[WSIS CS-Plenary] deconstructing the UN org chart

[William Drake]

Hi,

The UN org chart does show ITU being one of a number of organizations that are linked to ECOSOC, via a dotted line.  But the precise nature of these links are unclear.  For example, the org chart also shows the Bretton Woods orgs (World Bank, IMF, WTO) being linked to ECOSOC.  I once asked someone at WTO about that and she replied that the UN is prone to wishful thinking.  In any event, I've never heard anyone at either WTO or ITU say there was any sort of real coordination, much less a reporting relationship with, the UN generally or ECOSOC specifically.  So since I was over at ITU today, I asked the head of strategic planning in the SG's office.  Per my previous message, he said that ITU has historically had little to nothing to do with the UN, except for involvement in the COPOUS framework for peaceful uses of outer space, and now WSIS.  However, ITU does generate an annual report which is pro forma sent out to lots of relevant organizations, inter alia to the UN SG, other IGOs, and he supposed why not, ECOSOC, but that's the extent of it.  So they don't "report to" in the sense that their activities must be reviewed and approved, but they do send a courtesy copy of 'this is what we've been doing in the past year.'  Perhaps that's what the dotted line on the org chart means...?

Best,

Bill

  From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of John Mathiason 
  Sent: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:36:02 -0400 
  To: plenary at wsis-cs.org; 
  Subject: : [WSIS CS-Plenary] Drastic changes to the proposed WSIS implementation mechanisms in the new text


  Jean-Louis,

  All of the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations (including ITU) 
  report to ECOSOC.  This is part of the relationship agreement into
  which they entered when the United Nations was founded.  Now that the
  WSIS has been given status as a UN conference, it also reports to the
  General Assembly.  Whether or not ECOSOC does anything with the
  reports, of course, is up to ECOSOC, but the General Assembly will be 
  expected to act on whatever is adopted by WSIS.

  Regards,

  John


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