Sixty-first session
Agenda items 117 and 132

Programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007

Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing
of the United Nations peacekeeping operations



		Comprehensive report on strengthening the capacity of the United Nations to manage and sustain peace operations


		Report of the Secretary-General



	Summary
	The General Assembly, in its resolution 61/256 on strengthening the capacity of the Organization in peacekeeping operations, affirmed its support for the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the establishment of a Department of Field Support.
	The present report presents the consequential changes in resources for the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008, the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007 and the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009. 
	The budget for the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 amounts to $254,500,100 and provides for 819 continuing posts. It reflects a net increase of 495 new posts compared to the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007.
	The changes under the regular budget pertain to the requirements for six new posts, which would be met through the realignment of resources and the abolition of seven existing posts. Accordingly, no additional resources are sought under the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007. 
	Relevant resource changes for the biennium 2008-2009 would be incorporated in the budget appropriation at the time of adoption of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 in December 2007.
	The actions to be taken by the General Assembly are set out in section V of the present report.

Contents

Paragraphs Page
	Introduction	 1–5 3
	Context: the surge in United Nations peacekeeping	 6–24 3
	Summary of proposed changes	 25–159 9
Department of Peacekeeping Operations	 26–80 10
Department of Field Support	 81–110 23
Unity of command and integration of efforts	 111–125 32
Role, responsibilities and related resources of the Department of Management in support of peacekeeping	 126–145 35
Role, responsibilities and related resources of other departments in support of peacekeeping	 146–154 40
Headquarters support to special political missions	 155–159 42
	Changes in the structure and level of resources and staffing	 160–162 44
Support account (1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008)	 . . . . . . . . .  44
Programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007	 160–161 45
Proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009	 162 47
	Actions to be taken by the General Assembly	 163 48
	Annexes
 	I.	Recommendations made by the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743)	 50
	II.	Proposed new division of labour between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Public Information (March 2007)	 59
	III.	Delegations of authority to the Department of Field Support for human resources management	 63
	IV.	Delegations of authority to the Department of Field Support for procurement	 64
	V.	Organization chart for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations	 65
	VI.	Organization chart for the Department of Field Support	 66


	I.	Introduction


1.	In its resolution 61/256 on strengthening the capacity of the Organization in peacekeeping operations, the General Assembly affirmed its support for the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the establishment of a Department of Field Support.
2.	By paragraph 3 of that resolution, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report elaborating on the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the establishment of the Department of Field Support, including budgetary discipline and full financial implications — taking into account, inter alia, the recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services as contained in its report on the audit of management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743) — for the consideration of and decision by the Assembly during its sixty-first session. 
3.	A summary of the recommendations made by the Office of Internal Oversight Services in the above-mentioned report, the response of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to the recommendations and an indication of how relevant recommendations have been taken into account in the formulation of the structural and resource proposals contained in the present report is presented in annex I.
4.	The resources proposed under the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 are set out in addendum 1 to the present report (A/61/858/Add.1) and the revised estimates in respect of section 5, Peacekeeping operations, of the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007 and the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 are set out in addendum 2 (A/61/858/Add.2). The addenda contain detailed descriptions of individual functions, post justifications and the full financial implications, as requested by the General Assembly. 
5.	The present document sets out the proposed changes to the current structural arrangements and staffing levels, which are detailed more fully in the annexes and addenda. It also describes, in response to paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 61/256, how these proposals take into full account the views expressed in the 2007 session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, in particular the need to take all measures to guarantee unity of command, to promote the integration of efforts and to strengthen operational capacity, both at Headquarters and in field missions.


	II.	Context: the surge in United Nations peacekeeping


6.	Member States from all regions have made clear to me that they believe peacekeeping is one of the most demanding, visible and valuable roles played by the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. The preoccupation of the Security Council with peacekeeping matters reflects this reality. In 2006 there were 272 formal meetings of the Council, of which 158 dealt with peacekeeping operations or issues, and of the 103 reports to the Security Council, 71 were focused on peacekeeping operations or issues.
7.	Member States have repeatedly expressed appreciation for numerous successes achieved by United Nations peacekeeping operations in recent years. They acknowledge that those successes would not have been possible without aggressive reform of the United Nations peacekeeping machinery initiated with the issuance of the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (A/55/305-S/2000/809) (“the Brahimi report”) in 2000.
8.	By 2005, the majority of the recommendations of the Brahimi report directed at the Secretariat had been implemented. Those outstanding required re-examination and renewal in the light of new developments in peacekeeping and were subsequently incorporated into a new five-year reform agenda. This agenda, referred to as “Peace operations 2010”, identified five areas in need of priority attention: doctrine; personnel; partnerships; organization; and resources. I have elaborated on progress achieved in the first year of this reform agenda and plans for the next in my report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/668) and in my report on the overview of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations: budget performance for the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006 and budget for the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 (A/61/786). In its report on its 2006 substantive session (A/60/19), the Special Committee welcomed “Peace operations 2010”. In the first part of its substantive session, in March 2007, the Special Committee urged that efforts be made to expedite its full implementation. The full and expedited implementation of the reform agenda would require additional resources, as outlined below.
9.	The need for an augmentation of resources is indeed urgent. Many Member States, including in the most recent session of the Special Committee, continue to express serious concern that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, as presently resourced, is too overstretched to cope with the dramatic growth in United Nations peacekeeping activity. Over the past three years, nine new operations have been established and three more are in active start-up. The additional resources allocated annually over this period, while significant, are still inadequate relative to the number and complexity of the tasks it has been mandated to carry out. The Organization requires a major injection of additional resources to keep pace with the level of peacekeeping activity in the field, especially at the middle to senior managerial levels — whether or not it is restructured. My primary motivation in initiating a realignment of Secretariat structures must be seen in this context. The ultimate aim is to strengthen the capacity of the Organization to mount and sustain peacekeeping operations in the face of their growing volume and complexity.
10.	At the beginning of 2006, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations managed 18 operations around the world, comprising approximately 85,000 military, police and civilian personnel, in addition to providing, through the Office of Mission Support, administrative and logistical support to 16 other field-based presences (managed principally by the Department of Political Affairs). During August 2006, the Security Council, by its resolutions 1701 (2006), 1704 (2006) and 1706 (2006), related to Lebanon, Timor-Leste and the Sudan, including Darfur, respectively, authorized an increase of up to an additional 30,000 military personnel and 7,000 police, which was not taken into account when support account resources were approved for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. Other departments that support the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and peacekeeping activities are in a similar situation.
11.	Actual deployment figures now stand at roughly 100,000 field personnel, the highest ever. In real terms, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations manages almost 200,000 personnel annually owing to the constant rotation of troops and police, personnel transfers and new mission requirements. In 2007, the number of United Nations peace operation personnel could further increase by 20 to 40 per cent with the completion of deployments to Lebanon and Timor-Leste and the possible deployment of new operations presently under discussion, such as a hybrid African Union/United Nations mission in Darfur and the operation in Chad and the Central African Republic. Recent history has demonstrated that other demands could arise quite suddenly and unexpectedly as well. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the Secretariat is equipped to be able to absorb such growth. 
12.	As in previous years, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations continues to respond to the unexpected level of growth by overstretching current staff capacity to meet new challenges. This has also entailed redirecting efforts that would have otherwise been dedicated to strategic management, regular evaluation and review, building a risk management and doctrinal framework of policies, procedures, training and other forms of guidance and preparing qualified, trained staff in all areas. Field missions depend on Headquarters to fulfil such responsibilities, and when it is unable to do so, the missions suffer greatly. A vicious cycle continues to be perpetuated whereby Headquarters is overwhelmed with detailed operational issues that should be delegated to field missions but cannot be because they have not been properly equipped to assume such authority.
13.	It was this cycle that in 2000 the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations urged breaking by adjusting baseline staffing levels to enable the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to absorb a surge in activity without sacrificing the functions that a strategic-level Headquarters operation must perform (see A/55/305-S/2000/809). External management consultants in 2001 assisted in establishing that staffing level. The result of this work was summarized in my report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (A/55/977). The report recommended the establishment of baseline staffing levels at 650 posts in order to equip the Department with a solid management infrastructure; effective strategic planning and “lessons learned” capacities; significantly enhanced policy and capacity development capabilities; a solid operational planning infrastructure; depth in its resource base to dedicate sufficient (and quality) time to operational planning and mission support; and the capability to provide the first line of response to operational exigencies (or “surge requirements”), such as the need to plan an unexpected new mission to provide back-up to colleagues deploying to the field for mission start-up or to troubleshoot for existing missions.
14.	Member States acknowledged the need for sufficient capacity to undertake these core functions, ultimately increasing the Department’s staffing level to 593 posts in 2002/03 with a Headquarters-to-field ratio of 1:96. This figure was envisaged to be sufficient to enable the Department to effectively manage existing demand, as well as to absorb the need to plan for and deploy one new unexpected mission. The consultants recommended that any further sustained increase or decrease in the overall level of peacekeeping activity in the field trigger a review of this baseline figure.
15.	Since 2002 the pace of sustained expansion has far exceeded what anyone had envisaged or predicted at the time, as illustrated in table 1 below.

Table 1
		Growth in peace operations managed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in relation to Headquarters support personnela


 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08b




Total field personnel in missions managed by the Department 57 018 68 722 81 593 89 104 100 981 102 286
Number of posts in the Department 593 595 601 630 679 1 024
Ratio of Department of Peacekeeping Operations posts to field posts 1:96 1:115 1:136 1:141 1:149 1:100

	a	Includes posts approved under the support account for peacekeeping operations and the regular budget.
	b	Includes the proposed number of posts in both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support; reflects the current level of field personnel for 2007/08 and excludes potential operations currently under discussion in the Security Council.


16.	The growth is not just a matter of quantity but of complexity. Security Council mandates have assigned an increasingly wider range of substantive responsibilities to peacekeeping missions over the past several years in such areas as protection of civilians, promotion of the rule of law, support for national efforts in reforming security institutions, child protection and gender. Missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti mandated under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations are now conducting security operations to an extent rarely seen in earlier peacekeeping operations. 
17.	The complexity of the mandates has meant a rapid increase in the number of integrated missions established. This has been accompanied by an increasing presence of regional and multilateral peacekeeping forces either prior to United Nations deployment or along with peacekeepers. The growing number of actors in the field, while a welcome development, drives an unprecedented degree of coordination and cooperation with United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as the Bretton Woods institutions, multilateral and regional organizations, bilateral donors and Member States. Structures, plans and processes are only now being elaborated to manage integrated missions and the resulting diverse range of partnerships involved. At the field level, peacekeeping missions are working closely with United Nations country teams and other partners to address these mandated tasks in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. At Headquarters, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will need to continue to deepen engagement with other Secretariat departments as well as United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to coordinate strategic advice and policy and political guidance and to incorporate lessons learned into mission management and to incorporate them into planning, guidance and training materials. 
18.	The increasing scale and complexity of mission mandates is mirrored by the burgeoning volume and challenging nature of support demands. Deployments in countries the size of the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo — in which transport, communications and housing infrastructure is virtually non-existent in certain areas — have created a new set of challenges for administrative, logistical, communications and information technology support. Continuous and often simultaneous demand for resources, services and staff has consistently grown, particularly during the past three years. Routine procurement transactions are now delayed because of the sheer number of transactions and the diverse range of commodities, equipment and services required for field missions. The budget process for field missions is now nearly year-round, as new missions or significant adjustments to existing missions continue to evolve. Mission professional staff turnover averages around 30 per cent yearly, and maintaining adequate staffing in critical functions for some of the most difficult missions is a continuous challenge. 
19.	In summary, while the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has been strengthened considerably since 2002/03, the increased staff resources are not commensurate with the growth in the number of field personnel being supported, nor with the complexity of tasks mandated since that time. In its recent report on the audit of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743), the Office of Internal Oversight Services made recommendations similar to those made by external consultants in 2001. It underscored the need for the Department to have an appropriate baseline staffing and funding level to ensure that it provides adequate support for peace operations (see ibid., para. 93). Similarly, at its most recent session as well as at its 2006 session (see A/60/19, paras. 83 and 85-94), the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations reiterated the urgent need to strengthen the operational capacity of the United Nations at all levels in the field and at Headquarters.
20.	To return to the 2002/03 Headquarters-to-field staffing, the strength of the Department would need to be over 1,000 (an additional 321 posts). Even at this strength, however, the ratio is likely to become quickly unbalanced again, as the number of field personnel continues to rise in 2007/08 and beyond. The reality of global demand for United Nations peacekeeping is that it is no longer tenable to simply add 300 or 400 more posts to the existing Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which operates with a structure and management capacity designed to deal with a different order of scope and magnitude of field operations and which has remained unchanged since 2002. The senior management of the Department has remained constant, with one Under-Secretary-General, two Assistant Secretaries-General and eight Directors (D-2), despite the doubling of the level and increased complexity of peacekeeping activity since then.
21.	In order to properly equip the Secretariat to rise to the challenge of the growing volume and complexity of peacekeeping demands, as well as to ensure that the senior officials responsible for meeting those demands have been provided with the commensurate level of resources and authority to do so, a significant departure from the status quo is required. Consequently, the major changes I elaborate on and propose in the present report include the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the establishment of a separate Department of Field Support, a significant increase in the number of senior managers in both departments, a major augmentation of working-level resources in both departments to respond to the surge in the volume of peacekeeping demands, the creation of new capacities and integrated structures to match the growing complexity of mandated activities and changes in the current division of labour between the existing Office of Mission Support (which would comprise the majority of the new Department of Field Support) and the Department of Management. 
22.	I am also proposing an augmentation in resources provided to other areas of the Secretariat, particularly in the Department of Management, the Office of Internal Oversight Services and the Office of Legal Affairs, to respond to the dramatic increase in the volume of demand for backstopping support.

Table 2
		Growth in peace operations managed by other departments in relation to Headquarters support personnela


 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08




Total field personnel in missions managed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations 57 018 68 722 81 593 89 104 100 981 102 286
Number of posts in the Department of Management 122 131 143 143 172 156
Number of posts in the Office of Internal Oversight Services 16 53 61 92 146 165
Number of posts in other departments 17 17 18 26 30 44
Ratio of Department of Management posts to field posts 1:467 1:525 1:571 1:623 1:587 1:656
Ratio of Office of Internal Oversight Services posts to field posts 1:1 297 1:1 338 1:136 1:969 1:706 1:620

	a	Includes posts approved under the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period up to 2006/07 and the proposed number of posts at the current level of peacekeeping activity for 2007/08.


