[Gcap-mujeres] Annan's speech to the Core Group on UN reform

[iniciativa]

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>>>Annan Addresses Core Group on UN Reform
>>>
>>>New York, 31 August 2005 - Secretary-General's statement to the "core
>>>group" established by the President of the General Assembly to advance
>>>work on the draft outcome document for the 2005 World Summit
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thank you very much for inviting me to join this working session for a
>>>few minutes. I have been following your negotiations on the draft
>>>outcome document, and I am glad to hear that, in some areas at least,
>>>you are now making good progress. I also hear that in other areas you
>>>are still divided, and in those I can only urge you to redouble your
>>>efforts. A successful outcome at next month's summit will be a success
>>>for all of us - for all the peoples that you represent. And failure
>>>would be a lost opportunity for all. The stakes are high. Very high.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>You are now turning to the issues of Development, as well as Secretariat
>>>and management reform.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Development rightly has pride of place in your draft outcome document.
>>>One of the great achievements of the Millennium Declaration was its
>>>success in focusing the world's attention on precise targets which, if
>>>achieved by 2015, would mark a real turn of the tide in our struggle
>>>against life-destroying poverty. Since codified and widely endorsed by
>>>Member States as the "Millennium Development Goals", these targets form
>>>the basis of the great pact of mutual accountability between developed
>>>and developing countries, which was sealed at Monterey three years ago.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>We are not yet on track to achieve them, but they have proved to be an
>>>unprecedented catalyst for global action. The challenge now is to put
>>>the bargain into effect. I believe the commitments outlined in your
>>>draft document would be a big step towards doing so.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Management reform, of course, is an area where, by virtue of my office,
>>>I have a special interest.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>As you know, Excellencies, I have been striving to reform the management
>>>of this Organization, with your help, ever since I became
>>>Secretary-General - now nearly nine years ago. I believe we have
>>>achieved a great deal, but the deficiencies revealed in our management
>>>of the oil-for-food programme in Iraq, and the disgraceful misconduct
>>>that has been brought to light in some of our peacekeeping missions,
>>>have convinced me, as chief administrative officer, that more is needed.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>In the areas where I have discretion I have already embarked this year
>>>on a new wave of reforms, designed to improve the performance of senior
>>>management, to strengthen oversight and accountability, to increase
>>>transparency, and to ensure the highest standards of ethics throughout
>>>the Secretariat.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Under this last heading, we are already in the process of creating an
>>>Ethics Office, which will oversee compliance with our new financial
>>>disclosure requirements for senior officials, ensure protection for
>>>whistleblowers, develop and oversee mandatory ethics training for all
>>>staff, and provide advice to staff on ethical issues such as the
>>>propriety of receiving gifts.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I shall be happy to submit further details to the General Assembly at
>>>its next session, as suggested in the draft outcome document that you
>>>have before you.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Yet I am convinced, Excellencies, that more far-reaching reforms are
>>>needed, which require the authority of the General Assembly.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I am therefore very happy to have the chance to explain to you in person
>>>why I attach such great importance to the changes proposed in the draft
>>>outcome document, and to clear up any misunderstandings that may have
>>>arisen.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>The draft calls for a full review of the rules governing our budgetary
>>>and human resources. I believe this is necessary because these rules
>>>have been left largely untouched in the last 15 years despite the
>>>transformation of the Secretariat, which Member States have required to
>>>undertake a far wider range of operations than in the past.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>It is vital that our rules should allow us to attract, retain and
>>>develop a cadre of professionals capable of carrying out these
>>>operations, to move them from post to post in a fair and practicable
>>>way, and to rationalise a budgetary process which is far too heavy,
>>>time-consuming and bureaucratic.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>The draft also calls for an overview of all mandates older than five
>>>years. I know some of you have questioned why this should be needed,
>>>given that Regulation 5.6 already allows discontinuation of unnecessary
>>>outputs and activities.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>The answer is that this is not enough. Every year, you ask the
