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DE RUCNDT #0307/01 0952250
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 042250Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4053
INFO RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000307 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC UUNR UNGA
SUBJECT: 62ND UNGA: FIFTH COMMITTEE APPROVES RESOLUTION TO 
STRENGTHEN INVESTIGATIONS 
 
¶1.  Members of the Fifth Committee formally approved a draft 
resolution (full text - para 4) on March 28 aimed at 
strengthening investigations within the UN.  The resolution 
welcomes efforts already being made by the Office of Internal 
Oversight Services (OIOS) to improve the conduct of 
investigations and encourages OIOS to build the capacity of 
UN staff through enhanced training programs to support 
administrative inquiries and investigations.  The Fifth 
Committee deferred a decision on whether to approve OIOS' 
proposed relocation of its investigators to three regional 
hubs until this matter can be considered by the Committee 
during discussions of the peacekeeping support account which 
are scheduled for the second resumed session in May.  On 
April 3, the General Assembly formally adopted the text 
approved by the Fifth Committee. 
 
¶2.  Despite the efforts of Singapore during the Fifth 
Committee's consideration of reports by the Secretary-General 
and OIOS on strengthening investigations (A/62/582 and Annex) 
to pose question after question to OIOS concerning the 
protection of due process rights of UN staff who may be the 
targets of internal probes, most other delegations agreed on 
the need to strengthen the investigations function within the 
UN, to improve training of heads of office and program 
managers who conduct administrative inquiries, and, 
interestingly, to dissuade the Secretary-General from 
proceeding with plans to conduct a comprehensive review of 
investigations for presentation to the General Assembly 
during the 63rd session.  In this regard, the resolution 
approved March 28 calls upon the SYG to submit terms of 
reference to the GA for such a study "before the General 
Assembly decides on the necessity of such a review." 
 
¶3.  Singapore's posturing during the course of the Fifth 
Committee's discussion on investigations was offset, in the 
end, by their advocacy of maintaining the investigations 
function within OIOS, a view widely expressed by other 
delegations.  Although rumors persist that the SYG wants to 
split investigations from OIOS and create a new 
investigations unit, the language in the resolution approved 
March 28 requiring submission to the GA of terms of reference 
for Assembly review and approval before a comprehensive 
review of investigations is begun should effectively dissuade 
those in the Secretariat who favor establishment of a 
separate investigations unit. 
 
¶4.  TEXT OF RESOLUTION APPROVED MARCH 28 BY THE FIFTH 
COMMITTEE AND ADOPTED APRIL 3 BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: 
 
Begin text: 
 
The General Assembly, 
 
Recalling its resolutions 48/218B of 29 July 1994, 54/244 of 
23 December 1999, 57/282, section IV, of 20 December 2002, 
59/272 of 23 December 2004, 59/287 of 13 April 2005, 61/245 
of 22 December 2006, 61/275 and 61/279 of 29 June 2007, 
61/267 B of 24 July 2997 and 62/234 of 22 December 2007, 
 
Recalling also paragraph 10 of its resolution 59/287, 
 
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on 
strengthening investigations (A/62/582 and Corr.1) , the 
report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the 
activities of the Procurement Task Force for the 18-month 
period ended 30 June 2007 (A/62/272), the note by the 
Secretary-General transmitting his comments thereon and the 
 
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related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative 
and Budgetary Questions (A/62/7/Add.35), 
 
¶1.  Takes note of the report of the Office of Internal 
Oversight Services and the related note by the 
Secretary-General; 
 
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¶2.  Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in 
the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and 
Budgetary Questions, subject to the provisions of the present 
resolution; 
 
¶3.  Notes in particular the concern of the Advisory Committee 
stated in paragraph 5 of its report; 
 
¶4.  Stresses that the lack of explicitly written rules and 
regulations for procedures relating to investigations 
negatively affects fairness and due process rights; 
 
¶5.  Expresses concern that the current investigations manual 
of the Office of Internal Oversight Services appears to lack 
useful and practical information for investigators compared 
with similar manuals used in other international 
organizations and that it also appears not to contain 
sufficient working instructions for conducting investigations; 
 
 
 
