United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services explained

Office of Internal Oversight Services
Map:UN building.jpg
Abbreviation:OIOS
Leader Title:Head
Leader Name:Fatoumata Ndiaye
Under-Secretary-General
Status:Active
Formation:1994
Website:oios.un.org
Parent Organization:United Nations Secretariat

The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is an independent office in the United Nations Secretariat whose mandate is to "assist the Secretary-General in fulfilling his internal oversight responsibilities in respect of the resources and staff of the Organization."[1] Specifically, activities include internal audit, investigation, monitoring, evaluation, inspection, reporting and support services to the United Nations Secretariat.[2]

Its intended and mandated function is similar to many national government audit organisations, like the Government Accountability Office in the United States. It reports not only to the General Assembly, but also to the Secretary-General.

The current head of the OIOS, Under-Secretary-General Fatoumata Ndiaye[3] of Senegal, was appointed as Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services for a five-year term starting on 17 October 2019, succeeding Heidi Mendoza of the Philippines.

The office was established in 1994 at the insistence of the United States that the UN take steps to curb waste and corruption, although there are some doubts concerning its effectiveness.[4] Its first head was Under-Secretary-General Karl Theodor Paschke.

Role and function

According to its website:

The Office submits reports to the Secretary-General that provide insight into the effective utilization of the resources of the Organization and the protection of its assets and also makes these reports available to the General Assembly. OIOS adds value by providing world-wide audit, investigation, inspection, programme monitoring, evaluation and consulting services to the United Nations Secretariat and a wide range of United Nations operational funds, programmes and tribunals. OIOS sees itself as an agent of change, committed to help client departments and offices bring about responsible administration of resources and a culture of accountability, transparency, results-orientation and risk awareness.

Under-Secretaries-General

PortraitUnder-Secretary-GeneralDates in officeNationality
1Karl Theodor Paschke1 January 1994 – 31 December 1999 Germany
2Dileep Nair24 April 2000 – 23 April 2005 Singapore
3Inga-Britt Ahlenius15 July 2005 – 14 July 2010 Sweden
4Carman Lapointe14 September 2010 – 6 October 2015 Canada
5Heidi Mendoza15 November 2015[5] – 17 October 2019 Philippines
6Fatoumata Ndiaye17 October 2019 – Incumbent

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Review of the implementation of General Assembly resolutions 48/218 B, 54/244 and 59/272. undocs.org. UN. 16 March 2014. 1. 5 May 2010.
  2. Web site: Activities and functions of OIOS. UN. 16 March 2014.
  3. Web site: 17 October 2019. Fatoumata Ndiaye Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200822223328/https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/profiles/fatoumata-ndiaye-0. 22 August 2020. UN Office of Internal Oversight Services.
  4. Web site: The U.N.'s Investigation Wars . Lynch . Colum . 26 August 2016 . Foreign Policy . . 18 March 2018 . But the exchange with Malcorra exposed roiling turmoil at the core of a long-beleaguered U.N. department responsible for preventing fraud and waste in an organization that spends billions of dollars each year and conducts peacekeeping missions in fragile countries around the world. .
  5. News: Calleja. Niña P.. UN General Assembly OKs Heidi Mendoza's appointment. 29 October 2015. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 15 October 2015.