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|Press Release
Fifty-sixth General Assembly
Fifth Committee
4th Meeting (AM)
The effectiveness of the follow-up system for implementation of the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) was the focus of attention this morning as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) began its consideration of a series of reports of the JIU. The reports covered various aspects of United Nations activities, as well as the JIU's own functioning and programme of work.
The Joint Inspection Unit is an external oversight body which makes recommendations on improving management and coordination within the United Nations system. Composed of 11 Inspectors who are appointed by the General Assembly but serve in their personal capacity, the Unit has the broadest powers of investigation in matters of efficiency, management and proper use of funds within the United Nations system. In 1999, by adopting resolution 54/16, the General Assembly endorsed a system of follow-up on the JIU reports, thus providing the Unit with new tools to enhance its functioning and impact.
The representative of Belgium (on behalf of the European Union and associated States) welcomed the establishment of a follow-up mechanism, saying that unfortunately, in only a few cases had legislative bodies of the Unit's participating organizations taken concrete measures to ensure the implementation of the Unit's recommendations.
The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania said that despite the fact that the Assembly had acted on the need to have a follow-up mechanism, no formal arrangements were in place to make sure that its recommendations were implemented. For the JIU to be effective, it was necessary to ensure follow-up in due time.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that the Unit's work was particularly relevant within the framework of the continuing reform, directed at rational distribution of resources and at the introduction of a system of accountability and personal responsibility. Any reform was doomed to fail, however, without effective control mechanisms in place. To strengthen the United Nations internal and external oversight system, it was necessary to ensure the greatest degree of coordination between the Unit and other key oversight structures. Welcoming the established degree of understanding between the JIU, Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Board of Auditors, he added
that it was also important to clearly delineate each body's rights and responsibilities to avoid any possible duplication.
Regarding the JIU report on the use of private management consulting firms, the representative of Iran (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China) agreed with the Inspectors' recommendations on the need to regulate their services. He did not think that the proposed regulations were contradictory to the current practices of the United Nations.
Speakers also stressed the timeliness of the report on the management of buildings, in connection with consideration of the proposed capital master plan for the refurbishment of the United Nations complex. The representative of Japan, however, warned against assuming that such a plan had already been approved by the Assembly.
Various reports before the Committee were introduced by the Chairman of the JIU, Sumihiro Kuyama; Chief of the Oversight Support Unit of the Department of Management, Alida Ferrena Mahmoud; JIU Inspectors Francesco Mezzalama and Fatih Bouayad Agha; Director of the Facilities and Commercial Services Division of the Office of Central Support Services, Andrew Toh; Principal Officer of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Secretariat Gary Gabriel; and Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Harriet Schmidt.
Also this morning, the Committee took up the proposed regulations governing the status, basic rights and duties of other than Secretariat officials and experts on mission, and approved its revised programme of work for the current session.
The Committee will continue its consideration of the Joint Inspection Unit reports at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 9 October.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to consider a series of Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) reports, including those on the follow-up of its recommendations, the use of private management consulting firms, and the management of buildings.
Several of the reports before the Committee concern the work of the JIU itself. In particular, the Unit's 2000 report (document A/56/34) contains a summary of its main activities during the year. According to the document, the Unit's budget proposal for 2002-2003 amounts to $7.33 million -- the same as the appropriation for the current biennium. The proposed increase in post items ($19,900) is fully offset by a similar decrease in non-post items.
Seeking to improve its research capacity, the JIU is asking for abolition of two P-2 posts and creation of one additional P-4 post. It is also requesting an amount of $60,000 for recruitment of temporary Professional staff. The report explains that the costs involved would be offset by the abolition of the two P-2 posts. To justify its request, the Unit points out that entry-level (P-2) staff require a substantial period of training and that the size and the nature of the work of its secretariat do not allow the use of its scarce resources for such
in-house training. Also, the JIU secretariat is understaffed in terms of General Service positions, and the Unit proposes to create two additional General Service posts.
Also according to the report, the JIU has undertaken a series of comprehensive reviews of the administration and management of its participating organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Having produced nine reports and five notes during the reporting period, the JIU has established internal measures to expedite preparation of its reports in order to issue them prior to the meetings of the participating organizations' legislative organs. This goal has been often hindered, however, by the tardiness on behalf of some secretariats in providing the Unit with information and/or comments it requests.
By its resolution 55/230 of 23 December 2000, the Assembly invited the Unit to intensify interaction with other oversight bodies of the system. The matter was pursued during the thirty-second meeting of the representatives of the United Nations internal audit services and multilateral financial institutions (Bangkok, June 2001). The Unit participated in the fourth oversight coordination meeting between the Board of Auditors, the JIU and the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in November 2000. The Inspectors also report enhanced interaction with Member States and legislative organs, especially on the handling of the Unit's reports by participating organizations.
Regarding the follow-up to its recommendations, the JIU states that most of its reports have been submitted to the participating organizations' legislative organs. However, as before, not many specific actions were taken on the recommendations contained in the reports. To address the situation, the Unit has been trying to enhance the dialogue with the participating organizations, which have resulted, for instance, in an agreement on follow-up procedures with the WHO.
By his note contained in document A/56/84, the Secretary-General transmits to the Assembly the JIU's work programme for 2001 and the preliminary listing of potential reports for 2002 and beyond. In 2001, the Unit planned to undertake 13 new reports and one note on inspections and investigations in the areas of administration, management, technical cooperation and peace operations. The actual workload of the Unit for 2001 also includes 11 reports and two notes carried over from previous years. Among the subjects included in the 2001 work programme are the review of outsourcing in the United Nations; the system's revenue-producing activities; evaluation of United Nations volunteers; and post structure and types of appointments within the Organization.
Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit (document A/56/135), providing detailed information on the status of implementation of six JIU reports.
For instance, regarding common services at United Nations Headquarters, the report states that their development in the past three years has been in close accordance with the framework stipulated by the Unit. Major progress has been achieved in such fields as the development of Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) and the archive/research centre; harmonization of rules and regulations; and joint inter-agency outsourcing contracts. Further measures to consolidate and upgrade the common services will be considered with due regard to the Inspectors' proposals.
On outsourcing, the Secretary-General reports that the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) did not support the concept of "core" and "non-core" activities as a basis for selecting candidates for outsourcing, suggesting that decisions on the matter should be made on a case-by-case basis. It was also not considered appropriate to appoint the proposed outsourcing "facilitators". Regarding the recommendation that comprehensive and transparent information on outsourcing should be provided in the budget submissions, the report states that the secretariat's budget clearly reflects such activities. The General Assembly did not accept the recommendation to develop a system-wide definition of outsourcing.
The document also provides detailed information about the implementation of the JIU recommendations regarding the United Nations University, the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), and the experience of United Nations organizations with results-based budgeting.
Another JIU report on the follow-up of its recommendations is transmitted by the Secretary-General's note (document A/56/356). The document describes the action taken so far to encourage systematic tracking of the status of implementation of the Unit's recommendations, which has been a long-standing cause of concern. Most recently, in its resolution 50/233 of 7 June 1996, the General Assembly stressed that "the impact of the Unit on the cost-effectiveness of activities within the United Nations system is a shared responsibility of the Member States, the Unit and the secretariats of the participating organizations". It also encouraged "the Unit to continue to take the necessary steps to achieve a punctual and systematic follow-up of its recommendations as approved by the legislative organs of participating organizations".
Also contained in the report is a draft resolution, which the Unit presents for action by the General Assembly. By the terms of the text, the Assembly would invite the legislative organs of the Unit's participating organizations that have not yet done so to endorse the follow-up system contained in annex I of the Unit's annual report for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 (see below) and request the Unit to submit a second report on its experience with the follow-up system on its reports and recommendations to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session.
[The proposed system is based on the recognition that the value of a JIU report depends on effective follow-up, which requires that the reports be given active and serious consideration, and concrete action be taken by the legislative organs of the participating organizations. There should be also expeditious implementation of the approved/accepted recommendations, with full reporting on the implementation measures and analysis of the resulting impact. The document therefore proposed procedures for tracking and reporting on these actions.]
The follow-up system was endorsed by resolution 54/16 of 29 October 1999, by the terms of which the Assembly also invited the Unit to include in its annual reports information about the recommendations that have not been implemented, as well as action taken and comments by participating organizations. In response to that request, the JIU also included in its report a series of notes on the handling of JIU reports by individual participating organizations.
The report on the use of the services of private management consulting firms in the organizations of the United Nations (document A/54/702) presents information provided by various organizations of the system, as well as JIU recommendations on the matter. The Inspectors propose regulating the use of management consulting firms, stating that the participating organizations should "elaborate policies, standards and procedures concerning their utilization, together with rational assessment criteria". They also stress the need to develop alternatives to hiring external management consulting firms, including appropriate internal specialist bodies, ad hoc task forces and interdepartmental committees. Other recommendations address the issues of monitoring and control; follow-up actions; inter-organization coordination; conflicts of interest; regionally based firms; rotation policy and language and country of publication of advertisements for international biddings.
Also before the Committee are the comments of the Secretary-General and the ACABQ on the private consulting firms report (document A/55/979), who acknowledge the useful nature of information provided by United Nations system organizations on the use of private management consulting firms, although the recommendations are of a fairly general nature and are already in effective practice in most of those bodies. In particular, this applies to the recommendations regarding follow-up actions and the need for rules and regulations.
Also according to the addendum, the organizations of the system do not agree with the recommendation to ascertain, on a case-by-case basis, legislative authority for hiring private firms, since the decision for hiring is within the purview of various agencies' chief administrative officers. The recommendation regarding monitoring and control is considered "self-evident for almost all organizations". As for interorganizational cooperation, since most organizations follow their respective rules and advertise most contract opportunities, it may not be necessary to incur the added cost and maintain a central roster. The organizations endorse the recommendation guarding against the conflict of interest when awarding contracts and underline that they are sensitive to the issue.
Referring to the Inspectors' statement that the United Nations system does not provide "well-structured career development plans" for its staff, the report states that it contradicts the position of the International Civil Service Commission. Also, few organizations of the United Nations system believe that the rotation of firms can benefit them. There is, meanwhile, a large consensus on selecting management consulting firms on the basis of merit and cost-effectiveness.
The Committee also has before it the second in a series of reports prepared by the JIU on the United Nations common services in Geneva (document A/55/856), containing the Inspectors' recommendations based on the case studies of the International Computing Centre, Joint Medical Service, Training and Examination Section, Diplomatic Pouch Service and Joint Purchase Service there. The purpose of the report is to provide a coherent framework for a unified, comprehensive and centralized common services system for United Nations organizations located at Geneva. The case studies identify key strengths and constraints of some existing services in order to derive lessons that can be applied in accordance with the plan of action for Geneva common services, 2000-2010.
