VZCZCXYZ0019
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #2124/01 3101801
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061801Z NOV 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0692

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002124 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC KUNR UNGA
SUBJECT: UN OVERSIGHT: OIOS REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL 
POLITICAL MISSIONS 
 
REF: A/61/357 
 
 ¶1. SUMMARY: The Office of Internal Oversight Services 
(OIOS), in response to General Assembly resolution 60/255, 
conducted an audit of the management of special political 
missions by the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). 
Special political missions are involved in the prevention and 
control and resolution of conflicts, including post-conflict 
peacebuilding. The findings of the review (outlined in report 
A/61/357) cited unclear mandates and resulting duplication 
between DPA and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations 
(DPKO), as well as a need to improve budgetary processes, as 
key issues. The review concluded with 15 recommendations for 
the management of special political missions. The 
recommendations centered on clarification of the 
jurisdictions of DPA and DPKO; establishment of better 
coordination between DPA and DPKO through interdepartmental 
working groups and standard operating procedures; and reform 
of the budgetary process. OIOS also recommended the 
delineation of the specific roles of DPA and the 
Peacebuilding Support Office.  DPA and DPKO have accepted 
these recommendations and have started to implement them. The 
Executive Office of the Secretary-General did not comment on 
those recommendations that impact that office. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. Based on comments made by ACABQ (A/60/7/Add.37), the 
General Assembly felt that a review of DPA's management of 
special political missions would be helpful. The review was 
necessitated by the continuing expansion of complex special 
political missions, as well as the creation of the 
Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support 
Office.  Due to the importance of policy, oversight and 
managerial guidance in the success of special political 
missions, effective coordination and oversight between UN 
departments is essential. The main objectives of the OIOS 
audit were to (a) assess DPA's ability to guide and manage 
special political missions; (b) review the appropriateness of 
related policies and procedures; and (c) determine the 
sufficiency of internal controls. 
 
¶3. The review found that the Department's ability to backstop 
missions and efficiently recruit qualified personnel are both 
improving. However, the rapid expansion (in size and number) 
of special political missions has complicated processes and 
management, and effectiveness requires clearer roles and 
coordination among stakeholders. 
 
¶4. OIOS found that risk of duplication occurs in special 
political missions because DPKO and DPA have few established 
coordination procedures and sometimes overlapping mandates. 
The departments were intended to have different roles and 
responsibilities with regard to political and peacekeeping 
operations - DPKO is the operational arm for peackeeping 
missions, whereas DPA addresses post-conflict peacebuilding 
and preventative diplomacy. However, there are increasingly 
overlapping areas of activity, particularly due to the 
increase of complex missions. Additionally, frequent 
collaboration is required because DPA lacks the logistical 
support capacity required for some of its field activities. 
The Secretary-General has instituted a "lead department 
policy" to establish a commanding department for each 
mission, but the policy lacks clear criteria and transparency 
with regard to decision making. 
 
¶5. Review of the existing mandates for each department is 
also essential in order to provide greater clarity.  The DPA 
mandate needs to be restructured to account for overlap with 
DPKO and for the establishment of the Peacebuilding 
Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office, all of which 
have related functions. 
 
¶6. There is also a need to clarify budgetary processes, as 
funding for all special political missions is included in 
DPA's budget section, although DPA is not the lead department 
for all of these missions. The ACABQ has also requested a 
logical categorization of the work programs in budget 
submissions. The report noted a lack of documented procedures 
and evidence for justifying expenses and resources, as well 
as the absence of annual performance reports and variance 
analysis of mission budgets to improve efficiency and target 
weak areas. The efficient use of resources is hampered by 
inadequate control and oversight of budgets.  OIOS determined 
that there is a need for better performance indicators and 
policies or procedures for improving efficiency and 
communication.  Management must develop standard operating 
procedures for communication between headquarters and 
missions, as well as for determining and applying lessons 
learned. Additionally, exit strategies must be developed for 
special political missions. 
 
¶7. OIOS issued 15 recommendations that covered four broad 
areas: 
- Updating mandates to reflect each department's 
 
 
responsibility for directing special political missions, the 
establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and the 
Peacebuilding Support Office, and institution of the lead 
department policy. 
- Establishment of better coordination between DPA and DPKO 
through the clarification of the Secretary-General's lead 
department policy, working-level methodologies and the 
formation of interdepartmental working groups to create 
coordination procedures. 
- Reform of the budgetary process, including the creation of 
an oversight mechanism in the form of an operational 
agreement between DPA and DPKO, the formation of a working 
group to revise and oversee the budget, and enhancement of 
budgetary controls through performance reports of 
expenditures in order to better address accountability for 
budget resources of field missions. 
-Improvement of management and communication within DPA by 
strengthening standard operating procedures and creation of 
performance indicators. 
 
¶8.  DPA and DPKO have accepted these recommendations and have 
started to implement them. The Executive Office of the 
Secretary-General did not comment on those recommendations 
 
SIPDIS 
that impact that office. 
 
¶9.  COMMENT:  The review raises a number of important issues 
regarding the management of special political missions and 
will be discussed by the Fifth Committee at the same time 
that the Committee considers the 2007 budgets for special 
political missions.  USUN hopes that, in implementing the 
OIOS recommendations, Member States will be provided with 
more useful information for budgetary decisions in the future 
and that the Secretariat will be in a position to more 
efficiently manage special political missions.  END COMMENT. 
BOLTON