Executive Committee on Peace and Security (Ec|»S)B I .Pjlm3i£Si

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v/ Note to the Deputy Secretary-General EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON PEACE AND SECURITY (EC|»S)B I _.PJLM3I£SI

With apologies for the delay in submission, I attach a pjipjar jon the.functioningjof theJBxecjifeYS^^IEffiiffJ6. oS.PeacejandSecurity, as requested on 1 April 2002. The paper is the result of a full consultation with members of the committee and represents a broad consensus on areas where improvement is needed. Discussions on follow-up are already under way.

2. The committee has already improved substantially in effectiveness and efficiency over the past couple of years. In seeking inputs, we disseminated a membership satisfaction survey originally conducted in 1999. In all areas; significant improvements were registered by the members.

3 . Additionally, a standing support secretariat for the ECPS is due to be established by the autumn of 2002. To date, the committee has functioned without any full- time support. The establishment of a secretariat should allow for the implementation of many of the recommendations made in this paper.

Kieran Prendergast 6 May 2002

cc: Members of the ECPS Kenzo Oshima, ECHA Mark Malloch Brown, UNDG 05/07/2002 22:16 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG RIZA H002/013

The Executive Committee on Peace and Security Review of its Effectiveness and Recommendations for Reform 6 May 2002

I, Origins of the Executive Committee and the responsibilities of the convenor have also grown, with new focal point tasks in areas In January 1997, four Executive Committees such as peace-building. were established in the main sectoral areas of the UN's work - peace and security, Efforts are underway to improve the capacity humanitarian affairs, development and and performance of the committee so that it economic and social affairs - with human rights can adapt to this growing number of as a cross-cutting theme in all committees. This responsibilities. In 1999 a satisfaction survey step was an important part of the UN reform was conducted and changes introduced in process initiated by this Secretary-General and, response to the feedback received. One five years later, it is clear that the committees example is the provision of videoconferencing have contributed to a new culture of cross- to allow for direct participation of members not sectoral communication and cooperation within headquartered in New York. The functioning the UN, of the committee has improved greatly since 1999. In establishing the committees, the Secretary- General noted "the aim ... was to sharpen the Most significantly, following a lengthy process contribution that each unit makes to the overall related to the Brahimi report, in December objectives of the Organization by reducing 2001 the General Assembly approved the duplication of efforts and facilitating greater establishment of a small support secretariat for complementarity and coherence. The Executive the ECPS. Since the ECPS was, to this point, Committees were designed, therefore, as the only of the four Executive Committees -with instruments of policy development, decision- no full-time support, this was a long overdue making, and management. The heads of United development. The secretariat is expected to be Nations entities consult with one another on in place by the autumn. work programmes as well as other substantive and administrative matters of collective This review is most timely, since it the concern, to identify and exploit ways of pooling establishment of the secretariat will present an resources and services so as to maximize opportunity for the ECPS to function more program impact and minimize administrative effectively. The process of consulting ECPS costs, and more generally to facilitate joint members on the effectiveness of the committee strategic planning and decision making"1. does not end with the production of this paper, therefore, but instead will feed into the work The Executive Committee on Peace and plan and objectives of the new secretariat. For Security (ECPS) was intended as "the highest diis paper, written feedback was solicited from poJlicy development and management all ECPS members. The committee twice instrument witiiin the UN Secretariat on discussed the subject at meetings. Unless it critical, cross-cutting issues of peace and states otherwise, the quotes interspersed security". Since its establishment, the ECPS has throughout the narrative come from this expanded substantially in terms of membership consultation process. Frequent, comparative reference is also made to the findings of the 1 "Renewing ibc United Ninons: A Programme for Reform" 1999 satisfaction survey. (A/51/950 of July 1997), para 29. 05/07/2002 22:16 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG •* RIZA S1003/013

