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EU Presidency Statement - 'Revitalization of the work of the GA' and 'Strengthening of the UN system'

Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. [The Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia, the Countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement].

Let me first of all thank the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for her introduction to this debate and in particular her introduction of the report of the Secretary-General in response to the report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations - Civil Society Relations (A/59/354).


GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1. The European Union welcomes the opportunity of this joint debate. It underlines the need to address both the strengthening of the UN organization itself and the strengthening of its intergovernmental structure. With 25 Member States, the European Union represents 13% of the UN membership. The EU Member States pay more than 36% of the UN regular budget and about 50% of all voluntary contributions to the UN funds and programs. It goes without saying that the EU attaches high priority to an effective and efficient UN system.

2. We believe that contributing to a better functioning UN is not only an EU interest. It is a common interest and a joint responsibility of all Member States.

3. Let me start by repeating that the EU is committed to effective multilateralism as a central element of its external action. The EU believes that none of the current international challenges can be tackled in an isolated manner or unilaterally. We understand that our security and development are inextricably linked to security and development of others.

4. In the EU's view, the UN is uniquely placed to provide the framework for international cooperation. It has no substitute in the international community. But the organization has to adapt to changing conditions. This requires reform, not for reform's sake, but in order to make the UN stronger.

5. In the European Security Strategy, the EU has established as its objective the development of a stronger international society, well-functioning international institutions and a rules-based international order, within the fundamental framework of the UN Charter. In this regard, we considered the establishment by the Secretary-General of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change to be of the highest importance. The EU as a whole, as well as individual Member States, have submitted written contributions to the Panel. We look forward to discuss the report of the Panel and the recommendations thereon of the Secretary-General in an open and constructive manner, at the UN and in our capitals.

6. The EU considers the UN High Level Event of September 2005 a logical culmination point to agree on change and implementation. The Event will review progress made in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration and its interrelated goals in the field of peace, governance and development, the state of progress on reaching the MDG's and the follow-up to the major economic and social conferences and summits and the strengthening of the United Nations. At a later date in the Plenary we will have a more in-depth discussion on the precise objectives and modalities of the summit.

7. Coming to the issues of today's debate, our intervention will address three issues.
First of all we will assess the efforts of the Secretary-General in strengthening the Organization, taking as benchmarks in particular his far-reaching proposals of 1997 and 2002;
Secondly, we will focus on the concrete tasks before us to further streamline and strengthen the work of the General Assembly;
And thirdly we will give the EU's preliminary views on the so-called Cardoso report on the relations between the UN and civil society.

8. In general terms, the EU is of the opinion that the Secretary-General, sometimes under opposition from Member States, has managed to introduce courageous and constructive changes to the organization. Still a lot more needs to be done and Member States need to give all their support to the Secretary-General in achieving further necessary reforms. In the area of intergovernmental reforms, for which Member States bear primary responsibility, only limited progress has been achieved. Proposals often have been met with resistance or suspicion. The Secretary-General has often been reluctant to give his advice on intergovernmental reform, but possibly proposals from his side could help to speed up the process.


STRENGTHENING THE UN SYSTEM

[Mr. President]

9. Let me touch upon the institutional side of UN reform. Many important initiatives have been taken by this Secretary-General since he took office: the 'Renewing the United Nations' report in 1997; the Brahimi report in 2000; and, most recently, the 'Strengthening of the United Nations' report in 2002. Let's take a moment to review what has been achieved.

All of the SG's initiatives share a common purpose: streamlining the internal functioning of the UN-system, to ensure that the available resources are spent in the most efficient way possible to achieve the goals of the organization. Thus, we should examine whether the SG has managed to markedly improve internal efficiency of the UN since 1997. Let us take a look at the progress in some of the main areas featured in the SG's reports.

• Rationalization of the UN-system

Today, we see a more logical structure of the UN. Departments have been grouped together, common themes have been identified, and the creation of systemic linkages like the Chief Executive Board have improved communications within a sprawling organization;

• UN at the country level

Many previously separate activities at the country level have been consolidated, through the establishment of shared offices and a stronger position of the resident coordinator. The UN is more and more using shared tools, like the UN Development Assistance Framework and the Common Country Assessment;

• Peacekeeping organizations

There is now movement towards a clearer, more concise planning process, improving deployment of peacekeeping operations. But further improvements are needed.

• Human Rights

The OHCHR has moved forward with actions to improve both its internal management and the services it provides to Member States. Protecting, promoting and supporting human rights at the country level remains a priority. The EU fully supports the efforts of OHCHR to strengthen human rights related UN actions at the country level based on Action 2 of the Secretary-General's "Agenda for Future Change". We welcome efforts of human rights treaty bodies to streamline reporting procedures. The importance of an effective Commission on Human Rights as the preeminent body for the protection and promotion of human rights is crucial in particular in the light of new threats, challenges and changes. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should play a central role in the monitoring and implementation of Member States' human rights obligations and commitments as well as in early warning on emerging crises. The UN Treaty Bodies and their links with other relevant organs within the UN system are also indispensable elements of the human rights dimension of the UN.