According to the report, success of some of the services studied "amply demonstrates the feasibility of developing ... similar cooperative arrangements for many other functions now performed internally by each organization". Electronic integration of the organizations concerned could make expanded sharing of services even more efficient and cost-effective. Despite their attractiveness, the potential of existing common services is not being harnessed to its full extent, however, and the JIU underscores the need for high-level leadership and strategic direction for Geneva common services. Executive heads of Geneva-based specialized agencies and member States have an important role in preserving and perfecting the system.
The document also contains particular recommendations regarding each of the services involved. For instance, regarding the International Computing Centre (ICC), the Inspectors stress the need to develop linkages within the system, share relevant information, establish a policy of staff exchanges, strengthen strategic information technology management functions and commission independent technical audits to compare quality, efficiency and costs between the Centre's services and similar services provided internally. The Inspectors also state that the ICC members who propose to reduce their use of the Centre or have given notice of their intent to withdraw from the cooperative should review their decisions in the light of resolution 54/255, which encouraged the Secretary-General and the ACC to take "concrete steps to enhance common services" and invited legislative organs of other organizations to take similar action.
An addendum to the report (document A//55/856/Add.1) contains the Secretary-General's comments to the Inspectors' recommendations, as well as those by the ACABQ. Regarding the ICC, the document states that discussions have been taking place concerning the adoption of a statute for the ICC that would provide a clear and definite mandate and delineate responsibilities and a governing mechanism within the Centre. Approval of the statute would also define the mechanisms for participation in the system and withdrawal from it.
The Secretary-General remarks that "current mechanisms by which organizations exchange views about their needs and future activities ... are in line with the operational needs of each organization and achieve the same purpose as that intended in the recommendation". Also, "each organization performs these comparisons and determines whether it is in its own interest to outsource services to the ICC or not, taking into account its own strategic and operation requirements". Human resources decisions of each organization are based on their specific needs and mandates, and outsourcing of functions to the ICC should not lead to competition or deprive participating organizations of valuable staff. Neither should it lead to "back door" recruitment of otherwise ineligible staff through the ICC.
Also according to the document, although the expansion of common services might be difficult to reconcile with the policy of further decentralization of management, some steps have been taken to allow the Office in Geneva to take the lead in the area of common services, in particular, through the establishment of the Management Ownership Committee and conclusion of memoranda of understanding between the Office and the service entities. The Management Ownership Committee consists of heads of all Geneva-based specialized agencies and the United Nations Headquarters Executive Coordinator under the chairmanship of the Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Comments of the ACABQ on the common services in Geneva are contained in section 27E, chapter II, of its first report on the proposed programme budget for 2002-2003 (document A/56/7). The Advisory Committee notes a decrease of $499,400 in requirements for grants and contributions covering the work of ICC due to an anticipated reduction in the demand for its services as a consequence of increased use of IMIS. The decrease was also due to the fact that ICC does not offer its services at competitive prices. For example, the ACABQ was informed that elsewhere, the Office could obtain Internet services at prices 40 per cent lower than those offered by the ICC, and the ICC declined an invitation to participate in the bidding for Internet services.
The Advisory Committee recalls that priority should be given to services that are good candidates for common delivery using the criteria of efficiency, productivity and cost-effectiveness. It welcomes the information that discussions are under way between the United Nations, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the ITU to cooperate in the further development of Internet services. Since Geneva has the largest concentration of the organizations of the United Nations system, it would be of great benefit to Member States for those organizations to cooperate fully in the area of planning, design, development and maintenance of an infrastructure for a variety of information technology services amenable to a common approach. Greater efforts should be made to expand the areas of cooperation.
The Committee also had before it a report of the Secretary-General on common services at Geneva (document A/56/417) which lists areas of existing cooperation among Geneva-based specialized agencies and organizations. The report also provides an update on progress in setting up a more formal common services structure at Geneva and identifies several priority areas for further development.
Significant collaboration has developed among the executive heads of the specialized agencies and organizations, resulting in increased contacts among counterparts at all levels, the report says. Regarding information technology, organizations share the data-processing resources of the ICC and collaborate in its management through their participation in the ICC Management Committee. Progress is also being made in the development of the GDCNET (Geneva Diplomatic Community Network), which links common system organizations and permanent missions, allowing users to listen to ongoing meeting activities in the conference rooms of other organizations. Through the implementation of the IMIS, the United Nations Office at Geneva provides a computer system designed to address administrative tasks in an integrated manner.
On the management of human resources, the report says common system organizations jointly undertake salary and cost-of-living surveys at Geneva. They have also worked out a common job classification standard for General Service personnel and a number of training courses. Other areas of collaboration include budget and finance, telecommunications, travel and transportation, medical services and insurance, security services, procurement and contracting, library and archiving services, management of facilities, mail and diplomatic pouch services and conference activities. Priority areas under consideration include a joint purchase service, banking and travel services, cleaning services and the provision of electricity.
The JIU report entitled "Management of buildings: practices of selected United Nations system organizations relevant to the renovation of the United Nations Headquarters" is transmitted by the note of the Secretary-General on the matter (document A/56/274). It examines operational and financial issues of building management in the light of relevant experience of selected United Nations organizations and contains a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring that the Organization's buildings in New York are kept structurally sound and well maintained under the new capital master plan.
The Inspectors recommend that the Secretary-General study the feasibility of following other organizations' practice of operating a special building management account to cover the costs of major repairs, renovation, upgrading and replacement of equipment. Such a fund could be financed through a mixture of sources, including annual contributions, budgetary surpluses and rental income. To overcome concerns over the risks of creating exceptions to budgetary standards and discipline, the JIU advocates strict application of general or specific financial rules and regulations, which stipulate criteria for disbursement and implementation of work plans.
