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THE CENTER'S LATEST PUBLICATION:

Managing Change at the United Nations

Introduction
Security Council Reform
Revitalization of the General Assembly
System-wide Coherence
Secretariat and Management Reform
The Establishment of the Human Rights Council

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A Look at the Transitional Approach to Security Council Reform
by Jonas von Freiesleben, 24 June 2008
At the last meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group on Security Council reform, on 17 June 2008, a task force composed of ambassadors and appointed by the GA President presented their status report. It included a reform suggestion based on the idea of a transitional approach. According to this approach, Member States would agree on basic reforms now, with a view to revisiting them at a later mandatory review conference; at which time they could be reversed or amended. The following provides some additional insight on the legal and political implications of such a transitional approach.

Member States Meet to Discuss Report of the Task Force on Security Council Reform
by Jonas von Freiesleben, 19 June 2008
Member States met on 17 June 2008 in a closed meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on Security Council reform to discuss the report of the Task Force. At the meeting, some 40 countries delivered statements, expressing differing views on the way to move forward. The GA President is expected to present a status report to the GA in mid-July on the work of the Working Group, possibly with a view to beginning intergovernmental negotiations.

"If Dunkin’ Donuts Can Do It, Why Can’t the UN?"
by Jonas von Freiesleben, 22 May 2008
“If a donut shop and an ice cream place can share retail space, why can’t the UN agencies cooperate better with each other?” That is the question Sally Fegan-Wyles, director of the UN Development Group, posed when the Center for UN Reform Education interviewed her in her New York office. Among other things, Fegan-Wyles talked about the Delivering as One-projects and the developing process towards increased coherence of the United Nations system.

The Governance Crisis in the Fifth Committee
by Lydia Swart, 7 May 2008
This analysis explores the premise that there is a governance crisis in the Fifth Committee (Budgetary and Administrative) and is based on conversations with a number of key delegates from the EU, Group of 77, and the US as well as other insiders. In addition, significant dynamics taking place between Member States are described and the issues that will be under discussion in the May session of the Fifth Committee are outlined.

Overcoming Roadblocks in the Mandate Review
By Lydia Swart and Faye Leone, 2 May 2008
In this interview, Ambassador Rosemary Banks from New Zealand expressed confidence in the mandate review methodology that she and her Co-Chair Ambassador Kaire Mbuende from Namibia recently developed; indicated what we might expect from the process in the next few months; and shed new light on some of our impressions of the political dynamics in the General Assembly.

Member States Discuss Security Council Reform Again: A Never-Ending Process?
by Jonas von Freiesleben, 16 April 2008
The Working Group on Security Council reform met on Thursday 10 April 2008 to discuss a draft put forward by Cyprus at the initiative of Germany. The text was an attempt to infuse new momentum in the slow-going debate, but was almost certainly “killed off” by heavy criticism from especially the Uniting for Consensus bloc and a large portion of developing countries, as this analysis explores.

Management Reform from the Perspective of Alicia Barcena, Under-Secretary-General for Management
by Lydia Swart, 9 April 2008
The Center interviewed Alicia Barcena, Under-Secretary- General for Management, the day before the 8-9 April 2008 Thematic Debate on Management Reform.

Thematic Debate: Towards a Common Understanding on Management Reform
8-9 April 2008
Member States met for a two-day thematic debate on Management Reform. On 8 April, the Secretary-General, GA President, and Member States made statements, while on 9 April, a more interactive debate took place which included presentations from oversight bodies and the Secretariat.