Integration, reorientation and reallocation.

• Position: UN reforms

As this issue was going to Press, the Secretary-General announced a number of far-reaching initiatives on reform:

Secretariat activities in the economic and social areas will be integrated. The functions of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, and the Department of Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS) will be merged into a single department. Some of the functions and activities of DDSMS will be redistributed. The new Secretariat arrangements should serve to bolster support for Africa's development, South-South cooperation, and the sustainable development of small island developing States.

Public information will be re-oriented. The Department of Public Information will be transformed into an Office for Communications and Media Services, which will incorporate the latest media technologies and techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the delivery of communications and outreach services to Member States, the media and non-governmental organizations. Closer links with the substantive departments will be established and resources reallocated to country offices.

Major technical support services for the General Assembly and other intergovernmental bodies, and Conference Services will be integrated into a Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services. Decentralization of services will be explored, particularly translation, printing and publications.

The Secretary-General's proposed 1998-1999 regular budget will be around $123 million lower than in the previous biennium. In addition to this reduction in real terms, the Secretary-General has:

* Instructed the Department of Administration and Management (DAM) to present a detailed plan for a reduction of at least one third in the proportion of resources devoted to administration and other non-programme costs in the regular budget by the year 2001, with the resources released reallocated to economic and social programmes.

* Proposed a reduction of approximately 1,000 posts in the programme budget for 1998-1999.

In order to better integrate United Nations activities at the country level, in full consultation with and in support of the Government concerned, the Secretary-General has decided to:

* Strengthen further the position of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Coordinator as his designated representative for development cooperation and Leader of...