According to the report, the Inspectors believe that "this is a viable long-term option, which ensures the financial basis for preventive building management". They also recommend that the United Nations take measures aimed at full compliance of its buildings with the local building codes, "with a view to ensuring safety, security and a sound working environment in the United Nations Headquarters". Other recommendations concern soliciting financial and non-financial support from the host Government and the local authorities; the use of modern management tools; and ensuring that sufficient number of professional staff supervises the implementation of the capital master plan.
The report also devotes special attention to the rational use of office space. The Inspectors state that the refurbishing work at Headquarters "presents a unique opportunity to revisit and improve office space management in the whole Organization". In this connection, they recommend a revision of the norms and standards for office space allocation in order to avoid discrimination and disputes. The Secretary-General should report on office space management, indicating the need for possible changes in space standards.
The Secretary-General's comments on the matter are contained in an addendum to the above report (document A/56/274/Add.1). According to this document, the Inspectors' recommendations, notwithstanding the general nature of some, are pertinent and important for the efficient, reliable management of buildings owned or managed by the United Nations. The issues raised by the Inspectors are consistent with the current practices being adopted at United Nations offices through policy dissemination within the budgetary constraints of each office.
In particular, the Secretary-General encourages creation of a standard policy for the management of buildings. He notes, however, that such programmes can only be managed through a central building or real estate fund, outside the regular budget cycle. Supporting the creation of a building/real estate fund for the purpose of covering the cost of major repairs, the Secretary-General states that such a fund would help the Organization to avoid the biennial struggle of requesting adequate maintenance funds. Any such funds outside the regular budgetary review process must, however, be carefully structured and monitored to assure proper accountability. There is a need for vigorous oversight in this respect, under the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations.
There is also a need for a long-range plan for capital improvements, which would periodically require large sums to modernize the buildings, the Secretary-General adds. Agreeing with most recommendations, including those regarding the need for full compliance with building codes, the Secretary-General remarks that they fall squarely within the scope of the proposed capital master plan. Regrettably, however, the Inspectors did not provide details on the appropriate level of resources that should be set aside for maintenance against the overall value of the buildings. As for the enforcement of space allocation norms, the report explains that this responsibility has been delegated to the Under Secretary-General for Management, who is to undertake a multi-phased programme of reducing space allocation inequities through the use of uniform space standards.
Concerning the agenda item on a review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, the Committee has before it a Secretary-General's report on the proposed regulations governing the status, basic rights and duties of other than Secretariat officials and experts on mission (document A/56/437). Contained in the report are comments on the eighth meeting of special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and chairpersons of working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as draft regulations to be considered during the current session of the General Assembly. According to the document, "the meeting considers that, central to the function of mandate holders, is the unique status that they are required to have by virtue of their independence -– a status reinforced by the unpaid character of their work".
Based on his review of the comments received from the eighth meeting, the Secretary-General recommends consideration by the Assembly of the regulations proposed in his previous report (document A/54/695), as adjusted in his subsequent report (document A/55/928), with a clarification that the regulations and the commentary have been elaborated taking into consideration the independence required of officials and experts on mission. The draft regulations relate to the status, conduct and accountability of the officials in question.
Introduction of Reports
SUMIHIRO KUYAMA, Chairman of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), introducing the Unit's reports, said its work programme took into account the guidelines provided in successive Assembly resolutions and was subject to change in the course of the year. New reports might be added, planned reports might be modified, postponed or cancelled when circumstances warranted. The Unit had continued to comply with the Assembly's directives, in particular its resolutions 50/233 of 1996 and 54/16 of 1999. The process of determining the Unit's programme of work was an important part of its activities, and it had developed a set of yardsticks to expedite orderly preparation of reports so that they might be issued well in advance of meetings of the legislative organs. That goal, however, had been often hindered, because of failure of some secretariats to provide the Unit with requested information.
On the Unit's annual report, he said the Unit decided to introduce a new approach to improve its research capacity by reallocating its professional post resources. The JIU was aware of the policy of rejuvenation of United Nations staff. Past experience had demonstrated that entry-level staff required substantial training, and the size and nature of the JIU secretariat did not allow its scarce resources to be used for in-house training. Understaffing of General Service posts was also a problem, with the proportion of General Service staff to Inspectors and Professionals at around 43 per cent, compared with some 58 per cent in the United Nations Secretariat.
During the reporting period, the Unit had enhanced interaction with Member States and legislative organs, especially on the implementation of the Unit's follow-up system, he said. The Unit initiated a series of informal meetings with Member States for exchanging views on a number of issues, including its programme of work. Furthermore, the Unit was not only playing an active role at the annual tripartite oversight coordination meeting between the United Nations Board of Auditors, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Unit: it was also promoting extensive cooperation among all external and internal oversight bodies of the United Nations system.
He said the lack of a solid follow-up mechanism on the Unit's reports and recommendations, with systematic tracking of implementation of recommendations, had been a long-standing concern of the Member States and the Unit itself. The major obstacle was the lack of specific legislative action on JIU recommendations. It was important to reach a common understanding that recommendations addressed to executive heads must also be implemented and subject to follow-up. The Unit and its secretariat was committed to and involved in a constant quest for improvement.
The Chief of the Oversight Support Unit of the Department of Management, ALIDA FERRENA MAHMOUD, introduced the Secretary-General's report on the implementation of the Unit's recommendations.
