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      Title :UNICEF's Reporting Obligations Regarding Summit Follow-up Actions
      Document Type :Executive Directives (CF/EXD/...) 



      Country :GlobalDocument Symbol/Series: CF/EXD/1991-011

      Year Published : 1991 PDF Link :

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Executive Summary:


Document Text:

To: UNICEF Representatives
Assistant Representatives
Regional Directors 
Chief Executive Officers, National Committees
Executive Staff

From: James P. Grant
Executive Director

UNICEF'S REPORTING OBLIGATIONS REGARDING SUMMIT FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS 
I am pleased to attach herewith an advance copy of the document E/ICEF/1991/17 
on Suggested Guidelines for the Preparation of the Progress Report on the 
Implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Summit for 
Children.

This document is being formally transmitted to all Governments through their 
Permanent Representatives to the United Nations. It should reach the appropriate 
authorities in the capitals of all countries shortly. Meanwhile, you may wish to 
share it informally with your Government counterparts and UN agency colleagues 
who are (or ought to be) actively involved in Summit follow-up actions.

As you will note, we are expecting Governments to share with us two sets of 
reports: 1) a progress report on Summit follow-up actions taken to date and 2) 
the National Programme of Action for the next 10 years. It is understood that 
the major follow-up action by Governments in 1991 will, in fact, be the 
preparation of the National Programme of Action. The progress report will, 
therefore, be largely an account of how the NPA is being prepared, some 
highlights of the NPA and what other Summit follow-up action has been taken 
outside the NPA context, e.g. by non-governmental organisations, the mass media, 
the donor community, etc. 

The Summit Plan of Action urges all governments to prepare the NPAs by December 
1991. Concurrently we have requested that the progress report be sent to reach 
UNICEF by 31 December 1991. In the case of developing countries these reports 
are to be transmitted via the UNICEF Representative's office. In the case of 
industrial countries, the reports would be addressed to the Executive Director, 
UNICEF. 


Processing of Reports 

In the case of developing countries the UNICEF Field Office should summarise the 
country reports into a brief (not to exceed 5 pages) paper following the format 
of Annex A to the 1991 Annual Report. Copies of the original Government report 
and the Summary prepared by the Field Office should be sent to 1) the Regional 
Director, 2) Chief, Geographic Section, Programme Division, 3) Director 
Programme Division, and 4) Director, Planning and Coordination Office. The 
Regional Office and the Geographic Section should consolidate the country 
reports into a regional report (not to exceed 10 pages). Besides information 
coming from countries, the regional report should also contain a brief section 
dealing with what key regional and sub-regional institutions are doing with 
respect to WSC follow-up.

Action: Representatives
Regional Directors
Chiefs, Geographic Sections


In the case of the industrialized countries, each report will have two key 
sections:

(I) Report on actions taken regarding development aid review of policies (ODA): 
this will be reviewed, analysed, and summarized by PFO.

(ii) Report on actions taken regarding children in the industrialized country 
members: this will be reviewed and summarized by DPA, with support from the 
Geneva Office.

Natcoms on the other hand, are encouraged to prepare and submit a report, 
separate from that of the country in which they highlight actions planned or 
taken by them to support the implementation of the Declaration and Plan of 
Action. The same division of labour as for industrialized country reports will 
apply for review and summarization of the Natcom reports.

Besides information coming from countries, a consolidated report (not to exceed 
10 pages) by PFO should also contain a brief section dealing with any 
significant Summit follow-up actions taken by such donor groups as the OECD, 
EEC, IBRD, etc.

Action: PFO
DPA

The Programme Division advisers will have an important role in the detailed 
analysis of the national programmes by sector, as well as an analysis of plans 
and actions by the relevant specialised agencies. Programme Division's Special 
Advisor for Programme Development, will coordinate the preparation of these 
brief sectoral reports (not to exceed 3 pages each).

Action: Programme Division

While actions by national NGOs would be reflected in the country reports, a 
brief report(not to exceed 3 pages) on action by international NGOs and IGOs 
should be prepared by the concerned units of DPA.

Action: DPA

All the above reports should be sent to the Director, Planning and Coordination 
Office by 31 December 1991. He will be responsible for preparing the 
consolidated report to the Executive Board and UNICEF's input to the report of 
the Secretary-General to ECOSOC and the General Assembly.

Action: Planning & Coordination Office


Annual Report/Regional Directors Meeting

Although UNICEF is only one among many agencies called upon to assist 
Governments with WSC follow-up, the international community does look to UNICEF 
to be thoroughly knowledgeable about it, to provide advice and assistance within 
its mandate, and to alert the international community about problems and 
opportunities. - The stakes are so high that we cannot afford to wait till 
December 1991 to learn how Governments are proceeding with the preparation of 
national programmes of action.

By October we need to be in a position to intervene at the highest levels of 
leadership in key countries if there are serious difficulties with the 
preparation of the NPA. It is with this in mind that the Regional Directors' 
meeting this year has been advanced to mid-October. This is also the reason for 
requesting a preliminary progress report on WSC follow-up as an annex to the 
1991 Annual Report. Information contained in the Annual Report will give us a 
preview of the more definitive report to come later in the year. PFO will 
follow-up with industrialized countries and DPA with National Committees to 
prepare regular updates on the follow-up.


Timetable

Confirmation of mandate by the Executive Board May 91

Guidelines by Executive Director to Permanent July 91
UN Representatives of all Countries

Guidelines for UNICEF Field Offices, Natcoms July 91
and HQ's Division

Analysis of replies to first SG letter July-August 91

Request for Information from UN agencies August 91

Feedback from UNICEF Offices through September 91
Annual Reports

Meeting of Regional Directors October 91

Deadline for receipt of Government Reports 30 Dec. 91

Summary reports from Field 15 Jan. 92
Offices/PFO/PD Advisors/DPA

First draft of report for internal review 31 Jan. 92

Second draft 15 Feb. 92

Final version 28 Feb. 92

Translation into UN languages/distribution March 92

Presentation to UNICEF ExBoard June 92

Presentation to ECOSOC/GA May/September 1992