[WSIS CS-Plenary] deconstructing the UN org chart

[William Drake]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the pointer, an interesting read.  It's also illustrative of the
dynamics we were discussing.  As ITU  is legally part of the UN system, the
UN SG has the authority to ask the JIU to review its operations and make
recommendations.  However, the JIU's main recommendations on elections,
top-level management, and the like ( I'd have to dig to track the status of
the little administrative bits) have been entirely ignored by ITU.  Thanks,
but no.

More generally, the analysis is entirely acontetextual; there's no sense of
how ITU is positioned in the larger global telecom environment and what that
might mean for the main challenges it faces.  It makes little sense to talk
about internal management questions concerning policy work, budget,
information systems and access, etc. in a manner that is entirely divorced
from the external operational environment that drives them.  It'd be
interesting to read the JIU report on WIPO and others and see if the same
narrowly constrained mandate problem applies.

No mention, of course, of the fact that ITU imposes huge barriers to civil
society participation and has less than a handful of NGOs participating only
in individual sectors.  Not, apparently, a consequential problem that
affects the management, effectiveness, and standing of the institution.

Best,

Bill


> -----Original Message-----
> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
> Behalf Of richard jordan
> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 9:38 PM
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] deconstructing the UN org chart
>
>
> For an interesting take on the ITU, maybe only pp. 12-15, go to
> the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (my very favorite UN
> body) and see the report JIU/REP/2001/3 -- simply go to un.org
> and then click on welcome, the next screen in the upper right
> should give you search and enter that JIU report number.
>
> Richard
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rik Panganiban" <rikp at earthlink.net>
> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
> Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] deconstructing the UN org chart
> Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:02:12 -0400
>
> >
> > Bill, et al,
> >
> > I recall a discussion with the President of ECOSOC in July on this
> > issue of the Bretton Woods Institutions and their relationship to
> > ECOSOC.  He said that while the BWIs don't mind "coordinating"
> > their activities with ECOSOC, they don't want to "be coordinated."
> > I.e. they are happy send regular reports to ECOSOC, but don't want
> > ECOSOC telling them what to do.  I imagine the ITU has a similar
> > position.
> >
> > The reality is that ECOSOC is not in a political position to impose
> > its will on other international agencies.
> >
> > Rik Panganiban
> > CONGO
> >
> > On Aug 31, 2005, at 11:27 AM, William Drake wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >  
> > > The UN org chart does show ITU being one of a number of
> > > organizations that are linked to ECOSOC, via a dotted line.  But
> > > the precise nature of these links are unclear.  For example, the
> > > org chart also shows the Bretton Woods orgs (World Bank, IMF,
> > > WTO) being linked to ECOSOC.  I once asked someone at WTO about
> > > that and she replied that the UN is prone to wishful thinking. 
> > > In any event, I've never heard anyone at either WTO or ITU say
> > > there was any sort of real coordination, much less a reporting
> > > relationship with, the UN generally or ECOSOC specifically.  So
> > > since  I was over at ITU today, I asked the head of strategic
> > > planning in the SG's office.  Per my previous message, he said
> > > that ITU has historically had little to nothing to do with the
> > > UN, except for involvement in the COPOUS framework for peaceful
> > > uses of outer space, and now WSIS.  However, ITU does generate an
> > > annual report which is pro forma sent out to lots of relevant
> > > organizations, inter alia to the UN SG, other IGOs, and he
> > > supposed why not, ECOSOC, but that's the extent of it.  So they
> > > don't "report to" in the sense that their activities must be
> > > reviewed and approved, but they do send a courtesy copy of 'this
> > > is what we've been doing in the past year.'  Perhaps that's what
> > > the dotted line on the org chart means...?
> > >  
> > > Best,
> > >  
> > > Bill
> > >  
> > >> From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org
> > >> [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of John Mathiason
> > >> Sent: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:36:02 -0400
> > >> To: plenary at wsis-cs.org;
> > >> Subject: : [WSIS CS-Plenary] Drastic changes to the proposed
> > >> WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text
> > >>  
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Jean-Louis,
> > >>  
> > >> All of the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations (including ITU)
> > >> report to ECOSOC.  This is part of the relationship agreement into
> > >> which they entered when the United Nations was founded.  Now that the
> > >> WSIS has been given status as a UN conference, it also reports to the
> > >> General Assembly.  Whether or not ECOSOC does anything with the
> > >> reports, of course, is up to ECOSOC, but the General Assembly will be
> > >> expected to act on whatever is adopted by WSIS.
> > >>  
> > >> Regards,
> > >>  
> > >> John
> > >>  
> > >>  
> > >>  
> > ===============================================
> > RIK PANGANIBAN       Communications Coordinator
> > Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United
> > Nations (CONGO)
> > web: http://www.ngocongo.org
> > email: rik.panganiban at ngocongo.org
> > mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524
> >
> > * Information on the WSIS at http://www.ngocongo.org/wsis
> > * Information on Millennium+5 at http://www.ngocongo.org/mdg
>
>