Cross-Cutting Issues

A/RES/65/289No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 143Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, published in 2011.

What other versions does this mandate have?

6 versions · 2010–2022

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/76/274

2022A/RES/76/274Cross-cutting issuesLatestCompare with previous version
2016A/RES/70/286Cross-cutting issuesCompare with previous version
2015A/RES/69/307Cross-cutting issuesCompare with previous version
2012A/RES/66/264Cross-cutting issuesCompare with previous version
2011A/RES/65/289Cross-cutting issuesCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

17 topics

Aviation Security Codes of Conduct Field Offices Financial Management Military Personnel Motor Fuels Operational Activities Peacebuilding Peacekeeping Operations Personnel Management Purchasing Reimbursement Sex Crimes Staffing Temporary Employment Training Programmes Troop-Contributing States

What does this mandate say?

90 operative paragraphs

1.Reaffirms its resolutions 57/290 B, 59/296, 60/266, 61/276 and 64/269, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure the full implementation of their relevant provisions;

Appreciates the efforts of all peacekeeping personnel in the field and at Headquarters;

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Overview of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations: budget performance for the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 and budget for the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012”,Error: Reference source not found the reports of the Secretary-General on the progress of training in peacekeeping,Error: Reference source not found on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse,Error: Reference source not found on United Nations air operations,Error: Reference source not found on progress in the implementation of the global field support strategy and on its standardized funding modelError: Reference source not found and on the welfare and recreation needs of all categories of personnel and detailed implications,Error: Reference source not found as well as the related reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;Error: Reference source not found

Also takes note of the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on peacekeeping operations;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee, subject to the provisions of the present resolution, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure their full implementation;

I.Budget presentation and financial management

Takes note of paragraph 24 of the report of the Advisory Committee;Error: Reference source not found

Reiterates that the delegation of authority on the part of the Secretary-General should be to facilitate the better management of the Organization, but stresses that the overall responsibility for management of the Organization rests with the Secretary-General as its Chief Administrative Officer;

Affirms the need for the Secretary-General to ensure that the delegation of authority to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support of the Secretariat and to field missions is in strict compliance with relevant resolutions and decisions, as well as with relevant rules and procedures of the General Assembly on this matter;

Stresses that heads of departments report and are accountable to the Secretary-General;

Reiterates the importance of strengthened accountability in the Organization and of ensuring greater accountability of the Secretary-General to Member States, inter alia, for the effective and efficient implementation of legislative mandates and the use of human and financial resources;

Notes that the compacts with senior managers are meant to improve the management of the Organization, inter alia, by increasing accountability and transparency at the senior level, and in this regard urges the Secretary-General to implement measures that adequately address the performance of senior managers, especially with regard to achieving goals and targets;

Recalls paragraph 4 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and emphasizes that all field missions shall be provided with adequate resources for the effective and efficient discharge of their respective mandates and that the transition of peacekeeping operations to peacebuilding may entail a change in resource requirements;

Welcomes the timely issuance of budget proposals for peacekeeping operations by the Secretary-General;

Recalls paragraph 10 of section I of resolution 64/269;

Stresses the importance of further steps by the Secretary-General towards improving budget presentations and making more accurate forecasts;

Takes note of paragraph 5 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found emphasizes that all field missions shall be provided with adequate resources for the effective and efficient discharge of their respective mandates, and stresses that the current level of peacekeeping activity should have scalable implications on resource requirements, taking into consideration the number, size and complexity of peacekeeping operations;

Requests the Secretary-General to intensify his efforts to achieve economies of scale within and between field missions without undermining their operational requirements and the implementation of their respective mandates and to report thereon in the context of the overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

Notes the establishment of a resource efficiency group in the Department of Field Support, in this regard concurs with the recommendations contained in paragraph 28 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and encourages further such initiatives by the Secretary-General, both at Headquarters and at the mission level;

Recalls paragraph 59 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly with information in this regard in the context of the next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations for its consideration;

II.Personnel issues

Expresses its appreciation to all United Nations personnel performing functions related to peacekeeping, in particular those serving in hardship duty stations under some of the most difficult conditions;

Pays tribute to all United Nations peacekeepers who have been wounded in the line of duty or who have made the ultimate sacrifice while working in the pursuit of peace;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide, in the context of the next report on the overview of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, updates on the implementation in United Nations field missions of human resources management reforms, in particular those contained in its resolution 65/247 of 24 December 2010;

