Reforming the United Nations

Joachim Müller, D.Phil. (1988), Oxford University, is a former senior official of the United Nations system. He has published extensively on change management in international organisations, including the series on Reforming the United Nations (Brill, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2016).

• PrefaceAbbreviationsList of Figures1 Short History of UN Reform1.1 Early Years, 1946–19531.1.1 Trygve Lie of Norway1.2 Cold War and North-South Conflict, 1953–19911.2.1 Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden1.2.2 U Thant of Burma1.2.3 Kurt Waldheim of Austria1.2.4 Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru1.3 Rediscovery and Challenges, 1992–20161.3.1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt1.3.2 Kofi Annan of Ghana1.3.3 Ban Ki-moon of South Korea1.4 Reform of the Security Council2 Secretary-General António Guterres: A Difficult Start and Early Reform Priorities2.1 US President Donald Trump2.2 Guterres’s Early Reform Initiatives2.3 Sexual Exploitation and Abuse2.3.1 New Approach2.3.2 Fifth Committee Review and the Member States’ Position2.3.3 Approval of the ga Resolution on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse2.3.4 Voluntary Compact and Circle of Leadership2.4 Gender Parity2.4.1 System-Wide Strategy on Gender Parity2.5 Towards a Comprehensive Reform Agenda2.5.1 Declaration on UN Reform3 Development Pillar3.1 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR)3.1.1 Independent Team of Advisors3.1.2 QCPR Landmark Resolution 71/2433.2 Repositioning the UN Development System: First Report (A/72/124-E/2018/3)3.2.1 ECOSOC and the Second Committee of the GA Consider the First Report on the UN Development System3.3 Repositioning the UN Development System: Second Report (A/72/684–E/2018/7)3.3.1 ECOSOC Review of Reform Proposals3.3.2 Intergovernmental Consultations within the Framework of the ga3.3.3 Reform Resolution 72/2793.3.4 UNCT3.3.5 UNRC3.3.6 Regional Approach3.3.7 Funding the UN Development System3.3.8 Follow-up on the Repositioning Efforts of the UN Development System3.4 Member States’ Positions3.5 Funding Compact3.6 DESA and Regional Commissions4 The Peace and Security Pillar4.1 The High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation4.2 Budget Pressure4.3 Restructuring of the Peace and Security Architecture: First Report (A/72/525)4.3.1 Intergovernmental Consultations4.3.2 Approval of the First Report by ga Resolution 72/1994.4 Restructuring the Peace and Security Architecture: Second Report (A/72/772)4.4.1 Review by the acabq4.4.2 Approval of the Second Report4.5 Member States’ Positions4.6 Action for Peacekeeping (A4P)4.6.1 The Secretary-General Launched A4P4.6.2 The Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations4.6.3 A Peacekeeping Task Force to Support A4P4.6.4 A4P Champions5 The Management Pillar5.1 A New Management Paradigm: First Reports (A/72/492, A/72/492/Add.1)5.1.1 Staff Were Briefed on Management Reform5.1.2 The New Management Paradigm and Planning and Budget Process Are Issued5.1.3 Review by the acabq5.1.4 The Assembly Endorses the New Management Paradigm and Approves the New Planning and Budgetary Process5.2 The New Management Paradigm: Second Report (A/72/492/Add.2)5.2.1 The Second Report on the New Management Paradigm Is Issued5.2.2 ACABQ Review of the New Management Architecture5.2.3 The Secretary-General Briefs Member States on the New Management Paradigm5.2.4 The Assembly Approves the New Management Paradigm5.3 Member States’ Positions5.4 Outstanding Issues: Information and Communication Technology (ICT), The Global Service Delivery Model and Human Resources Management5.4.1 Information Technology (IT)5.4.2 The Global Service Delivery model5.4.3 Human Resources Management6 Implementation of Reform6.1 The Implementation Plan6.2 1 January 2019: Commencement of the Reform6.3 The Development Pillar6.3.1 The Second Implementation Report, April 20196.3.2 ECOSOC