• Human Resources Management

Measures such as better human resources planning and more ability to adapt for the SG in the staffing table are clear steps to better manage the organization's most valuable asset: its staff;

• The budget cycle

Although in small steps, we have seen adaptations to the unwieldy budget process. Slowly but surely, the budget process is becoming better equipped to link the resources to the priorities of the organization. The adaptation of the principals of results-based budgeting is a further positive development.

10. All the above is still 'work in progress'. Much overlap in activities of separate UN-organizations still exists. Integrated planning at the UN Headquarter level still needs significant improvement. The level of UN-cooperation in the field varies greatly per country. Many HRM-instruments remain archaic by modern standards. Several necessary changes to the budget cycle are long overdue. The concerns of the EU regarding many of these matters are well known to all.

11. However, Mr. President, let's be frank. Yes: much still needs to be done, but we are further now than many in this room anticipated several years ago. Much of the 'work in progress' can only be attributed to indecisiveness on the part of Member States. We cannot only look to the Secretary-General for reform. Many of his proposals could have been bold steps forward for this organization, but we, the Member States, seem too often to prefer the lowest common denominator. It is now up to us, the Member States, to provide the support and maintain the momentum for change. We cannot get bogged down in endless debate. The Secretary-General is doing his part; we must not stay behind. The ball is in our court.

The EU will remain strongly focused on the reform process. This year, several important institutional issues are before us:

• We will have to take decisions on a potentially major overhaul of the safety and security policies of the organization, both for headquarters and in the field. The EU looks forward to receiving the Secretariat's report on safety and security and will support appropriate improvements in security measures.
  
  
• We will have to approve the new two-yearly Strategic Framework, which will better link resources to the priorities of the organization.
  
  
• We must try to improve human resources management. Better mobility of staff, improvement of management, clarification of the contractual agreements, gender balance and rejuvenation of the workforce are some of the issues important to the EU.

Mr. President,

12. I have already stated that we, the Member States, need to take an active part in the strengthening of the UN. Let me address some issues of an intergovernmental nature, in particular related to revitalizing the General Assembly itself.


GENERAL ASSEMBLY

13. The EU gives its full support to the changes that were agreed upon in resolution 58/126 and resolution 58/316. We pay our respect to the determination of the previous President of the GA, Julian Hunte. He has been instrumental in achieving this.

14. One of the key elements has been to re-organize the agenda of the GA under headings corresponding to the priorities of the UN, as contained in the medium-term plan for the period 2002-2005 and the new strategic framework. As stated in resolution 58/316 - and the EU fully endorses that view - this will give a sense of structure to the work of the GA, and will allow for a better presentation of the issues and challenges with which the Assembly deals. It will also make the work of the Assembly more accessible, to governments and to the public at large. This re-organization is maybe not ground-breaking and by itself will not give back to the Assembly the central role and authority accorded to it in the Charter. But in our view it can be an extremely helpful tool in strengthening the GA's position and performance.

15. Other important changes concerning the streamlining the agenda of the Plenary were the improvement of practices and working methods of the Main Committees, further reduction of the burden of documentation, and improvement of the functioning of the General Committee. These measures, however, were fairly modest. They need further attention and strengthening.

16. Resolution 58/316 clearly identified the further work to be undertaken by, and to be concluded during this 59TH General Assembly.

The key tasks before us are :

a. We have to further rationalize the agendas of the main committees by biennialization, triennialization, clustering and elimination of items. Recommendations have to be made to the GA Plenary. It has to take a decision by 1 April 2005. The bureaus have a major responsibility in moving this process forward. The General Committee has a stimulating role in order to ensure that the General Assembly can take a decision by April 2005.

b. The working methods of the General Committee have to be further improved. Here again, recommendations have to be made to the Assembly for its decision by April 2005. The General Committee should play a more active role in steering and monitoring effective progress of the Assembly.

c. The burden of documentation has to be further reduced. There should be core reports highlighting major issues for discussion. This is essential if all delegations are to be in a position to effectively deal with all matters under consideration by the Assembly. The General Committee has been requested to make recommendations to this General Assembly.

d. The General Assembly will have to make further efforts to streamline the agenda of the Plenary. We took some modest steps. We need bolder decisions.

e. Finally, the EU believes that this GA should streamline the number and the length of the approximately 300 annual resolutions with a view of giving the GA more impact.