>>>Secretariat to undertake new tasks, often without providing additional
>>>or new resources - indeed, requiring that the budget should remain at
>>>its existing level. We have reached a point where this cannot be done
>>>without clearly prioritising the Organization's mandates, and deciding
>>>which old ones should be discontinued to make room for new ones that are
>>>considered more urgent.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I cannot do this without your help. I am willing, if asked, to carry out
>>>the suggested overview, but the choices are ones that you, and only you,
>>>can make.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Let me also explain why I believe changes are needed in the oversight
>>>structure of the Organization. One lesson we should all have learnt from
>>>the recent revelations is that we need more effective oversight, carried
>>>out by a body that is clearly independent. I mean, independent from the
>>>Secretary-General.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Yes, we have the Office of Internal Oversight Services. But under
>>>present arrangements its budget is drawn up by my staff - in other
>>>words, by some of the very people it is supposed to oversee. That is why
>>>I believe that the new body suggested in the draft outcome document -
>>>the independent oversight advisory committee - is indeed necessary. We
>>>need - or rather, you need - an expert body, appointed by the General
>>>Assembly, which can make professional recommendations for the OIOS
>>>budget each year without being dependent on input from me.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Let me stress that this not a novel or outlandish suggestion. We have
>>>studied the methods your own governments use to oversee their
>>>administration, and have found that structures similar to the one
>>>proposed are already working successfully in countries as diverse as
>>>South Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Finally, the draft would call on me to submit an implementation plan,
>>>and speaks of "ensuring that the Secretary-General has sufficient
>>>authority and flexibility to redeploy posts and resources".
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Let me be very clear that, while I would indeed welcome these
>>>provisions, I do not see them as offering me any kind of carte blanche
>>>to run the Organization on my own. I would never ask you for that, and
>>>if I did you would be quite right to refuse. In fact, all I am asking
>>>for is authority to manage the Organization similar to that which my
>>>colleagues have in the Specialised Agencies.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>The Charter designates the Secretary-General as chief administrative
>>>officer of the Organization. He must have the authority to carry out
>>>that function effectively, by taking day-to-day decisions on the
>>>deployment of staff and resources. But it is you, the General Assembly,
>>>who give him his marching orders, and it is to you that he must give an
>>>account of his stewardship.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I am convinced that none of you want a Secretariat that can always blame
>>>its failings on the Member States - or Member States blaming their
>>>failings on the Secretariat. You want a Secretariat that is given clear
>>>instructions by Member States, and then takes responsibility for its
>>>success or failure in carrying them out.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>That is what I want, too. I want the leeway to do my job properly, but
>>>the obligation always to come back to you when strategic decisions are
>>>needed. It would then be for you to decide whether the course I
>>>recommend is the right one, or whether a course correction is in order.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Dear friends,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>No one can dispute that the last two years have been very serious for us
>>>and for the system as a whole. We have seen serious problems in our
>>>system of management, and I believe all of you have read what has come
>>>to light. A solution is badly needed, and I believe that it lies in the
>>>changes that you have before you. If you decide to enact these changes,
>>>we have an answer for our critics. If not, I fear that those critics
>>>will win the argument, and the prestige and effectiveness of our
>>>Organization will continue to suffer.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Let me conclude by repeating my hope that your negotiations will result
>>>in a balanced outcome for next month's summit - one that brings about
>>>real advances in our common struggle for development, security and human
>>>rights, as well as real improvements in the effectiveness of our
>>>Organization; an outcome, in short, that justifies the journey to New
>>>York that your heads of state and government are about to make; an
>>>outcome of which they can be proud.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Mr. President, I hope I have answered some of the questions that Member
>>>States have been putting to you about your reform proposals. I would be
>>>glad now to hear directly from delegates about their concerns, so that
>>>we can understand each other fully and can move forward together.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thank you very much.
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