Ghana Press Supports Reform of UN Ombuds

The Statesman, Ghana's oldest mainstream newspaper, provides a analysis and endorsement of the UN's plan to redesign its judicial process, including the structure of the ombuds office:

The Office of the Ombudsman should be strengthened and decentralized with a merger of the existing Offices of Ombudsmen in the Secretariat and funds and programmes. [¶] The Office should have professional mediators and should take on a stronger monitoring role regarding institutional management.

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The Secretary-General should appoint the United Nations Ombudsman; the Ombudsman for funds and programmes will be appointed by the executive heads of those bodies. [¶] A selection committee, composed of a staff representative, a management representative and two distinguished outside Ombudsmen, one appointed by the staff and one by management, and chaired by a third distinguished Ombudsman appointed jointly by the Secretary-General and the executive heads of the funds and programmes, should submit a list of not fewer than three names for each position of Ombudsman, taking into consideration the nature and the characteristics of these institutions.

The Office of the Ombudsman should be strengthened by combining the functions of formal mediation with proactive monitoring of maladministration. [¶] A Mediation Division should be established within the Office of the Ombudsman.

(TheStatesmanOnline.)