II. How the ECPS works the ECPS by teleconference on the situation there3. With the establishment of the ECPS Overall, the feedback from members is that support secretariat, more such initiatives should ECPS is "well prepared, well organized and well be possible. attended" and that "in terms of the rationale that underpinned [its] establishment... [it] has, compared to other bodies, demonstrated irs ECPS Membership, April 2002 usefulness". However, "its potential as the Full Members principal advisory body on peace and security Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs matters remains under under-utilised1*. (Convenor); Members agree that the committee needs to Assistant-Secrecary-General for Political Affairs "refocus its attention and product" and that its (Asia, Americas, Europe); Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs primary purpose should be the "submission to (Africa); the Secretary-General of policy papers" on Special Advisor on Africa; matters that merit collaborative Under-Secretajy-General for Peacekeeping recommendations. Operations; Assistant-Secretary-Genejffll for Peacekeeping Operations; i) Committee Composition Under-Secretaty-General for Disarmament Affairs; Under-Secrecary-General for Legal Affairs; ECPS has evolved significantly since its Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs; establishment. Firstly, it has more than doubled Special Representative of die Secretary-General for Children & Armed Conflict; in she. Upon, establishment it had an official Administrator of United Nations Development membership drawn from seven UN Programme; 2 departments . It now has a membership of Assistant Administrator of United Nations seventeen, with two regular observers and four Development Programme; participants whose applications for membership High Commissioner for Human Rights; High Commissioner for Refugees; are pending (see table). This expansion reflects Executive Director of United Nations Children's the growing awareness of the linkages between Fund; peace and security and other sectoral areas. Of Vice-President for External Affairs of the World course, it has also placed a greater Bank; administrative burden on DPA as the convenor United Nations Security Coordinator. of ECPS. Observers Executive Director of Office for Drug Control and In the 1999 satisfaction survey, ECPS members Crime Prevention*, overwhelmingly thought that the then- Executive Director of World Food Programme*, composition of the committee was appropriate Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Special Adviser on Gender but felt that occasional participation by heads Issues and the Advancement of Women*, of field duty stations might be helpful. Some Interim Head of Department of Public also felt that a representative of the Executive Information1*; Office of the Secretary-General should attend. Office of the Deputy-Secretary-General; Since that rime, efforts have been made to Office of the Spokesman of the Secretary-General. invite senior representatives from the field, * Membership applications pending. In the meantime, either in person (when they are in New York) full participation in the committee. or by video or audio link. Most recently, the UNRWA West Bank Office Director briefed

* DPA, DPKO, OLA, DHA, UNHCR, OHCHR and UNRWA (Internal Memorandum from Secretary-General, 29 January 1997). 3 ECPS Meaning, 15 April 2002 05/07/2002 22:16 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG RIZA 0004/013

The question of composition raised more distributed ahead of rime... [and] the USGs concerns this time. Many ECPS members felt would have had the chance to seek the views of that the committee had become too large, their staff*. It would also require a continuation noting "the size of ECPS seems to have of the new practice, whereby meetings notes increased gradually over time and is in danger are produced and disseminated on the same day of becoming too large to be effective" and as the meeting. On an exceptional basis, certainly "too large for highly sensitive matters "heads of agency/department... could bring a to be tabled and thrashed out in a candid colleague if they believe that his/her manner'* participation in the discussion would be indispensable". Some proposed a reversion to the original membership, while others suggested a structure The special situation of liaison offices - for UN akin to UNDG, with an executive committee entities based outside New York - would core and a larger group, convening on alternate obviously be taken into account under any new fortnights. Some felt that die larger group arrangements on level of representation. might usefully convene in various permutations depending on the issues at hand. ii) Meeting Schedule