23.	The General Assembly welcomed my proposal to restructure the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and to establish a separate Department of Field Support, which would be headed by an Under-Secretary-General. I reaffirm, in this regard, the conviction expressed in my letter to the President of the General Assembly dated 15 February 2007 (A/61/749) that, consistent with common practice in military and other organizations, the provision of administrative and logistical support must fully correspond to the substantive operational and policy needs of the personnel and functions to be supported. The Department of Field Support thus would report to and take direction from the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on all matters already falling under the purview of the existing Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Moreover, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support must act in an integrated manner at all levels. It should also be noted that one of my reasons for establishing a separate Department of Field Support is that I am convinced that it needs to be empowered for programme delivery in ways that the current Office of Mission Support is not. The empowerment of the Department of Field Support requires additional authority to be delegated — and commensurate resources transferred — to it from the Department of Management as proposed in the present report. The delegation of authority to the Department of Field Support with respect to procurement, in particular, is fundamental to the rationale for realigning the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and establishing the Department of Field Support.
24.	The strengthening of managerial structures in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the creation of the Department of Field Support would not result in an increase in the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007. The core of the Department of Field Support would be formed largely through a transfer of resources from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (notably, the entirety of resources for the Office of Mission Support, which presently accounts for 55 per cent of the Department) and from the Department of Management in the area of procurement and information technology. However, in order for the Department of Field Support, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other departments to be equipped to face the growing volume and complexity of peacekeeping demands, an additional $65.5 million (including post and non-post resources) in resources under the support account for the financial period 2007/08 compared with 2006/07 is required. I recognize that this is a considerable expenditure. Nevertheless, the total resources proposed for the support account for 2007/08 of $254.5 million would still be less than 5 per cent of the total annual cost of current peacekeeping operations. The cost of equipping Headquarters adequately is a necessary investment to ensure that the current level of $5.2 billion now being spent annually on peacekeeping operations leads to more effective, efficient and timely mandate implementation. Those additional expenditures are also required to maintain the necessary checks and balances, transparency and oversight over the resources entrusted by Member States to mount and sustain peacekeeping operations, on which the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the future of many nations depend.


	III.	Summary of proposed changes


25.	The roles, responsibilities and functions envisaged for each of the units of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support are elaborated in A/61/858/Add.1. The most significant changes involving the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support are set out in sections A and B below. Measures to guarantee unity of command and the integration of efforts between the two departments are described in section C. The role and responsibilities of the Department of Management with respect to peacekeeping support, taking into account the establishment of the Department of Field Support and the proposed delegation of authority to it, are outlined in section D. The way in which other departments in the Secretariat that are presently allocated resources from the support account would be affected by the proposals is briefly described in section E. Lastly, the implications for Headquarters support to special political missions funded through the regular budget are highlighted in section F.


	A.	Department of Peacekeeping Operations


26.	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations would continue to plan, direct, manage and provide political and substantive guidance to all field operations currently under the responsibility of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Department would lead the integrated planning process, assisting in the development of a comprehensive United Nations approach to the resolution of conflict and ensuring that all components of mission planning — policy, support, military, police and civilian elements — work together to provide efficient and coherent support to the field as well as an identifiable and accountable interlocutor for Member States and both United Nations and non-United Nations partners. The Department would be responsible for the conduct and management of peacekeeping operations and policy issues, including the continued development of best practices, guidance and procedures that would form the basis for the design and delivery of peacekeeping training programmes. It would manage the Secretariat’s interaction with troop- and police-contributing countries and reporting to the Security Council as well as to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.
27.	The proposed structure of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations includes five components: 
	(a)	The Office of the Under-Secretary-General;
	(b)	The Office of Operations;
	(c)	The Office of Military Affairs;
	(d)	The Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions;
	(e)	The Policy, Evaluation and Training Division.

	1.	Office of the Under-Secretary-General

28.	The Office of the Under-Secretary-General is the locus for the strategic direction, management and oversight of United Nations peacekeeping. In recognition of its significant responsibilities, the Office of Internal Oversight Services recommended that the Office of the Under-Secretary-General be strengthened in order to more effectively monitor the work of the Department (A/61/743). In the light of a realigned Secretariat structure, such enhancement becomes all the more essential. 

		Creation of a departmental Chief of Staff

29.	It is proposed to establish a Chief of Staff function at the Director level. The primary responsibility of the Chief of Staff would be to monitor and oversee the internal management of the Department on behalf of and as directed by the Under-Secretary-General. A significant component of that responsibility would be to ensure that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support work in an integrated manner at all levels. The Chief of Staff would oversee the development of the Department’s programme management plan and the evaluation of its execution; manage internal work coordination, communication and information flow; coordinate with executive bodies and committees; clear top-level documents; coordinate high-level materials; monitor records management; develop and implement a departmental risk management strategy and monitor its implementation; implement the Department’s reform and change management plans; prioritize and supervise change management processes; develop the Department’s results-based-budgeting framework, aligning it to the core functions and programme goals, and formulate strategies for the implementation of results-based management and monitor progress on a continuous basis. The Situation Centre and the Executive Officer would report to the Chief of Staff.
30.	The Office of Internal Oversight Services also recommended that the Office of the Under-Secretary-General take a more active role in the implementation of the Department’s information management strategy. Accordingly, the Chief of Staff would chair a single Information Management Committee comprising representatives from both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, as well as from the field, to provide direction and leadership on information management issues, including clarifying business process requirements and setting priorities for information management solutions for peacekeeping operations.

		Creation of a public affairs capacity

31.	As I indicated in my report to the Special Committee (A/61/668) and in my letter to the President of the General Assembly (A/61/749), an effective public information component is widely acknowledged to be a political and operational necessity for the success of any peace operation, a view repeatedly expressed by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (see, e.g., A/60/19, para. 134). The importance of effective public affairs is such that the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations must give personal attention to the subject on an ongoing basis and have dedicated and specialized capacity at his or her immediate disposal. Other Secretariat departments that have established dedicated public affairs capacity, such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, have been able to leverage public information effectively with the assistance of the Department of Public Information to support programme delivery, building on best practices in other parts of the United Nations system, notably at the agencies, funds and programmes. 
32.	The time has come to apply such best practices to peacekeeping. Expenditures on public information for field missions have grown in the past four years, from $7.4 million in 2002/03 to $52.6 million in 2006/07. In the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, public information was a $14.9 million activity in 2006/07, comprising over 192 staff in 17 offices throughout the country.
33.	In view of this reality, the present configuration of the public information capacity in support of peacekeeping at Headquarters is no longer tenable. Member States, including those in the Committee on Information and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, have emphasized the importance of consultations and coordination between the Department of Public Information and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. However, as Member States know, the Department of Public Information has limited capacity dedicated to public information for peacekeeping (2 posts for strategic communications financed from the support account). The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has never had a dedicated budgeted capacity, and has responded in an ad hoc manner through internal periodic redeployments to meet essential demands from field missions. The surge in United Nations peacekeeping has overstretched the limited capacity of both Departments for peacekeeping-related public information. 
34.	I propose, therefore, to establish a Public Affairs Unit in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations that would assume responsibility for media relations, departmental publicity, external relations, corporate messaging and internal communications. In 2006, for example, the Under-Secretary-General gave more than 80 media interviews, a trend that is expected to continue, in view of the visibility of the programmes and their complexities and challenges. In liaison with the integrated operational teams (see paras. 42-51 below) and the Department of Public Information, the new office would also provide technical advice and support to public information components in the field missions. The Department of Public Information, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support would work jointly on planning, policy, training and evaluation. In line with its overall mandate for United Nations public information and in accordance with General Assembly resolution 61/121 B, the Department of Public Information would continue to provide key support to United Nations peacekeeping in the area of strategic communications. The new office in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would allow for better use of the comparative advantages of all three departments and would promote greater efficiency and accountability and more effective use of existing resources. The precise clarification of roles and responsibilities between the Department of Public Information and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is provided in annex II.

		Transfer of the Situation Centre from the Office of Operations to the Office 
of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations

35.	To ensure an integrated approach and priority focus on the safety and security of United Nations peacekeeping personnel, I propose that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support establish a single crisis response capacity. The Situation Centre, currently located in the Office of Operations, would be the linchpin of this effort. To support an integrated information capacity and crisis management response, the Situation Centre would be relocated to the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. It would serve as an information hub for United Nations peace operations by facilitating the exchange and coordination of information between the field and Headquarters at all phases, in particular during crisis situations. Its location in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General would ensure close coordination with senior management and the provision of timely and effective information in crisis situations or emergencies.

	2.	Office of Operations

36.	The Office of Operations would continue to be headed at the Assistant Secretary-General level. Its role would be to provide political, strategic, policy and operational guidance and support to the missions. It would therefore continue to give strategic and executive direction to the peacekeeping operations, including substantive guidance to the field, coordinating and integrating mission-specific inputs from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support as well as from other departments, agencies, funds and programmes in order to promote the implementation of the mandates and political objectives set by the Security Council. The Office of Operations would also devise, promote agreement on and implement solutions to the problems facing peacekeeping operations. It would support peacekeeping operations politically and substantively vis-à-vis parties to conflict and other interested parties and represent their concerns to members of the Security Council and all contributors and vice versa.
37.	The Office of Operations would also continue to oversee the planning process for new and ongoing missions by providing the overall framework, developing options for courses of action, leading reconnaissance missions to the field and coordinating and integrating inputs from within the department and from other entities, including military, police, humanitarian, electoral, human rights and other aspects, into a comprehensive plan for approval by the Security Council. It would also be responsible for fulfilling the Secretariat’s reporting obligations to the Council on peacekeeping operations. Owing to the growing volume and complexity of demands, it is necessary to provide additional resources so that the Office of Operations is empowered to fulfil its leading role in integrating the planning for and the provision of political direction to field missions.
38.	In order to achieve that objective, three major changes to the Office of Operations are proposed:
	(a)	Increasing the number of regional divisions headed by directors from three to four by reconfiguring the Africa Division into two full divisions;
	(b)	Equipping each of the divisions with sufficient political capacity, as well as with dedicated full-time military, police and support specialists within integrated operational teams;
	(c)	Establishing a cell in the Office of Operations to support the development and implementation of the integrated mission planning process.

		The need for two Africa divisions

39.	In addition to ensuring the effective overall management and direction of all staff in their respective regional divisions, the Assistant Secretary-General for Operations would continue to rely on the regional directors to be particularly focused on the articulation of new mission strategies and plans; proposed deviations from existing ones; recommended actions to be taken at higher levels to respond to political impasses or crises on the ground threatening the safety and security of personnel; and/or the ability of the missions to implement their mandates. On all of the foregoing issues, the regional directors would continue to have to engage with relevant senior-level Member State interlocutors, the parties to conflict, Heads of Mission and their relevant deputies and counterparts within the United Nations system and in regional organizations and other partner organizations. In this regard, the regional directors shall establish and chair intra- and interdepartmental working groups and task forces and undertake and lead assessment missions to the field as required.
40.	This is an especially heavy responsibility for each of the regional directors, but none more so than with respect to the Africa Division. Today, half of the peacekeeping operations in the world are located in Africa, and those operations represent over 75 per cent of total United Nations peacekeeping deployments. The Africa Division is approximately twice the size of other geographical divisions and is becoming increasingly complex in its structure with the missions under its responsibility as well as the African Union peacekeeping support team, the bulk of which is based in Addis Ababa. Conflicts in Africa are rarely limited to border disputes, but rather represent a complex mixture of intra-State, inter-State and regional conflicts that involve ethnicity, governance, citizenship and resource factors and, consequently, complex peacekeeping mandates. At present, the Director of the Africa Division handles approximately 10 missions, including operations, support and planning teams.
41.	To ensure that the continent in most need of our peacekeeping support receives the best assistance we can offer, I am proposing to create two divisions focusing on Africa. The Director of the Africa I Division would manage the peace operations in the Sudan, including Darfur, and in East and Central Africa and would support the building of an African peacekeeping capacity, the operation in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the planning for a potential operation in Chad and the Central African Republic and the implementation of Security Council instructions to review possibilities for a possible United Nations peacekeeping operation in Somalia, following the African Union deployment there (see Council resolution 1744 (2006)). The Director of the Africa II Division would manage operations in West Africa and the Great Lakes region, including the operations in Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

		Establishment of integrated operational teams within the regional divisions

42.	The most significant change to the existing role and responsibilities, structure and staffing of the Office of Operations relates to the formation of seven integrated operational teams within the four regional divisions (two in Africa I, two in Africa II, two in the Asia and Middle East Division and one in the Europe and Latin America Division). Each of the seven integrated operational teams would be responsible for a minimum of two missions (including at least one large, complex multidimensional operation), with a maximum of four missions. Each of the integrated operational teams is proposed to have two military, two police and two support specialists, in addition to a complement of political experts that would depend on the size and complexity of the missions concerned.
43.	The composition of the teams, detailed in A/61/858/Add.1, reflects the significance of the effective coordination required between the Office of Operations, the Office of Mission Support and the Military and Police Divisions in mission deployment, planning, management and support. Such coordination is often the most time-consuming and time-sensitive because there are few military, police or support issues that are not interlinked and that do not potentially affect one another, do not have political implications or might not have a determining impact on the ability of missions to implement their mandates. Similarly, those offices concerned are dependent on the political guidance and direction provided by the Office of Operations to inform their respective functional strategies, plans and priorities.
44.	The intensity and frequency of interaction needed among those actors on strategic, policy, planning and day-to-day operational matters prompted the Department to consider instituting more robust forms of integration. “Peace operations 2010” therefore proposed the formation of dedicated full-time teams within the regional divisions comprising political, military, police and support specialists. The creation of such teams would better equip the Office of Operations to carry out its role of integrator and would represent a major step forward towards the “matrix-management” approach to mission planning and management recommended in the Brahimi report in 2000.
45.	Various options on the roles, responsibilities, composition and number of such teams were considered, including practices brought to the attention of the Department by management consultants in the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Final decisions on any one of the options under consideration were put on hold, however, pending the completion of the audit by the Office of Internal Oversight Services of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
46.	The Office of Internal Oversight Services concluded that the concept proposed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations — a matrix structure in which integrated project teams would comprise staff from each functional division — could help to ensure a more comprehensive and efficient mechanism for integrated and effective mission planning, management and support (see A/61/743). The teams would comprise political, support, military and police specialists. The integrated operational teams would also consult and rely on expertise in other parts of the Department that are not large enough to maintain a separate functional responsibility centre concurrent with a permanent presence on the teams (such as public affairs; mine action; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; security sector reform; judicial and legal reform; prison systems; gender issues; HIV/AIDS; best practices; evaluation; and partnerships). Liaising closely with such advisers and relevant experts in other United Nations departments, agencies, funds and programmes, those teams would form the core of United Nations system-wide integrated mission task forces.
47.	The Office of Internal Oversight Services welcomed the initiative for integrated operational teams, provided that expected outcomes, responsibilities and delegation of authority and empowerment of teams and functional line managers are adequately defined and articulated; that staff participating in the teams are given the necessary training on relevant doctrine, roles and responsibilities; and that a proper and fair performance evaluation mechanism is developed to institutionalize dual reporting of team members to team leaders and functional managers. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted all of the recommendations. It also agreed that the terms of reference for the system-wide integrated mission task forces would need to be examined and revised in consultation with all United Nations entities concerned, taking into account the formation of integrated operational teams.
48.	Under the overall guidance of the regional director, the integrated operational teams would be responsible for the provision of day-to-day support to all aspects of peace operations, including the coordination and preparation of recommendations for senior management related to the planning and implementation of political strategy, a comprehensive United Nations approach and integrated operational objectives. The teams would provide guidance to the field on the implementation of integrated operational objectives, mission benchmarks and mission management issues and would assist in monitoring mandate implementation. The integrated operational teams would integrate, review and recommend for approval to senior management mission-wide operational resource requirements and provide guidance to military, police and support personnel in the generation and deployment of personnel and equipment.
49.	A critical function of the integrated operational teams would be to serve as an entry point for Member States, troop- and police-contributing countries and United Nations and non-United Nations partners on issues related to the planning and conduct of integrated peacekeeping operations, the need for which was emphasized by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its 2007 substantive session. In essence, the teams would provide for the first time in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations an integrated management capacity for missions, thereby rendering it much easier for the many other actors within and outside the United Nations system, both at Headquarters and the field, to have a clear point at which their concerns and queries would be addressed; thereafter they would be directed to the appropriate responsibility centre. 
50.	The military, police and support specialists on the integrated operational teams must be at a sufficiently senior level to be able to provide authoritative expert advice and to be able to reach back into the functional responsibility centres to coordinate and oversee the critical tasks set out in A/61/858/Add.1. They would not, however, assume responsibility for the actual mobilization and deployment of resources or for the functional plans, policies, procedures and systems underpinning those resource management processes within the respective functional departments, offices and divisions. In the area of logistics, this would involve personnel and financial resources for the Department of Field Support and the Office of Military Affairs and the Police Division for uniformed personnel. More detailed information on the tasks and composition of the integrated operational teams and the related resources are provided in A/61/858/Add.1.
51.	Concerning the selection, reporting and performance appraisal arrangements, the functional responsibility centres — the Department of Field Support, the Office of Military Affairs and the Police Division — would identify suitable candidates for the integrated operational teams from within their areas or through recruitment and training in coordination with the team leaders. The team leaders would serve as first reporting officers and the regional directors would serve as second reporting officers for the military, police and support specialists on the teams. Relevant managers in the Department of Field Support, the Office of Military Affairs and the Police Division would serve as additional supervisors.

