Secretary General Kofi Annan's plans to overhaul the UN
bureaucracy are expected to face stiff resistance from developing
countries and immediately triggered protests from staff over
outsourcing proposals.
Annan, introducing a 33-page report on Tuesday, sought more
financial oversight, simplified hiring and firing procedures,
career planning, staff buyouts, training and a modern information
system. The costs could run to US$500 million.
More controversial are plans for outsourcing or moving staff out
of the United States for some translation services, document
production, printing and publishing and information technology.
Saying too many decades had passed with partial reforms, Annan
called for a "radical overhaul" and a "strategic refit" because
rules and regulations "make it very hard for the organization to
conduct its work efficiently or effectively."
As an example, he pointed to 13,000 civilian staff, with most
employed in the field but getting fewer benefits or career
advancement than the 4,200 in New York.
After addressing the 191-nation General Assembly, Annan and his
top managers faced a raucous meeting where staff made clear that
past promises of improvements were not delivered.
Rosemary Waters, an American and head of the UN staff committee,
said 700 employees would campaign among member states to halt the
proposals and "the constant effort of the management to erode the
rights and benefits of staff," especially plans to outsource.
"You say no one loses a job through outsourcing but I have to
tell you Mr secretary-general, not many people believe you," said
one woman who was not identified.
Another man warned that instead of saving money, outsourcing
could result in more expenditures. "You could find yourself with
some Halliburton-style organizations," he said.
While the European Union and the United States welcomed the
reforms, especially in the wake of several scandals, developing
nations are expected to be apprehensive of losing their authority
in the UN General Assembly.
No sooner had Annan spoken than a wrangle ensued over where the
reform blueprint should be discussed. Developing nations opted for
General Assembly committees where they believe they have more power
while the United States, the European Union and Japan said the full
assembly should have control.
The United States has tied progress on management reform to a
condition for refinancing the UN budget on June 30.
The financial plan, reluctantly approved by the General Assembly
in December, has caused animosity between US Ambassador John Bolton
and many poor nations who feel rich countries want to cut programs
and jobs that benefit them.
Bolton told the assembly that the United States endorsed Annan's
call for a radical overhaul of the bureaucracy. "They are our
objectives, and there will be considerable hard work ahead to
achieve them," he said.
But Edward Luck, a Columbia University professor and UN expert,
warned that implementation usually fell short of expectations. "Big
and small states alike begin to fret that their relative position
in the UN, built through years of practice and maneuver, could be
affected by unpredictable renovations," he said.
(Chinadaily.com via agencies March 9, 2006)
