained in implementing paragraph 7 above, in order for the Assembly to review the situation;

III Strengthening the capacity of United Nations evaluation units and systems and timetable for review of evaluation programme requested under General Assembly resolutions 36/228 B and 37/234, section II

1. Reaffirms its resolution 36/228 B and deplores the continuing failure to implement its provisions;

2. Reiterates the need to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations evaluation units and systems, in particular those in the regional commissions, in accordance with the estimates of the Secretary-General contained in his report;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to review all the possibilities available to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations evaluation units and systems, including a timetable for the adequate establishment of such units in all departments as called for in General Assembly resolution 36/228 B and measures for redeployment of resources, prior to the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly, and to report to the Assembly thereon at that session;

4. Takes note with satisfaction of the progress made in improving the quality of the in-depth evaluation studies in specific programme areas, and stresses the need to develop a comprehensive evaluation system along the lines of the recommendations contained in paragraphs 189 to 197 of the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination;

5. Endorses the recommendations and conclusions of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session on the in-depth evaluation of work of the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat and on the timetable for intergovernmental review of in-depth and triennial evaluation studies;

IV Technical co-operation activities of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization financed by the United Nations Development Programme in the field of manufactures

1. Endorses the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session and Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/49, section II, on the above topic;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-fourth session his comprehensive report, taking into account the views of the Permanent Committee of the Industrial Development Board at its twentieth session and of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme at its next organizational session.

B Co-ordination within the United Nations system The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 32/197 of 20 December 1977, Aware of the need for continuous improvement in the effectiveness of the co-ordination of the activities of the United Nations system, I Conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination

1. Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session on the annual report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination for 1982-1983;

2. Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session and Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/50 and decision 1983/173 of 28 July 1983 on the Joint Meetings of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination;

3. Requests the Economic and Social Council to include in its review of the functioning of the Joint Meetings of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination at its organizational session for 1984, consideration of the question of and application of paragraph 12 of General Assembly resolution 31/93 of 14 December 1976;

4. Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session on the cross-organizational programme analysis of marine affairs and on future cross-organizational programme analyses;

5. Requests the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-fourth session and the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1984 to review the initial report on the cross-organizational programme analysis of economic and technical co-operation among developing countries;

6. Endorses Economic and Social Council resolutions 1983/76, 1983/77 and 1983/78 of 29 July 1983 relating to the cross-organizational reviews of selected major sectors in the medium-term plans of the organizations of the United Nations system;

7. Endorses the recommendation of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session on the co-ordination of food and agriculture activities in Asia and the Pacific by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations;

II Other conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination Notes with satisfaction and endorses the other conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-third session on the programme and plan of activities of the Joint United Nations Information Committee on the implementation of the recommendations made on the mineral resources programme by the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its twenty-second session and on the report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination on the strengthening of the co-ordination of information systems in the United Nations system; III Implications of the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the programme, financial and administrative implications of the recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination.
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