The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 41/213 of 19 December 1986, 42/211 of 21 December 1987, 43/213 of 21 December 1988, 44/200 A to C of 21 December 1989 and 45/254 A to C of 21 December 1990 on the review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations,
Reaffirming its resolution 46/232 of 2 March 1992 on the revitalization of the Secretariat,
Recalling its resolutions 46/185 A to C of 20 December 1991 on questions relating to the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 and 46/186 A to C of 20 December 1991 on the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993,
Having considered the documents submitted under the items on the review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations and on the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993,
Also having considered the relevant parts of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on the work of its thirty-second session 2/ and the reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,
1. Reaffirms that the search for efficiency initiated through resolution 41/213 is a continuing process;
2. Notes that workload standards and other management techniques which are of crucial importance to the determination of the resources required for the fulfilment of mandates in the various domains of activity of the Organization remain unutilized;
3. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to develop such standards and to use them to the extent possible for his preparation of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1994-1995, as well as for the submission of statements of programme budget implications, revised estimates and other documents related to the use of resources of the Organization;
4. Emphasizes that the presentation of extrabudgetary resources in the programme budget, in relation to posts, priorities and other aspects of the functioning of the Organization, needs to be further improved, and, in particular, that it is necessary to present in the programme budget data on the actual amount of extrabudgetary resources received and utilized during the previous period, as well as to improve the quality of the forecasts for such resources;
1. Stresses that the restructuring of the Secretariat should be in conformity with the objectives and guidelines/principles set out in its resolution 46/232 and in close consultation with Member States and relevant intergovernmental bodies;
2. Reaffirms the role of the General Assembly with regard to the structure of the Secretariat, including the creation, suppression and redeployment of posts financed from the regular budget of the Organization, and requests the Secretary-General to provide the Assembly with comprehensive information on all decisions involving established and temporary high-level posts, including equivalent positions financed from the regular budget and extrabudgetary resources;
3. Takes note of the relevant parts of the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination;
4. Concurs with relevant comments and observations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;
5. Regrets that the report of the Secretary-General on revised estimates does not include information on the programmatic aspects and implications of the restructuring as requested in resolution 46/232;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Committee for Programme and Coordination and other concerned intergovernmental bodies with all relevant information which will enable them to identify and analyse the programmatic aspects and consequences of the restructuring of the Secretariat in the areas of their competence and invites them to submit their comments and recommendations to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session;
7. Takes note of the current revised estimates arising from the initial phase of the restructuring of the Secretariat, including the proposals for transfers of resources among sections, on the understanding that, pending the work of the relevant intergovernmental bodies, the Secretary-General will submit to the General Assembly, through the Advisory Committee, early in 1993 revised estimates of the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to submit in these revised estimates all the revisions in the programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 associated with the restructuring process as well as the programmatic aspects and justifications of the restructuring of the Secretariat requested in resolution 46/232;
9. Decides, with regard to the recommendation of the Committee for Programme and Coordination contained in paragraph 261 of its report, to consider early in 1993 the proposed reduction of high-level posts contained in the current revised estimates, and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, in the context of the revised estimates referred to in paragraph 8 above, his proposals for the number and distribution of high-level posts in the Secretariat for the remaining part of the biennium 1992-1993;
1. Endorses the proposed new budget format and the related conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Coordination and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, and invites the Secretary-General to continue improving the presentation of the programme budget, notably in terms of facilitating a comparison of appropriations and actual level of expenditure by object;
2. Regrets that the note by the Secretary-General on procedures and norms for changes in the staffing table does not contain proposals for improving the current methods and processes;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to improve the presentation and justification of the changes in the staffing table of the Organization that he may propose in the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1994-1995;
4. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session a report on all issues related to the creation, suppression, reclassification and redeployment of posts;
5. Further requests the Secretary-General to submit an analytical report on all aspects of the restructuring of the Secretariat, including its effects on programme delivery, to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session, in the context of the implementation of resolutions 41/213, 42/211, 43/213, 44/200 A to C, 46/232 and the present resolution.
94th plenary meeting
23 December 1992