Notes the variety of human resources management initiatives that the Organization has undertaken since the adoption by the General Assembly of its resolution 63/250 on 24 December 2008, and recognizes that the continued implementation of the reform initiatives will better equip the Organization to address a variable and demanding environment in which integration and harmonization will provide the basis for longer-term efficiencies in productivity and an improved work environment that will, in turn, better enable the Organization to meet its mandates;

Recalls paragraph 47 of the report of the Advisory Committee;Error: Reference source not found

Recognizes the importance of welfare and recreation for personnel serving in peacekeeping operations, bearing in mind that welfare and recreation also contribute to strengthening morale and discipline;

Takes note of paragraph 52 of the report of the Advisory Committee; Error: Reference source not found

Recalls section VII of resolution 63/250, and reiterates its request contained in paragraph 34 of resolution 65/247;

Recognizes the need of the Organization for a mechanism to address rapidly changing situations in the field, and in this regard requests comprehensive information regarding the use of the temporary duty assignment mechanism and its implications for the regular recruitment process;

Notes the use by the Secretary-General of temporary vacancy announcements to address the issue of lengthy recruitment processes, stresses the need to expedite the filling of vacancies through the regular recruitment process, and requests the Secretary-General to provide information on the impact of using temporary vacancy announcements on the regular recruitment process in the field and at Headquarters in the context of his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

Recalls paragraph 19 of section C of its resolution 65/248 of 24 December 2010;

Emphasizes the importance of further steps to make training programmes more relevant and cost-effective through, inter alia, the training of trainers and the use of videoconferencing and e-learning where feasible, and stresses that travel for training purposes should be kept under close review;

Notes the increasing role of national staff in peacekeeping operations and the need to build national capacities and to provide professional development opportunities for national staff, and emphasizes that national staff should be fully included in all relevant training programmes;

Recalls paragraph 132 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found notes the generally positive findings of the evaluation of the Senior Mission Administration and Resource Training Programme carried out in 2010, and looks forward to additional information on the impact of the training programme on improved performance;

Also recalls paragraph 4 of section II of resolution 64/269, and requests the Secretary-General to take urgent measures to eliminate the existing backlog of death and disability claims pending for more than three months and to report on the progress made to the General Assembly at the second part of its resumed sixty-sixth session;

Further recalls paragraph 55 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found requests the Secretary-General to ensure cost-effectiveness and a high level of service to troop- and police-contributing countries, without affecting their operational requirements, underscores the need for close coordination with troop- and police-contributing countries, and requests the Secretary-General to include further information in his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

III.Operational requirements

Underlines the need for the United Nations to improve the management of its ground transportation in order to achieve maximum operational efficiency, and urges the Secretary-General to accelerate and strengthen his efforts in this regard and to submit concrete proposals in his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

Notes that fuel is a major item of expenditure and that its management is vulnerable to serious risk of fraud and abuse;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that all peacekeeping missions are provided with the necessary fuel supplies in an uninterrupted manner to ensure their smooth functioning, without jeopardizing safety, and that measures aimed at increasing efficiencies, including the use of turnkey contracts, must not undermine the operational needs and safety of the mission;

Also requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its resumed sixty-seventh session in the context of his overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations on all aspects of fuel management, including on the implementation of the Department of Field Support Fuel Operations Manual, the feasibility of introducing a global electronic fuel management system, the status of strategic reserve stocks of fuel for contingency purposes, the preparation and application of standard operating procedures for fuel management and the results of the assessment of fuel support costs and performance for several missions, including the comparison of turnkey and in-house models, as well as on efforts aimed at factoring in the cost of fuel when awarding contracts for vehicles and aircraft;

Stresses that the effective management of rations means ensuring that United Nations peacekeepers receive sufficient rations of appropriate quality for three meals per day, including planning, organizing and controlling the operations from the initial requisition to the final payment to suppliers, as well as accurate and reliable record-keeping and filing;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that all missions monitor and evaluate the quality management systems of rations contractors to ensure that food quality and hygienic conditions are in accordance with established standards;

Urges the Secretary-General to continue to implement the new standard ratios for personal information and communications technology equipment on the basis of the 2010 review and to ensure the most appropriate level of service with regard to satellite communications and Internet services in each location within missions, taking into account operational requirements;

Recalls paragraph 61 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and requests the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive assessment of the efficiencies and effectiveness, including savings achieved and impact, of turnkey arrangements in his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure that the utilization of systems contracts is subject to prior full analysis of all costs, in accordance with current practice;

Emphasizes that concerted efforts should be made to identify potential vendors in developing countries and countries with economies in transition and to increase the representation from those countries in the bidding for and award of contracts so as to develop a supplier base that is more representative of the membership of the Organization;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly at the second part of its resumed sixty-sixth session with a comprehensive analysis of the administrative and budgetary aspects of the role and implementation of the integrated operational teams;

