UN General Assembly
1997

The Emergency Relief Coordinator entrusted with humanitarian assistance must also enjoy the greatest autonomy and the means necessary to allow him to intervene effectively and promptly when necessary — a task that the Government of the Principality accords the highest priority. This autonomy must, more generally, touch the entire international civil services. The independence of United Nations agents — the Secretary-General first among them — is the guarantee of the quality of their service and of the trust which the international community places in them. The decision to bring together all the field programmes and information centres in common premises, to be known as United Nations Houses, is both rational and symbolic. It is an ideal response to the current needs to concentrate and better coordinate operational activities, while promoting a strong and cohesive image of the entire system. We strongly encourage the Secretary-General to pursue this approach, which has recently been undertaken in South Africa. For those States that will not have the opportunity to host such Houses, might we not consider establishing a