F. MEZZALAMA, JIU Inspector, then introduced the Unit's report on the management of buildings. The maintenance of buildings was a problem that most of the United Nations system organizations had faced in the past and were continuing to face. The situation of the New York Headquarters was serious and deserved urgent attention. Despite numerous warnings by the Secretariat and other entities, including the JIU, the state of the building was becoming increasingly critical.
He said objectives of the present report, which fell within the context of the capital master plan, were to examine the operational and financial issues of building management and to assist Member States and the Secretariat in considering measures for timely and systematic maintenance and capital improvements of United Nations Headquarters, he said. A distinction must be made between the normal maintenance and upkeep of buildings, and major renovations, upgrading and construction projects.
Based on the experience of several organizations of the United Nations system, he outlined the fundamental recommendations of the JIU's report. In the context of the capital master plan, a policy on the management of buildings must be urgently elaborated and must be based upon the distinction between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" maintenance. The management of buildings must ensure full compliance with local security codes to guarantee safety and sound working conditions. Also, a sound building policy was inseparable from the judicious and cost-effective use of office space. Finally, the financial role of the host country was essential. The active participation of the host Government, State and local officials in the capital master plan project, including its funding, must be encouraged.
ANDREW TOH, Director of the Facilities and Commercial Services Division of the Office of Central Support Services, introducing the Secretary-General's comments on the issue, said that building maintenance was not about aesthetics, but about the safety of its occupants. Proper maintenance required financial resources, not only in the right amounts but at the right time. A meaningful maintenance programme based upon a rigid biennial budget process was not possible. The Secretary-General supported the Unit's recommendation in that regard.
Mr. KUYAMA, Chairman of the JIU, then introduced the report on common services in Geneva, saying that their utilization could lead to significant cost savings for the organizations involved. Important progress had been achieved in the enhancement of common services in recent years, and the Unit's report contained case studies of several bodies, which could lead to lessons learned from their experience. However, the possibility for cooperation still remained to be fully addressed. In particular, information and communications technologies represented an area where further efforts were needed. One of the aspects of the problem related to the compatibility of information technologies at various duty stations. Integration of medical services was also recommended. Disparities in insurance coverage at various organizations called for harmonization of insurance policies within the system.
Continuing, he emphasized that the common services reviewed were not the only services shared by various organizations in Geneva now, but they were a good example. If they could be strengthened, they could become an effective instrument for implementing the programme of action for further development of common services. Strengthening of Geneva-based organizations could be a good start for further improving the common system, both at Geneva and elsewhere.
The Principal Officer of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) secretariat, GARY GABRIEL, introduced the comments of the Secretary-General and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on common services in Geneva.
Introducing the JIU report on policies and practices in the use of the services of private management consulting firms, Inspector FATIH BOUAYAD-AGHA said that the Unit's objective had been, at a first stage, to sound an alert regarding a practice which, if badly conceived, threatened to yield more problems than advantages. It was not possible to do without outside expertise, and it was necessary to give enough thought to the obvious advantages –- both cultural and financial -- which could be derived from the use of the widest range of management consulting firms. It would become more and more difficult to control those firms, unless the bodies of the United Nations system established sound guidelines for their use.
Monitoring and control were also important, he continued, as well as guarding against possible conflict of interest when awarding contracts to management consulting firms or hiring former agents or personnel of those firms. The Unit had concluded that it was desirable for organizations to have recourse to outside expertise, especially when they engaged consulting firms to carry out well-defined, specific tasks, for which client organizations had no in-house expertise. It was important to bear in mind, however, that it was often the consulting firms that derived most benefits from the projects entrusted to them by international organizations.
In conclusion, he emphasized that the differences between the position of the organizations and Inspectors on many questions were minor. Many of the recommendations contained in the report could be easily adapted to all contracts signed by the organizations with the consulting firms, which the Inspectors had not yet contacted.
The CHAIRMAN noted that the relevant comments of ACABQ were contained in its report A/56/7. That report would be introduced on 15 October, in the context of the introduction of the 2002-2003 programme budget.
Mr. GABRIEL, Principal Officer, ACC secretariat, presented the Secretary-General's note on the use of private consulting firms. He noted that the actual report was first presented some time ago, and that many of the Inspectors comments were currently moving into practice.
MICHEL TILEMANS (Belgium), speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, regretted the lateness of the issuance of report A/56/356. The establishment of a follow-up mechanism was welcome. Unfortunately, in only a few cases had legislative bodies taken concrete measures to ensure follow-up of the Unit's recommendations. Those recommendations should be operational and action-oriented. While the programme of work was useful, the European Union wondered about the manner in which the JIU coordinated its programmes with other oversight bodes. He hoped that the JIU avoided duplication of activity with other oversight bodies.
Regarding the use of private management consulting firms, he said the report was incomplete. Certain of the JIU conclusions seemed to be generalizations or impressions. Others were not fully justified. He noted the recommendation on the use of external and internal oversight bodies. The offer of such services should be done within limits, however, because they could go beyond the framework of the mandate and generate an overrun of costs. Using the press to advertise international bidding could prove inefficient. He recommended using the Internet, which would make it possible for all consulting firms to have recourse to the bidding process. He supported the recommendation which extended cooperation between organizations to share the assessment of services rendered by private firms. The choice of management consulting firms must be done in conformity with United Nations rules and regulations, on the basis of the highest quality service without preference to region.
