Mandate and working methods (183 EX/Decision 10):
The Executive Board,
- Bearing in mind 26 C/Resolution 19.3,
- Referring to 137 EX/Decision 8.6, 142 EX/Decision 3.1.3, 143 EX/Decision 9.1, 144 EX/Decision 6.10, 148 EX/Decision 5.7, 153 EX/Decision 5.6, 158 EX/Decision 5.6, 163 EX/Decision 5.6, 168 EX/Decision 5.6, 173 EX/Decision 10, 178 EX/Decision 10, 179 EX/Decision 19 and 180 EX/Decision 24 on the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters,
- Decides to renew the mandate of the above-mentioned Group of Experts; for the 2010-2011 biennium, the Group of Experts will comprise 11 experts, as follows:
- Group I Belgium and United States of America
- Group II Latvia and Russian Federation
- Group III Chile
- Group IV India and Japan
- Group V(a) Ghana and United Republic of Tanzania
- Group V(b) Algeria and Morocco
- Also decides that the methods of work and the terms of reference of the Group of Experts contained in 144 EX/Decision 6.10, as reviewed in conformity with 178 EX/Decision 10, and amended by the Executive Board at its 179th and 180th sessions, shall be defined
as set forth in 179 EX/Decision 19 and 180 EX/Decision 24 reproduced below:
Mandate and working methods of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters
179 EX/Decision 19
“Review by the Executive Board of the methods of work and the terms of reference of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters (179 EX/19 and Add. and Add. Corr. and Add.2; 179 EX/55; 179 EX/58)
The Executive Board,
- Referring to 178 EX/Decision 10,
- Recalling 137 EX/Decision 8.6, 142 EX/Decision 3.1.3, 143 EX/Decision 9.1, 144 EX/Decision 6.10, 148 EX/Decision 5.7, 153 EX/Decision 5.6, 158 EX/Decision 5.6, 163 EX/Decision 5.6, 168 EX/Decision 5.6 and 173 EX/Decision 10 on the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters,
- Having considered the work of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters, and believing that it can continue to make important contributions to the overall work of the Executive Board by examining from a strictly technical point of view the financial and administrative aspects of documents that may require such examination,
- Having examined documents 179 EX/19 and Add. and Add. Corr. and Add.2,
- Considering the importance of improving the efficiency and the methods of work of the Finance and Administrative Commission,
- Decides that the terms of reference and the methods of work of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters shall be as follows:
- to assist the work of the Finance and Administrative Commission through the provision of strictly technical advice;
- to examine from a strictly technical point of view the administrative and financial issues referred to it by the Chair of the Finance and Administrative Commission and the Chair of the Group of Experts, and to report its findings, and, if appropriate, propose alternative, clearly labelled and technically justified drafting suggestions to the Finance and Administrative Commission;
- to refrain from entering into policy discussions or offering policy observations in the conduct or reporting of its work;
- Also decides that the Group of Experts shall normally meet one week before each of the sessions of the Executive Board, and that its reports shall be made available three working days before the Finance and Administrative Commission begins its deliberations;
- Encourages the Director-General to provide appropriate assistance to the Group of Experts;
- Further decides that guidelines for the criteria for the selection of agenda items to be referred to the Group of Experts and the working methods of its meetings will be further considered at the 180th session of the Executive Board;
- Finally decides that the agenda items to be referred to the Group of Experts for the 180th session of the Executive Board be determined well in advance through consultations between the Chairs of the Executive Board, the Finance and Administrative Commission and the Group of Experts for Financial and Administrative Matters;
- Renews its decision to finance, from the budget of the Executive Board, the expenses of the Group of Experts, including, where necessary, reasonable travel costs and subsistence allowances for experts not resident in Paris and whose expenses are not borne by their respective governments;
- Invites Member States, in this regard, to take the necessary steps to facilitate the participation of their experts in the meetings of the Group of Experts;
- Requests the Director-General to clearly indicate the financial and administrative implications on every agenda item, with a view to facilitating the work of the Executive Board, including the Finance and Administrative Commission and the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative matters.