IV.Air operations

Stresses that efforts to explore possibilities for economies of scale and efficiencies in air operations must not undermine safety and operational requirements or rotation and troop deployment cycles for each peacekeeping operation;

Recalls paragraph 77 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and stresses the need to evaluate the full range and overall cost efficiency of factors involved in air services, including fuel consumption, maintenance costs and safety and security considerations;

Also recalls paragraph 13 of the report of the Secretary-General on the budget of the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, Italy, for the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, and stresses that the procurement process should ensure that acquired air assets correspond to the operational requirements of missions;

Recognizes the launch of a pilot project on transition to the request for proposal methodology for the acquisition of air services, notes that best value for money is one of the four key principles for United Nations procurement, along with fairness, integrity and transparency; effective international competition; and the interest of the United Nations, according to the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, and reiterates its request to the Secretary-General in paragraph 25 of its resolution 62/269 of 20 June 2008 to report to the General Assembly on clear guidelines for the implementation of the best value for money methodology in United Nations procurement, including all specifics of the weighted evaluation techniques, and to submit a report on the results of the pilot project;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure full transparency in developing the request for proposal methodology, and emphasizes that the development of requests for proposal shall be driven by the operational requirements of the Organization;

Takes note of the United Nations Common Aviation Safety Standards, requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization Standards and Recommended Practices, with the objective of meeting the operational requirements of mandate delivery in the field, and also requests the Secretary-General to report, in the context of his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, on the differences between the International Civil Aviation Organization Standards and Recommended Practices and the United Nations Common Aviation Safety Standards;

Recalls paragraph 21 of section VI of resolution 64/269;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide an update on the status of the Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme and its financial implications, as well as a detailed analysis of the governance of United Nations air operations and overall resource levels, including information on the effective and efficient provision of backstopping functions and information and communications technology support, in the context of his next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

V.Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation

Recalls section IV of resolution 64/269;

Reaffirms the need for full implementation of the United Nations policy of zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping operations;

Stresses that in the case of any violations of standards, appropriate action will be taken within the authority of the Secretary-General, while criminal and disciplinary responsibility in respect of members of national contingents will depend on the national law of the Member State;

Emphasizes that all acts of sexual exploitation and abuse should be investigated and punished without delay in accordance with due process of law as well as with memorandums of understanding that have been concluded between the United Nations and Member States;

Confirms that no payment, including payment under paragraph 72 below, will be made in respect of individual peacekeepers who have been repatriated for disciplinary reasons, such as violation of the United Nations policy of zero tolerance;

Recalls its resolution 62/214 of 21 December 2007 containing the United Nations Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel and calls for its continued implementation, and in this regard stresses the importance of addressing, in a comprehensive manner, the needs of all victims of sexual exploitation and abuse;

Takes note of paragraphs 10 and 18 of the report of the Secretary-General on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse;Error: Reference source not found

Expresses concern at the number of investigations that have not been completed, and encourages continued efforts to address the backlog, in accordance with memorandums of understanding, where applicable;

Remains concerned about the new cases of sexual exploitation and abuse reported, and notes the continuing decline in the number of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, but regrets that the proportion of allegations of the most egregious forms of sexual exploitation and abuse has not decreased;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts with regard to standardized training and awareness-raising on sexual exploitation and abuse matters;

Welcomes the efforts of the Conduct and Discipline Unit at Headquarters and of the conduct and discipline teams in the field, and notes with appreciation the regularly updated website dedicated to conduct and discipline, including statistical information, which helps the Department of Field Support to evaluate progress and Member States to gain a better understanding of the policies of the United Nations in dealing with conduct and discipline issues;

Requests an update on progress in implementing the United Nations Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel in the next overview report on the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations;

Encourages the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force to strengthen its leadership role in the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by United Nations Staff and Related Personnel;

Notes with appreciation the actions taken to prevent unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct from damaging the credibility of any United Nations peacekeeping mission or troop- or police-contributing country or United Nations peacekeeping personnel, and requests that the Secretary-General take appropriate measures in this regard and that he continue to ensure that prompt actions are taken to restore the image and credibility of any United Nations peacekeeping mission, troop- or police-contributing country or United Nations peacekeeping personnel when allegations of misconduct are, ultimately, legally unproven;

