Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you, co-chairs. I speak on behalf of CANZ.
We welcome the development of criteria and modalities for reviewing the existing stock of GA mandates.
It was a key outcome of A/RES/80/251 and we must take this opportunity to address one of the core problems identified by the Secretariat and many of us as Member States—to reduce the burden on our Organisation from outdated and inactive mandates.
The AHWG must outline a clear, agreed methodology and process for the review that:
- Takes a systemwide approach, considering GA mandates in the context of the broader mandate landscape across the wider UN system;
- Ensures balance across the three pillars of the UN; as also just noted now by the LDCs.
- Identifies opportunities to reduce unnecessary duplication, improve coherence, and retire obsolete or inactive mandates with ongoing programmatic or resource implications.
- Excludes mandates that are in the Charter, as well as those that are norm-setting of universal character, institution-creating, or relate to ongoing political situations with implications for international peace.
As CANZ, we offer four elements that are necessary to conduct a successful mandate review exercise.
First, the Ad Hoc Working Group should consider whether we have the data/evidentiary basis to conduct the review.
If not, we should direct the Secretariat to undertake a preview assessment to identify low-risk efficiency opportunities.
For example, we should ask ourselves, do we have:
- A complete inventory of mandates?
- Identification of normative versus operational mandates?
- Identification of inactive, obsolete or completed mandates?
- We would need an assessment of possible duplication and fragmentation across multiple bodies?
- We should ask ourselves whether we have an overview of which of those mandates might still draw significant resources?
Second, a comprehensive and accessible mandate inventory is essential to underpin a credible review.
We encourage the Secretariat to continue strengthening and completing a central inventory of mandates, building on existing tools. This should include key classification criteria – such as mandate age, origin, legal status, implementing entity, resource implications, reporting requirements, and overlap with other mandates – this will enable more objective, evidence-based decision-making by Member States.
Third, we believe the mandate review should have a clear purpose – specifically, achieving more coherent, efficient, and effective delivery while preserving norms.
Clearly distinguishing between normative mandates and operational mandates would support efforts to streamline delivery – such as reducing duplicative reporting, meetings, and administrative burdens – while preserving core standard-setting and normative functions.
At the same time, the review should prioritise strengthening the impact, efficiency and coherence of mandate delivery by identifying overlap and fragmentation, as well as opportunities for consolidation, merging, streamlining or reduced periodicity.
Through the UN80 Initiative, the Secretariat and Member States have identified proliferation of meetings and reports as a systemic challenge.
Potential measures to address this include:
- consolidating reports across related agendas;
- moving from annual to biennial or triennial reporting;
- creating common analytical annexes;
- standardizing indicators;
- establishing “single reporting windows”;
- digitizing reporting processes;
- eliminating repetitive procedural reports.
Enhancing coherence across UN bodies and aligning mandates with realistic resources will be critical to achieving sustainable improvements.
Fourth, in terms of review modalities, we see practical value in clustering related mandates for review, instead of reviewing individual mandates.
This would encourage us to consider which entities are undertaking overlapping work, and which reports and meetings covering similar ground could be merged.
We believe these elements together can deliver a practical, balanced and results-oriented mandate review process. CANZ remains committed to working constructively with all Member States to advance this important agenda, and with you the co-chairs.
Thank you.