17. The EU stands ready, Mr. President, to support you fully in achieving concrete results in the further revitalization of the GA. We call for a transparent but clearly practical process which will lead to visible and effective results.

18. Obviously, reforming and rationalizing the General Assembly is only one part of strengthening the intergovernmental structures of the UN. We will also have to handle reforms of the Security Council, which attracted strong interest during the General Debate, the ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, and possibly some other bodies as well. Intergovernmental handling of post conflict management requires particular attention. With regard to the Security Council, the EU believes that there is a need for a comprehensive reform that makes the Council more representative, more effective and more democratic. The EU will speak on these issues under corresponding agenda items. We also assume that the High Level Panel will submit suggestions on which we can build.

19. The EU also believes that coherence within the UN-system and cooperation, at all levels, with other multilateral stakeholders like the Bretton Woods Institutions and the WTO, should be enhanced. Partnership with non-governmental institutions and the private sector should be strengthened.

On partnership with non-governmental organizations, let me now turn to the so-called Cardoso-report and the Secretary-General's recommendations thereon.


REPORT OF THE PANEL OF EMINENT PERSONS ON UN - CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONS

Mr. President,

20. Strengthening the United Nations will require further improvements in the relationships between the UN and civil society organizations. Clearly, the EU has been very appreciative of the valuable and substantial contributions of civil society to specific fields of UN activities. We also recognized the existence of gaps and constraints. We therefore warmly welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to establish the Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relations.

21. Allow me to make, in concluding our intervention, a few preliminary remarks.

22. Global policy issues are no longer only the realm of governments. The EU therefore welcomes the Report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations - Civil Society Relations as an important contribution to the ongoing debate about giving civil society greater opportunities to contribute to the work of the United Nations. The EU also thanks the Secretary-General for his recent report in response to the Cardoso report. The EU agrees with the SG that "the world today is remarkably different from the one in which the UN were founded nearly sixty years ago." In order to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the UN must become a more outward-looking organization. It must become more grounded in reality. Nothing serves that purpose better than a closer interaction with civil society.

23. For the EU, "UN reform" should also being carried out at home. It is essential to carry the UN debate to our countries, having national Parliaments, civil society, private sector association, and national media involved more systematically on UN related issues. We believe that the UN will become more relevant if our debates in this hall are translated into real debates at national, regional and local level. The EU agrees that the UN's link with national parliaments should be improved, but remains conscious of the need to strengthen rather than duplicate existing mechanisms. We look forward to examining the proposals on this issue in more detail.

24. The EU welcomes the broad vision of the Panel and believes that the proposals of the Panel's and the Secretary-General's form a good basis for our discussions.

We favor innovative forms of interaction with civil society, including hearings before major policy-setting events. Such hearings should be focused, in order to provide input into our debates. We should also look into the possibility of allowing NGOs to take part in certain debates of the General Assembly.

25. We share the view of the Panel that the accreditation process for NGOs is in need of streamlining. The European Union sees a merit in introducing elements of greater coherence and predictability into processes for accrediting NGOs to various UN bodies and conferences, with pre-screening of NGO applications by the Secretariat. We would welcome a role for the General Assembly in this process. The European Union supports the Panel's call for an even stronger participation of Civil Society Organizations from developing countries. We believe that the existing financing mechanisms should be further explored so as to improve their participation. Given their relevant input so far, participation of women's organizations deserves further encouragement.

26. The European Union welcomes the steps already undertaken by the Secretary-General to enhance country level engagement with NGOs. Further steps should be fully in line with the MDG and PRSP-processes. We also have to bear in mind that Offices of Resident Coordinators are often already over-stretched. We welcome the Secretary-General's proposal to enlarge the Partnership Office. In our view, this proposal should be further explored. An enlargement would depend on the exact functions the Office would have to perform. We do agree, however, with the view of the Secretary-General not to include the secretariat of the Permanent Forum in this structure.

27. The European Union looks forward to a constructive debate on the Panel's Report and an outcome that will effectively enhance the relations between the UN and Civil Society. Civil society and other stakeholders mentioned in the report should be given an opportunity to feed their views and comments into the debate.


CONCLUSION

Mr. President,

28. In conclusion, I wish to emphasize the EU's full commitment to contribute actively and constructively to the ongoing comprehensive reform process of the United Nations. As stated, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the UN bodies, policies and processes is a priority for the EU. We underline the need to strengthen the UN institutions. We wish to honor the commitments contained in Chapter VIII of the Millennium Declaration.

There is a clearly a window of opportunity for change and improvement. A window that may not remain open indefinitely. The High Level Meeting of September 2005 may well be a decisive moment for substantial change. We would be rightfully blamed if we were to miss that opportunity.

Thank you.

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