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