Overall, the European Union approved the JIU recommendations, the comments of the Secretary-General and the ACC, as well as the recommendations of the ACABQ on common services in Geneva, he said. The Union supported the recommendations of the JIU on increased use of common services to ensure the reduction of costs. However, that objective must be allied to the need to obtain the highest quality of services. The Union approved the JIU's recommendations and the Secretary-General's comments on the management of buildings. It shared the opinion of the Secretary-General on the relevance of a fund and the timeliness of a feasibility study, taking into account the financial rules of the Organization.
Regarding the capital master plan, professional competence to oversee the plan existed within present personnel resources. Moreover, the Union stressed the importance of JIU recommendations regarding building management in light of that plan. On the budgetary aspects of post requirements, the Union would deal with that matter under agenda item 123.
Speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, SEYED MORTEZA MIRMOHAMMAD (Iran) said that the focus of the Group's attention regarding the JIU's programme of work was on the need for an effective follow-up system for implementation of the Inspectors' recommendations. Although some of those recommendations had been implemented, he was concerned that, in many instances, legislative organs of the participating organizations did not take specific actions on them.
Continuing, he drew the Committee's attention to the fact that one of the reports was submitted only this morning, and requested some clarifications in connection with the reports. In particular, according to paragraph 12 of document A/56/356, the Secretary-General continued to submit reports on the implementation of the JIU recommendations, but those reports "do not provide systematic and detailed coverage of all accepted recommendations". Also according to that report, not all JIU reports of relevance were addressed, but rather "a number of reports, the choice of which appeared arbitrary". He would like to hear comments from the Secretariat in that regard.
Regarding the report on the use of private management consulting firms, he emphasized the need for regulating services provided by such firms. Clarification was needed regarding the observation in paragraph three of the Secretary-General's report on the matter (document A/55/979), according to which, based on current management practice, the United Nations sought to reduce regulations, but the JIU, on the contrary, had proposed regulating the use of management consulting firms. He did not think that the proposed regulations were contradictory to the current practices of the United Nations. Also according to the paragraph in question, many organizations felt that the objective of the JIU report was to reduce costs "without due regard to quality". Again, those issues were not contradictory.
Turning to the JIU report on the management of buildings, he stressed that the document was very timely, especially in view of the consideration of the capital master plan. He took note of the JIU comments that managers should be fully aware of the costs involved and pay particular attention to the use of office space. He also highlighted the comment by Inspector Mezzalama that, had such considerations been taken into account, the Organization would not have found itself faced with huge costs of maintenance and repairs at the present stage.
VLADIMIR A. IOSSIFOV (Russian Federation) said that his delegation attached great importance to the activities of the JIU, particularly those aimed at enhancing the Organization's administrative and financial functioning. Its work was especially relevant within the framework of the continuing reform of management mechanisms, work towards rational distribution of resources, and introduction of a system of accountability and personal responsibility.
Any reform was doomed to fail, however, without effective control mechanisms in place, he continued. In that connection, the Russian Federation had consistently advocated strengthening the role and functions of the external and internal oversight bodies. The JIU was an integral part of the oversight system, and it was necessary to attach particular attention to ensuring the greatest degree of coordination between the Unit and other key oversight structures. Welcoming the established degree of understanding between the JIU, the OIOS and the Board of Auditors, he added that it was also important to clearly delineate each body's rights and responsibilities to avoid any possible duplication.
Both the quantity and the quality of the reports the JIU had presented in 2000 testified to its successful practical activity, he said. The JIU reports contained clear recommendations and should bring practical results. The United Nations had immense tasks to perform, which required significant human and financial resources. Enormous amounts were being spent on peacekeeping operations, and Member States had a right to ask for an account of the amounts spent. Serious miscalculations still existed in that field, and the JIU had not exhausted its capabilities there.
In conclusion, while commending the work by the Unit on the whole, he drew attention to the need to include recommendations directed at enhancing real savings, including analysis of existing programmes. It was also important to observe the time factor in preparation and presentation of the JIU reports, so that the delegations could carefully scrutinize the recommendations before wide-ranging discussions took place. He hoped that the JIU would continue to act as an important independent organ of external oversight in the future.
ARATA FUJII (Japan) said his delegation attached great importance to inspection functions, their transparency and accountability. He hesitated,
however, in discussing the capital master plan. While the Inspector's report was useful, it was too advanced and gave the impression that the Assembly had already given the go-ahead. While he did not oppose discussing the report, all the Committee could do at the current time was take note.
MUHAMMAD YUSSUF (United Republic of Tanzania) said his greatest concern was the issue of implementation of the JIU's recommendations. There was no doubt that the JIU had come a long way. For some time, Member States had complained that the Unit's reports were long and not reader-friendly, and he wondered how much it cost to prepare one report. While the reports were increasingly reader-friendly, he was not totally satisfied with them because they failed to provide a deep analysis of the issues involved. Perhaps, that was due to the subject matter under discussion.
The main issue was implementation, he continued. The major obstacle, he was told, was lack of specific legislative action. That was very important. The recommendations had to be approved by legislative organs. Without that, there was no way they could be implemented. The crux of the matter must be examined. There was no formal mechanism in place to ensure implementation of JIU's recommendations, despite the fact that the Assembly had approved the need to have a formal mechanism. For the JIU to be effective, it must ensure that its recommendations were implemented in due time.
As the Committee turned to the proposed regulations governing the status, basic rights and duties of other than Secretariat officials and experts on mission, HARRIET SCHMIDT, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management, introduced the Secretary-General's report on the matter. She said that when the Secretary-General had presented his previous report, the comments from the group of special rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights were still outstanding. Now, comments from the eighth meeting of special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and chairpersons of the working groups of the Commission on Human Rights had been included in the report.
