Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 41/213 of 19 December 1986 on the review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations and its resolutions 42/211 of 21 December 1987, 43/213 of 21 December 1988 and 44/200 of 21 December 1989 on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 41/213,

Reaffirming that measures to improve the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations and to improve the planning, programming and budgeting process should aim at and contribute to strengthening the effectiveness of the Organization in dealing with political, economic and social issues in order better to achieve the purposes of and respect for the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations,

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General, the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,

Recognizing that the reform measures undertaken so far in accordance with resolution 41/213 have contributed to improving the efficiency of the Organization in certain areas,

Recognizing also that the involvement of Member States in the new planning, programming and budgeting process has facilitated a broader agreement of Member States on the programme budget of the United Nations,

Noting that, while having somewhat improved, the financial situation of the Organization remains uncertain,

1.         Takes note with appreciation of the analytical report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 41/213;

2.         Endorses the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;

3.         Renews its appeal to all Member States to demonstrate their commitment to the United Nations by, inter alia, meeting their financial obligations on time and in full in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the Financial Regulations of the United Nations;

4.         Emphasizes that the strengthening of the effectiveness of the Organization is a continuing process requiring the joint efforts of Member States and the Secretariat;

5.         Stresses that measures for the improvement of the effectiveness of the Organization should aim at the fulfilment of all its objectives;

6.         Reiterates its support for the Secretary-General in the fulfilment of his responsibility as Chief Administrative Officer;

7.         Recognizes the importance of the new budget process for the enhancement of the effectiveness of the Organization;

8.         Encourages the Secretary-General and Member States to pursue the objectives of resolution 41/213, particularly those that have yet to be met, and invites the Secretary-General to consolidate and build upon the results achieved through the reform process and to submit proposals, whenever necessary, for improvements in the administrative and financial functioning of the Organization, in order to enable it to fulfil more effectively its role;

9.         Encourages the Secretary-General to continue to implement the provisions of resolution 41/213 and other relevant resolutions on questions of personnel and posts in the Organization, particularly those that have yet to be implemented, and invites Member States and the Secretary-General to exercise maximum restraint in their proposals for the staffing table of the Organization, particularly for high-level posts;

10.       Stresses that the relationship between posts and programmes funded from the regular budget and those funded from extrabudgetary resources requires further analysis and consideration;

11.       Invites the Secretary-General to ensure greater transparency in the management and use of the extrabudgetary resources made available to the Organization in order, in particular, to assess more precisely the impact of those resources on the activities, programmes and priorities of the Organization;

12.       Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session a report on all aspects of the role and use of extrabudgetary resources, as outlined by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions in its report to the Assembly at its forty-fourth session;

13.       Encourages the intention of the Secretariat to develop management and work-load analysis techniques and invites the Secretary-General to take into account the results of such techniques in the course of his preparation of proposed programme budgets in order to ensure the full and effective implementation of all programmes and activities of the United Nations;

14.       Reiterates the importance of a comprehensive solution to the problem of all additional expenditures, including those deriving from inflation and currency fluctuation;

15.       Reiterates also the importance of the review of the procedures for the provision of statements of programme budget implications and for the use and operation of the contingency fund, and recalls that it will consider a single report on these questions at its forty-sixth session;

16.       Calls upon Member States to provide the conditions for the effective functioning of the Organization, in particular through the fulfilment of their financial obligations as set out in the Charter, in order to sustain the desirable effects of the process of reform and renewal;

17.       Decides to continue considering annually the administrative, structural and other aspects of the improvement of the efficiency of the Organization, and invites the Secretary-General to report accordingly.

B

The General Assembly,

Reiterating the importance of co-ordination as a policy instrument in improving the performance of the organizations of the United Nations system, ensuring complementarity of efforts and increasing cost-effectiveness,

Stressing again the need to strengthen the role of Member States in the relevant intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations system and of the Secretary-General with respect to system-wide co-ordination,

1.         Endorses the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination in the field of co-ordination;

2.         Endorses also the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report on the joint meetings of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination and the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination;

3.         Requests the Secretary-General to include in the annual overview report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination a section on the measures taken or envisaged to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and of the joint meetings of the two Committees;

4.         Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to make available to the General Assembly, at its forty-sixth session, the annual overview report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, together with the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination and of the Economic and Social Council on that report.

C

The General Assembly

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the status of technological innovations in the United Nations, and requests that an updated version of that report be submitted in the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993.

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