The term "mandate" may be used in many different ways in the United Nations.
Usually in the UN context, a mandate refers the decision that gives a body authority to carry out its functions.
Some examples are:
Other terms that may be used to refer to such documents are:
In the League of Nations context, "Mandates" refer to the system of international supervision over colonial territories. This guide does not concern this type of mandate.
UN mandates may be found in various types of documents, such as:
Because most mandates have "budgetary implications" (i.e. cost money), budget documents often contain information about mandates.
In general, it is best to start research on UN mandates with secondary sources, such as:
Often, these sources will provide the symbol of the resolution or document that established the body of interest.
For example, the UN Handbook entry for UNICEF provides the initial resolution as well as subsequent resolutions that modified the mandate of UNICEF.
United Nations Handbook
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UN Yearbook
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Most UN bodies are established by resolutions of their parent organ. Each principal organ has subsidiaries.
Most UN programmes and funds were established by resolutions of the Economic and Social Council and/or the General Assembly.
UN Specialized Agencies may have been established by, or brought into relationship with the UN through, a General Assembly resolution.
To begin research on the mandate of a UN body, check the following:
Some activities, such as certain publications or events, are mandated by resolutions. Others may be proposed in a proposed programme budget and then approved by the General Assembly resolution that adopted the budget for the biennium.
Reports of the Secretary-General usually indicate in the first paragraphs the resolution or decision that calls for the report.
Subsidiary bodies generally report to their parent organ after each session or after each year (if they hold multiple sessions in a year).
For example, General Assembly resolution 1814 (XVII) sets out what should be included in the United Nations Juridical Yearbook, a legal publication.
To begin research on the initial request for a report, publication, or activity, check:
UN Yearbook
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To find the original mandate of a UN Secretariat department, office or division can be challenging.
Since the first General Assembly resolution on the Organization of the Secretariat (A/RES/13 (I) of 13 Feb. 1946), the structure and mandates of many parts of the Secretariat have been modified, expanded, re-organized, and otherwise modified. In some cases, the General Assembly adopts a resolution endorsing a new department. In other cases, the Secretary-General may submit information within the proposed programme budget and the General Assembly resolution adopting the budget may not explicitly mention the name of the department or office.
In some cases, the Secretary-General's Bulletin on the Organization of the Secretariat and the related documents issued for each office may provide the mandate.
To get started on researching the mandate of a UN Secretariat department, office or division, check the following:
Historic Note
The symbol assigned to the Organization of the Secretariat Manuals has changed over the years. We have the following information in our files:
UN peacekeeping missions are usually established by resolutions of the Security Council. To find the initial resolution for a mission, check the following:
The Procedure of the UN Security Council
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Mandates can be hard to pin down, especially for programmes or activities that are undertaken as a regular part of the work of a department or division.
The Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) both produce documents about the work of various departments and divisions. Often these reports include an introduction with extensive historical background information. There may also be details about specific activities undertaken by the department.
For example, A/67/867 transmits a JIU report on Financing for humanitarian operations in the United Nations system, which details the "trajectory of humanitarian financing in the United Nations".
The Index to the Proceedings allows one to trace the documentation related to a particular agenda item over time.
The Yearbook of the United Nations includes the full text of all resolutions of the principal organs and can be searched full text for specific words or phrases.
It is important to read documents carefully. UN language can be difficult to interpret.
Check citations. A resolution may "take note" of a report of the Secretary-General and "approve" the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ): it may be necessary to read both of the reports to understand exactly what was approved (or not).
For example, the resolution that approves the resources for the establishment of the Rule of Law unit is, A/RES/63/263, Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, section II: Revised estimates relating to the Rule of Law Unit.
To find out what the General Assembly endorsed, it is necessary to check A/63/594, the report of the ACABQ as well as A/63/154, the report of the Secretary-General.
Details about the functions of the Rule of Law Unit are set out in the report of the Secretary-General.
