UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at the assembly, called this resolution historic and emphasized its significance as an important step forward.
He stressed: "The adopted resolution demonstrates a shared understanding of the life cycle of mandates and a commitment to strengthening them at every stage. This will help transform the goals of the 'UN-80' initiative into real actions."
Member states, when creating mandates, direct the activities of the entire UN system towards addressing pressing global issues—from maintaining peace and security to protecting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance. However, over time, challenges have arisen due to the large number of mandates.
Since its establishment in 1946, the UN has adopted over 40,000 resolutions, decisions, and statements, making navigation through these documents increasingly difficult. This leads to duplication of efforts, an increase in the number of reports and meetings, as well as a decrease in transparency within the system. As a result, the burden on member states and the UN itself increases, complicating the effective implementation of mandates.
The resolution introduces a more orderly approach to all stages of the life cycle of mandates—from their development to review.Practical application of the resolution includes:
- clearer and more focused mandates based on quality information for decision-making;
- coordinated implementation with improved accountability and effective use of resources;
- systematic review of mandates to maintain their relevance and impact;
- increased transparency through enhanced digital tools, including an expanded UN Mandates Registry.
The document is aimed at improving the processes of developing, implementing, and reviewing mandates, allowing the UN to more effectively turn decisions into real results.
The resolution is based on the results of the work of the informal special working group of the General Assembly, established to analyze the implementation of mandates, co-chaired by Jamaica and New Zealand.
The working group was established to consider proposals outlined in the Secretary-General's report for July 2025, as part of the second phase of the "UN-80" initiative. This document contains an analysis of the processes for creating, implementing, and reviewing mandates, as well as recommendations for their improvement.
Additionally, the resolution proposes the establishment of a formal working group to review the implementation of mandates, open to all member states and observers. It will focus on developing effective templates and analyzing existing mandates.
Guterres noted: "This is an important step, but just the beginning. We will act as a unified organization under the guidance of the working group to improve support and implementation of mandates," adding that the process remains under the control of member states.
Annalenna Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, supported this position, emphasizing that the adoption of the resolution is an important step in broader reforms and urged member states to actively participate in the next steps.
Today we have taken an important step towards making the UN more flexible, effective, and results-oriented, ready for future challenges and better able to serve the people.Photo on the main page is illustrative: UN (UN Headquarters in New York).
