94 greater integration of effort achieved, guidance to the field enhanced, and improvements to administrative and management processes realized. New, more complex and urgent mandates continued to strain the Organization, the report stated. With the growth in the authorized strength of peacekeeping personnel by over 30 per cent and the establishment of two highly complex operations in Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as in Darfur, the operational demands on the two Departments had continued to grow. As a result, the effort to deliver new, larger and more diverse field operations had often conflicted with the capability of the Departments to engage in strategic planning and to organize in a more effective and efficient manner. A similar situation had occurred in respect of the establishment of the integrated operational teams, which had achieved varying measures of success. Dfs was developing a comprehensive support strategy to pursue innovative ways of working while increasing accountability. Refinements were also being made to the integrated operational team concept. Other areas identified for further reform included an improved division of labour within dpa and strengthened rule of law capacities. Implementation of General Assembly resolution 63/250 [YUN 2008, p. 1616] on human resources management would strengthen the Organization’s capability to attract and retain highly qualified staff for UN field operations. The reform agenda set by Member States to strengthen dpa and dfs was achieving clear benefits. The Departments would conduct a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities for peacekeeping, with a view to identifying approaches and to articulating strategic and policy goals to minimize risk, optimize partnerships and maximize effectiveness in mounting and sustaining UN operations. In May [A/63/841], acabq submitted its comments on the Secretary-General’s report. OIOS report. Pursuant to Assembly resolution 61/279, oios conducted an audit of the Secretariat’s structure for managing and sustaining peacekeeping operations. Reporting to the Assembly in April [A/63/837], oios stated that the main objective of the audit was to assess whether the organizational roles, responsibilities, reporting lines and other governance and accountability mechanisms in the Secretariat’s new structure for peacekeeping were adequately defined. To that end, it reviewed roles of the heads of missions, dpko, dfs, dpa, the Department of Management and other entities involved in peacekeeping. Among its main findings, oios held that the new structure would allow dpko to focus on substantive peacekeeping issues, but it was too early to determine whether the new structure was operating effectively and efficiently. Similarly, the roles and accountabili-
Part One: Political and security questions ties of dfs and each mission’s support component in providing support to missions were yet to be clearly defined. Oios had made recommendations to address those issues, and the concerned departments had accepted them. UN police capacities Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations consideration. The Special Committee [A/63/19] noted the sustained increase of the police dimension in a number of missions and stressed the importance of maintaining an appropriate support capacity at Headquarters to ensure an adequate level of oversight and guidance to the field. Noting the review of the dpko Police Division carried out since its previous report, the Committee acknowledged the gaps in the capacities of the Division and stressed the importance of addressing them in a timely manner. The Special Committee called upon the Secretariat to continue developing standard operating guidelines and procedures for UN policing, including for formed police units, in consultation with Member States. It recognized the need to recruit qualified personnel for police components of UN peacekeeping operations, and encouraged the Secretariat to improve procedures and guidance, in cooperation with contributing countries, for timely, effective and transparent evaluation and recruitment of candidates. Personnel matters The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations [A/63/19] recognized the efforts made by dpko and dfs with regard to balanced recruiting of staff. It urged the Secretary-General to ensure a fair representation of troop-contributing countries when selecting personnel for such staff positions, and acknowledged the progress made by the Secretariat in ensuring a better representation of troop-contributing countries, in particular developing countries, in regard to senior mission leadership appointments. The Special Committee expressed concern at the continuing low proportion of women in the Secretariat, in particular women from developing countries, especially at the senior levels. It stressed that, in the recruitment process, women from certain countries, in particular developing countries, should be accorded equal opportunities, in conformity with relevant resolutions. The Special Committee requested that the SecretaryGeneral ensure equitable representation of Member States at the senior and policymaking levels of the Secretariat, especially those with inadequate representation at those levels. Concerned about the high number of vacancies in peacekeeping missions, the Special Committee requested that the Secretariat accelerate the recruitment