Accomplishments
Strengthening Oversight and Accountability
• Former U.S. Comptroller and head of the GAO, David Walker, now heads the Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) of the United Nations, which acts as an expert advisory board to assist the General Assembly in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities.
• The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) — which performs internal audits, inspections, evaluations and investigations within the UN System — has increased its capacity to handle investigations, provide internal auditing, and evaluate peacekeeping missions.
Recruiting and Maintaining Quality Staff
• As of July 2009, streamlined contractual arrangements have been implemented so that there are now only three types of appointments under a single set of staff rules. This replaces a complex system of multiple contracts and will reduce inefficiencies.
• Conditions of service have been harmonized among staff at Headquarters and in the field, which helps to promote staff mobility and fairness. It also ensures the UN recruits and maintains high-quality staff.
• The UN has stopped the practice of issuing permanent contracts, in order to ensure that only the most qualified people remain on staff.
• The recruitment process has been streamlined and the time to bring staff onboard has been shortened.
Professionalizing Internal Justice
• A new independent and more expedient internal justice system became operational on July 1, 2009. The two-tiered system uses the UN Dispute Tribunal and UN Appeals Tribunal to address disputes among staff and managers.
Strengthening the UN’s work
• In 2009 the General Assembly agreed to give the Secretary General limited budgetary discretion of $30 million to respond to crises and emerging situations, such as the H1N1 flu.
• In September 2009, UN member countries voted to consolidate the four UN offices confronting women’s issues into a single, more robust entity. This entity will give women’s issues a stronger voice within the UN system while reducing overlap and enhancing policy coherence and financial efficiency.
• In 2007, the UN launched “Delivering as One” to streamline the work of all UN funds and programs in eight pilot countries. This program will allow agencies like UNDP, UNICEF, and WFP to better coordinate UN development assistance in the field, as well as reducing administration costs and improving efficiency.
Reforming Budgetary Process and Accountability
• The Secretary General is developing an framework that would make staff and managers more accountable for their performance.
• The Secretary General will also suggest ways to streamline and strengthen the budgetary process to address inefficiencies and reduce unnecessary UN reports.
Improving business practices and internal controls
• The UN is replacing its outdated information management system with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP will streamline the management of operations, resources, and staff; reduce business processes by over 70 percent; and save the UN hundreds of millions of dollars. Once implemented, ERP will also enhance internal controls and ensure the UN meets International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). |