¶6.  Notes with appreciation the efforts being made by the 
Office of Internal Oversight Services to improve the conduct 
of its investigations by applying international best 
practices and ensuring respect for the due process rights of 
all United Nations staff; 
 
¶7.  Affirms that transparent, predictable, accountable and 
objective operational strategies and investigation procedures 
contribute to the effective functioning of the system of 
administration of justice; 
 
¶8.  Notes with concern that concerns have been raised 
regarding due process rights in investigations, stresses that 
the due process rights afforded the staff in investigations 
carried out by the Office of Internal Oversight Services have 
to withstand review by the system of administration of 
justice, and reiterates its request to the Secretary-General 
to develop a comprehensive approach to fully undertake the 
Organization's responsibility in ensuring the due process 
rights of its staff under investigation; 
 
¶9.  Re-emphasizes the principle of separation, impartiality 
and fairness on the part of those with responsibility for 
investigation functions; 
 
¶10.  Stresses that the purpose of the Office of Internal 
Oversight Services is to assist the Secretary-General in 
fulfilling his internal oversight responsibilities; 
 
¶11.  Reaffirms that the Office of Internal Oversight Services 
is the internal body entrusted with investigation in the 
United Nations; 
 
¶12.  Also reaffirms that trained heads of offices, programme 
managers and boards of inquiry, as well as the Department of 
Safety and Security and the Ethics Office, may carry out 
administrative inquiries and investigations, except in cases 
of serious misconduct and/or criminal behavior, in accordance 
with resolution 59/287; 
 
¶13.  Takes note of the development of a comprehensive 
training module designed to build the capacity of United 
Nations staff to support administrative inquiries or 
investigations, as well as of a special training programme 
for investigating allegations of sexual harassment, by the 
Office of Internal Oversight Services; 
 
¶14.  Recalls paragraphs 3, 8 and 10 of its resolution 59/287, 
and requests the Secretary-General to continue to increase 
basic investigation training, as appropriate, for the 
handling of minor forms of misconduct; 
 
¶15.  Reaffirms its decision that in cases of serious 
misconduct and/or criminal behavior, investigations should be 
conducted by professional investigators; 
 
¶16.  Also reaffirms that any changes that have administrative 
and financial implications be submitted by the 
Secretary-General and be subject to the review and approval 
 
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of the General Assembly in accordance with established 
procedures; 
 
¶17.  Requests the Secretary-General to prepare, in close 
cooperation with the Office of Internal Oversight Services, 
for its consideration at its sixty-third session, a report 
providing detailed information regarding, inter alia: 
 
a) the status of implementation of its resolution 59/287; 
 
b) updated and detailed information on all the entities other 
than the Office of Internal Oversight Services carrying out 
administrative inquiries and investigations, their 
legislative basis and precise role, the number and types of 
cases handled, related resources, reporting mechanisms, 
standards and guidelines involved and training imparted; 
 
c) the status of work done under general temporary assistance 
resources equivalent to six positions to establish a training 
capacity for the Investigations Division to enable programme 
managers to handle category II cases of misconduct and the 
assessment of such work and any other related work carried 
out for the same purpose, as well as the future workplan 
thereof; 
 
¶18.  Also requests the Secretary-General to prepare for its 
consideration and approval, in close cooperation with the 
Office of Internal Oversight Services, a report providing 
detailed information on terms of reference with regard to the 
proposed comprehensive review of investigations in the United 
Nations before the General Assembly decides on the necessity 
of such a review, taking into account the role and mandate of 
 
 
the Office of Internal Oversight Services as establish in its 
resolution 48/218 B, the framework for investigation adopted 
in its resolutions 57/282, section IV, and 59/287, the reform 
of the system of administration of justice, the decisions of 
the Assembly to strengthen the investigation function of the 
Office of Internal Oversight Services and its decisions on 
the accountability framework, results-based management, 
enterprise risk management and the internal control framework; 
 
¶19.  Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the 
General Assembly on practices related to the sharing of 
information between the Organization and law enforcement 
authorities of Member States as well as to referrals to such 
authorities of possible criminal cases related to United 
Nations staff, United Nations officials and experts on 
mission, taking into account its resolution 62/63 of 6 
December 2007 and other relevant legal instruments. 
 
End text. 
 
Wolff