		Creation of an integrated mission planning process cell

52.	The successful functioning of integrated peacekeeping operations will depend on the extent to which coherent integrated strategic and operational planning and support processes are in place. The integrated operational teams would form the core of the integrated mission task forces in developing strategic and operational plans and integrated United Nations system guidance. The integrated mission planning process is the United Nations system’s main tool for developing integrated strategies and operations at the Headquarters and field levels. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations has underscored in recent years the importance of the continued development of the integrated mission planning process (see A/60/19, paras. 91-93), and significant progress has already been made in that regard. Ensuring the effective use of the integrated mission planning process would require continued expert planning support for integrated operational teams and integrated mission task forces at Headquarters and in the field through the provision of advice and templates, the development of integrated training and the continued updating of the integrated mission planning process framework to reflect lessons learned and the evolution of peacekeeping practices. A dedicated integrated mission planning process support capacity is proposed to be established to provide this support. Guidance would be delivered to all relevant Headquarters and field personnel of the two departments. As I noted in my report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/668), the integrated mission planning process, as the vehicle for integrated planning, must guide cooperation between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and their key partners in the Secretariat and in the agencies, funds, programmes and other entities, as applicable.

	3.	Office of Military Affairs

53.	Three main changes are proposed to the existing Military Division, which take into account the view of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations that the current level of resources places inevitable limits on the scope and number of missions that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations can effectively undertake and manage (see A/60/19, para. 83).
54.	First, as recommended by the Special Committee, I propose that the General Assembly upgrade the Military Adviser post to the Assistant Secretary-General level. This designation, equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant General in military terms, would ensure that the Military Adviser is of at least equal rank to all Force Commanders and Chief Military Observers in the field. It would be appropriate to the quality, level and breadth of advice the Military Adviser is expected to provide to the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, as the mandates of military components in the field have become increasingly more complex and all-encompassing. Moreover, the number of United Nations military personnel in the field has grown to over 70,000 and is expected to increase considerably in the coming year. To reflect the strengthening of the leadership of the Military Division, it is proposed that it be renamed the Office of Military Affairs.
55.	Second, the existing structure of the Military Division, comprising the Office of the Military Adviser, the Military Planning Service, the Force Generation Service and the Current Military Operations Service, would continue to apply to the Office of Military Affairs. However, each of the services requires strengthening, in particular the Military Planning Service, whose 15 military planners will be stretched even further in the coming year. Detailed information on the functions of all three services is presented in A/61/858/Add.1. 
56.	Third, additional military officers are required for the formation of integrated operational teams in the Office of Operations and for inclusion in other units in both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to ensure that professional military advice is integrated more deeply into the operations of both Departments. 

	4.	Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions

57.	One of the key aspects of the Brahimi report was its stress on the significance of the rule of law and public order for sustainable peace and security in countries emerging from conflict. To be effective, efforts to strengthen the rule of law must be led by host-country authorities and implemented by national actors. International expertise and resources should be made available to assist host-country Governments in that regard. Such efforts must be based on the culture and legal framework of the host county, including the international standards they have adopted, and not on imported models. In this context, the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations underscored the need for a comprehensive and holistic approach to the rule of law incorporating police, judicial, legal and correctional elements in United Nations peace operations and urged a strengthened and integrated approach to the rule of law and security. In subsequent years, Member States have increasingly recognized the need for reinforcement of the rule of law and the establishment of basic sustainable security institutions as fundamental aspects of peacekeeping. 
58.	Since 2003, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has planned, selected and deployed judicial and/or prison components for all new peacekeeping missions. Meanwhile, the demand for police in peace operations has risen exponentially. At present, more than 15,000 United Nations police officers are authorized for 18 peace operations. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations has underscored the importance of establishing rule of law capacity at the beginning of peacekeeping operations, and has underscored potential resource needs in this area (see A/60/19, paras. 124-126).
59.	The lessons of the past decade of peacekeeping have also shown that the establishment and reform of the rule of law in post-conflict contexts is dependent on a basic level of security. Comprehensive disarmament and the establishment of national security strategies and institutions operating under the rule of law are essential for the development of judicial, legal, correctional and police reform. This recognition has led to the initiation of comprehensive inter-agency consideration of the role of the United Nations in security sector reform. This exercise, while still ongoing, has underscored the linkage between the rule of law and security institutions. As part of this system-wide effort, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has been given the task of establishing an inter-agency support capacity for United Nations efforts in security sector reform.
60.	In parallel, the United Nations system has undertaken a comprehensive review of roles and responsibilities in the rule of law, including in peacekeeping contexts, which is reflected in the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Uniting our strengths: enhancing United Nations support for the rule of law” (A/61/636-S/2006/980 and Corr.1). As part of these proposed system-wide arrangements, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would continue to provide assistance in support of the police, law enforcement agencies, judicial and legal systems and prison systems in United Nations peace operations. This would necessitate increased focus on and engagement with partners in rule of law support functions. 

		Proposed Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions

61.	The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations recommended that the post of Police Adviser be upgraded to the level of Assistant Secretary-General (A/60/19, para. 172). In view of United Nations efforts to establish an integrated approach to the rule of law in which the police play a central role and the system-wide responsibilities that have been assigned to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, it is proposed to create a new post of Assistant Secretary-General heading the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department. This individual would supervise and direct United Nations police, judicial and correctional, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration activities, as well as a new capacity for security sector/system reform and mine action.
62.	The Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions would, as part of its efforts to develop a coherent system-wide approach to the support of the provision of security, rule of law and sustainable security institutions, be responsible for liaison with the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group. The Office would manage the provision of strategic guidance and direction to the integrated operational teams and field missions in the areas within its purview. 

		Strengthening of the Police Division

63.	One of the most notable growth areas in United Nations peacekeeping in recent years has been policing. Today, police components are a feature of almost every peacekeeping operation and the roles and responsibilities of United Nations police have expanded considerably. Given the scope and breadth of its responsibilities, the Police Division must be strengthened to ensure its ability to oversee this growth and provide the appropriate level of Headquarters guidance, management and support to police components.
64.	One aspect of the changing nature of United Nations policing is the increased use of formed police units in support of security arrangements in field missions. Formed police units play an important role in assisting local police and law enforcement agencies to ensure public order and security in volatile environments. In April 2000, only one United Nations peacekeeping operation had deployed a formed police unit. Today there are 35 such units in 6 operations involving approximately 4,000 police officers. This is likely to grow, with up to 20 more units being envisaged for potential deployment in the next two years. The capacity of the Police Division to provide the required direction and guidance to those units needs to be strengthened. 
65.	Additional resources are also required in the area of support for the continued development of the standing police capacity. The role of an initial operating capability of the standing police capacity, as set out in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1), is to provide a coherent, effective and responsive start-up capability for the policing component of United Nations peacekeeping operations and to assist existing missions through the provision of advice and expertise. During its 2007 substantive session, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations reviewed the creation of an initial standing police capacity, and members indicated support for consideration of appropriate strengthening of this initial operating capability. Consequently, considering the need to capitalize on actions taken to date and maximize economies of scale, a modest expansion of the standing police capacity is proposed.
66.	Finally, as the United Nations police are increasingly assigned the task of carrying out complex reform, restructuring and rebuilding mandates within integrated rule of law frameworks, it has become increasingly crucial for the Police Division to enhance its ability to integrate with other rule of law actors. Working as part of an integrated Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions provides a framework, structure and processes to realize this approach. At the same time, in view of the significant responsibilities of the Police Adviser and the role of the police in United Nations peacekeeping operations, it is important to ensure that the Police Adviser is a full and active participant in the senior management of United Nations peacekeeping at Headquarters. Therefore, the Police Adviser would continue to have direct access to the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations as and when required, particularly regarding crisis and emergency issues.

		Reinforcement of judicial and correctional capacities

67.	The Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Section supports peace operations in strengthening judicial, legal and prison systems in peacekeeping host countries. Since its establishment as a unit in 2003, the Section has supported the deployment of well over 150 justice and correctional staff, established standing rosters of precleared candidates and developed non-specialist training modules on the rule of law, judicial and legal systems and prison systems and a comprehensive training programme for correctional staff. The current capacity of the Section is insufficient to meet the increasing demands of new and ongoing missions. There are pressing needs in a number of areas, particularly doctrinal development, programme design and review and field support, that need to be addressed. Strengthening of those areas is necessary to keep pace with the increase in police, judicial and correctional work in the field and to support integrated operational teams and participation in labour-intensive assessment, planning and evaluation processes. 

		Reinforcement of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration 

68.	Great strides have been made in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration with the establishment of integrated standards, and the funding of some disarmament and demobilization components through assessed peacekeeping budgets has significantly assisted efforts to improve system-wide integration. To ensure seamless disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in practice as well as policy, an integrated approach is currently being piloted in Haiti and the Sudan. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations has stressed that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are crucial components of peace processes and peacekeeping operations (A/60/19, para. 118). The consideration of how best to structure Headquarters support to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in the field, pursuant to a request of the Special Committee, is greatly facilitated by this restructuring proposal, which would ensure that support for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration is planned as part of an integrated approach to security reform.

		Creation of security sector reform capacity

69.	The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, recognizing that the establishment of an effective, professional and accountable security sector is an important element in the transition from peacekeeping to sustainable peace and development, requested the Secretariat to initiate a process of joint policymaking on security sector reform best practices, bearing in mind the distinctive competencies of the United Nations (A/60/19, para. 123). 
70.	While United Nations peacekeeping operations routinely include a broad range of security-related activities, including support for the restructuring and reform of police, law enforcement agencies and defence forces, United Nations peacekeeping has not articulated a coordinated approach to security sector reform or established strategic and operational policies or guidelines to support missions in implementing security sector reform mandates in the field. No Headquarters backstopping capacity currently exists for those functions. In the absence of strategic direction or support, United Nations peacekeeping missions currently define, engage and report on security sector reform in different ways. 
71.	The development of policy and practice on security sector reform in peacekeeping must be part of a system-wide holistic and coherent approach. For this reason, I have identified the need to establish an inter-agency security sector reform support capacity to be located in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to provide strategic policy development and coordination functions as well as backstopping for all United Nations field missions, offices and country teams. The Security Sector Reform Section would be a system-wide Headquarters focal point and technical resource for security sector reform policy issues for all United Nations field missions, contributing to the development of standards, strategic guidance and best practices and providing advice to field missions and planning processes on the design and implementation of security sector reform support to national authorities.

	5.	Policy, Evaluation and Training Division

72.	As Member States have repeatedly pointed out, the scale and complexity of peace operations requires an interlinked approach to the development of peace operations policy, the provision of training based on policy and monitoring and evaluation of mission performance. Therefore, I propose to establish a Policy, Evaluation and Training Division in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to provide an integrated capacity for the development of peace operation doctrine and policy, informed by the systematic capturing of best practices and lessons learned, the standardization, design and delivery of training based upon doctrine and/or policy and the evaluation of mission performance in implementing mandates. The Division would be a provider of services to both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. 
73.	The creation of this Division — consisting of the existing Peacekeeping Best Practices Section and the Integrated Training Service as well as new Evaluation and Partnerships Sections — would provide an integrated, unified capacity to evaluate mission performance and mandate implementation, develop doctrine, disseminate policy and provide standardized training. It would ensure that civilian staff in peacekeeping operations are trained to the same organizational standards as staff in the rest of the Secretariat in order to build a common organizational culture and to provide a similar level of staff development and career support. In so doing, it would enhance the management of field missions, improve accountability and provide a platform for improved performance both within the Departments and with partners. The distinct field focus would result in better-informed decision-making and guidance at Headquarters for field missions and allow for improved feedback to troop- and police-contributing countries, Member States, legislative bodies and partners on operational issues. This capacity would greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping where it matters most — in the field.

		Establishment of the Evaluation Section

74.	The comprehensive self-evaluation of mission performance is key to identifying areas in which managerial oversight, operational implementation or performance must be improved. Self-evaluation may also identify policy shortcomings, training inadequacies or business process and structural disharmonies, therefore improving management, strengthening performance and enhancing accountability. The absence of a formal mechanism, structure and capacity to periodically evaluate mandate implementation, resource utilization and economy of effort in peace operations grossly limits the ability of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to take informed decisions and provide guidance to mission leadership. It also limits the ability of the Under-Secretaries-General to conduct spot evaluations to determine the causes of specific incidents or trends, such as a sudden rise in vehicle accidents, and to institute remedial action, whether it be in the form of policies, standard operating procedures or training. 
75.	The Office of Internal Oversight Services has on several occasions, most recently in connection with its audit of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743), noted the need for the Department to develop its own evaluation capacity to ensure that Headquarters can evaluate mission performance. The proposal for the establishment of an evaluation section addresses this recommendation. 
76.	The Evaluation Section would undertake programmed evaluations of missions, provide an immediate response to determine the causes of emerging problems and critical incidents within missions and develop and implement procedures to measure mission readiness and the effectiveness of mission components and formed units in the implementation of the mission’s operational plan and progress towards achievement of its mandate. One key aim of the programmed evaluations is the review of performance across missions from the perspective of consistency using benchmarks, with the aim of identifying systemic weaknesses that will require cross-cutting remedial action. In this regard, evaluations would provide a timely view of any policy or operational gaps that must be plugged to effectively achieve a mission’s mandate and ensure the proper and synergistic management of resources to achieve the goals of the mandate in the most efficient and economical manner. The evaluations would focus on mission performance rather than compliance issues, which fall strictly under the purview of the Office of Internal Oversight Services. 
77.	The results of self-evaluation would guide follow-on and remedial activities in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and the missions. It would support the development of policy, best practices and training. The results of self-evaluation would be included in relevant reports to the appropriate legislative bodies. Evaluations would therefore also become an important tool in improving accountability to Member States for results and the use of resources.