Another concern, both in 1999 and this time, The frequency and duration of ECPS meetings was the level of attendance, which, according is generally acceptable to members and was to one member "seems to be lower, generally thought to have "improved". speaking, today than at the outset". There was broad agreement that members did not attend The committee traditionally meets twice a at the appropriate level and that principals month for a period of up to ninety minutes4. should be encouraged to attend in person or to When necessaiy, it meets more often. For designate sufficiently senior deputies to example, following the 11 September 2001 represent them. attacks against the US and subsequent developments in Afghanistan, die ECPS met The Convenor has made frequent appeals to weekly for a period of thirteen weeks. ECPS members to that effect. However, the problem persists and significantly detracts from In 1999, ECPS members responded to the the capacity of the committee to take decisions satisfaction survey by noting that the meeting on the spot. One member commented that schedule was adequate. The same response was "too often the meetings have uneven levels of received this time, with members feeling that participation that tnitiirm'ws the ability of the "since issues are fast-changing, twice mondily is meetings to reach conclusions". justified, with inter-sessionals as required". Some pointed to the importance of balancing Solutions such as that employed by the SMG, "the need to share information and scarce whereby members are not represented at all executive time" and felt that ECPS maintained when unable to be present in person, have been this balance adequately. However, "there is also considered but are radier drastic for ECPS an argument to be made for ,.. convening purposes. meetings on an ad hoc basis on topics of pending importance, rather than scheduling The compromise solution might be to insist on designation of named alternates and to restrict 4 ECPS thus meets twice as often as die UN Development meetings to members and designates. This Group (UNDG) and die Executive Committee on presumes that briefing papers and draft policy Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA.), which, meet moflrhiy. The papers for the Secretary-General "have been Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs (EC- ES A) meets approximately every two monrhs. 05/07/2002 22:17 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG •* RIZA i]005/013

regular meetings that can contribute to a more these'functions are performed by different routine atmosphere where various entities entities or individuals6. reiterate ihe respective (and -well-known) positions of their organisations". Because it operates on a two-week schedule and •with no full-time secretariat support thus far, Some members objected to the convening of ECPS preparation is less thorough than should the ECPS without good reason, pointing to a be the case. Nevertheless, procedures have tendency to determine the agenda "in order to been put in place to ensure timely formulation find something to discuss every two weeks". and circulation of the agenda, thorough One member argued that, with the exception of preparation and circulation of background briefings and information-sharing from senior documentation and timely booking of officials from the field, "the ECPS should not conference facilities, videconferencing and so meet to discuss an issue, unless it merits a forth. This was acknowledged by members, one collaborative recommendation to the Secretary- of whom noted that "the secretariat has General, in -writing". significantly improved in timeliness (circulation of documents and agenda), effectiveness and in On meeting duration, most members were in providing very comprehensive records of the agreement with the current time allotted. meetings on the same day".

Hi) Meeting Preparation Currently the agenda is developed and disseminated four or five days in advance of the At present (and until autumn 2002), in the meeting. In 1999, when the agenda was often absence of a standing secretariat, ECPS is disseminated on the Friday before a Monday serviced by the Office of the Under-Secretary- meeting, members felt strongly that more time General for Political Affairs, whose staff must was necessary. This time, the feedback perform all the other duties of a front office. suggested that members are happy with the This makes it the executive committee with the five-day timeframe. In any case, sending it out smallest support structure, although it meets any earlier would be impractical., given the fluid, most frequently and is the body concerned with political nature of the issues on the committee's the most pressing issues of a political and docket security nature5. However, the option of drafting tentative As the membership and the substantive agendas on a quarterly basis was advocated by discussions in ECPS have expanded, the tasks one member, who recommended "quarterly associated with simply convening and preparing meetings of the ECPS core group with the the'meetings have grown accordingly. These Secretary-General to discuss the agenda for that tasks are, of course, combined with the job of quarter (noting, of course, that unforeseen preparing and coordinating DPA's substantive events will arise as well)" inputs to ECPS in the area of political affairs. In some of the other executive committees, In the 1999 satisfaction survey, members argued for a more action-oriented agenda. Similar calls were made this time, for a "more

