UN80: WORKSTREAM TWO: MEETING OF THE IAHWG TO HEAR GENERAL STATEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE ZERO DRAFT
Statement by H.E Mr. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
19 January 2026
Thank you, Co-Chairs.
CANZ appreciates the clear principles set out in the zero draft which reflects many of the proposals expressed during the Discovery Phase.
However, they don’t go far enough.
We need to ensure this process delivers an ambitious, comprehensive outcome.
Let me make four key points.
First, we need to move from words to action, by agreeing bold and tangible outcomes, to improve mandates and create a more effective UN.
We support actions to improve mandate creation, implementation and review, including:
- providing concept notes to explain context, rationale, financial implications and implementation leads of new mandates
- avoiding unnecessary meetings, reports, or activities
- developing objective criteria for renewal, adaptation, merger, or retirement of mandates; and
- streamlining agenda items and making more resolution reviews biennial or triennial.
But we should also add other useful proposals made in the Secretary-General’s report and by Member States, such as:
- setting and adhering to page limits for resolutions; and
- including retirement clauses in new mandates where appropriate.
Second, we support the proposed requests for the Secretary-General to:
- provide enhanced mandate landscape analysis, financial costings, and drafting guidance;
- make greater use of digital tools, including AI where appropriate, and a strengthened Mandate Registry;
- offer recommendations for collective mandate reviews;
- allocate resources promptly based on clear criteria;
- provide shorter, more data-driven and user-friendly reports; and
- harmonise results-based management across the UN system.
However, we would support even stronger efforts to enhance system-wide coordination platforms, to avoid duplication and ensure strategic use of resources across the UN system.
We look forward to learning more about the Secretariat’s proposed approach to implementing these, including any budgetary and resource implications.
Third, we need a mechanism for monitoring implementation of this resolution to ensure follow through on our agreed actions and to consider steps necessary to deliver these reforms.
We look forward to discussing this further, including to define clear timelines, objectives, outcomes, and parameters to ensure near-term success.
Fourth, CANZ believes this process needs to contribute to a cultural shift that mainstreams mandate discipline going forward. Agreeing an approach to future mandates is obviously critical in this regard. But we also need to consider how principles and actions we agree may apply to existing mandates.
We acknowledge the range of actions proposed to explore how we might rationalise the current mandate landscape, focusing on duplicative, completed, or inactive mandates, that consume scarce time, resources, and attention, for little benefit.
We welcome a number of proposals put forward to address mandates both existing and future.
In particular:
- including evaluation, review and termination clauses in all mandates
- expanding collective reviews of related mandates
- encouraging greater use of the Secretary-Generals’ existing authority to recommend duplicative or obsolete mandates for termination; and
- making full use of related reform processes, including the ongoing GA revitalisation process; and
- considering the creation, implementation and review of mandates in the most appropriate forum, and resourcing agreed mandates.
Co-chairs, CANZ stands ready to work constructively to deliver transformative change via this informal working group.
Thank you.