		Creation of Partnerships Section

78.	Member States have stressed the need to develop deeper partnerships with United Nations and non-United Nations partners in peacekeeping. At the broader strategic level, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Support Office constitute an important forum for the establishment of a coordinated approach among international partners in post-conflict contexts. In the context of operational peacekeeping, effective partnerships are essential to the success of field missions as mandates become more complex and numerous. Mission planning and implementation must draw on the full range of capacities and experiences that the United Nations system can bring to bear in a post-conflict environment, including political, development, humanitarian and human rights components. This rationale has guided the Secretariat’s commitment to reinforce the development of integrated structures, planning and implementation for peacekeeping missions at Headquarters and in the field under the leadership of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. 
79.	Outside the United Nations, a number of regional arrangements have or are in the process of developing regional capacities for peacekeeping. Those capacities bring important additional dimensions to global peacekeeping efforts by helping to ensure rapid response to the demand for peacekeepers, including in the context of crises that require the reinforcement of existing United Nations peacekeeping capacities and sustainable transition to longer-term peacebuilding after the exit of United Nations peacekeeping operations. For this reason, partnership was one of the five priorities of “Peace operations 2010”. While a variety of peacekeeping partnership initiatives have been undertaken, most recently United Nations support and cooperation with all efforts in the Darfur region of the Sudan and the European Union military operation in support of elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arrangements and mechanisms are not yet established to enable smooth and predictable cooperation with regional peacekeeping entities at all levels. 
80.	Engagement with peacekeeping partners at Headquarters is an important step in building a coordinated and effective approach to peacekeeping in the field. It is also one of the key mechanisms to assist the implementation of wider integrated peacebuilding strategies by the Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Support Office intended to maximize the impact of strategic post-conflict engagement. I therefore propose to establish a partnership capacity that would lead the development of strategic peacekeeping partnerships by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support, including United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, regional and subregional entities such as the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the international financial institutions, in particular the World Bank, and regional development banks, as well as development and humanitarian agencies that engage with peacekeeping operations in the field. The Partnerships Section would support the integrated operational teams in specific operational and mission contexts and work closely with the African Union peacekeeping support team, taking responsibility for assisting the African Union in the operational development of its peacekeeping capabilities.


	B.	Department of Field Support


81.	The challenges in providing effective logistical, human resources and administrative support and management to all United Nations field operations are immense. Following authorization for the establishment of a new mission, the timely provision of such support is key to the operational capability of that mission and therefore has a critical impact on its ability to fulfil its mandate. The efficient and prudent management of the resources authorized for each mission during its entire life cycle is equally critical. It is in recognition of the importance of both of those elements and the scope and breadth of the responsibilities involved that I propose to create the Department of Field Support. 
82.	The Department of Field Support would be responsible for delivering dedicated support to United Nations field operations, including on personnel, finance, procurement, logistical, communications, information technology and other administrative and general management issues. The Department of Field Support would be a provider of services to the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Political Affairs. To strengthen the efficiency and coherence of support provided to the field and to ensure effective oversight, existing Headquarters capacities related to field operations would be consolidated and assigned to the Department of Field Support. The entirety of the current Office of Mission Support in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would be transferred to the Department of Field Support. Significant strengthening of its staffing would, however, be required particularly to establish the necessary senior management capacity to ensure effective, coherent and responsive support to field operations and the effective management of resources provided by Member States.
83.	The Department of Field Support would comprise three principal components, namely:
	(a)	The Office of the Under-Secretary-General;
	(b)	The Office of Field Administrative Support;
	(c)	The Office of Integrated Support Services.

	1.	Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support

84.	The Under-Secretary-General would be responsible for all activities of the Department of Field Support. On behalf of the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General would direct all support for peace operations by providing necessary strategic direction to guide the work programme of the Department. The Office of the Under-Secretary-General would comprise the immediate office of the Under-Secretary-General, risk management and legal functions as well as a small secretariat function dedicated to senior leadership appointments.
85.	An effective risk management mechanism is key to any comprehensive internal control framework. The need for such a mechanism is particularly important in the dynamic environment of field operations and the creation of such a capacity for peacekeeping is one of the key recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, as indicated in its report on the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743, para. 50). I therefore propose to create a dedicated capacity within the Department of Field Support to support the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support to introduce and coordinate a risk management approach in all aspects of the planning and execution of peace operations in the field. This capacity would ensure that risks that may have an adverse impact on the conduct of a peacekeeping mission are identified at an early stage and that effective risk mitigation strategies are implemented. 
86.	There is also a need to establish a small legal capacity within the Department of Field Support to facilitate the timely and effective interaction between the Department and the Office of Legal Affairs on the increasing volume of support issues requiring legal review and expert legal advice. The need for internal expertise is also critical in the context of the proposed delegation of authority for field procurement and the related complex and expanding requirements for legal assistance arising from procurement activities. This office will liaise as appropriate with the Office of Legal Affairs, which is the authoritative source of legal advice for the Organization.
87.	The importance of appointing suitably qualified personnel to leadership positions in the field cannot be underestimated. Improving the Organization’s ability to identify and attract capable, diverse and committed men and women at the highest levels is one of my key priorities for peacekeeping. The relocation of the newly established Senior Leadership Appointments Section from the Personnel Management and Support Service to the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support reflects the significance of this issue. This would provide the Under-Secretary-General with a dedicated capacity to identify and establish strategies to meet senior-most requirements for civilian, military and police positions in field operations. The Section would introduce a capability within the Under-Secretary-General’s office for a proactive and strategic approach to identifying and attracting senior leaders in order to enable the Secretary-General to select the most suitably qualified individuals, with due regard to geographical distribution and gender balance. This would ensure that dedicated resources are focused on leadership search, outreach and partnerships, allowing for an enhanced ability to meet the breadth of leadership requirements in the field in terms of substantive profiles and numbers.

	2.	Office of Field Administrative Support

		Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Field Administrative Support

88.	The proposed Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Field Administrative Support would oversee the activities of the Divisions of Field Personnel, Field Budget and Finance, and Conduct and Oversight. It would provide the expanded senior management capability required to ensure good management and effective implementation of administrative support to field operations. This Office would be responsible for the current functions of the Administrative Support Division of the Office of Mission Support, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, together with the additional authorities delegated by the Department of Management in the areas of human resources management. The Assistant Secretary-General would be responsible and accountable for the overall management of the financial, personnel and monitoring programmes of the Department of Field Support. The Assistant Secretary-General would also provide strategic direction, develop policy and procedures and approve and monitor the utilization of resources under his/her delegated authority. 
89.	The Assistant Secretary-General would be responsible for ensuring that the Department monitors and informs Member States on issues relating to field administrative support and develops and submits for consideration by the Controller and the legislative bodies draft budgets and draft performance reports that accurately reflect the resource requirements of mission mandates. The Assistant Secretary-General would oversee the development and implementation of policies and procedures that promote good conduct and discipline by all United Nations personnel; address audit findings and boards of inquiry, including implementing recommendations that improve field administration; and exercise the delegated authority for procurement of goods and services required to support peace operations in the field.

		Field Personnel Division

90.	Since the mid-1990s, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has exercised a range of authorities delegated by the Office of Human Resources Management in recruiting and administering civilian staff serving in United Nations field operations. At present, the Department’s Personnel Management and Support Service administers nearly 18,000 civilian staff serving in 33 United Nations peace operations. In addition, the Service provides administrative support, particularly in respect of travel requirements for more than 11,000 United Nations police, military observers and staff officers. Currently, the value of expenditures under the direct responsibility of the Service, both for the administration of benefits and entitlements for international staff as well as travel requirements for military observers and police exceeds $700 million per year. The Service oversees the administration of benefits and entitlements for locally recruited staff and the in-mission payment of mission subsistence allowances and hazard pay, currently valued at approximately $600 million per annum. 
91.	The exercise of these authorities led to the development of field-focused procedures, in particular in the area of rapid deployment mechanisms. The evolution of peacekeeping mandates and the repeated surges in peacekeeping have, however, severely strained existing systems and capacities. Persistently high vacancy and turnover rates and their impact on mandate delivery necessitated the imperative to examine how the Department was conducting its core human resources management functions, as well as how it was compensating and managing its staff. In response to the 2005 World Summit and the request of the General Assembly that the Secretary-General make proposals for, inter alia, reforms of human resources management of the Organization, the Secretary-General submitted an integrated package of proposals aimed at strengthening the current and future human capital of the Organization (A/61/255). These reform proposals focused in particular on adapting the current human resources framework to the needs of an integrated, field-oriented, operational Secretariat. The Assembly provided guidance on the implementation of some of these proposals in its resolution 61/244 and will further consider others at the second part of its resumed sixty-first session.
92.	Over the course of 2005 and 2006, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations also engaged in a comprehensive review of the structure and processes of its Personnel Management and Support Service. The review sought to address the root causes of difficulties and delays in deploying and administering staff and blurred lines of accountability in the selection and management of field staff. Given the critical role that effective human resources management plays in the successful establishment and operation of peace operations, it is imperative that the leadership, managerial and operational capacity in this area be significantly strengthened. As such, it is proposed to create a Field Personnel Division which would be staffed and empowered to exercise the breadth and depth of its managerial responsibilities, and to deal with the size and scope of field mission human resources requirements. The Field Personnel Division would be organized into two broad components. The first main component would comprise integrated human resources management teams structured broadly along regional lines to deal with all staff appointment, travel and administration. The other component would comprise sections dedicated to delivering foundational support in the areas of policy guidance, organizational design and job classification, human resource requirements forecasting and trends analysis, quality assurance, self-evaluation and monitoring, recruitment outreach, rostering and career development. The Division’s current delegations of authority would be expanded to include job classification for field positions, approval of the movement of staff to higher levels, discretionary decisions in the management of staff and administration of benefits and management of the electronic website for the posting of vacancies for peacekeeping operations. 
93.	The outline of the role and responsibilities of the Field Personnel Division for human resources management is provided in annex III to the present report and reflects the expanded delegations of human resources management authorities to the Department of Field Support. These further delegations of authority would not affect the central authority and enforcement role of the Office of Human Resources Management, as most recently reiterated by the General Assembly in its resolution 59/266. They would vest in the Department of Field Support the full range of decision-making authority required to more effectively recruit, manage and administer field personnel. The expanded delegations would also achieve greater clarity in the lines of responsibility and accountability in these areas. Managerial accountability at Headquarters and in the field would be strengthened through the introduction within the Department of Field Support of human resource action plans for field missions, as recommended by the Board of Auditors and the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and the establishment of a central review body mechanism. 
94.	With the exception of the resources required to perform the newly delegated classification responsibilities, the competence to exercise the expanded delegation of human resources management authorities is already resident in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. For this reason, and in view of the central role of the Office of Human Resources Management and its responsibility to monitor and evaluate the exercise of delegated human resource authorities in respect of field missions, no transfer of resources from the Office of Human Resources Management to the Department of Field Support is being proposed. 

		Field budget and finance division

95.	The exponential growth in peacekeeping has more than doubled the total peacekeeping budget and generated year-round budget preparation and performance reporting cycles. This has led to an unprecedented level of memorandums of understanding that require complex negotiations and new challenges to the process of reimbursement of contingent-owned equipment claims. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations would continue to deliver support to political and peacebuilding missions, which have experienced a seven-fold growth over the past five years. On the other hand, the increasing complexity of peacekeeping mandates requiring the development of complex new financial arrangements involving multiple actors, also present new budgeting and financial challenges. Examples include such new elements as maritime units in Lebanon or increased collaboration with new partners, both within the United Nations common system in such areas as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and with regional organization partners, as in support to the African Union Mission in the Sudan.
96.	The Finance Management and Support Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is not adequately staffed to cope with this exponential growth which thereby has significant impact on its capacity to help missions in formulating and submitting timely mission budget proposals to the Department of Management. This lack of capacity to provide hands-on support to missions before and during budget formulation translates into a lengthy Headquarters review process, to clarify and address quality concerns after missions submit their budgets to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for review, with resultant delays in budget submissions to the Department of Management and legislative bodies. The proposed Field Budget and Finance Division would address, at the leadership, managerial and operational levels, this concern of lack of timeliness by having the capacity to support and assist missions in the formulation of their respective budget proposals with full justifications, while at the same time providing adequate backstopping support on day-to-day operational issues. The proposed strengthened capacity would result in high quality submissions to the Controller.
97.	The Peacekeeping Finance Division in the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, Department of Management would be able, as a result of strengthening the staffing of the Field Budget and Finance Division, to change its focus towards strategic analysis of peacekeeping budgeting, and away from operational level reviews of budget submissions. The Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts would continue to be responsible for the same scope of functions as at present. Thus, no resources would be transferred from the Department of Management’s Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts to the Field Budget and Finance Division.

		Conduct and Oversight Division

98.	As highlighted through a number of audits emanating from the Board of Auditors and the Office of Internal Oversight Services, the spate of conduct and discipline issues arising in field missions over the past few years and concerns expressed by Member States and, in particular, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations in its reports to the General Assembly at its 59th and 60th sessions, the Department’s capacity to address conduct and monitoring challenges in United Nations peacekeeping operations is inadequate. Lack of management and working level capacity within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to deal with conduct issues, audit response, Board of Inquiry review and field procurement oversight issues exposes the Organization to gaps in operational efficiency and effectiveness. It also impedes the ability to systematically learn lessons and build on best practices and increases the Organization’s exposure to the risk of misuse or mismanagement of resources. 
99.	The Department of Field Support would therefore require a conduct and monitoring structure, resources and staff empowered to exercise the overall direction, management and supervision of the delivery of administrative and logistical support to field operations under the full range of the Department’s authorities in financial, human and physical resource management. The resources and functions related to conduct and monitoring of procurement authorities would be vested in the Conduct and Oversight Division, which would develop policies and programmes to promote the highest standards of conduct; ensure that appropriate investigation, disciplinary and follow-up action on conduct cases is taken; analyse and monitor trends and promulgate guidelines to address audit findings and ensure appropriate follow-up action; ensure action on the findings of boards of inquiry; manage the programme of designation and delegation of procurement authority; manage and oversee the presentation of the recommendations of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts to the Assistant Secretary-General for Field Administrative Support, thereby ensuring appropriate checks and balances in the exercise of the Department’s procurement authorities; and, represent the Department before legislative bodies on matters pertaining to conduct, audit, boards of inquiry and field procurement oversight. 

	3.	Office of Integrated Support Services

		Office of the Assistant Secretary-General for Integrated Support Services

100.	The Assistant Secretary-General for Integrated Support Services would be responsible for the overall direction and coordination of the substantive work of the Office of Integrated Support Services and the development and coordination of logistics and information and communications technology support to all peace operations. This would involve the provision of direction, policy and guidance to field logistics support, the provision of integrated logistics and information and communication technology support planning and the maintenance of a capability to respond to rapidly developing or changing peacekeeping support requirements. The Office would also contribute to the development of concepts of operation and preparation of operational plans. It would provide appropriate guidance and mechanisms to resolve problems when they arise, and assess the impact on operations of the deliberations of legislative bodies of the United Nations. 
101.	In addition, the Assistant Secretary-General for Integrated Support Services would oversee the operations of the proposed Field Procurement Service that focus on and deliver the material and other support requirements for the field and ensure that the operations are coordinated in such manner that the Office of Integrated Support Services has the capability to meet demands. It is anticipated that the Field Procurement Service would engage in securing approximately $2.2 billion worth of material and service support requirements in 2007/08. 