Reviews the Second Implementation Report6.3.3 The Third Implementation Report, April 20206.4 The Member States’ Position6.5 The Peace and Security Pillar6.6 The Management Pillar7 Reforming the United Nations: Fit for Purpose at 75?7.1 Reform Issues7.2 The Reform Process and Member States’ Position7.3 ConclusionAppendix I Short Introduction to the UN1 Governing Bodies (the GA, the Security Council, ECOSOC, the ACABQ)2 The Secretariat and Peacekeeping3 Funds, Programmes, Specialised Agencies and Related Organisations4 The UN System and the UN Development SystemAppendix II Chronology of UN Reform ProcessAppendix III UN Documents1 Secretary-General’s Reports1.1 GA-ECOSOC Report A/72/124-E/2018/3, Repositioning the United Nations Development System to Deliver on the 2030 Agenda: Ensuring a Better Future for all, Report of the Secretary-General, 11 July 2017 [See Chapter 3.2]1.2 GA Report A/72/492, Shifting the Management Paradigm in the United Nations: Ensuring a Better Future for all, Report of the Secretary-General, 27 September 2017 [See Chapter 5.1]1.3 GA Report A/72/525, Restructuring of the United Nations Peace and Security Pillar, Report of the Secretary-General, 13 October 2017 [See Chapter 4.1]1.4 GA-ECOSOC Report A/74/73–E/2019/14, Implementation of General Assembly Resolution 71/243 on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations system, 2019, Report of the Secretary-General, 15 April 2019 [See Chapter 6.1]2. Resolutions2.1 GA Resolution 71/243, Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 21 December 2016, Issued 1 February 2017 [See Chapter 3.1]2.2 GA Resolution 72/199, Restructuring of the United Nations Peace and Security Pillar, Adopted 20 December 2017, Issued 19 January 2018 [See Chapter 4.1]2.3 GA Resolution 72/236, Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 20 December 2017, Issued 18 January 2018 [See Chapter 3.2]2.4 GA Resolution 72/266 A, Shifting the Management Paradigm in the United Nations, Adopted 24 December 2017, Issued 15 January 2018 [See Chapter 5.1]2.5 GA Resolution 72/279, Repositioning of the United Nations Development System in the Context of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 31 May 2018, Issued 1 June 2018 [See Chapter 3.3]2.6 GA resolution 72/262 C iii, Revised Budget Estimates for the Period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 Related to the Peace and Security Reform, Adopted 5 July 2018, Issued 18 July 2018 [See Chapter 4.2]2.7 GA Resolution 72/266 B, Shifting the Management Paradigm in the United Nations, Adopted 5 July 2018, Issued 17 July 2018 [See Chapter 5.2]2.8 GA Resolution 73/248, Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 20 December 2018, Issued 14 January 2019 [See Chapter 3.1]2.9 ECOSOC Resolution 2019/15, Progress in the Implementation of General Assembly Resolution 71/243 on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 8 July 2019, Issued 12 July 2019 [See Chapter 6.1]2.10 GA Resolution 74/238, Operational Activities for Development of the United Nations System, Adopted 19 December 2019, Issued 10 January 2020 [See Chapter 6.1]2.11 GA Resolution 75/1, Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the United Nations, 21 September 2020 [See Chapter 7]3. ACABQ Reports3.1 GA Report A/72/7/Add.24, Shifting the Management Paradigm in the United Nations: Ensuring a Better Future for all: Improving and Streamlining the Programme Planning and Budgeting Process, Report of the acabq, 22 November 2017 [See Chapter 5.1]3.2 GA report A/72/859, Revised Budget Estimates for the Period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 Related to the Peace and Security Reform, Report of the acabq, 8 May 2018 [See Chapter 4.2]3.3 GA Report A/72/7/Add.49, Shifting the Management Paradigm in the United Nations: Implementing a New Management Architecture for Improved Effectiveness and Strengthened Accountability, Report of the acabq, 25 May 2018 [See Chapter 5.2]BibliographyIndex