6 For example, the UNDG secretarist (the Development Group 5 The UNDG is supported by the equivalent of three staff, Office) supports the Administrator of UNDP in bis capacity as including one full time professional officer. ECHA is served by convenor of UNDG. UNDP's substantive input to UNDG 3 professional staff in New York, although they are also partly meetings is prepared by an entirely separate unit, the Division responsible for the IASC. The Executive Committee on for UN Affairs, -within the UNDP Bureau for Resources and Economic and Social Affairs is serviced by 2 professionals (1 Strategic Partnerships. In DPA these functions arc currently Dl; 1P5) who each, devote a portion of their time to this. performed by OUSG. 05/07/2002 22:17 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG RIZA 1006/013

detailed, annotated agenda.... 'with.Indications However, members do not table items for of expected decisions to be taken". Some discussion, never mind action, with enough members called for more up-front frequency and the onus often falls on the consideration of the desired outcome. On the convenor to suggest agenda items. This was other hand, others complained of *a sense that highlighted by one member who noted "not the .decisions or conclusions emanating from enough initiatives from ECPS members to the meetings have sometimes been pre- place items on the agenda, despite good and determined" Balancing these concerns and timely communications reminding" them to do formulating high-quality, annotated agendas so. Members should be more proactive in •with policy options/proposals for action tabling items for discussion and decision. remains a challenge. This would be a major task of the new secretariat. As one member Another weakness - noted in 1999 and this observed, "this will require sound judgement rime - is the absence of comprehensive and and familiarity with a wide range of issues and timely background material. Currently, every actors throughout the ECPS membership". effort is made to solicit - from desk officers and substantive divisions in the relevant departments and agencies - background papers Illustrative List of ECPS Agenda Items and briefings that propose items for decision. 2001 Although a significant improvement is evident, Afghanistan (13 meetings); Terrorism; Global the quality of these inputs is still patchy. In Repercussions of 11 September; Central Asia; Peace- addressing this problem, some members building Plan of Action; Review of Peace-building pointed to the need for greater input from Support Offices; Guatemala; Burundi; Colombia; colleagues in the field. Others felt that the Great Lakes; Democratic Republic of Congo; Middle East; Report of the Secretary-General on the committee "should not meet unless the Prevention of Armed Conflict; Security Council members have had the benefit of receiving a retreat; ECPS membership; UNTAET; UNML; draft paper at least one week in advance for Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; foreseen issues and 24 hours in advance for Zimbabwe; Follow-up to the Millennium crisis-related matters". Declaration; Sudan; Ethiopia-Eritrea; West Africa; Arms; UN-Regional Organizations The establishment of the full-time support 1999 secretariat (see below) will hopefully allow for Sierra Leone; Angola; Democratic Republic of the more thorough preparation of this sort. Congo; Burundi; Liberia; Ethiopia/Eritrea; East Timor; Kosovo; Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK); Arms flows; Afghanistan; Sudan; However, inadequate preparation by ECPS Missile Issues; Colombia; Central African Republic members was also noted: "Members should be (CAR); Niger; Depleted Uranium Weapons; responsible for reviewing the documents Proposal for reconfiguring the mandate of UNSCO; provided in advance. Often, too much time is Albania Weapons Collection Project; Fafo spent in the meeting on the exchange of basic Recommendations on SRSGs and peace-building Tajikistan; FRY Moarenegro; SC resolution 1261 infprmation, most of which was available (1999) on "Children and Armed Conflict". beforehand". More thorough secretariat support will not address this problem, which is a. matter for individual members. The agenda usually consists of three to four items, mostly country situations. All members iv) Meeting Conduct are free to table items for consideration. The spectrum of agenda items is regarded as "just The ECPS is convened by the Under-Secretary- right", as it was in 1999, General for Political Affairs. The Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Mr. Jean- 05/07/2002 22:18 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG -* RIZA Ig]007/013

