United Nations: Status of Internal Oversight Services
NSIAD-98-9
Published: Nov 19, 1997. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 1997.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the operations of the United Nations (U.N.) Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), focusing on whether OIOS: (1) is operationally independent; (2) has the necessary resources to carry out its mission; and (3) has written policies and procedures in place for conducting its work, following up on its recommendations, and providing confidentiality to informants and protecting whistleblowers from possible reprisal. GAO noted that its lack of direct audit authority resulted in certain limitations and restricted its ability to fully address the review objectives.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | Although OIOS has made considerable progress in resolving some initial operational problems, the USG for Internal Oversight Services can do more to help maintain OIOS' independence and establish the office as the authoritative internal oversight mechanism the General Assembly intended OIOS to be. GAO suggested some actions that could be taken by the USG for Internal Oversight Services in this regard. To help focus attention on these matters, the Secretary of State should encourage the USG for Internal Oversight Services to address the noted suggestions. |
Closed – Implemented
In its response to GAO's report, State noted that the USG for Internal Oversight Services has: (1) clarified the criteria for deciding which reports will be made available externally; (2) provided briefings upon request to member states, including the United States, and listed all of its reports, published and unpublished in its annual summary report; (3) issued guidelines for self-evaluations by department managers; and (4) incorporated comments made by program managers in response to findings and recommendations contained in OIOS reports. While more could be done (such as providing additional guidance for periodic in-depth evaluations), the actions OIOS has taken essentially address GAO's suggestions.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Audit reportsAuditing proceduresInternal auditsInternal controlsInternational organizationsWhistleblowersGovernment auditing standardsInspectors generalHuman resources managementPublic information