EU Presidency Statement - Office of Internal Oversight Services

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to address the meeting on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe, associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey and an EFTA country belonging to the European Economic Area (Norway), align themselves with this statement.

Mr. Chairman,

First of all I should like to thank Under-Secretary-General Mr. Dileep Nair for his presentation, and for the outstanding work achieved by the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Within the framework of its mandate, the OIOS plays an important role in further improving the functioning of the United Nations.

Mr. Chairman,

The EU endorses the annual report of the OIOS. The role of the OIOS is all the more important as the General Assembly has just approved greater accountability from programme managers.

The EU welcomes the new presentation of the recommendations, regarded as critical, given their importance to the Organization, and the fact that 53% of the recommendations have been implemented. The EU recalls its interest in the integral and swift implementation of all the recommendations. The EU would like to receive information on the percentage of implementation of the recommendations of the OIOS for the past 3 years reviewed. It would also like the next annual OIOS reports to contain that information.

The European Union invites the OIOS to work towards an improved presentation, in its annual reports, of information on the implementation of critical recommendations by dealing separately with recommendations, which have been implemented, those, which are in the process of being implemented, and those for which no process is underway.

The EU hopes that the reorganization of the OIOS will produce synergies that will further improve the quality of its work. The EU would like that a review of the incidences of this reorganization on its work will be presented in its next annual report. The EU welcomes the commitment of the OIOS to leverage available resources optimally to accomplish results that add value to the service provided to the Organization. In this regard, the EU encourages the OIOS to synthesize, as much as possible, the recommendations contained in its report.

The UN notes with interest that the OIOS identified 58 million USD of savings and recoveries for the year under review.

The EU notes with concern the cases of bribery and extortion of refugees referred to in paragraphs 41 to 44 of the annual report.

The EU is also concerned by incidents implicating private persons in illicit fraudulent operations that have been identified in a number of current peacekeeping operations. The EU considers that these cases demonstrate the need for the strengthening of the role of monitoring bodies, as planned by an enhanced presence of resident auditors.

Mr. President,

Regarding the report of the Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention, the EU endorses the recommendations of the OIOS focusing on an improvement of management. The EU notes that measures have been taken by the ODCCP to address the problems, and invites the OIOS to produce a report on the implementation and the effects of these measures.

Regarding the audit of the operation of the High Commissioner on Refugees in Albania, the EU notes with satisfaction the efforts of the HCR to address the recommendations of the OIOS. The EU invites the HCR to work towards the integral implementation of the OIOS.

Mr. Chairman,

I thank you.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Office of Internal Oversight Services Report (23/10/2003)
• EU Presidency Statement - Office of Internal Oversight Services (1/10/2002)