Yearbook of the United Nations, 2003. Part 5, Institutional, administrative and budgetary questions. Chapter 4, Institutional and administrative matters

Abstract

In 2003, the United Nations continued to address administrative and institutional matters in order to ensure the efficient functioning of the Organization. The General Assembly resumed its fifty seventh session and its tenth emergency special session; it opened its fifty-eighth session on 16 September. It granted observer status to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the Eurasian Economic Community, the GUUAM (a regional agreement among Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Moldova) and the East African Community. The World Tourism Organization became a UN specialized agency. The Security Council held 208 formal meetings to deal with regional conflicts, peacekeeping operations and a number of other issues related to the maintenance of international peace and security. The expansion of its membership was again considered by the Assembly. In addition to its organizational and substantive sessions, the Economic and Social Council held a special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions (the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund) and the World Trade Organization. The Committee on Conferences examined requests for changes to the 2003 calendar of conferences and meetings and sought ways of optimizing the use of conference-servicing resources. It urged the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management to maintain high quality services during its ongoing reform process. The Joint Inspection Unit made recommendations for the improvement of certain operations of the UN system organizations: the management of information systems; revenue-producing activities; outsourcing practices; and common services for the Vienna-based organizations. The Assembly took note of the review of the duplication in UN administrative processes and procedures conducted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services. It adopted a resolution aimed at strengthening political impetus in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields. Progress was reported on the early stages of implementation of the capital master plan for refurbishing the UN complex and on measures to strengthen the security and safety of UN premises. On 23 December, the Assembly decided that the item entitled “Admission of new Members to the United Nations” would remain for consideration during its resumed fifty-eighth (2004) session (decision 58/565).