Progress Towards an Accountability System in the United Nations Secretariat

A/RES/77/280View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 136Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

10 versions · 2012–2023

2023A/RES/77/280Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations SecretariatLatestCompare with previous version
2020A/RES/74/271Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations SecretariatCompare with previous version
2019A/RES/73/289Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations SecretariatCompare with previous version
2018A/RES/72/303Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations SecretariatCompare with previous version
2017A/RES/71/283Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations SecretariatCompare with previous version

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

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

4 entities

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Accountability Delegation of Authority Internal Oversight Performance Appraisal Programme Evaluation Results-Based Management

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2023.

2023A/78/678Thirteenth progress report on accountability : strengthening accountability in the United Nations Secretariat report of the Secretary-General

Identified automatically from the metadata in each report’s UN Digital Library catalogue record.

What does this mandate say?

25 operative paragraphs

77280

Progress towards an accountability system in the United Nations Secretariat

Takes note of the twelfth progress report of the Secretary-General on accountability: strengthening accountability in the United Nations Secretariat;

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee, subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Welcomes the continued efforts of the Secretary-General towards a strong culture of accountability throughout the United Nations Secretariat, stresses that accountability is a central principle of management reform, and requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to ensure a strong culture of accountability and to ensure compliance with regulations and rules, and the achievement of results;

Reaffirms that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate Main Committee of the General Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters, and also reaffirms the role of the Fifth Committee in carrying out a thorough analysis and approving human and financial resources and policies, with a view to ensuring full, effective and efficient implementation of all mandated programmes and activities and the implementation of policies in this regard;

Recognizes the importance of results-based management and performance reporting, requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts aimed at strengthening the implementation of results-based management, including through improving effective capacity-building and training programmes, programme monitoring and reporting, and to further increase the use of data and analysis as a strategic tool to inform decision-making, including by Member States, and to report on its impact on shifting the Organization towards a culture of results in the Secretariat in his next progress report;

Recalls paragraph 15 of the report of the Advisory Committee and requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide information on deliverables and results, and on the integrated planning, management and reporting system, in relevant reports, including on the harmonization of frameworks for planning and performance reporting, with a view to strengthening the overall efficiency of the United Nations accountability system;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue identifying further possible areas where harmonization in the reporting procedures is necessary and to provide information thereon in his next accountability report;

Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that activities promote cost-efficiency and transparency and are implemented in accordance with the United Nations legislative framework, including the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, while maintaining full accountability to the General Assembly;

Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to provide in his next progress report an analysis of compliance with the management objectives and performance measures of senior managers’ compacts, in particular with targets stipulated in the compacts, and to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in cases of non-compliance;

Stresses that senior managers’ compacts and staff members’ workplans should be aligned with approved programme activities;

Reiterates that the timely submission of documents is an important aspect of the accountability of the Secretariat to Member States, notes the need for the ongoing efforts to address the underlying challenges related to documentation, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to ensure the continued inclusion in the senior managers’ compacts of a related managerial indicator, and to provide information in his next progress report on how this indicator is used to improve senior managers’ accountability and the timely submission of documents;

Recalls paragraph 24 of the report of the Advisory Committee, and requests the Secretary-General to urge his senior managers to meet the geographical targets contained in the senior managers’ compacts;

Also recalls paragraph 55 of the report of the Advisory Committee, and notes that future progress reports of the Secretary-General on accountability in the United Nations Secretariat will continue to include the current annexes;

Further recalls paragraph 31 of the report of the Advisory Committee, and stresses the importance of the Secretary-General ensuring the Organization’s performance management processes remain effective and that the performance rating system reflects actual performance;

Stresses the continued need for a well-functioning system of delegation of authority through clear delineation and well-defined roles and responsibilities of individuals at all levels to whom authority is delegated, reporting mechanisms on the monitoring of delegated authority, risk mitigation and safeguard measures, and response mechanisms in cases of mismanagement or abuse of authority;

Recalls paragraphs 35 and 37 of the report of the Advisory Committee, and requests the Secretary-General to clarify the relationship between Headquarters and field locations during the establishment of missions and during periods of mission transition, regarding the delegation of authority, and to provide information in his next progress report;

Also recalls paragraph 48 of the report of the Advisory Committee, notes the issuance of the Handbook on Fraud and Corruption Awareness to contribute to the anti-fraud and anti-corruption framework in the United Nations, and encourages the Secretary-General to make it available in all six official languages where beneficial for external engagement, within existing resources and without creating a precedent, and to continue his efforts to develop risk prevention and response to address the critical risks identified;

Stresses the indispensable roles of external and internal oversight mechanisms, carried out through regular audit reviews and the issuance of pertinent recommendations, and that the full and timely implementation of the recommendations of oversight bodies, which are aimed at strengthening the performance of managers in monitoring the activities for which they are held accountable, is an essential part of any effective system of accountability;

Notes with appreciation the progress made on conduct and disciplinary issues, including the revision of the policy addressing discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to undertake a cultural change in order to ensure a workplace where discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and abuse of authority are not tolerated, perpetrators are held accountable and staff feel safe to report misconduct;

Recalls paragraph 56 of the report of the Advisory Committee, emphasizes that full transparency is crucial to ensuring accountability, and requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to enhance transparency, including through providing legislative and oversight bodies with access to digital data platforms and portals, as appropriate for the delivery of their respective mandates;

Also recalls paragraph 57 of the report of the Advisory Committee, and trusts that the next progress report will include information on the Organization’s use of a common definition of accountability in the United Nations Secretariat;

Further recalls its resolution 64/259 and the definition of accountability provided therein, which includes the obligation of the Secretariat and its staff members to be answerable for all decisions and actions taken by them without exception in order to achieve objectives and high-quality results in a timely and cost-effective manner, in fully implementing and delivering on all mandates to the Secretariat approved by the United Nations intergovernmental bodies and other subsidiary organs established by them;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that his bulletins are fully in line with relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly;

Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure that all relevant resolutions, including those of a cross-cutting nature, pertaining to the work of specific departments, offices and other entities are brought to the attention of the relevant managers and taken into account in the conduct of their activities.

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