The Secretary-General of the United Nations proposed arrangements for administrative support to the Convention secretariat (see FCCC/CP/1995/5/Add.4) which were provisionally accepted by the Conference of the Parties (COP) at its first session in decision 14/CP.1 and, after further review, noted by the General Assembly in resolution 50/115. These
arrangements provide for a wide delegation of authority on personnel and financial matters from the Secretary-General to the Executive Secretary and for an administrative overhead charge of 13 per cent to be levied on the funds of the Convention. Drawing on the proceeds of this charge, the United Nations provides full administrative support services to the
Convention secretariat, including administrative staff.The arrangements foresaw that the services provided by the United Nations would evolve to cover the administrative needs resulting from the decentralized functioning of the secretariat in Bonn. The Secretary-General proposed that a review be undertaken by the Department of Administration and Management (DAM) and the Convention secretariat to ascertain the way in which administrative functions could best be shared on a long-term basis between the central United Nations services and the Convention secretariat in Bonn. This review is to address the adequacy of the programme support charge in relation to the costs ofthe administrative services provided by the United Nations. The findings of this review are to be reported to the General Assembly and to the COP in 1997 and reflected in the proposed programme budget of the Convention for the biennium 1998-1999. (See A/50/716, paragraph 38).
In accordance with the above, a review of current administrative arrangements is being conducted jointly by DAM and the Convention secretariat with the participation of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). The interim results of the review are reflected in the present document