PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MANAGEMENT

 

Speaking to correspondents at the conclusion of her first two months in office, the Organization’s top management official outlined her main priorities for the coming months at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, saying that they included the implementation of reforms authorized by Member States, administration of justice within the United Nations, the Capital Master Plan and measures to ensure the highest possible standards of integrity, ethics and transparency within the United Nations.

Alicia Barcena, Under-Secretary-General for Management, said that, while management reform was high on the agenda of the Department of Management, the Department was also “the backbone” providing all the services needed to run the United Nations.  The Department was responsible for “many silent tasks”.  Management became obvious only when it was not working; when it worked, nobody noticed it.  Dealing with “everything” from mail and elevators to human resources management, the Department was prepared to provide services to the Organization, seeking to make it more efficient and transparent.

In connection with reform, she said that Member States had given the Department a wide range of tasks, and now, the major focus of her work would be implementation of those measures.  In the area of human resources management, the reform of the administration of justice within the United Nations was the first priority.  The system now in place had been designed for some 1,000 employees in 1945.  With some 45,000 staff, the system needed to be changed now.  Last week, she had made a presentation to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on that matter, and the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) and Sixth Committee (Legal) had held an informal meeting on it.

Also in the area of human resources management, she mentioned the issue of mobility, saying that the elements that needed to be addressed in that regard included the conditions of service and harmonization of contracts at various duty stations.  She hoped Member States would make good decisions on that this year.

Another major topic everybody was following carefully related to accountability, she continued.  The creation of the Ethics Office had been an important development in that regard, as well as introduction of the whistleblower protection policy and financial disclosure forms for senior officials.  Some 98 per cent of the people, who were required to submit such forms, had done so.  Regarding the remaining two per cent, she said that those who did not comply with the rules would be terminated.  She also informed correspondents that the application process for the position of the head of the Ethics Office had been concluded, and selection was now under way.

On accountability, she added that senior managers coming to the United Nations, including herself, would have to sign a compact with the Secretary-General.  The compacts would be made public, possibly posted on iSeek.  A template with clear parameters and indicators was already in place, “so that people can measure us against those indicators”.

Other priorities included timely submissions for the 2008-2009 budget of the United Nations and peacekeeping budget for 2007-2008.  The focus in connection with the Capital Master Plan was to minimize financial, health and security risks.  In December 2006, the Assembly had approved a four-phased approach to the Capital Master Plan, and the Department of Management was working to implement the Plan.

The Department was also working closely to assist the debate of Member States regarding realignment of peacekeeping, she said.  And last but not least, work was continuing in the area of information technology.  The Organization had the resources to hire a chief of the Information Technology Office, and with “a good short list of candidates”, she hoped the process would be completed by the end of this month. 

Responding to several questions about the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, she said that work was proceeding “on two fronts” as far as outsourcing some $9 billion in the Fund’s North American portfolio was concerned.  Those related to a study on assets and liabilities and the investment strategy of the Fund.  Now, it was necessary to determine a sequence process.  In that connection, she explained that, while ACABQ had recommended getting the results of a study before making a decision on shifting to the passive management of the North American equities, the Fifth Committee had authorized going to an external company to do that.  United Nations Controller Warren Sach was now proceeding with implementing the decisions of the General Assembly.  The bidding process for an external company would be completed at the end of April.  The study would also be prepared, prior to full discussion on the financial strategy within the Investments Committee.

A correspondent noted that an investigative report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) had asked the Pension Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Cochemé, to take action on a number of individuals, but Mr. Cochemé had declined to do so.  Asked to comment on that, Ms. Barcena said that Mr. Cochemé was the responsible person in that regard.  She was planning to meet with Mr. Cochemé in the near future, but she wanted to make clear that the Pension Fund was not dependent on the Department of Management.  She was not a supervisor of the Fund, which had its own governance structure.  Her role was to represent the Secretary-General in the Investments Committee, where he had fiduciary responsibility.

Asked about making financial disclosure forms public, she said that the General Assembly had established a rule under which the financial disclosure forms were to be private.  Once filed, they would be given to an external company -- Pricewaterhouse Coopers -– to determine if there was any conflict of interest involved.  The company was already reviewing the forms that had been submitted –- 98 per cent of the staff who had to file had done so –- and the results of that review would be ready next May.  The question remained as to whether the people involved wanted to make the forms public and how to do so.  While some staff members had had no problem with disclosing their forms, others might object because of personal issues, such as inheritance or divorce.  That did not imply that there was a conflict of interest.

She added that, although he was not a staff member per se, the Secretary-General had voluntarily submitted such a form, and had made it public voluntarily.  He invited others to follow suit.  Personally, she was prepared to make her financial disclosure form public.

To questions regarding procurement investigations, she responded that the Procurement Task Force was working on the final cases of the eight.  Three staff members had been cleared of wrongdoing and had returned to their duties; one staff member had been summarily dismissed.  Information concerning his case had been shared with United States authorities, and he had been indicted on a number of offences.  The other three had been charged with misconduct, and their cases were currently under review.  Two of them had returned to work, and the third staff member had been placed on suspension with pay.  The staff member involved in the last case under review had not been charged, but had returned to work. 

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For information media • not an official record