The General Assembly,
 
      Reaffirming its previous relevant resolutions on the Joint Inspection
Unit, in particular resolution 48/221 of 23 December 1993, and on the review
of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the
United Nations,
 
      Reaffirming also paragraph 6 of section II of its resolution 48/218 A of
23 December 1993,
 
      Having considered the annual reports of the Unit for the periods from 1
July 1993 to 30 June 1994 and 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995, and its related
work programmes, as well as the reports of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the recommendations of the Unit,
 
      Reaffirming the statute of the Unit, the only independent system-wide
inspection, evaluation and investigation body,
 
      Stressing that the impact of the Unit on the cost-effectiveness of
activities within the United Nations system is a shared responsibility of the
Member States, the Unit and the secretariats of the participating
organizations,
 
      Noting with concern that some reports of the Unit have dealt with
political matters,
 
      1.    Takes note with appreciation of the annual reports of the Joint
Inspection Unit on its activities during the periods from 1 July 1993 to 30
June 1994 and 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995, of its work programmes for 1994,
1995 and 1995-1996 and of the reports of the Secretary-General on the
implementation of the recommendations of the Unit;
 
      2.    Endorses the observations and recommendations on the operation of
the Unit contained in the annual report of the Unit for the period from 1 July
1994 to 30 June 1995, subject to the provisions of the present resolution,
without prejudice to its consideration of the thematic reports of the Unit;
 
      3.    Decides to consider the appropriate periodicity of the Unit agenda
item in the context of the review called for in its decision 47/454 of 23
December 1992;
 
      4.    Requests the Secretary-General, and invites the executive heads of
organizations participating in the Unit, to take the necessary measures to
ensure that the thematic reports of the Unit are listed under the appropriate
substantive agenda items of the work programmes of the General Assembly, other
pertinent organs and bodies of the United Nations and the appropriate
legislative organs of the other participating organizations;
 
      5.    Takes note of the thematic reports of the Unit submitted to it for
action, and decides to continue their consideration, where appropriate, under
the relevant agenda items;
 
      6.    Requests the Unit to seek a more reader-friendly and uniform
format of reports, taking into account new publishing technologies, which
would include sections containing the objectives of the report, an executive
summary, the conclusions drawn and, as appropriate, the action required to be
taken by the organizations, in order to make reports as concise as possible
and to comply with the existing page limit of thirty-two pages;
 
      7.    Also requests the Unit to report to it at its fifty-first session
on measures taken to develop a set of internal standards and guidelines for
inspection, evaluation and investigation;
 
      8.    Invites the legislative organs of other participating
organizations to take concrete action on the recommendations of the Unit;
 
      9.    Reminds the Unit of its functions and powers as set out in chapter
III of its statute, in particular article 5, paragraphs 1 to 3 and 5, and
article 7, and requests the Unit to prepare its programme of work accordingly,
bearing in mind the interests of participating organizations and the paramount
need to ensure efficiency of services and proper use of funds;
 
      10.   Invites the Unit to continue to take full advantage of its system-
wide competence in undertaking comparative analysis of trends and problems
faced by various organizations and to propose harmonized, practical and
concrete solutions;
 
      11.   Requests the executive heads of participating organizations to
comply fully with the statutory reporting procedures for the consideration of
the reports of the Unit, and requests the Unit to report to the competent
legislative organs on compliance by the secretariats concerned;
 
      12.   Requests the Unit to continue to focus its reports on important
priority items, identifying concrete managerial, administrative and
programming questions aimed at providing the General Assembly and other
legislative organs of participating organizations with practical and
action-oriented recommendations on precisely defined issues;
 
      13.   Also requests the Unit to issue its reports well in advance of
meetings of the legislative organs of participating organizations so that the
reports can be thoroughly and effectively utilized by these organs;
 
      14.   Requests the Secretary-General and the other executive heads of
participating organizations to assist the Unit fully, with timely provision of
all information requested by it;
 
      15.   Decides to consider the issue of the mobility of the staff of the
Unit in the context of the review called for in its decision 47/454;
 
      16.   Encourages the Unit to continue to take the necessary steps to
achieve a punctual and systematic follow-up of its recommendations as approved
by the legislative organs of participating organizations;
 
      17.   Urges Member States to pay special attention to the importance of
the selection of qualified inspectors.