Guterres wants to use remaining term of office to advance reform

In a presentation to the General Assembly on the progress of UN80, Guterres, who will leave the leadership of the United Nations at the end of the year, explained that the success of the initiative can only be measured “within a few years”, if the organisation starts to operate differently, responding “more quickly and efficiently, acting more coherently and achieving results more effectively”.

“ When I launched UN80, I spoke of responsibility. I return to that word today because the responsibility is ultimately what will determine whether this initiative will succeed,” he said.

“ In the coming months, I intend to use every day available to boost this work, to consolidate the ongoing changes, to move forward with the reforms that are still ahead, and to help ensure that the momentum we create turns into a lasting change,” he added.

The objective of the OUN80 is to make the organisation more efficient, less fragmented and more capable of fulfilling its mandates, in the context of more conflicts, more humanitarian needs and pressure on development and financing.

Changes for this year include a 21% reduction in the Secretariat posts, transfer of functions to cheaper locations and consolidation of services.

A common administrative platform in New York already serves about 6,000 employees.

According to Guterres, a register was created that brings together more than 40,000 resolutions and decisions since 1946.

More than 600 series of reports by the Secretary-General were also reviewed to make them more concise, clear, evidence-based and action-oriented. The current reform could reduce the reports by about 700,000 words only this year.

With regard to the restructuring of agencies, the UN General Assembly today approved the merger of two educational agencies, replacing them with a new entity called the United Nations Institute for Training and Learning Innovation (UNICLI).

However, there are other mergers to be considered, Guterres has now advanced: between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS); and between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Women.

Also functions of the United Nations Joint AIDS Programme (UNAIDS) are being progressively transferred to other parts of the system, with decisions scheduled for October.

The integration of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) to the University of the United Nations (UNU) is already underway.

“ We also have a clear roadmap to integrate the United Nations Interregional Research Institute on Crime and Justice (UNICRI) into the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), uniting its complementary forces to provide more effective support in preventing crime and justice,” the UN leader said.

In his speech, the former Portuguese Prime Minister, who completed his second five-year term in December at the head of the United Nations, said that UN80 is now entering a third phase, corresponding to the taking of “decisions and implementation”.

The first phase identified possibilities, the second stage tested them. Now, according to António Guterres, it is necessary to move from pilot projects to large-scale application.

It has made it clear that many of the decisions no longer depend on the Secretary-General, but on the Member States, in particular on cuts, mergers, mandates, financing and reorganization of the UN system.

“80 years ago, our predecessors built the United Nations because they understood that a difficult world required institutions capable of being up to date. That responsibility belongs to us now. Our task is to deliver a stronger United Nations Organization than we found it,” he said.