Marie Guehenno, serves as alternate convenor, Two recent developments in the functioning of with Under-Secretary-General Dhanapala as his ECPS were widely welcomed and remarked alternate in turn. upon, namely the use of videoconferencing and the custom of issuing comprehensive meeting Members unanimously approved of the records within hours of the conclusion of the chairing in 1999 and most recently observed meeting. that the meetings are "chaired in a highly effective manner". One member proposed that The occasional practice of creating special task the chair "provide a context for each item", by forces is also "of special value". In 1998, the idejatifying whether it had been tabled for ECPS created a task force on the integration of purposes of decision or information-sharing. human rights into efforts for conflict prevention, peace-making, peace-keeping and Members criticised the conduct of meetings in peace-building. More recently, it established a 1999 for an absence of decision-making and an Task Force on Peace and Security, the report of over-reliance on basic information-sharing. which fed into the Report of the Secretary- Unfortunately, the same criticism -was levelled General on Children and Armed Conflict. this time. Some noted "improvements in the. analytical level of discussions", while others observed that "there is great value in Subsidiary Bodies of the ECPS information exchange, even without decision", • 1998 Task Force on the integration of human but there was a sense that there is room for rights into conflict prevention, peace-making, improvement, peace-keeping and peace-building • Sept 1999-June 2000 Working Group on the Many identified level of participation (see Fa£o Report: a CommandfivntheSajM^ above) as key to this issue. Others pointed to Maruqjjng Uratai Nalx/ns Peats Jxs3dmg Missions". • Match - June 2000 Task Force on Peace and the .quality of interventions, urging that "what is Security contained in the briefing material should not be » April - May 2001 Working Group on. the Road reiterated at the meetings". There was some Map for the Implementation of the Millennium feeling that "meaningful debate is substituted Declaration by a presentation of (albeit informative) papers • October 2001 - January 2002 Integrated Mission Task Force for Afghanistan and briefings", There was also some criiicUin « April 2002 - present Task Force for the of the practice of delivering "lengthy Development of Comprehensive Rule of Law descriptions of travel or of discussions at other Strategics for Peace operations meetings" and a plea that the "tendency of some participations to highlight the work of • Open-ended The Fraaiework for Coordination '(although it was not formally established by the their organisations should be checked". ECPS, the Framework Team reports to and receives guidance from the ECPS) One member also felt that the focus of ECPS had been diluted somewhat, with a decrease in the attention paid to prevention, early warning In accordance with the procedures elaborated and post-conflict and "too much focus on in the Brahimi Report' and in the follow-up humanitarian and development issues". It was report of the Secretary-General8, the ECPS also argued that ECPS should refocus its "attention created the first full Integrated Mission Task and product" on "serious peace and security policy issues that have far reaching implications 7 Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations for the UN and on which the Secretary-General (A/55/30S - S/200Q/8Q9), para 217. paras 198 and 202-217. 8 might welcome/request advice emanating from Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation Of the a collaborative decision-making process". report of the Panel on United Nations peace operations (A/55/502), paras 49-59 05/07/2002 22:18 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG RIZA 121008/013

Force, as a response to the situation in highlighted in the Brahimi Report: "chaired by Afghanistan after 11 September 2001. The the Under-Secretary-General for Political IMTF for Afghanistan was a. full-time entity Affairs, ECPS has promoted greater exchange from October 200110 January 2002 and of information across and cooperation between contributed to a coherent UN response to the departments, but it has not yet become the situation on the ground and to a decision-making body that die 1997 reforms comprehensive mission planning process that envisioned, which its participants involved all relevant parts of the UN system9. acknowledge5*10. The MTF reported to the ECPS on a weekly basis. The record of the ECPS on integrating human rights into prevention, peacemaking, Most recently, the ECPS has created a Task peacekeeping and peace-building also appears Force for the Development of Comprehensive to be "mixed". The same applies to other cross- Rule of Law Strategies for Peace operations. cutting issues such as gender and a dialogue is beginning on how to redress this. The ECPS also guides and receives reports from the Framework for Coordination (also Some members have predicted that "having a known as the Framework Team), which is the full-time secretariat will enhance quality of inter-departmental entity dealing with discussion, decision-making and follow-up". preventive action. The Framework Team's Certainly, this was the rationale for the performance is patchy, due not least to a similar establishment of the secretariat (see below). absence of any standing support structure, but it is improving. More needs to be done to But better functioning of the committee also strengthen the links between the FT's working requires greater commitment from ECPS level processes and the ECPS. members. Personal attendance at meetings, timely submission of action-oriented v) Committee Effectiveness background briefs, succinct interventions, a more proactive attitude to the agenda and Members of ECPS largely feel that it is making greater commitment to follow-up are all a difference in terms of policy coherence and important. management reform. It has improved the exchange of information among members and The idea of restructuring the committee, with "this achievement alone should not be an executive core and a larger membership that underestimated, for the overriding objective is would convene less frequently and according to coherence and cohesiveness". Its role in need received significant support and should be response to recent developments in taken up by the ECPS. Afghanistan was found to be very useful. One member proposed a more far-reaching However, ECPS is still some way from being reform of the committee in order to enhance its the executive decision-making body it was effectiveness. The main components of the intended to be. It remains overwhelmingly an proposal were that the ECPS should restrict its information-sharing body. This problem was focus to key areas of peace and security, namely 1) reaction to defining events and/or analysis f> The full-time IMTF had a membership of thirteen constituent of their implications, e,g., 11 September, departments and agencies, Including DPA (Chair), EOSG, DPI, implications of Savimbi's death on Angola, DPKO, OCHA, UNHCR,TJMCEF, DESA/DAW, OHCHR, WFP, UNOPS, UNDP, and the OSRSG for Children and Armed Conflict. For more detail on the IMTF, see Integrated Mission Task Force for Afghanistan. Assessment of its Role ?nH Functions', 7 February 2002 10 Brahimi Report, A55/305/S 2000, para 66 05/07/2002 22:19 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG •* RIZA IS009/013

