UN FUNDS AND PROGRAMS: AN UPDATE ON THE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000115

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC KUNR UNDP UNFPA UNGA UNICEF
SUBJECT: UN FUNDS AND PROGRAMS: AN UPDATE ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
INITIATIVE (UNTAI)

REF: A. USUN 309

B. USUN 388

C. SECSTATE 70273


1. SUMMARY: As reported in reftels, in April 2007 USUN
pursued the UN Transparency and Accountability Initiative
(UNTAI) for the UN System. The initiative addressed the
following eight areas:
- Availability of internal audits and other reports, e.g.
evaluations, investigation, etc. to Member States;
- Public access to all relevant documentation related to
operations and activities including budget information and
procurement serves;
- "Whistleblower Protection" policies;
- Financial disclosure policies;
- An effective Ethics Office;
- Independence of the respective internal oversight bodies;
- Adoption of IPSAS accounting standards in the Funds and
Programs and
- Establishing a cap on administrative overhead costs for
the Funds and Programs.
USUN first contacted the New York based Funds and Programs,
UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF, in May 2007 to collect information
regarding each fund's implementation of each of the foregoing
eight areas. Contemporaneously, the Department worked with
appropriate worldwide missions to address the implementation
of UNTAI at the following Funds and Programs: UNODC (Vienna),
UNEP (Nairobi),UN-Habitat (Nairobi),UNHCR (Geneva),UNRWA
(Gaza/Amman),and WFP (Rome). In June and July, USUN
received initial responses to its inquiries. The Department
also received initial responses to its inquiries. END
SUMMARY.


2. USUN appreciates the Department's October 2007
transmission of the updated scorecard for the Global UN Funds
and Programs. Given the passage of approximately a half
year, USUN sent letters to UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF on
February 8, 2008, requesting an update on the status of eight
reform areas. USUN recommends that the Department pursue a
status update on the implementation of these reform areas at
UNODC, UNEP, UN-Habitiat, UNHCR, UNRWA, and WFP.


3. Letter dated February 8, 2008 from Ambassador Wallace to
Associate Administrator Ad Melkert. Begin letter text:

Dear Mr. Melkert:

As you recall, on May 14, 2007, I wrote to you to outline the
following eight areas the U.S. Government identified where
the Funds and Programs, and Member States responsible for the
efficient and effective use of the resources of such Funds
and Programs, could benefit from increased transparency and
accountability.


1. Availability of internal audits and other reports, e.g.
evaluations, investigation, etc. to Member States;

2. Public access to all relevant documentation related to
operations and activities including budget information and
procurement serves;

3. "Whistleblower Protection" policies;

4. Financial disclosure policies;

5. An effective Ethics Office;

6. Independence of the respective internal oversight bodies;

7. Adoption of IPSAS accounting standards in the Funds and
Programs and

8. Establishing a cap on administrative overhead costs for
the Funds and Programs.

We appreciated your response of June 11, 2007 and would
welcome an update on the status of UNDP's action in regard to
the foregoing eight areas.

I look forward to continuing our work to promote and achieve
a truly transparent and accountable United Nations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Mark D. Wallace
Ambassador

End letter text. Similar letters were sent to UNICEF and
UNFPA.
KHALILZAD