		Information and Communications Technology Division 

102.	Given the significance of information and communications technology for the effective management of global field operations and the safety of mission personnel, strengthening of these capabilities is a priority. I propose to upgrade the existing Communications and Information Technology Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to a Division within the Office of Integrated Support Services. This would strengthen leadership and management capacity to meet the continuing growth of information and communication technology in scale, scope and complexity in the field, to implement enterprise information systems in the field so as to enable missions to leverage technology to enhance operational effectiveness, and to support the consolidation of information and communication technology activities across the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. This approach would also meet the recommendations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services as presented in its 2005 management audit (AP2005/600/17), in which the Office called for the better positioning of this capacity to more effectively and efficiently use information and communications technology in addressing the strategic information needs of Headquarters and field missions to help them achieve their peacekeeping mandates.
103.	Certain critical information and communications technology services, such as telecommunications infrastructure and secure services for the exchange of confidential information, are shared between the Communications and Information Technology Service and the Information Technology Services Division in the Department of Management. In an effort to reduce duplication, and to enhance the provision of reliable and uninterrupted service to the field, information and communications technology services would be streamlined and consolidated under the proposed Information and Communications Technology Division. The Division would be responsible for ensuring that the Organization’s vision, as defined by the Office of Information and Communications Technology of the Department of Management, is extended to field information and communication technology operations, establishing and promulgating field-specific information and communication technology policies, standards, procedures and guidelines, monitoring and ensuring that field mission information and communication technology expenditures are aligned with the global information and communication technology investment strategy to ensure economies of scale and reduce redundancies, planning, coordinating and directing all information and communication technology operations in field missions as necessary, assessing business needs and required supporting technology solutions for the field, and managing Wide Area Network connectivity.
104.	The planning and implementation of enterprise systems such as Enterprise Content Management, Customer Relationship Management and Enterprise Resource Planning also require a dramatic enhancement of roles and responsibilities within the Information and Communications Technology Division. As staff in the field will constitute the major user-base for enterprise systems, the Division would need to ensure that field mission requirements and technological limitations are identified, analysed and taken into consideration in the selection of enterprise systems. The Division would also manage implementation, integration, support and process management activities associated with enterprise systems for all field missions. 

		Logistics Support Division

105.	The organization and core functions of the Logistics Support Division would remain those currently established in the Logistics Support Division in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations Office of Mission Support, with the exception of the Communications and Information Technology Service. As earlier presented, the Communications and Information Technology Service is proposed to become a Division separate from the Logistics Support Division. The Logistics Support Division therefore would comprise three services: Operational Support Service, Transportation and Movement Service and Specialist Support Service. These services would continue to provide direction for and implementation of global peacekeeping logistics support, provision of integrated logistics support planning, and the maintenance of a capability to respond to rapidly developing or changing peacekeeping support requirements.

		Field Procurement Service

106.	The ability of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to expedite the delivery of material resources to new field missions and expanding missions around the globe on a timely basis is a major challenge. The value of procurement for peacekeeping missions has significantly increased over recent years, reaching $1.44 billion in 2005. It should be noted that $838 million was procured locally by peacekeeping missions and $937 million was procured by the Headquarters Procurement Division for a total of $1.78 billion. The value of goods and services procured for 2006 is estimated at $2 billion, of which 80 to 85 per cent will be in support of peacekeeping. In meeting this huge surge in material resource requirements around the globe, the future United Nations procurement function needs to expand and maintain a professional and trained procurement workforce, and to develop a risk assessment framework with which to formulate strategic decision-making focused on the core business of peacekeeping. 
107.	At present, the Financial Rules and Regulations of the United Nations designate responsibility for procurement activity to the Under-Secretary-General for Management, who further delegates this responsibility to the Assistant Secretary-General level in the Department of Management. The Procurement Service is responsible for establishing and maintaining procurement-related guidelines and procedures. The current guidelines and procedures provide little differentiation from meeting Headquarters procurement needs, which are usually predictable, compared with field operations whose requirements are dynamic in nature and time-sensitive. While the Financial Rules and Regulations of the United Nations (ST/SGB/2003/7) pertaining to procurement are sufficiently broad in scope to accommodate specific field support needs, all procurement authority is vested in a single accountable person in the Department of Management. Changes to the relevant financial rules in accordance with the proposed alignment of responsibilities between the Department of Field Support and the Department of Management would be required. This would empower the Department of Field Support to establish a procedural and guidance framework to adequately address the specific conditions and requirements of field procurement and to assume responsibility commensurate with full accountability for field procurement.
108.	Given that field procurement is often conducted in difficult environments and within under-developed markets and regulatory frameworks, a dedicated and separate capacity is required to balance factors of value, quality and timeliness of delivery in full appreciation of mandate demands. 
109.	Vesting adequate authority for field procurement with the Department of Field Support, along with the authority to appoint procurement officers at Headquarters and in the field, would result in greater unity of direction, improved responsiveness of the procurement process to field needs and streamlined procurement processes resulting in more timely delivery of goods and services to the field. It would provide clarity on roles, responsibilities and accountability; increased ability to exercise control over priorities and efforts; and oversight of all stages of the supply chain management. Integrating procurement into the supply chain management system and simplifying the line of authority and accountability for procurement would also help address the underlying weaknesses in controls outlined in part two of the annual report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on peacekeeping (A/61/264 (Part II)), by simplifying and strengthening the chain of responsibility, authority and accountability.
110.	The Department of Management would retain control, ownership and leadership of the Secretariat procurement function in respect of the vendor database, the vendor review committee, the procurement manual, the training programme and the website in order to prevent any duplication in operation and resources. It would undertake a review that takes fully into account the needs of field procurement and the development of common information technology systems for both field and Headquarters procurement. The Headquarters Committee on Contracts, with representation from the Department of Field Support would serve both the Department of Management and the Department of Field Support. An outline of the roles and responsibilities that the Field Procurement Service would assume is set out in annex IV and reflects the expanded delegations of procurement authority to be assumed by the Department of Field Support.


	C.	Unity of command and integration of efforts


111.	I believe that the realignment of peacekeeping offers the potential to improve the speed and efficiency with which support is provided to the 100,000 personnel serving in the field. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the management and oversight of the peacekeeping resources provided by Member States. However, success depends on the extent to which principles of United Nations peacekeeping are applied. In this regard, unity of command plays a critical role, as reaffirmed by the General Assembly.

	1.	Guaranteeing unity of command in the field and at Headquarters

112.	In the field, unity of command would be maintained by preserving the existing overall authority of my Special Representatives and Heads of Mission over all mission components. The Special Representative or Head of Mission would be the ultimate authority at the mission level for operations and support. Existing arrangements, whereby the Directors of Administration/Chiefs of Administration have a dual reporting line to the Assistant Secretary-General for Mission Support, would no longer apply. Special Representatives and Heads of Mission would report to the Secretary-General through the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. The existing command and control arrangements for force commanders in the field would remain unchanged. 
113.	At Headquarters, the keystone of unity of command would be that the Department of Field Support would report to, and receive direction from, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on all matters already falling under the purview of the existing Department of Peacekeeping Operations. This would ensure that the efforts of the Department of Field Support correspond fully to the operational priorities and needs of peacekeeping, and that the two departments would remain coordinated and integrated.
	2.	Integration of effort

		Joint senior-level decision-making and information-sharing forums

114.	One common doctrinal and policy framework would govern the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support to ensure integration of efforts between the two departments. 
115.	Joint senior decision-making bodies would be established at headquarters to address cross-cutting and strategic issues on policy formulation, resources, information management, public information and engagement with United Nations and non-United Nations partners. Senior officials of the two departments would jointly address strategic and emergency issues in specific missions through regular meetings chaired by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Joint morning meetings of directors, weekly staff townhall meetings and shared Intranet resource platforms would be key information-sharing mechanisms to support unity of command and effort. 

		Integrated operational teams

116.	The creation of integrated operational teams in the Office of Operations in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, elaborated previously, would be the principal driver in ensuring integration of efforts of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support in the day-to-day planning and management of peacekeeping operations. The teams, consisting of political affairs, military and police officers and support specialists, and drawing on the expertise of other thematic advisers, would ensure that mission-specific issues requiring the attention of senior management of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support are addressed in an integrated manner. The integrated operational teams would also be the vehicle through which mission-specific advice and analysis is provided to the Heads of Mission, or to other senior management of peacekeeping operations.

		Shared resources

117.	To facilitate integration of effort and policy coherence and to ensure efficiency in the use of resources, a number of capacities would support both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. As noted in paragraph 29 above, there would be a Chief of Staff located in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, with responsibility for issues relating to the integration of both departments. The Chief of Staff would also serve as chairman of the Information Management Committee, comprising representatives from both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support.
118.	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support would also share policy development, common doctrine, best practices and evaluation and training capacities, all of which would be located in the Policy, Evaluation and Training Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Division would be a service provider to both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support as well as to field missions. This approach would help to ensure that common approaches and standards are applied in both departments and field missions. Both departments would also rely on the strategic partnership capacity being established in that division.
119.	The capacity for public information and the crisis management capabilities of the Situation Centre, both located in the Office of the Under-Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations, would also serve both departments and help to ensure an integrated response to crises and emergencies in the field.
120.	The Department of Field Support would meanwhile have an integrated capacity to address issues related to conduct and discipline for all categories of staff. It would provide secretariat support to the selection process for senior leadership positions in the field. The Department of Field Support would also provide the technical support necessary for the development and administration of information technology requirements for both departments. 
121.	A strengthened Executive Office would provide administrative support to both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. This shared resource would ensure consistent application of human resources and financial management policies across both departments. In the areas of budgetary management, there would be a number of components of the proposals for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support that would be cross-cutting in nature. As such, the preparation of the budget proposals would require a high degree of consultation and coordination between both departments, a process in which the role of the Executive Office would be central. Similarly, in the area of human resources management, the creation of the integrated operational teams in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, to include specialists from the support components, is illustrative of the need to ensure effective coordination of the personnel administration of both departments. A single Executive Office is considered critical to facilitating the required degree of coordination on such issues.

		Co-location of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the 
Department of Field Support

122.	As the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has expanded in the past 10 years, offices, divisions and units have been placed in separate scattered office space throughout the Secretariat. Currently, staff in the Department are dispersed in more than 20 different floors and 5 different buildings. This circumstance has made coordination and integration of the day-to-day activities of the various offices in the Department exceedingly difficult and has hindered the responsiveness to peacekeeping operations in the field. To ensure close working relationships at all levels and real integration between the staff of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support the two departments must, to the largest extent possible, be co-located.
123.	As there is currently no space available in the Secretariat or any of the buildings leased by the Organization to accommodate the co-location of the staff of the two departments, including temporary staff and individual contractors, potential facilities would need to be identified. In addition, a detailed move plan would need to be developed to ensure that there is no disruption to communications and responsiveness to the field. In this regard, I will revert to the General Assembly during the main part of its sixty-second session with a detailed proposal for the colocation of staff of the two departments, the move plan and the related financial implications.

		Integrated mission task forces

124.	An essential mechanism for ensuring integration of effort across the United Nations system would be the systematic use of an integrated mission task force for each major mission (as mentioned in para. 52 above) bringing together all relevant entities of the United Nations system to focus on the case at hand. Each integrated mission task force would normally include the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support, the Department of Safety and Security, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of Legal Affairs and the main United Nations humanitarian and development entities. Far more than a coordinating body, the integrated mission task force responsibility would be to prepare strategy which would then guide the United Nations system in its work. Whenever feasible, an integrated mission task force would be formed early in the process (preferably during the peacemaking phase). In addition, it would normally remain in effect throughout the implementation phase as a problem-solving mechanism, continuing to ensure that the United Nations system works together instead of at cross-purposes. Past experience with integrated mission task forces has been positive; it is important now to replicate this good practice and make it part of the Organization’s standard effort.
125.	In order to ensure the authority required to lead the integrated mission task forces effectively, it would normally be headed at the D-2 or D-1 level, depending on the case, with all other participants at a responsible Professional level. The more systematic use of integrated mission task forces would require additional resources for those departments concerned so that they can maintain an active engagement. In the absence of such resources, the system would continue to rely too heavily on ad hoc arrangements to ensure United Nations coherence in managing and resolving armed conflicts. I have directed the departments concerned to develop a strategy for identifying the resources, a matter on which I may have to revert to Member States in due course. 


	D.	Role, responsibilities and related resources of the Department of Management in support of peacekeeping


126.	The Department of Management would continue to formulate policies and procedures and provide strategic guidance, direction and support to all entities of the Secretariat, including the offices away from Headquarters, in three broad management areas, namely, finance and budget, human resources, and common services (procurement, information technology and facilities management). The functions would be under the responsibility of the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, the Office of Human Resources Management, the Office of Information and Communications Technology and the Office of Central Support Services, respectively. 
127.	In addition, the Department would continue to represent or ensure the representation of the Secretary-General on management matters in relation to governing bodies, agencies in the common system and administrative advisory bodies and to monitor emerging management issues throughout the Secretariat by interacting with the executive committees; be responsible for the overall supervision of the internal system for the administration of justice; and represent the Secretary-General in dealing with Member States on all substantive aspects relating to financial, budgetary, personnel and common services (procurement, information technology and facilities management) issues.
128.	As indicated in section II of the present report, staff in the Department of Management would continue to respond to the level of continuous growth in peacekeeping activity by over-stretching current capacity to meet new challenges. Overall a net decrease of 16 posts in the Department is proposed for the 2007/08 period resulting from the proposed transfer of 40 posts to the Department of Field Support and the transfer of 2 posts to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, offset by an increase of 26 posts (19 in the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, 5 in the Office of Central Support Services and 2 in the Office of Human Resources Management).
129.	The augmentation of 26 posts would be required to enable the Department to continue to fulfil its responsibility for formulating policies and procedures and providing strategic guidance, direction and support to peacekeeping operations, in finance and budget, human resources, procurement and information technology, at their current level of volume and complexity. The ratio of staff in the Department of Management to field personnel (see table 2 above), as represented in the ratio of 1:656 is lower than the ratio of 1:467 established in 2002/03 which was considered to be adequate to enable the Department to effectively support and sustain peacekeeping following the reforms proposed in the Brahimi reports.

	1.	Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts

130.	The Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts would continue administering and ensuring compliance with the Financial Rules and Regulations of the United Nations and the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation (ST/SGB/2000/8); and relevant legislative mandates; establishing and applying the budgetary and accounting policies and procedures of the United Nations; ensuring sound financial management of all resources made available to the Organization and ensuring their effective and efficient use; accounting for and reporting to the appropriate authorities on the use made of United Nations financial resources; and facilitating intergovernmental deliberations by the General Assembly and decision-making on the issues of planning, programming, budgeting and accounts of the Organization.
131.	The Peacekeeping Financing Division would continue to be responsible for establishing policies, procedures and methodology for estimation of resource requirements and providing policy guidance, consistent with the financial rules and regulations of the organization on all budgetary and financial issues in relation to peacekeeping operations.
132.	Peacekeeping missions, under the direction, guidance and support of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support would translate mandates into the results-based budgeting frameworks and formulate the related proposed resource requirements. On behalf of the Controller, the Peacekeeping Financing Division would scrutinize the proposals created during this exercise, reviewing for consistency with organization-wide financial and resource policies and procedures, including the application of standard budgetary formats and costing factors. The Division would prepare the Secretary-General’s mission financing reports and the support account for peacekeeping operations and present and defend proposals at meetings of the legislative bodies, supported by missions, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. The responsibilities of the Division, on behalf of the Controller would remain unchanged.
133.	A strengthened Field Budget and Finance Division in the Department of Field Support would produce timely and high-quality budget proposals for submission to the Controller. Consequently, the Peacekeeping Financing Division would review resource requirements more strategically within and across missions, in addition to validating the reasonableness and accuracy of budget proposals. The Division would ensure that reviews are undertaken and completed in a timeframe to meet deadlines for official reproduction of the financing reports of the Secretary-General into six official languages. Consequently, adequate time would be available for review and consideration by Member States in advance of official sessions of the General Assembly. Compliance with budget deadlines for official reproduction of documentation has not been met since the fifty-seventh session, in 2003. 
134.	The other central functions of treasury, contributions and accounting, with their distinct responsibilities, would continue to be the responsibility of the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts. Treasury and accounting functions would continue to be centrally managed to ensure consistency in the application of regulatory frameworks, that is, Financial Rules and Regulations of the United Nations, cost efficiency in execution and returns on investment of funds. Consequently, no resources would be transferred from the Department of Management’s Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts to the Field Budget and Finance Division.