India-Pakistan nuclear tests, situation in the possibly their alternates) to discuss upcoming Middle East, major SG policy statements; meetings and issues that straddle the purviews 2) strategic guidance for UN peacemaking of the committees. Again, on the part of ECPS, and mission planning., e.g. guidance for such initiatives will be far more feasible with high-level UN negotiators, creation of an the establishment of the secretariat. IMTF, provision of parameters for mission- planning,, termination/exit/transition of UN missions, e.g. UNMCBH, UNTAET; III. Establishment of a secretariat 3) development of system-wide strategies for cross-cutting peace and security-related By resolution 56/241 of 24 December 2001 on functions, e,g, comprehensive rule of law, the implementation of the Brahimi report and DDR, mainstreaming human rights in the comprehensive review of peacekeeping, the PKOs, common administrative and General Assembly approved the proposal for a logistical support strategies. small support secretariat for the ECPS.

In addition, the committee should meet only The proposal emerged from an original idea in when the Secretary-General requires the Brahimi report for Ka professional system in collaborative, written policy recommendations the Secretariat for accumulating knowledge and only when draft papers are made available about conflict situations, distributing that to members in advance of the meeting. knowledge efficiently to a wide user base, generating policy analyses and formulating vi) Links with other committees long-term strategies ... the ECPS Information and Strategic Analysis Secretariat, or EISAS"11, The practice of formal links between the ECPS Member States deferred and implicitly rejected and other Executive Committees is manifested the EISAS proposal in, bodi its August 2000 mosdy in the convening of occasional joint original12 and June 2001 revised13 forms. meetings. The most recent of these was on 2nd November 2001, on the subject of peace- Member States acknowledged, however, that building. the ECPS was in need of a simple support structure. The main findings of the May 2001 "With the expansion in membership of ECPS, comprehensive management review - the rationale for joint meetings with the other mandated by Member States in response to the committees has diminished. The overlap Brahimi report - confirmed that the ECPS between the memberships is now extensive and could not function as an instrument of policy this calls into question the relationships development, decision-making and between them. Some members noted in management in the absence of an effective particular die "redundancy between ECPS and secretariat14. ECHA, and whether two separate fora have inevitably triggered more duplication and In its report of 3 August 2001, the Fourth possibly less coherence". The idea of a merger was tabled, as was a plea for "more discipline" « BtthimiRspon, A55/305/S 2000, para 68 in the formulation of the respective agendas. 12 Proposal elaborated inBratimi (A55/305/S 2000), paras 65- 75 and SG Implementation Report (A55/502), paras, 42-58 '3 Elaborated in Implementation of ^^ rr-rrimTni-nrlafir-trn; of Nonetheless, members feel that "more the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the interaction" is needed on "issues of cross- Panel on United Nations Peace Operations Report of tbe Secretuy-General (A/55/977,1 June 2001), para 301. cutting importance". Better use might be made w Report on Implementation of the recommendations of ttc of the convenors in diis regard - ideas might Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Panel include regular meetings of the convenors (and on United Nations Peace Operations (A/55/977 of 1 June 2001)