Organization of Work
At the conclusion of the meeting, Committee Chairman, NANA EFFAH-APENTENG (Ghana), informed delegates that the revised programme of work reflected the changes in the schedule of the General Assembly. Certain items had been moved earlier and others to a later date, in order to accommodate those delegations which had requested that no meetings of the Fifth Committee be held during the general debate of the Assembly.
The Committee agreed with the reformulated programme, on the understanding that adjustments would be made during the course of the session, as necessary.
* *** *


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Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) December 24, 2013
It's easy to ruin many pieces of paper towel due to having to touch the roll with the other hand while tearing off a piece, so an inventor from Bowie, Md., has created a prototype of the LOCK AND RIP PAPER TOWEL HOLDER. "In order to prevent the wetting and dirtying of the roll, I designed a modified paper-towel holder," he said.
This modified holder provides a better way of tearing pieces off of a paper-towel roll. By eliminating the need to brace the roll with the other hand, it keeps the roll from becoming wet and/or dirty. As a result, it reduces wastage and promotes convenience. The holder is easy to use and producible from different materials.
The original design was submitted to the Washington, DC office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 12-WDH-490, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
# # #

subset: commoncrawl


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Upgrading the ram in your netbook can be one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective performance boost you can give.
Upgrading your netbook ram can usually be done in a matter of mere minuets, and usually involves simply removing the plastic cover on the base of your netbook and swamping out the old ram module for the new larger capacity module.
Many netbooks only come with 512mb-1GB or RAM, which can slow down the computer when loading many applications, increasing the netbook ram capacity usually provides an instant performance boost, allowing you to run the operating system better along with more applications at once.
You should check your netbook's manual to find the correct RAM type, but most netbooks, such as the Eee PC range support 667 Mhz DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM.
A large 2GB DDR2 module can be bought for just over $40. I would highly recommend Crucial 2GB 667 Mhz DDR2 200-Pin SODIMM.


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I so didn't realize that the store Fred's had home decor like you can get at Hobby Lobby and Kirkland's for way cheaper. I had to go with my friend yesterday and now I am wanting to go back and get a few things. It makes me all excited. LOL
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CHICAGO, March 1 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bears have waived all-pro offensive tackle Orlando Pace, the team said Monday.
Pace, 34, had two years remaining on a three-year deal he signed before the 2009 season. He started 11 games at left tackle for the Bears last season, his 13th NFL campaign.
A former No. 1 overall draft pick, the 6-foot-7, 325-pound Pace has appeared in the Pro Bowl seven times. He played 12 years for the St. Louis Rams, helping lead them to an NFL Championship in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The Bears also waived tight end Fontel Mines and guard Tyler Reed. The pair have spent the majority of their NFL careers in Chicago on the Bears practice squad.


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Blue Mountain State - Season 03
Alex and Thad face with the ramifications of a pornographic photo that Thad sent from Alex's phone after it makes its way around campus. While Alex adjusts to becoming the starting quarterback and team captain, Thad awaits word on his future with the team.
Actor: Darin Brooks, Alan Ritchson, Chris Romano
Director: Eric Falconer, Chris Romano
Country: International, United States
Episode: 13/13 eps
Duration: 22 min
Quality: HD
Release: 2011
IMDb: 8.4


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TIME was the appropriate subject of a Walberton group's silver jubilee celebrations.
The 25th anniversary of Walberton Decorative and Fine Arts Society featured 'highly entertaining' speaker Kevin Karney.
He took along a fascinating display of chronometers from ancient to modern to illustrate his subject – Telling the Time.
He spoke about the range of ways in which time had been recorded – by using the sun, the moon and the stars as well as burning wax, flowing sand and the more modern buzz of quartz and caesium atom.
The lecture at Yapton Village Hall last Tuesday was followed by a celebration party in which members of the society chose to mark the occasion in traditional fashion.
Margaret Robertson, chairman of the society, said: " It was a great event – a very friendly happy occasion with a good mix of old and new members.
"There was a wonderful spread of canapes and cocktails made and served by members and a highly entertaining speaker, Kevin Karney. About 100 members attended, including about a dozen founder members and former chairmen of the society.
"The long-standing members enjoyed a chance to meet old friends, reminisce and share memories while, for the more recent members, it was the ideal opportunity to make new friends. The hall buzzed with conversation as members celebrated past achievements and raised a glass to toast Walberton past, present and future."
The society aims to inform and entertain as well as being a place to make friends. Its lectures have included all aspects of the arts, as well as visits to a variety of historic houses and exhibitions.
"Where else could you enjoy expert talks ranging from sculpture to sewers, Surrealism to stained glass?" said Mrs Robertson.
It welcomes guests and new members to its meetings at 2pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month, except August and December, at Yapton Village Hall. Details from Nigel Jolley, on 01243 542487 or www.walbertondfas.org.uk.


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March 27, 2014
Jafflechutes sandwich business parachutes sandwiches to hungry patrons!by Gavril Mankoo
Who needs waiters and delivery boys when you've got the power of wind to carry food around, right? A new pop-up restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, recently had food falling out of the skies with its amusingly awesome delivery system! The restaurant called Jafflechutes, located a few floors above street level, dropped sandwiches with parachutes to patrons waiting on the street below. The tiny parachutes kept the sandwiches from being smashed on the pavement and worked as a pretty fantastic way to spread some smiles too! The brainchild of David McDonald and Adam Grant, this parachute-delivery system requires customers to stand on an "X" on the sidewalk and wait for their meal to fall from the heavens above.
