Permanent Mission of India

New York

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Informal Meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review to exchange views on criteria and modalities to review the existing stock of GA mandates

Statement by Mr. Surendra Adhana, Counsellor

02 June 2026

Thank you Madam Co-Chair,

My delegation thanks the distinguished Co-Chairs- PRs of Jamaica and Norway for their stewardship of this process.

India aligns with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77. Allow me to offer following reflections in my national capacity:

First, the review process should be based on clear, objective, data-driven criteria that consider the impact, results, review cycle, continued relevance of mandates, and the need to avoid overlap and duplication. In this regard, identifying certain key elements could facilitate our work in developing criteria and modalities. These may include:

• Improving mandate visibility in terms of categorization into normative or operational mandates;
• Whether the mandate has quantifiable objectives, results, and a time-bound review cycle;
• Whether the mandate has been provided with adequate resources and time to deliver on its intended objectives;
• Impact and results from the mandate implementation review should inform decisions on the future of mandates, including additional resources to achieve intended results.

Second, it is important to recognize that the mandate review process should strengthen, rather than diminish, the UN system’s capacity to deliver on the development pillar to support Member States. National ownership must remain the central organizing principle of the UN development system to ensure it remains responsive to Member States’ needs and priorities.

• Any decision on the future of mandates, particularly those with country-level activities, should be preceded by reaffirmation of host government consent.

Third, review of mandate implementation should be benchmarked against a matrix of key performance indicators to assess impact, effectiveness, and efficiency, and guide Member States’ decisions on the future of mandates.

Finally, in terms of modalities, Madam Co-chair, the review process should be carried out in a manner that leverages best practices across the UN system, including the collective review mechanism wherever possible, to avoid the pitfalls of the 2006 mandate review process and develop a more effective mandate landscape backed by adequate resources while minimizing perpetuation of ineffective, obsolete, or duplicative mandates.

I thank you, Madam Co-chair.

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