	2.	Office of Human Resources Management

135.	The Office of Human Resources Management, in line with its mandate as the central authority within the Secretariat to interpret and enforce the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and to ensure consistency of standards Organization-wide, would retain central authority for the establishment of Organization-wide policies and standards governing all human resources management matters. This would include the determination of contractual arrangements and conditions of service Organization- and/or system-wide and the establishment of salary scales for locally recruited staff, mission subsistence allowance rates and other benefits and entitlements. It would also retain overall authority to establish, review and monitor overall medical policy for the United Nations.
136.	The Office of Human Resources Management would continue to represent the Secretariat before the General Assembly, the International Civil Service Commission, the High-Level Committee on Management of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and other bodies on Organization-wide human resources management and compensation issues, with support from the Department of Field Support on matters related to field personnel. It would maintain its responsibility to monitor and evaluate the exercise of its delegated human resources management authority. In that context, the Office of Human Resources Management would strengthen its monitoring and oversight of authority delegated to the Department of Field Support, and provide policy guidance, capacity-building and support.
137.	The resources allocated to the Office of Human Resources Management relate to the exercise of its responsibilities with respect to policies and standards governing all human resources management matters, Organization- and/or system-wide conditions of service and oversight and monitoring of authority delegated to the Department of Field Support would remain intact. Accordingly, no resources would be transferred from the Office of Human Resources Management in the Department of Management to the Field Personnel Division of the Department of Field Support. The allocation of responsibilities and resources related to internal justice will be dealt with separately in the context of the implementation of internal justice system reform.

	3.	Office of Central Support Services

		Office of Information and Communications Technology 

138.	Responsibility over the provision of information and technology services to field missions that are currently shared between the Information Technology Services Division in the Department of Management and the Communications and Information Technology Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would be transferred to the Department of Field Support to reduce duplication and enhance the provision of reliable and uninterrupted service to the field. While the Communications and Information Technology Service is responsible for the management of over 350 satellite Earth stations located in the field, it does not manage the one at United Nations Headquarters, which provides a vital link from New York to the field. In addition, the secure voice and data network, which provides secure services for the exchange of confidential information, is managed within the Information Technology Services Division. This capability is essential for the management of field missions and would be consolidated in the Department of Field Support. In this context, a total of five posts would be transferred from the Information Technology Services Division in the Department of Management to the Information and Communications Technology Division in the Department of Field Support.
139.	Should the General Assembly concur with the proposal that the Office of Information and Communications Technology should be located in the Department of Management, the relationship between the Office and the Information and Communications Technology Division in the Department of Field Support would be guided by the following objectives:
	(a)	Organizational coherence, that is, consistency in the application of Organization-wide policies, standards and methods;
	(b)	Alignment of information and communications technology in peacekeeping with the programme objectives and delivery commitments of the Department of Field Support within the framework of Organization-wide objectives and mandates;
	(c)	Economies of scale through shared services and operations;
	(d)	Expeditious clearance mechanisms, wherever applicable, to enable agile and responsive action in the field.
140.	In this context, the role of the Office of Information and Communications Technology insofar as the operations of the Information and Communications Technology Division in the Department of Field Support would be as follows:
	(a)	The Office of Information and Communications Technology would develop the strategic direction, policies and standards of information and communications technology for the entire Organization;
	(b)	The Information and Communications Technology Division in the Department of Field Support would be delegated with the requisite authority to effectively operate systems and support the needs of the field, within the organization-wide framework established by the Department of Management;
	(c)	The Office of Information and Communications Technology would ensure that enterprise systems are selected, implemented and deployed, taking full consideration of and in alignment with the functional requirements of peacekeeping operations and with the necessary provisions to ensure adequate performance in the field-mission environment. To ensure this alignment, the Information and Communications Technology Division in the Department of Field Support would be adequately represented in all relevant project initiatives and project teams;
	(d)	Whenever technically feasible, enterprise systems would be operated jointly in co-located data and communications centres, funded on the basis of cost-sharing arrangements in line with their measurable proportional use.
141.	The Office of Information and Communications Technology would develop the global information and communications technology investments, policy and plans for the Organization. The plans would ensure that the needs of the Department of Field Support are fully addressed.

		Procurement Division

		Background

142.	The current roles and responsibilities between the Department of Management and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations are not optimized. It is recognized that circumstances in the field are often more time-critical than at Headquarters and that the market environment may differ by location. Therefore, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Management have worked together to determine authority and resources that would need to be reassigned to the Department of Field Support in order for it to be fully empowered to deliver the full range of support to peacekeeping operations.

		Principles

143.	The proposal establishes two complementary professional procurement capabilities dedicated to the Organization’s priorities and objectives while maintaining coherence and a strategic vision set by the Department of Management. A clear delineation of the delegation of authority between the Department of Management and the Department of Field Support would reinforce the governance structure and would enable the Under-Secretary-General for Management and the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support to exercise fully the procurement authority and responsibility on the Headquarters and field budgets. Under this arrangement, the Department of Management would retain responsibility for maintenance of the procurement manual, the overarching procurement operation covering policy, procedures, vendor registration, training, etc. and would continue to serve the Headquarters customers and offices away from Headquarters. 

		Realignment of resources

144.	In order to operate the restructured United Nations procurement function, resources would need to be reallocated from the Department of Management by transferring a number of posts to the Department of Field Support. The remaining resources in the Department of Management represent minimal requirements reasonably needed to run a modern procurement operation incorporating enhanced internal controls worldwide and meeting, among other things, the forthcoming challenges of the Capital Master Plan implementation and maintaining momentum of the procurement reform.

		Internal organization

145.	It is of paramount importance that the two procurement operations avoid duplication and take full benefit of synergies resulting in efficiencies and economies of scale. The proposed reorganization would ensure that the Department of Management maintains an important coordinating mechanism, such as the Headquarters Committee of Contracts, necessary for providing transparency, fairness and integrity of procurement process Secretariat-wide.


	E.	Role, responsibilities and related resources of other departments 
in support of peacekeeping


	1.	Office of Legal Affairs

146.	The Office of Legal Affairs has substantive responsibility for promoting a better understanding by Member States of and respect for the principles and norms of international law in order to support the accomplishment of the objectives of the United Nations. The Office provides a unified central legal service for the Secretariat and the principal and other organs of the United Nations, contributes to the progressive development and codification of international public and trade law, promotes the strengthening and development, as well as the effective implementation, of the international legal order for the seas and oceans, registers and publishes treaties and performs the depositary functions of the Secretary-General.
147.	The Office of Legal Affairs seeks to achieve this through the provision of legal services on questions of international and national, public, private, procedural and administrative law, by providing substantive secretariat functions to United Nations bodies and by providing assistance on the rule of law to Member States on their request or pursuant to relevant mandates, and through the expeditious processing and publication of treaty-related actions and treaties registered and deposited, and by providing assistance to Member States in matters related to treaty law. 
148.	The Office provides legal services to United Nations offices and field and peacekeeping missions, including on maintaining respect for the privileges and immunities and the legal status of the Organization, and provides legal assistance and advice to Secretariat staff worldwide relating to the provision of goods, services and facilities to the Organization and its missions, and to the resolution of legal disputes involving the Organization, including the representation of the Secretary-General in judicial proceedings, negotiations or other procedures.
149.	The Office would continue to discharge its responsibilities and provide support to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support, peacekeeping missions and special political missions. Consequently, the current resource level would be maintained for the Office of Legal Affairs, including the strengthening proposed in the context of the 2007/08 support account budget. The proposed resource level for 2007/08 would provide the Office with the required capacity to address the broad range of issues requiring legal expertise within its purview, emanating from the implementation of mandates of field operations.

	2.	Department of Safety and Security

150.	Since the establishment of the Department of Safety and Security in January 2005, the cooperation and coordination between this Department and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on day-to-day security issues and in crisis response situations has been effective. At Headquarters, the two departments established a Standing Committee for Security which meets periodically to discuss and decide on security policy and substantive operational issues. The Peacekeeping Operations Support Section in the Department of Safety and Security provides day-to-day security support to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and field missions. In crisis response, existing agreements between the two departments clearly delineate roles and responsibilities for the spectrum of crisis situations. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is a member of the Inter-Agency Security Management Network, chaired by the Department of Safety and Security.
151.	The establishment of the Department of Field Support would not substantively change the previous relationships with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Department of Safety and Security would continue to provide security support to ensure the implementation of the United Nations security management system at Headquarters and in field missions. In addition, the Department would work closely with the Department of Field Support to ensure adequate security resourcing for field missions, in particular in the areas of staff, equipment, training, security services and associated budget processes. Crisis response arrangements would be maintained with the Department of Safety and Security and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations continuing to undertake their current roles and responsibilities and the Department of Field Support assuming the support responsibilities formerly provided by the Office of Mission Support in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support would be members of the InterAgency Security Management Network. The Department of Security and Safety is proposing to augment the resource level provided in the context of the 2007/08 support account budget to strengthen its capability to meet the demands of the current level of peacekeeping activity.

	3.	Office of Internal Oversight Services

152.	The mandate of the Office of Internal Oversight Services is derived from General Assembly resolutions 48/218 B, 54/244 and 59/272 and from the relevant provisions of the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations (ST/SGB/2003/7) and of the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation (ST/SGB/2000/8). The Office adds value by providing worldwide audit, investigation, inspection, programme monitoring and evaluation of the United Nations operational funds, programmes and tribunals.
153.	The Office of Internal Oversight Services would continue to perform the designated functions of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of programmes and legislative mandates; conducting comprehensive internal audits in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and with general and specific standards for the professional practice of internal auditing in United Nations organizations; monitoring programme implementation in accordance with the provisions of article VI of the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation; conducting inspections of programmes and organizational units; investigating reports of mismanagement and acts of misconduct and monitoring the implementation of recommendations emanating from audits, evaluations, inspections and investigations. 
154.	The Office would continue to perform the above-mandated functions for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support, peacekeeping missions and special political missions and would therefore require the resources proposed in the context of 2007/08 support account budget.


	F.	Headquarters support to special political missions


155.	Currently, out of the total of 31 special political missions with two missions under liquidation, 16 are supported by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, 14 by the Department of Political Affairs, and 1 by the Department for Disarmament Affairs. There is no budgetary provision in the budgets of these missions for substantive and administrative backstopping by offices at Headquarters. So far, necessary support functions have been absorbed with great difficulty by the existing capacity of each office involved. Attempts to further absorb these requirements have resulted in overstretching by the relevant offices. Therefore, there is a need to address arrangements for Headquarters backstopping of special political missions. While the bulk of the larger field-based special political missions is supported by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Executive Office of the Department of Political Affairs carries a heavy responsibility in supporting the remaining missions. There is also a need for a more targeted budgetary monitoring and control of all special political missions that fall under the lead of the Department of Political Affairs, as was highlighted in the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the management of special political missions by the Department of Political Affairs (A/61/357).
156.	The Department of Field Support would provide the support currently provided by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on behalf of the Department of Political Affairs to 14 active special political missions and two missions under liquidation. Combined staffing levels for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations supported special political missions currently comprise a total of 562 military and police liaison personnel as well as 1,542 international civilian and 2,783 national civilian personnel, with approved resources totalling $332 million in 2007. This represents a 78 per cent increase in terms of numbers of supported special political missions and an almost eight-fold increase in terms of resources compared with 2002, when just nine special political missions were supported by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, with a total resource level of $37.9 million.
157.	With the exception of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the United Nations Mission in Nepal, the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi and the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone, special political missions generally do not have the support structures, capacity or delegated authorities needed to manage many of the logistics and administrative activities. As a result, much of the logistics and administrative support routinely carried out at the local level in peacekeeping missions must be performed at Headquarters for special political missions, to a far greater degree than that required for peacekeeping operations, especially in those missions where inter-agency and common service agreements and arrangements are in place. To that extent, and notwithstanding their relatively smaller size and scope, special political missions must be seen as a significant additional component of the work of the proposed Department of Field Support. 
158.	The provision of logistical support, either provided through close cooperation with peacekeeping operations in the same region or United Nations Headquarters, covers aviation, communications and information technology, engineering, ground transportation, medical, supply, logistics planning, evaluation, monitoring and technical advice. Strategic deployment stocks are also used to meet urgent/immediate needs of special political missions when required. The provision of administrative support, meanwhile, covers human resource management, including the recruitment and administration of civilian personnel and financial management, as well as budgetary, accounting, and payments for personnel, goods and services. 
159.	It is my intention to provide an analysis of related workload statistics and a subsequent funding proposal for Headquarters support to special political missions by various Headquarters offices, including support to be provided by the Department of Field Support, in the context of the 2008 budget proposal for special political missions to be submitted to the General Assembly during the main part of its sixty-second session. Funding for these support functions would initially be proportionate to the total financial resources sought for 2008 in the comprehensive proposals for the funding of special political missions and would be expanded or contracted over the course of the biennium on the basis of overall funding for special political missions during the biennium.


	IV.	Changes in the structure and level of resources and staffing


	A.	Support account (1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008)


		Financial resources
(Thousands of United States dollars)

Support account Approved 2006/07 Proposed 2007/08 Variance


 Department of Peacekeeping Operations (except Office of Mission Support) 58 183.4 97 114.1 38 930.7
Department of Field Support (Office of Mission Support) 53 452.3 86 857.9 33 405.6
Department of Management 50 463.6 37 402.6 (13 061.0)
Office of Internal Oversight Services 20 782.9 23 960.1 3 177.2
Executive Office of the Secretary-General 976.1 1 337.7 361.6
Office of the United Nations Ombudsman 368.8 382.8 14.0
Department of Public Information 466.3 721.1 254.8
Office of Legal Affairs 1 930.9 3 110.3 1 179.4
Department of Safety and Security 2 393.1 3 613.5 1 220.4
	Total 189 017.4 254 500.1 65 482.7


		Posts


Support account Approved staffing 2006/07
(1) New posts
(2) Transfersa
(3) Change
(4)=(2)+(3) Proposed 2007/08
(5)=(1)+(4)



 Department of Peacekeeping Operations 273 161 5 166 439
Department of Field Support 344 122 44 166 510
Department of Management 172 26 (42) (16) 156
Office of Internal Oversight Services 0 77 88 165 165
Executive Office of the Secretary-General 5 — 2 7 7
Office of the United Nations Ombudsman 2 — — 2 2
Department of Public Information 2 2 — 4 4
Office of Legal Affairs 9 4 — 4 13
Department of Safety and Security 12 6 — 6 18
	Total 819 398 97 495 1 314

	a	Includes the net transfer of 9 posts from the regular budget to the support account.