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Committee recommended "that the Secretary- V. Recommendations for Reform General consider the establishment of a small support secretariat to service the ECPS"15. The • The ECPS should become more "goal- ECPS held consultations on. a proposed oriented", refocusing its attention and structure and terms of reference' for the product on serious peace and security secretariat,, agreeing on a proposal that was policy issues that have far reaching presented to Member States on 8 August 2001, implications for the UN and on which the This proposal was accepted with small Secretary-General might welcome/request modifications by the ACABQ in its report of advice emanating from a collaborative 16 October 2001 and, with these modifications, decision-making process. approved by the General Assembly in December 2001. Composition

The resulting support secretariat will comprise • The ECPS has become too large to two professional staff (P5, P4) and one GS function effectively. It should be staff, reporting directly to the convenor of restructured into an executive core and a ECPS and administered by the Executive larger group - possibly with varying Office of DPA. It will be autonomous, permutations depending on the agenda - receiving direct guidance from ECPS, in order which could meet alternately. to be "seen as a common service provided for all members of ECPS". • ECPS members should attend at the level of principals or, when necessary, designated The secretariat "will service and support the deputies. Meetings should be restricted to work of ECPS as an effective, action-oriented members and their named designates. and well-coordinated decision-making body". The tasks assigned to this secretariat will range Schedule from administrative arrangements and technical support to substantive preparations for • The current fortnightly schedule should be meetings, including consultations on agenda maintained, with the option for special, ad formulation, drafting of policy options and hoc meetings on matters of great urgency ensuring follow-up to decisions taken. or importance.

The secretariat's posts are under recruitment. In • ECPS to meet only when Secretary-General the course of this review, one member noted needs collaborative, written policy that "this will be a very demanding job and recommendation and when draft paper requires the right persons to be selected, if they available to members in advance of are to be taken, seriously and trusted by ECPS meeting; members ... at a minimum, the EOSG, DPKO and OCHA [should] participate in the selection • The schedule should be reviewed in the process". context of a. restructured membership - with core and -wider permutations. Appendix A further elaborates the terms of reference of the secretariat. • The duration of meetings is appropriate.

Preparation

15RepoiT of tbe Special Committee on Peacekeeping (adopted • Members should be more proactive in by trie Fourth Commictce on 3** August as document A/55/1034), para 132. tabling items for discussion and decision. 05/07/2002 22:20 FAX 1 212 963 5065 DPA OUSG RIZA ilOll/013

• Agenda items could be solicited from die for cross-cutting peace and security-related Secretary-General himself and should be functions. restricted to matters that require collaborative discussion and • Greater effort should be made to integrate recommendations to the SG. human rights into the concerns of ECPS and its members. • Quarterly meetings of the core ECPS should be held with the Secretary-General • Members should demonstrate their to discuss a tentative agenda for the ECPS commitment to ECPS by attending in for that quarter. personj ensuring the provision of high- quality background briefs, and being • Background briefs should be succinct, proactive in agenda formulation and follow- timely and action-oriented. up.

Conduct Links with other committees

• The chair should provide a context for each • A review of the overlap between the item, by identifying whether it has been executive committees should be tabled for purposes of decision or undertaken, with a view to rationalizing the information-sharing. memberships and division of labour.

• Members should keep their interventions " The convenors of the executive committees brief and decision-oriented. Material should meet more often in order to discuss contained in background briefs should not effective use of their respective committees be reiterated. and to avoid overlap between meetings.

• The new practice of issuing meeting notes on the same day as the meeting should be maintained.

• Videconf erencing should be maintained.

• Creation of tune-limited, special task forces has been useful and should be regarded as a valuable option for advancing certain issues.

Effectiveness

• ECPS should take more decisions and be less of an information-sharing forum.

