Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly
73rd Session (2018-2019)
Mandate
By resolution 72/313 of 17 September 2018, the General Assembly decided to establish at its 73rd session an ad hoc working group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (AHWG), open to all Member States, “to identify further ways to enhance the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the Assembly, inter alia, by building on the progress achieved in past sessions as well as on previous resolutions, including evaluating the status of their implementation” and to submit a report thereon to the Assembly at its 73rd session.
By the same resolution, the General Assembly also decided that the AHWG shall continue its review of the inventory (see p.31 of document A/72/896) of General Assembly resolutions on revitalization annexed to its report submitted at the 72nd session of the Assembly.
Among specific mandates for the 73rd session, the Assembly:
- Requested the Co-Chairs of the AHWG to continue to convene an interactive dialogue between the Permanent Missions and the Secretariat aimed at identifying solutions in better meeting the needs and requirements of the Permanent Missions regarding standard operating procedures used at United Nations Headquarters in New York;
- Decided that the AHWG shall receive a briefing on further improvements to the revised format, production and editing of the Journal of the United Nations;
- Requested the Secretary-General to provide innovative proposals on the use of the Delegates Dining Room and other venues at the United Nations by delegations for holding diplomatic events;
- Requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on possible alternative dates for the beginning of the regular sessions of the General Assembly;
- Decided to continue to consider ways to rationalize the number of side events held during the general debate in September, bearing in mind the need to enhance its decorum and significance;
- Decided that the AHWG continue to consider the potential concept and scope of guidelines on how to conduct the election campaigns by Member States, with a view to improving the standards of transparency and equity;
- Requested each Main Committee to further discuss its working methods at the beginning of every session, and in this regard invited the Chairs of the Main Committees to brief the AHWG, as appropriate;
- Decided to review the oath of office of the Secretary-General and for the AHWG to receive a briefing on the issue of candidacies of senior United Nations officials currently holding office in order to enhance transparency and equity of the appointment process;
- Requested the Secretariat to provide a briefing to the AHWG on the gender balance and regional origin of the executive heads of the United Nations system and the Senior Management Group of the Organization;
- Requested the AHWG to establish, in close consultation with the President of the General Assembly, the guidelines for the informal interactive dialogue with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly, including the question of participants, duration and format;
- Requested the Secretary-General to report on sources of the funding and staffing of the Office of the President of the Assembly, including on any technical, logistical, protocol-related or financial questions, and for more clarification on the budgetary basis for the provision of such support by the Secretariat;
- Requested the President of the General Assembly, in cooperation with the Secretariat, to report on the implementation of all mandates accorded to him by resolution 72/313 and previous relevant resolutions.
Letters
- Summary of the interactive dialogue held on 9 April 2019 between the Permanent Missions and the Secretariat (18 April 2019)
- Invitation from the Co-Chairs of the AHWG (4 April 2019)
- Tentative programme of work of the AHWG (5 February 2019)
- Appointment of Co-Chairs of the AHWG on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (30 October 2018)
Updated inventory chart