Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the operating environment, executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The inspection also included the mission’s Washington office.
What OIG Recommends
OIG made 26 recommendations to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In its comments on the draft report, the mission concurred with 25 recommendations and neither agreed nor disagreed with 1 recommendation. OIG considers all 26 recommendations resolved. The mission’s response to each recommendation and OIG’s reply can be found in the Recommendations section of this report. The mission’s formal response is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, should update and implement its Integrated Mission Strategy.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should define and document the mission’s structure, roles, and responsibilities in Department standards and guidance.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should implement standard operating procedures and outline roles and responsibilities for employees in the Executive Office and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations office in Washington.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should manage the Political Affairs Section in accordance with the Department’s leadership and management principles.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should report through official channels on Fifth Committee and other official meetings both at the outset and conclusion of those sessions.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, should develop procedures to report allegations of fraud, waste and abuse to the Department’s Office of Inspector General.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should establish current, formal agreements defining areas of responsibility with Department partners, including, at a minimum, the Office of Foreign Missions and the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should develop standard operating procedures for its accreditation processes.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should develop a mission-wide coordination mechanism to monitor United Nations General Assembly plenary issues.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should implement procedures to address and strengthen mission-wide collaboration on monitoring and countering People’s Republic of China activities at the United Nations.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should perform a strategic review of the findings in the building engineering reports and assess whether pursuing various delegated authorities for facility management from the General Services Administration would be cost-effective and prevent disruptions to mission operations.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should implement a residential housing certification program to comply with federal and Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should administer its housing program in accordance with mission procedures and Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should bring the mission’s housing program management into compliance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should update its housing program regulations in the Foreign Affairs Manual.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should bring its nonexpendable property inventory records and procedures into compliance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should dispose of excess inventory in accordance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should implement a process to require supervisors to submit performance evaluations for direct reports in accordance with established deadlines.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, in coordination with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, should institute a process to certify position descriptions every 5 years, in accordance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should clear overdue travel vouchers, institute a process to ensure travelers submit their final travel vouchers in accordance with Department standards, and put up to $47,397 to better use.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should require its primary and alternate information system security officers to complete training in accordance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should test its information technology contingency plans in accordance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should implement an annual process for verifying system access controls for mission staff.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should provide personal protective equipment for its mail screening personnel in accordance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should bring the network cabling in its telecommunications room into compliance with Department standards.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations should bring its records management program into compliance with Department standards.