	B.	Programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007


160.	The proposals contained in the present report would entail the following staffing changes under the programme budget:
(a)	Section 5. Peacekeeping operations
	(i)	Department of Peacekeeping Operations
		a.	The upgrading of the Military Division to the Office of Military Affairs, which would require the establishment of a new post at the Assistant Secretary-General level;
		b.	The establishment of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, which would require the establishment of a new post at the Assistant Secretary-General level, and redeployment of an existing P-5 post from the Military Division for the post of Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary-General;
		c.	The transfer of the Civilian Police Division to the newly created Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, to be headed by a D-2 Police Adviser through the redeployment of an existing D-2 post of Military Adviser;
		d.	The transfer of the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section from the Office of the Under-Secretary-General to the proposed Policy, Evaluation and Training Division;
	(ii)	Department of Field Support
		a.	The establishment of the Department of Field Support, which would require the establishment of a new post at the Under-Secretary-General level, and redeployment of an existing D-1 post from the Office of Mission Support to perform the functions of Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General;
		b.	The establishment of the Office for Integrated Support Services, which would require the establishment of two new posts: one Assistant Secretary-General and one P-5 for his or her Special Assistant;
		c.	The inward redeployment of 1 P-2 and 14 General Service (Other level) posts to the proposed Field Procurement Service in the Office of Integrated Support Services from the Procurement Division of the Office of Central Support Services;
(b)	Section 28D. Office of Central Support Services
	(i)	The establishment of one D-1 post for the Chief Procurement Service in the Procurement Division;
	(ii)	The outward redeployment of 1 P-2 and 14 General Service (Other level) posts to the proposed Field Procurement Service in the Office of Integrated Support Services.
161.	The above proposals are based on the rationale that the core of senior management, particularly at the leadership level, in peacekeeping operations under the two proposed departments would continue to be funded from the regular budget. In the meantime, some posts that are more operational in nature and may be more contingent on the fluctuation of peacekeeping activities are proposed to be realigned between the regular budget (4 P-4, 2 P-3 and 1 GS (OL)) and the support account for peacekeeping operations. No additional resources are sought at the present time. The actual expenditures in implementing these arrangements would be reported in the context of the second performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007.

		Table 3
Overall revised estimates of the programme budget for the biennium 
2006-2007 by section


 Resources (thousands of United States dollars)
Posts
Component 2006-2007 revised appropriationa at 
1 July 2007
Change Total 2006-2007 revised appropriationa at 
1 July 2007
Change Total




Section 5, Peacekeeping operations



A.	Department of Peacekeeping Operations



	1.	Executive direction and management 1 805.4 (290.5) 1 514.9 6 (3) 3
	2.	Programme of work



		(a)	Operation 6 218.8 (361.6) 5 857.2 19 (4) 15
		(b)	Military 1 190.0 (140.1) 1 049.9 4 (1) 3
		(c)	Rule of law and security institutions
280.8 280.8 — 3 3
		(d)	Policy, evaluation and training — 290.5 290.5 — 3 3
	3.	Programme support 1 495.3 138.4 1 633.7 1 — 1
	Subtotal 10 709.5 (82.5) 10 627.0 30 (2) 28
B.	Department of Field Support



	1.	Executive direction and management
188.4 188.4 — 2 2
	2.	Programme of work



		(a)	Mission support 7 894.6 (488.2) 7 406.4 32 (8) 24
		(b)	Integrated support services — 879.9 879.9 — 21 21
	Subtotal 7 894.6 580.1 8 474.7 32 15 47
	Total 18 604.1 497.6 19 101.7 62 13 75
Section 28D, Office of Central Support Services



C.	Procurement 7 214.0 (507.6) 6 706.4 37 (14) 23

	a	Indicatively segregated between the proposed two departments.

	C.	Proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009


162.	With regard to the biennium 2008-2009, similar staffing changes would be implemented. Relevant resource changes would be incorporated in the initial appropriation at the time of adoption of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 in December 2007.

Table 4
Overall revised estimates of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 by section


 Resources (thousands of United States dollars)
Posts
Component 2006-2007 revised appropriationa 2008-2009 growthb
(A/62/6 Sect. 5 and Sect. 28D) Change Total 2006-2007 revised appropriation 2008-2009 growthb
(A/62/6 Sect. 5 and Sect. 28D) Change Total





Section 5, Peacekeeping operations




A.	Department of Peacekeeping Operations




	1.	Executive direction and management 1 805.4 (3.4) (605.4) 1 196.6 6 — (3) 3
	2.	Programme of work




		(a)	Operation 6 218.8 0.2 (1 293.3) 4 925.7 19 — (4) 15
		(b)	Military 1 190.0 1.0 (585.3) 605.7 4 — (1) 3
		(c)	Rule of law and security institutions — — 1 227.6 1 227.6 — — 3 3
		(d)	Policy, evaluation and training — — 605.4 605.4 — — 3 3
	3.	Programme support 1 495.3 (10.8) 157.9 1 642.4 1 — — 1
	Subtotal 10 709.5 (13.0) (493.1) 10 203.4 30 — (2) 28
B.	Department of Field Support




	1.	Executive direction and management — — 846.7 846.7 — — 2 2
	2.	Programme of work




		(a)	Mission support 7 894.6 (3.1) (2 034.1) 5 857.4 32 — (8) 24
		(b)	Integrated support services — — 3 746.8 3 746.8 — — 21 21
	Subtotal 7 894.6 (3.1) 2 559.4 10 450.9 32 — 15 47
	Total 18 604.1 (16.1) 2 066.3 20 654.3 62 — 13 75
Section 28D, Office of Central Support Services




C.	Procurement 7 214.0 158.8 (2 139.0) 5 233.8 37 — (14) 23

	a	Indicatively segregated between the proposed two departments.
	b	See A/62/6 (Sect. 5) and A/62/6 (Sect. 28D).


	V.	Actions to be taken by the General Assembly


163.	The actions to be taken by the General Assembly are as follows:
	(a)	Approval of the support account estimate amounting to $254,500,100 for the 12-month period ended 30 June 2008, including 819 continuing and 495 new temporary posts and their related post and non-post requirements;
	(b)	Application of the remaining unencumbered balance of $587,300 in respect of the period ended 30 June 2006 to meet the requirements of the support account for the period ended 30 June 2008;
	(c)	Application of the amount in excess of the authorized level of the Peacekeeping Reserve Fund for the period ended 30 June 2006, namely $7,097,000, to meet the requirements of the support account for the period ended 30 June 2008;
	(d)	Proration of the amount of $246,815,800 among the individual active peacekeeping operation budgets to meet the requirements of the support account for the period ended 30 June 2008;
	(e)	Approval of the establishment, effective 1 July 2007, of six new posts 2007 under the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007, as follows:
		(i)	Section 5, Peacekeeping operations:
			a.	Department of Peacekeeping Operations:
				1 Assistant Secretary-General post for the Military Adviser;
				1 Assistant Secretary-General post for the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions;
			b.	Department of Field Support:
				1 Under-Secretary-General post for the Department of Field Support;
				1 Assistant Secretary-General post for the Office of Integrated Support Services;
				1 P-5 post for the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary-General for Integrated Support Services; 
		(ii)	Section 28D, Office of Central Support Services:
			1 D-1 post for the Deputy Director of the Procurement Division 
	(f)	Approval of the abolition, effective 1 July 2007, of seven posts, namely four P-4, two P-3 and one General Service (Other level), under section 5, Peacekeeping operations, of the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007;
	(g)	Approval of the redeployment, with effect 1 July 2007, of 1 P-2 and 14 General Service (Other level) posts from the Procurement Division under section 28D, Office of Central Support Services, to the new Field Procurement Service, Office of Integrated Support Services, Department of Field Support, under section 5, Peacekeeping operations, of the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007;
	(h)	Requesting the Secretary-General to report on the actual expenditures in connection with the establishment of the above posts in the context of the second performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007;
	(i)	Noting that the relevant continuing resources for the biennium 
2008-2009 would be incorporated in the initial appropriation at the time of adoption of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 in December 2007.


Annex I

		Recommendations made by the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the management structures of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/61/743)


		Recommendation 1

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should propose to the Secretary-General an updated mandate that clearly reflects its responsibilities for directing the substantive operations of the special political missions in addition to peacekeeping operations (AP2006/560/01/01) (para. 83).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response 

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that the increase in the number of special political missions and the diversity of their mandates requires further clarification of its role in managing field operations in such missions. The Department will work closely with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and other Departments to revise the relevant Secretary-General’s bulletins (para. 84).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposals for the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the creation of the Department of Field Support to provide support to all field operations, including special political missions, reflects the role of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in supporting many such missions. Following Member State review, a Secretary-General’s bulletin would be prepared to reflect the new functions and structure for both Departments and the Office of Internal Oversight Services recommendation will be addressed in that context.

		Recommendation 2

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should, on a priority basis, establish an action plan to develop a comprehensive doctrine for peacekeeping and other operations led by the Department by promulgating formal business processes and procedures governing its work that specify the accountability structure, internal delegations of authority and level of integration between the offices and entities involved in cross-divisional business processes. Process maps for all operational areas should be developed to facilitate this task and strengthen the Department’s internal control framework (AP2006/600/01/02) (para. 85).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it acknowledges the need to develop doctrine and business processes and procedures as an ongoing requirement. An expanded senior management team was established to prioritize areas for doctrinal improvement and review and to promulgate guidance materials such as policies, procedures, manuals and guidelines. The Department established the “guidance project” to provide a comprehensive guidance/doctrine framework for over 1,200 activity areas encompassing all tasks conducted in peace operations. Using that framework, the Department has collected in excess of 5,000 policy and procedural documents governing activities in the Department at Headquarters and in the field. The Department is identifying the gaps in this framework to develop a long-term plan for doctrinal development (para. 86).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The creation of a new Evaluation Section within the proposed Policy, Evaluation and Training Division is intended to strengthen the capacity of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support for monitoring guidance development. Evaluations will identify policy shortcomings, as well as business process and structural disharmonies. The results of evaluations will be used to guide follow-on activities in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and field missions and support the ongoing development of policy and best practices (see paras. 74-77 of the present report).

		Recommendation 3

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should ensure that the results-based budgeting framework is coherently linked to the mandated work of the Department’s subprogrammes and is effectively utilized to measure their performance to improve governance and accountability mechanisms and ensure the accomplishment of their goals. Also, action should be taken to enhance the structure of the results-based budgeting monitoring and evaluating function within the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (AP2006/600/01/03) (para. 87).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, agreeing that results-based budgeting can be made a more effective management tool within the Department. Improvements have been made in the quality of results-based budgeting outputs in the past two budgets; however, the Department will examine ways, possibly with external assistance, to improve the management utility of results-based budgeting within the Department, as well as the monitoring and evaluation functions of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (para. 88).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The creation of the position of Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations is proposed to coordinate and monitor the internal management of the Department, including developing the Department’s results-based budgeting framework, aligning it to the core functions and programme goals and formulating strategies for implementation of results-based management, and to monitor progress on a continuous basis (para. 29 of the present report).

		Recommendation 4

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in coordination with the Department of Management, should identify United Nations rules and procedures that it believes may need revision to meet the increased complexity and changed environment in managing and supporting peace operations in recent years, while still providing a satisfactory level of internal control. Where appropriate, the proposed changes in rules and procedures should be submitted to the legislative bodies for approval (AP2006/600/01/04) (para. 89).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it has already worked with the Department of Management in seeking the Secretary-General’s approval to modify or waive certain procedures to facilitate the rapid deployment of new or expanded United Nations missions in East Timor, Lebanon and Darfur. While it is recognized that these are short-term measures, they will form the basis of a request for a more long-term consolidation and rationalization of procedures for the field (para. 90).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The Department of Field Support would be established to enable the substantial consolidation and clarification of authority, responsibility and resources dedicated to field support under one department specializing in that function. This would reduce the span of command and increase accountability and oversight. The establishment of an adequately staffed Department of Field Support will facilitate a review, where necessary, of rules and procedures, to ensure that the Organization can react effectively to the demands of field operations, while also ensuring accountability and efficient use of Member States resources (see paras. 21-25 of the present report).

		Recommendation 5

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in cooperation with the Department of Management, should develop and implement internal controls commensurate with the increased procurement authority delegated to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, including the establishment of a dedicated capacity within it to assume responsibility and accountability for procurement operations in the field missions (AP2006/600/01/05) (para. 91).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it and the Department of Management have established a joint working group, which has been examining the structure, procedures and controls for procurement over the past six months. In addition, two posts (1 P-5 and 1 P-4) were funded under the 2006/07 support account budget to manage the Department of Peacekeeping Operations delegation of procurement. Additional resources are being sought under the 2007/08 support account budget to enable greater scrutiny of mission acquisition planning and implementation (para. 92).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The Department of Field Support would retain the capability provided by the existing P-5 and P-4 under the Assistant Secretary-General for Field Administrative Support to manage delegations and to oversee mission acquisition planning as part of the budget review process. The Assistant Secretary-General would also exercise the delegated authority for procurement of goods and services required to support peace operations in the field, thereby ensuring segregation of solicitation and award within the Department. Oversight of field procurement, including development of more effective controls, would be strengthened by the direct relationship that would be established between the Field Procurement Service in the Department of Field Support and mission procurement offices without the necessity to cross interdepartmental boundaries.

		Recommendation 6

	As recommended by the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations should establish an appropriate baseline staffing and funding level to ensure that Headquarters provides adequate support for peace operations (AP2006/600/01/06) (para. 93).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that a mission benchmarking study, undertaken under the auspices of the organization working group, has already been completed for the field. This has given the Department rudimentary templates for staffing mission functions. A similar study is now contemplated for Headquarters staff functions; however, it will require external assistance, as the required resources are not available internally (para. 94).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The strengthening of Headquarters backstopping capacity for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Field Support and other Secretariat departments reflected in the 2007/08 support account represent the resources required to provide support to the current level of peace operations.

		Recommendation 7

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in coordination with the Department of Management, should review and analyse the roles and responsibilities of both Departments for the existing support capacities at Headquarters and in the field missions to avoid duplication and overlap (AP2006/61400/01/07) (para. 95).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that the Department highlights the need to address the fundamental systemic problems that prevent it from effectively discharging its mandate to direct, manage and support United Nations peace operations. The Department considers that there are considerable benefits to consolidating overlapping field support functions within the Department. Consolidation would enhance oversight, align resources and responsibility and provide for speedier responses to field mission issues (para. 96).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The additional delegations of authority to the Department of Field Support in the areas of human resources management would represent an important step to align the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Management and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (Department of Field Support) in delivering effective human resources management support to field operations while preserving the central role and authority of the Office of Human Resources Management in the Department of Management in such matters. Similarly the inclusion of peacekeeping procurement in the Department of Field Support would result in synergies that would make more effective the supply chain management system already in place, at the same time improving, through alignment of responsibility and authority, accountability for achieving operational imperatives driven by Security Council mandates.