• ECPS to restrict its focus and product to key areas of peace and security, namely 1) reaction to defining events and/or analysis of their implications; 2) strategic guidance for UN peacemaking and mission planning 2) development of system-wide strategies

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Appendix A

Terms of Reference of ECPS Support Secretariat16

The ECPS secretarial will service and support the work of ECPS as an effective, action-oriented and well-coordinated decision-making body. To perform these tasks, the secretariat will: a) Organize regular and ad hoc meetings of ECPS and support the convenor in the discharge of his/her functions; b) Prepare annual work plans for ECPS; c) Formulate the agenda for ECPS meetings, consulting with its members and exercising judgement in determining items requiring the attention of the Committee; d) In consultation with ECPS members, prepare options and recommendations for ECPS on strategic policy issues and facilitate the preparation by substantive units across the system of decision-oriented background documentation; e) Prepare and disseminate minutes and records of meetings and decisions taken; f) Monitor and facilitate implementation of and follow-up decisions taken by the Committee; g) In cases where the Committee has recommended a course of action by the Secretary-General, liaise with and support the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, as appropriate; h) Provide technical support for the participation in ECPS meetings of non-New York-based heads of programmes; 5) Maintain administrative communication channels between ECPS members; j) Ensure linkages and information-sharing between the work of ECPS and that of subsidiary entities, such as the Framework for Coordination, as well as the other executive committees responsible for other substantive fields of United Nations activities: humanitarian affairs, development, economic and social affairs and the cross-cutting theme of human rights; k) Ensure that the ECPS deliberations are fed into related discussions of intergovernmental and inter-agency bodies.

Given the magnitude of the activities of ECPS and inasmuch as the focal point of its activities could rest upon any member of the Committee, an integrated mission task force or an interdepartmental or - agency working group, it would be necessary to establish an autonomous entity which would receive direct guidance from ECPS. The function of the secretariat should thus be clearly seen as a common service provided for all members of ECPS. This small secretariat would report simultaneously to the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in his capacity as convenor of ECPS, and to the Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, in his capacity as alternate convenor.

The incumbent of the D-l faduad by ACABQ to P5) post will be responsible for exercising the judgement and strategic oversight in preparation for and follow-up to ECPS meetings that has been significantly lacking under the current arrangements. Much of the product (decisions, recommendations, strategy papers) of ECPS is for use by the Secretary-General and senior United Nations officials and negotiators. The incumbent muse therefore enjoy sufficient seniority and experience to identify and develop appropriate matters for the attention of the ECPS. To this end, the incumbent will liaise with regional division and bureau directors across the system in the determination of agenda items, the

1|! From: Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. Programme budget implications. Addendum (A/C5/55/46/Add,l of 8 August 2001), Section 3 Political Affairs. Includes subsequent amendments made by ACABQ, detiiiled in Implementation of the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations. Report of the Advisory Cornrnittcu on Administrative and Budgetary Qvieations, (A/56/478 of Ifi October 2001)

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preparation of quality background documentation and the full and timely implementation of ECPS decisions. The incumbent will advise the convenor of ECPS on the effective steering and management of the Committee and wiU review and/or approve drafts of talking points, background papers and other documentation for ECPS. Under the guidance of the convenor and on the basis of consultations with and inputs from ECPS members, the incumbent will prepare written input for ECPS, including descriptions of the issues at hand and implications for the United Nations and elaboration of possible policy options and contingencies.

The incumbent of the P-4 post -will be responsible for the technical servicing and support of ECPS, including the preparation of talking points and background documentation; act as notetaker for meetings of ECPS; and will have the responsibility for maintaining the ECPS calendar and for the preparation of its annual work plan. To this end, the incumbent will liaise closely with the Office of the Secretary-General to ensure timely input from that Office and with ECPS members for meetings and official travel by the Secretary-General. The Officer wOl act as the point of entry for and manage the flow of incoming and outgoing correspondence relating to ECPS.

The incumbent of the General Service post will provide support for the two officers of the secretariat.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs

Secretariat of the Executive Committee on Peace and Security Executive Office of Administratively the Department of Political Affairs Regular budget 1P-5 1P-4 1GS