UN Chief Urges Reform as Over 40,000 UN Mandates Lack Review
(MENAFN) Since 1946, the United Nations has issued more than 40,000 mandates through its three main organs and their subsidiary bodies. However, 85 percent of these active mandates lack any provisions for review or termination, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres revealed on Friday.
During a briefing to UN member states on his "Report of the Mandate Implementation Review -- UN80 Initiative: Workstream 2," Guterres highlighted key challenges in mandate execution, including cumbersome procedures, overlapping functions, redundant organizational structures, and an expanding disconnect between mandates and available resources.
"But they were not resolved. In fact, as we all know, these problems have grown worse," Guterres stated at an informal General Assembly meeting focused on the next phase of the UN80 Initiative.
The Secretary-General proposed several reforms aimed at improving mandate formulation, execution, review, and evaluation. Among his recommendations was the development of digital mandate registries—accessible platforms designed to identify potential redundancies before they occur. He also called for mandates that are shorter, clearer, more focused, and adequately funded.
Last year, the UN system facilitated 27,000 meetings involving 240 bodies, with over half of all mandates requiring reports. The UN Secretariat alone generated 1,100 reports in the previous year, with 60 percent addressing recurring issues, according to Guterres.
To streamline operations, Guterres advocated for reducing the number of meetings and reports, while instituting more customized and transparent systems to monitor and report on mandate implementation.
The Secretary-General stressed that mandates belong to UN member states, emphasizing, "They are the expression of your will. And they are the sole property and responsibility of member states."
He added, the role of the United Nations "is to implement them fully, faithfully, and efficiently," and underscored his duty: "My responsibility is to ensure that the Secretariat provides the capacities and inputs required by the course of action that you choose."
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