		Recommendation 8

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in consultation with the Department of Management, should initiate career development programmes in various areas of peace operations to ensure the development of highly competent and experienced groups of United Nations personnel in peace operations. A comprehensive training system should also be developed to support the career development programmes (AP2006/600/01/08) (para. 97).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that work on career development and training programmes is already under way. Training and development programmes, including developmental experience, would be designed to equip staff with the required knowledge, skills and expertise (para. 98).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposals for the 2007/08 support account include funding for an expansion of training support for the development of peacekeeping personnel. Training, within a career development framework, is a key element of the implementation of the 2,500-strong civilian peacekeeping cadre.

		Recommendation 9

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should establish an enterprise risk management mechanism as a management tool and as part of a comprehensive internal control framework to identify and mitigate risks in achieving the Department’s objectives (AP2006/600/01/09) (para. 99).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it has already initiated a pilot risk management exercise as part of its review of resource decisions for the United Nations Mission in the Sudan expansion into Darfur. The introduction of enterprise risk management will be studied as part of the move to enterprise resources planning, which will be the mechanism for the introduction of new control mechanisms (para. 100).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	A small risk management capacity would be established within the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support (see para. 85 of the present report) to introduce and coordinate a risk management approach in all aspects of the planning and execution of peace operations in the field. The Department intends to draw on the experience of the Office of Internal Oversight Services in identifying priority areas of risk in managing peace support operations and to develop methodologies and strategies for risk mitigation both at Headquarters and in the field.

		Recommendation 10

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should enhance and strengthen the monitoring function within the Office of the Under-Secretary-General to effectively monitor the work of the Department with respect to (a) the results-based budgeting framework and performance evaluation of subprogrammes, (b) enterprise risk management, (c) the information management strategy, (d) the reform initiative and doctrine development and (e) policy dissemination and communication with partners in peace operations (AP2006/600/01/10) (para. 101).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it will review its current monitoring capacity with a view to strengthening change management to perform these functions (para. 102).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposed Department of Peacekeeping Operations Chief of Staff would have the responsibility to monitor the results-based budgeting framework within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Chief of Staff would also have responsibility for the information management strategy for both the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support and play a central role in the reform initiative (see paras. 29 and 30 of the present document). Doctrine development would be a key responsibility of the proposed Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (see paras. 72 and 73 of the present report). Within that Division, the proposed Evaluation Section would conduct performance evaluation and monitoring of the mission results-based budgeting frameworks, mission mandate implementation plans and other field mission planning documents and benchmarks (see paras. 74 and 75 of the present report). The Evaluation Section would review individual mission performance, as well as global mission performance. Communication with partners would be similarly be strengthened through the establishment of the Partnerships Section in the same Division (see paras. 76-78 of the present report).

		Recommendation 11

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should ensure that its “Peace operations 2010” initiative promulgates an action plan to establish formalized and clearly defined terms of reference for interaction, cooperation, coordination and information-sharing with its partners in peace operations (AP2006/600/01/11) (para. 103).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that the work has already been completed in establishing the integrated mission planning process. The draft terms of reference for integrated mission task forces is a good foundation for interaction, cooperation and information-sharing with partners. The Department will, however, develop an action plan under “Peace operations 2010” to formalize these arrangements (para. 104).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposals to restructure the Department of Peacekeeping Operations recognize the need to strengthen interaction, coordination and cooperation with a wide range of peacekeeping partners. This is most clearly represented in the proposals for the establishment of a dedicated partnerships capacity (see paras. 7880 of the present report), an integrated mission planning process cell (see para. 52 of the present report) and strengthened resources in several other areas, for example in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform, partly to provide initial or strengthened capacity for such engagement.

		Recommendation 12

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should finalize the terms of reference for the integrated mission task forces, the key mechanism for ensuring a coherent, consistent and coordinated engagement of the United Nations system partners in the integrated mission planning process (AP2006/600/01/12) (para. 105).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that the Department will move to finalize the terms of reference for integrated mission task forces shortly (para. 106).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposal for a dedicated Integrated Mission Planning Process Unit in the Office of Operations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, is intended to provide the specialist planning support necessary to ensure the effective and consistent implementation of integrated mission planning process (see para. 52 of the present document). The integrated operational teams will work closely with integrated mission task forces to support multidimensional peacekeeping operations.

		Recommendation 13

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations, if it decides to adopt the integrated matrix organization model to improve its management structure, should ensure that due care is given to institutionalizing empowerment and accountability by establishing (a) clear delegations of authority and responsibilities, (b) proper reporting lines, (c) adequate performance evaluation mechanisms and (d) properly designed working methodologies, to effectively and efficiently implement the reorganization of the Department (AP2006/600/01/13) (para. 107).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that it will ensure that the integrated structure aligns resources, responsibility and accountability in a manner that allows effective performance evaluation and oversight. The integrated structures will also work with departmentally approved methodologies that allow for effective interfaces with other elements within the Department. It is intended to review the new structures after two years (para. 108).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	A central element of the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the establishment of the Department of Field Support is the creation of integrated operational teams within the Office of Operations, consisting of political affairs, military and police officers and support specialists (see paras. 42-50 of the present report). The establishment and operations of the teams would be underpinned by common business processes, including clear authority and responsibility that would ensure effective integration within the teams and between the teams and supporting divisions, offices and departments.

		Recommendation 14

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should implement an internal communications strategy to ensure that staff at all levels within the Department is involved in the proposed restructuring process under the “Peace operations 2010” programme (AP2006/600/01/14) (para. 109).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that there has already been substantial involvement of Department staff in assessing the requirement for and discussion of the options for restructuring the Department. Staff briefings, town hall meetings and meetings with staff union representatives have been held. More focused meetings will be held with staff once the new structure of the Department is determined. The Department will also make use of its Intranet site to ensure that staff are fully informed (the site has received more than 24 million hits since May 2006) (para. 110).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	The proposed Chief of Staff in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would play a central role in the implementation of the proposed restructuring. Support would be provided by the creation of a dedicated public information and communications capacity in the Department, one of whose responsibilities would be internal communications (see paras. 29, 30 and 34 of the present document). The senior management teams of both departments would meet regularly to ensure consistency and effective integration and information-sharing.

		Recommendation 15

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations should assign the leadership and coordination function responsibility for the implementation of the reform effort “Peace operations 2010” to the Change Management Office or to another entity within the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations reporting directly to the Under-Secretary-General, and should ensure that adequate resources are provided and appropriate authority and clear performance indicators are established to effectively accomplish this task (AP2006/600/01/15) (para. 111).

		Department of Peacekeeping Operations response

	The Department of Peacekeeping Operations accepted this recommendation, commenting that responsibility for the leadership and coordination of the implementation will rest with the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. The Change Management Office will play a key role in this and will likely need supplementation to accomplish the task (para. 112).

		Relationship to proposals of the comprehensive report

	Implementation of the proposals in the present report for the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the creation of the Department of Field Support would require dedicated focus and leadership. The proposal for a departmental Chief of Staff reflects the necessity for such a capacity (see para. 29 of the present report). The Chief of Staff would assume responsibility for leading the Department’s reform and change management plans.

Annex II

		Proposed new division of labour between the 
Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Public Information


		(March 2007)


Task/activity Responsible/lead department Inputs/advice and assistance


Strategic communications

Provide strategic communications support and advice to peacekeeping missions and facilitate media coverage in support of strategic public information goals of both missions and Headquarters Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Develop and implement, with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, global peacekeeping communication strategies Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Assist in planning overall communication strategies for missions from start-up. Provide Headquarters support where possible for implementation. Ensure mission and Headquarters communication strategies are aligned. Monitor the effectiveness of strategic information campaigns in peace operations, and propose appropriate responses for shortcomings Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Liaise with United Nations agencies on overall public information strategies and advise field public information components on the ground on the coordination of messages with Headquarters and other United Nations entities Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Oversee production and dissemination of Department of Public Information products on peacekeeping-related programmes, ensuring programming is in line with peacekeeping priorities and strategies as set by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations; advise United Nations information centres on production, dissemination and use of materials Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Design and implement strategic communication campaigns to promote the work of United Nations peacekeeping with key troop- and police-contributing countries and with other key audiences Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Develop concepts for programming packages during the pre- and post-deployment stages of peace missions, taking advantage of the ongoing relationships of the Department of Public Information with regional broadcasting partners Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Provide strategic vision for United Nations and mission online capacities promoting peacekeeping, as well as other peace operations (e.g., peacemaking, peacebuilding) Department of Public Information Department of Peacekeeping Operations
Mission support

Develop deployment timetables, equipment requirements, draft resource proposals and staffing tables for mission public information components Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Develop procedures and practices required to support public information staff more effectively, including by establishing and managing a public information personnel roster, in cooperation with the Department of Field Support Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Ensure the early identification and clearance of appropriate public information staff and deployment of all necessary material assets Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Provision of day-to-day administrative, budgetary and technical support for public information units in the field Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Administer and manage public information strategic deployment stocks, material assets and system contracts providing goods and services Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Enhance standby capacity through cooperative arrangements with Member States, non-governmental organizations and other relevant partners Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Monitor and evaluate internal controls and compliance with policies and procedures Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Work with United Nations agencies active in the mission area on the shared use of information assets in field operations Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Media relations

Facilitate day-to-day coverage of peacekeeping operations by the media Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Handle media relations for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/the Department of Field Support and work with the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on peacekeeping-related issues Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Assist peacekeeping operations in managing media relations during crises Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Provide advice to senior leadership of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/ Department of Field Support on media relations issues Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Organize regular briefings by peacekeeping leadership, such as visiting Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and senior leadership at Headquarters Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Liaise with the Military Adviser’s office and the Police Division to ensure that a military spokesman and a police spokesman are identified for missions where these functions are appropriate, and that they work closely with the civilian spokesman Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
External and internal relations

Handle external relations for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/the Department of Field Support (including coordination of all departmental representational activities, responding to external requests for information and liaising with external organizations and partners on public affairs and publicity issues) Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Handle internal communications for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/the Department of Field Support (including the establishment of internal communications campaigns highlighting the work of the Department, distribution of corporate messaging and key messages and administration of a digital public information community of practice) Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Undertake public speaking on behalf of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations/ Department of Field Support to the media and to other audiences Department of Peacekeeping Operations Department of Public Information
Integrated functionsa

Undertake pre-deployment field surveys for public information activities and translate political, strategic and operational requirements into plans Both
Advise integrated operational teams on all public information related activities, plans and communication strategies Both
Develop policy, procedures and guidance for the public information components of peace missions and familiarize mission information personnel with them Both
Develop ongoing training activities for public information mission personnel Both

	a	The Department of Public Information would fulfil strategic communications aspects and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would fulfil operational/implementation aspects.


Annex III

		Delegations of authority to the Department of Field Support for human resources management


1.	The Office of Human Resources Management, Department of Management, would retain its central authority to establish Organization-wide policies and standards governing all human resources management matters, in line with its mandate as the central authority within the Secretariat to interpret and enforce the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and to ensure consistency of standards Organization-wide. 
2.	Since 1994, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has exercised considerable authority delegated by the Department of Management in the area of human resources management. That authority would henceforth be transferred to the Department of Field Support. Additional authority would also be delegated to the Department of Field Support: 
	(a)	To decide on placement at a higher level of staff appointed under the 100 series of the Staff Rules when selected for a position at that level in a field mission; 
	(b)	To make discretionary decisions on those benefits and entitlements of field staff where the Office of Human Resources Management previously had discretionary authority, and to make exceptions to applicable rules in certain defined, technical areas, using established precedents;
	(c)	To classify posts up to the D-1 level in field missions, in line with organizational standards and policies to be administered by classification officers by the Office of Human Resources Management;
	(d)	To manage the portion of the United Nations e-staffing tool for positions in United Nations peace operations, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources Management.


Annex IV

		Delegations of authority to the Department of Field Support for procurement


1.	Full authority under financial rules 105.13 to 105.18 of the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations (ST/SGB/2003/7) would be vested in the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support to execute all field procurement support at Headquarters and in the field. This delegation would be executed under the overall procurement and financial policy established by the Under-Secretary-General for Management.
2.	This entails the following functions solely for peacekeeping and special political missions:
	(a)	Issuance of delegations of procurement authority to officials designated by the Department of Field Support;
	(b)	Establishment of a local committee on contracts, local tender committee, local vendor review committee and other official procurement related functional committees;
	(c)	Bidding and selection of vendors/contractors:
		(i)	Invitation to bid or request for proposal;
		(ii)	Bid opening;
		(iii)	Commercial evaluation of bids;
		(iv)	Presentation to the Headquarters Committee on Contracts;
		(v)	Review and make recommendations to the Director of Administration or to the Chief Administrative Officer via the local committees on contracts of the Department of Field Support;
		(vi)	Approvals of offers;
		(vii)	Contracts negotiation, awarding and contracting;
	(d)	Contract management:
		(i)	Receipt and inspection of goods;
		(ii)	Monitoring of provision of services;
		(iii)	Evaluation of contractor’s performance;
		(iv)	Certification of payments;
		(v)	Handling disputes;
		(vi)	Vendor roster management;
	(e)	Vendor registration, including vendor qualification, performance monitoring and roster management within the provisions of the Procurement Manual; 
	(f)	Definition of policies and procedures governing field procurement subject to the approval of the Under-Secretary-General for Management;
	(g)	Granting of exceptions under the provisions of financial rule 105.16.Annex V

		Organization charta
		Department of Peacekeeping Operations




Annex VI

		Organization charta
		Department of Field Support






















	a	Integrated operational teams in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations interface across the
	Department of Field Support at the Director level.
	b	The Executive Office function is shared with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

	 	The 2005 World Summit Outcome supported a stronger relationship between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations (General Assembly resolution 60/1, paras. 93 and 170). In 2006, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations noted that a strong partnership with regional arrangements in United Nations peacekeeping operations would have a positive impact on the optimal use of limited resources and welcomed proposals to put in place concrete modalities for operational cooperation (A/60/19, paras. 145 and 146).
	 	The comprehensive review included process mapping and an assessment of the supportive human resource information technology systems in place. It also built on observations and recommendations made by the Board of Auditors in their reports on the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 financial periods, the Office of Internal Oversight Services management audit of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (AP2005/600/18/13), the Office of Internal Oversight Services audit of the Succession Planning Panel of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (AP2006/600/09), and concerns expressed by the International Civil Service Commission, as well as the recommendations of the Staff Management Coordination Committee at its twenty-seventh session, as approved by the Secretary-General.
		Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 19 (A/59/19/Rev.1) and A/60/19 and Add.1.

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A/61/858
 
 General Assembly
Distr.: General
13 April 2007

Original: English



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	a	Integrated operational teams in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations interface with the 	Department of Field Support at the Director level.
	b	The Executive Office function is shared with the Department of Field Support.



Transportation 
and 
Movement Service

United Nations Logistics Base

Specialist Support Service

Operational Support Service

Field Budget 
and 
Finance Division

Legal Section

Field Engineering and Special Projects Procurement Section

Conduct and Discipline Unit

Information Systems Service

Field Personnel Specialist Support 
Service

Field Personnel Operations Service

Field Communications and Information Technology Procurement Section

Field Procurement Oversight 
Section

Conduct and Oversight Division

Field Personnel Division

Budget and Performance Reporting Service

Audit Response and Board of Inquiry Section

Logistics Support 
Division

Claims and Information Management Service

Information and Communications Technology Division

Field Communications and Information Technology Operations Service

Field Transportation Procurement Section

Office of 
Integrated Support Services

Office of Field Administrative 
Support

Field Procurement Service

Field Supply Procurement Section

Senior, Leadership Appointments
Section

Executive Officeb

Office of the 
Under-Secretary-General

Risk Management Section