VI.Other issues

Notes with concern the difficulties experienced by Member States in providing the data requested through the survey questionnaire under the provisions of General Assembly resolution 63/285 of 30 June 2009, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to intensify the efforts of the Secretariat, in particular the Department of Field Support and the Department of Management, to work closely with troop-contributing countries with a view to facilitating data collection and assisting in the completion of the questionnaire, in order to maintain the process within the envisaged time frame;

Notes that the last review of troop costs was in 1992, with a subsequent ad hoc increase in 2002, and that troop-contributing countries have expressed concern that this has placed a difficult financial burden on them, which they assert could jeopardize the sustainability of participation in peacekeeping operations;

Recalls that all United Nations peacekeepers must act in a manner that preserves the image, credibility, impartiality and integrity of the United Nations;

Decides to provide, on an exceptional basis, a one-time supplemental payment of 85 million United States dollars to troop-contributing countries during the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, without prejudice to the integrity of the process set forth in resolution 63/285;

Requests the Secretary-General to establish, by October 2011, a senior advisory group consisting of five eminent persons of relevant experience appointed by the Secretary-General, five representatives from major troop contributors, five representatives from major financial contributors and one member from each regional group, to consider rates of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries and related issues;

Decides that the senior advisory group shall complete its work as soon as practicable;

Notes with concern the recurrence of problems previously identified by the Board of Auditors in regard to the management of expendable and non-expendable property;

Stresses the importance of the Secretary-General’s stewardship of the management of assets for peacekeeping, including expendable and non-expendable property and strategic deployment stocks, and reiterates its requests to the Secretary-General to strengthen internal controls in the management of those assets to ensure adequate safeguards that would prevent waste and financial loss to the Organization;

Recalls section I, paragraph 14, of resolution 64/269, and requests the Secretary-General to submit the report requested in that paragraph to the General Assembly at the second part of its resumed sixty-sixth session;

Notes that the strategy for early peacebuilding is still being developed by the Secretariat, and, in this regard, requests the Secretary-General to consult closely with Member States, the Peacebuilding Commission, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and all relevant Secretariat entities throughout the process of preparing the strategy, and underlines that specific peacebuilding tasks undertaken by peacekeeping missions should be based on priorities of the country concerned and on the specific context, in accordance with the principle of national ownership;

VII.Global field support strategy

Expresses its appreciation for the inclusive and participatory approach taken by the Secretary-General in developing and implementing the global field support strategy, and encourages the Secretary-General to continue to intensify close consultations with Member States, in particular troop-contributing countries, in the implementation of the global field support strategy;

Recognizes the challenges faced by the Organization in providing logistical, administrative and information and communications technology support for peacekeeping operations, and expresses its appreciation for the efforts made by the Secretary-General to present an integrated approach to enable more timely mission start-up and deployment and to improve quality, efficiency and economy of scale in the delivery of services to field missions;

Recalls paragraph 143 of the report of the Advisory Committee;Error: Reference source not found

Also recalls paragraph 156 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and encourages the Secretary-General to continue to work in close consultation with Member States, in particular troop- and police-contributing countries, in further developing predefined modules and service packages;

Requests the Secretary-General, in a manner consistent with the objectives of the global field support strategy, to take into account the risks involved in using single-source or multifunctional contracts in developing further proposals related to logistics modules, as well as applicable limitations on the number of United Nations commodities codes per vendor;

Recalls paragraph 157 of the report of the Advisory Committee,Error: Reference source not found and requests the Secretary-General to include all relevant information regarding the development and implementation of predefined modules and service packages in his next annual progress report;

Emphasizes the importance of enabling capacities in the effective deployment of service packages in field missions, and requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly with information on various options available for enabling capacities in his next progress report for its consideration;

Recalls paragraphs 12 and 14 of section VI of resolution 64/269, and emphasizes the role of the Global Service Centre at Brindisi, Italy, in delivering and managing predefined modules and service packages;

Reaffirms paragraph 16 of section VI of resolution 64/269, in which it stressed that functions primarily involving interactions with Member States, particularly troop-contributing countries, would continue to be located at Headquarters;

Notes with appreciation the performance of the Transportation and Movements Integrated Control Centre at Entebbe, Uganda;

Notes the results achieved to date in enhancing effective service delivery through the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe;

Recognizes the potential of the Peacekeeping Reserve Fund and the strategic deployment stocks in playing a crucial role in rapid mission start-up and expansion, and requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly with information on the implementation of paragraphs 8 and 9 of section VI of resolution 64/269;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the General Assembly, on an annual basis and in a consolidated manner, with information on the financial and human resources provided by client missions to the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe and on the shares of the resource requirements for the individual client missions provided in their respective budget proposals, as well as information on the vacancy rates, expenditures and budget performance of the Centre.

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