C Report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the functioning of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts

The Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy continues with its training of outstation personnel for the Bureau of Mines.

Takes note of the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the functioning of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts 4

16. Requests the Office of Internal Oversight Services to ensure effective audit coverage of the capital master plan and to submit to the General Assembly all of its reports related to the implementation of the capital master plan

In paragraph 83, the Board recommended that UNODC conduct regular physical inventory counts at headquarters.

(f) Note by the Secretary General transmitting the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the functioning of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts (A 58 294).

The headquarters team will continue to lead fund raising efforts (together with the Programme Funding Office) targeting both traditional and new donors.

At UNOV, e Meets is used for Vienna based bodies meeting at headquarters.

Comment by the Administration. The audits of headquarter units have been postponed in 2004 and were included in the strategy and workplan of the Office of Audit and Performance Review for 2005.

OIOS greatly appreciates the cooperation extended to it by the military and civilian management and staff in the field and in New York during the review.

Requests the Secretary General to review without delay options to better safeguard the independence of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts, including the option identified in recommendation 1 of the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit of the functioning of the Headquarters Committee on Contracts

13. Encourages all United Nations bodies and expert groups not subject to the headquarters rule to hold some of their meetings at the United Nations Office at Nairobi

Long service step

OIOS audits covered operations in 26 countries in the Field, and the payroll, mobility and hardship allowance and various aspects of the Management Systems Renewal Project (MSRP) at Headquarters, as well as conducting a comparative review of the functions of desk officers at Headquarters.

The constituency of the Office is estimated at 27,600 staff worldwide, of whom approximately 25 per cent are located at Headquarters, 32 per cent at offices away from Headquarters and 43 per cent in field missions.

UNICEF will support the rapid expansion of internal audit coverage of headquarters divisions, including in the area of information technology.

In addition to its activities at headquarters, with the launching of the three investigations by the Office of the Prosecutor, the Registry is establishing and developing field operations.

A. Headquarters

Headquarters

Headquarters

At headquarters, OIOS audited UNHCR's Payroll, Mobility and Hardship Allowance and various aspects of the Management Systems Renewal Project (MSRP) and conducted a Comparative Review of the Desk Function.

Financial resources

Headquarters

The Director coordinates and monitors implementation of management reform at the United Nations Office at Vienna on the basis of relevant General Assembly resolutions and the policy decisions and directives of Headquarters.

The existing training capacity at Headquarters and at offices away from Headquarters is also under examination.

As an intermediate stage on this road map, however, the procurement services of the funds and programmes based at Headquarters could be merged, and IAPSO should be absorbed by the new entity.

Annotations to the supplementary provisional agenda

Headquarters audits

The ethics office will be the focal point on ethics issues for the global United Nations Secretariat, including offices away from headquarters, regional commissions, special political missions and peacekeeping missions.

The Advisory Committee sought clarification in this respect and understands that an appropriation would be required to continue the work of the capital master plan office and for design and planning irrespective of which strategy is approved by the General Assembly.

The staff should include at least four gender experts working systematically with internal partners such as BDP, OHR, headquarters units, regional bureaux and country offices.

(b) The Office of Human Resources Management should submit job descriptions of positions at Headquarters and other offices that contain general legal functions to the Office of Legal Affairs for review.

In paragraph 306, the Board recommended that UNICEF support the rapid expansion of the coverage of the Office of Internal Audit of all headquarters areas, including information technology.

Location in a territorial unit

Diplomatic representation in the host city 9

Note 3. Other Headquarters funds

(e) Second review of headquarters agreements focusing on the provision of headquarters premises and other facilities by host countries.

(e) The staff in the liaison offices could travel more easily and at less expense to regional commissions, and to peacekeeping and special political missions in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, than staff in the ethics office at Headquarters.

With a view to examining how Headquarters supports UNHCR's field operations, a Headquarters Process Review was also undertaken in 2004.

In that connection, an inventory of all existing host country agreements relating to United Nations Headquarters and offices away from Headquarters have been made by the Department of Safety and Security in consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs.

The main factors contributing to the variance of 35,864,600 under this heading are the requirements for the upgrading and rehabilitation of airfields in the mission area, establishment of the Divisional and Brigade headquarters in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and self sustainment requirements in respect of the additional 5,674 military contingent personnel.

OTHER HEADQUARTERS FUNDS BUILDINGS MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Capital Master Plan

7. Expresses concern about the temporary relocation of the headquarters international staff of the Agency from Gaza City and the disruption of operations at the headquarters

A second review of headquarters agreements concluded by United Nations system organizations provision of headquarters premises and other facilities by host countries