180 EX/Decision 24
Consideration by the Executive Board of the criteria for the selection of agenda items to be referred to the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters, and the methods of work of the Group of Experts (180 EX/24 and Add.-Add.2; 180 EX/64; 180 EX/67)
The Executive Board,
- Having examined documents 180 EX/24 and Add.-Add.2,
- Recalling 137 EX/Decision 8.6, 142 EX/Decision 3.1.3, 143 EX/Decision 9.1, 144 EX/Decision 6.10, 148 EX/Decision 5.7, 153 EX/Decision 5.6, 158 EX/Decision 5.6, 163 EX/Decision 5.6, 168 EX/Decision 5.6, 173 EX/Decision 10 and 178 EX/Decision 10 on the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters,
- Recalling 179 EX/Decision 19, paragraph 6, which contains the revised terms of reference and methods of work of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters,
- Referring to 179 EX/Decision 19, paragraph 9, in which it decided that guidelines for the criteria for the selection of agenda items to be referred to the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters and the working methods of its meetings would be further considered at its 180th session,
- Recognizing that the request to the Director-General to clearly indicate the financial and administrative implications of every agenda item has only partly been implemented for the 180th session of the Executive Board,
- Taking into account the clear intention of Member States to have the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters support the overall work of the Executive Board by examining from a strictly technical point of view the administrative and financial issues referred to it,
I Agenda items to be referred to the Group of Experts
- Requests the Director-General to further improve the information about the financial and administrative implications of every agenda item;
- Decides that the Chair of the Executive Board, in consultation with the Chair of the Finance and Administrative Commission and the Chair of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters should refer to the Group of Experts for examination the agenda items concerning the following issues, whose technical, administrative and financial implications should be identified, closely reviewed and better evaluated to assist the Commission’s work:
- process and methodology for planning, programming and budgeting;
- programme budget and performance assessment reports;
- the Organization’s accounts and accounting systems, any proposed changes to the Organization’s financial regulations, interim and annual financial reports, and audited financial statements taken together with the report of the External Auditor;
- the Organization’s human resources policies, staff regulations, and any proposed changes thereto;
- the operation of the Organization’s pension and health insurance systems and proposals to reform or update them;
- the Organization’s efforts relating to the collection of assessed contributions and the encouragement and management of extrabudgetary contributions;
- the Organization’s procurement policies and its policies with regard to the hiring of contractors and the recruitment of staff;
- the Organization’s information management systems;
- the Organization’s efforts to manage and use effectively its field offices and category 1 institutes as well as the financial and administrative aspects associated with category 2 institutes/centres;
- reports on the activities of the Internal Oversight Service (IOS), the External Auditor, the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), and other relevant reports;
- any other administrative and financial matters that the Chairs of the Executive Board, Finance and Administrative Commission and the Group of Experts jointly decide to refer to the Group of Experts for technical examination to assist the work of the Commission;
II Working methods of meetings
- Also decides that the meetings of the Group of Experts on Financial and Administrative Matters should adhere to the following methods of work:
- it shall be the duty and responsibility of the Chair of the Group of Experts to ensure that the experts’ discussion is in line with their mandate, and to prevent any deviation therefrom;
- members of the Group of Experts and of the Secretariat with responsibility for the issues under consideration shall be given the floor at meetings of the Group of Experts;
- the floor may be given to Member State observers during discussions, but never during the examination of the report or of draft decisions unless the Chair, after consultation with the Group of Experts, so agrees;
- presentations made by members of the Secretariat to the Group of Experts should be limited to a predetermined time frame;
- the length of the meetings of the Group of Experts shall be appropriately determined according to the nature of its programme of work;
- the Group of Experts shall adopt its report by consensus, and submit it to the Finance and Administrative Commission for consideration. Such report shall include the questions raised by the Group of Experts, the additional information submitted by the Secretariat and, if appropriate, clearly worded and technically justified recommendations to assist the Finance and Administrative Commission in finalizing its draft decisions;
- such recommendations shall be submitted to the Finance and Administrative Commission only when approved by the Group of Experts by consensus.”
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Composition:
Group I: Belgium and United States of AmericaGroup II: Latvia and Russian FederationGroup III: ChileGroup IV: India and JapanGroup V(a): Ghana and United Republic of TanzaniaGroup V(b): Algeria and Morocco
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