Mandate Focal Points
Technical focal points in the Secretariat for the creation of new mandates
Under General Assembly resolution A/RES/80/251, Member States drafting a new mandate are asked to identify the technical Secretariat focal point for it. This is where Secretariat offices designate those focal points: the single entry point a delegation is directed to on a given subject, and the person who will point them to the right colleague.
What the resolution asks
- Paragraph 2
- A delegation proposing a new mandate provides a concept note, which includes the technical Secretariat focal point.
- Paragraph 3
- On request, the Secretary-General makes technical Secretariat support available to proponents, including identifying that focal point.
- Paragraph 6
- The Secretary-General keeps a centralised list of designated contact points available to Member States on an ongoing basis.
Who is asked
This round asks Secretariat departments and offices to designate their technical focal points. Contact points across the wider United Nations system are a later round and are recorded separately.
What the support is
This network supports the creation of new mandates. It does not extend to the renewal of existing mandates.
Support from a focal point is technical and factual, and is offered on request, without prejudice to negotiations on the substantive merits of any proposal. Proponents remain the custodians of their concept notes, and decisions on mandates remain the exclusive prerogative of Member States.
How it works
Sign in with your office email address
A sign-in link is sent to it. There is no password.
Choose your office
You choose it once, at first sign-in.
Designate
Name the division, the person a delegation should contact, and the subjects and bodies the division supports.