UN General Assembly
2005

significantly strengthened. It is necessary to further strengthen the accountability of the Secretariat and improve management performance, as well as reinforce ethical conduct. Responsibility for many of the weaknesses in the United Nations system, however, lies with the Member States themselves. We need a more relevant General Assembly as the chief policymaking body of the Organization. That will require strategic leadership on the part of Member States. The Secretary-General, as the chief administrative officer, must be granted sufficient authority and flexibility to carry out his duties. In order to strengthen the Organization's capacity to ensure that mandates are fulfilled, we need to provide the necessary resources. In order to maintain an efficient organization, we need to review existing mandates and revoke those that are no longer relevant. The management reform process provides a golden opportunity to increase the recruitment of women at all levels of the United Nations. Good governance in a modern organization requires contributions from women on an equal footing with men. Some have called the results of the summit just