McDonald and Grant sell a unique toasted sandwich called a "jaffle" and required an equally unconventional way to have it packaged and delivered, which inspired the parachute system. Patrons need to pay for their meals using PayPal on the Jafflechutes website. While a cheese and ham jaffle costs about $6, a cheese and tomato comes for about $5. Currently, Jafflechutes has christened itself to be "Melbourne's first float-down eatery," and the idea seems to be catching on, with more and more curious patrons looking up in the sky for a delicious sandwich.


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Volunteers needed for oyster shell bagging
The Coastal Federation and the town of Oak Island are in need of volunteers for an oyster shell bagging all-day event at Waterway Park on Oak Island on Aug. 14.
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Navy Crepe Popover Top
This feminine top can create a professional outfit. Shown in navy and crafted with airy crepe fabric, this popover sports rolled tab sleeves and a V-neck mandarin collar. Slip it over a cami and match it with the bottoms of your choice.
- Rolled tab sleeves
- 100% polyester
- Machine wash
- Model wears size Small
- Imported


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Episode 58: Love and Rocket
May 24th, 2017
Dave, James, Suds and Ashlie are joined this week by their friend, and returning guest, Darrell Bevel to talk about the episode "Love and Rocket." In this episode, Bender seduces the Planet Express ship, we learn new pick-up lines from an isolation experiment, and two gangster planets and a cowboy world are destroyed by a chalky, galactic explosion. Enjoy!
Email us: email@example.com
Follow us on Twitter: @planexpodcast
Like the Planet Express Delivery Podcast Facebook page
Leave us a Review on iTunes and Stitcher
Check out our merch store at www.teepublic.com/stores/shady-voices-media


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Intuitive Surgical ISRG, -3.56% maker of the da Vinci robotic surgical system, reported late Thursday second-quarter profit rose 32% to $155 million, or $3.75 a share. That compares with a profit of $117 million, or $2.91 a share, in the same 2011 period. Revenue increased 26% to $537 million amid a pick up in surgeries using the da Vinci and system sales. Gross margin was steady at 72%. Total cash on hand was $2.6 billion as of June 30, up from $2.1 billion Dec. 31. Intuitive Surgical shares fell 6% to $513 in late trade. The shares are up 45% over the past 12 months, compared with the 3.75% gain for the S&P 500 SPX, -2.10%


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A riveting memoir about one woman's journey into Syria under the Baathist regime and an unexpected love story between two strangers searching for meaning.
When Stephanie Saldaña arrives in Damascus, she is running away from a broken heart and a haunted family history that she has crossed the world to escape. Yet as she moves into a tumbling Ottoman house in the heart of the Old City, she is unprepared for the complex world that awaits her: an ancient capital where Sunni and Shia Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Kurds, and Palestinian and Iraqi refugees share a fragile co-existence.
Soon she is stumbling through the Arabic language, fielding interviews from the secret police, and struggling to make the city her own. But as the political climate darkens and the war in neighboring Iraq threatens to spill over, she flees to an ancient Christian monastery carved into the desert cliffs, where she is forced to confront the life she left behind. Soon she will meet a series of improbable teachers: an iconoclastic Italian priest, a famous female Muslim sheikh, a wounded Iraqi refugee, and Frédéric, a young French novice monk who becomes her best friend.
What follows is a tender story of a woman falling in love: with God, with her own life, with a country on the brink of chaos, and with a man she knows she can never have. Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, The Bread of Angels celebrates the hope that appears even in war, the surprising places we can call home, and the possibility of true love.
About Stephanie SaldanaSee more books from this Author
With a family history of untimely death and madness, Saldana easily took to a career of danger journalism, reporting from risky locales.Jan 11 2010 | Read Full Review of The Bread of Angels: A Journe...
An aggregated and normalized score based on 65 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes


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Kontinental Hockey League VP Vladimir Shalaev said that the league "will halt next season's schedule a full two weeks before the start of the Sochi 2014 Olympics hockey tournament," according to R-SPORT. The 52-game season, which starts on Sept. 4 in Moscow, will break on Jan. 30, and resume on Feb. 26. The first Olympic hockey game is scheduled for Feb. 12. The sizeable rest starkly contrasts what the NHL and NHL Players' Association "are proposing for its schedule as part of ongoing negotiations with international hockey officials and Olympic organizers over releasing its players for the Games." NHL officials have said that the league would pause on Feb. 9, giving Olympians "only three days to fly to Europe." Shalaev attacked the '13-14 schedule, saying he was "embarrassed" it offers only 52 games due to int'l hockey commitments. He said, "A league like the KHL has no right giving fans only 52 games in the regular season. It's a mockery; it's like making Pavarotti sing once a year" (R-SPORT, 6/17).
Several notable IOC members said that members of the IOC, "who will vote in less than three months to decide the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics," are increasingly leaning toward Tokyo as the favorite, according to KYODO. Tokyo's emphasis on safety and security appears to be influencing the race for the 2020 Games, "rendering the Japanese capital a squeaky clean candidate amidst the turmoil and instability being witnessed in Istanbul and Madrid." An IOC veteran from Europe speaking on condition of anonymity said that "Tokyo is within reach of winning the bid, while another high-profile member with experience on the IOC Executive Board believes Tokyo will win as long as it has no major mistakes from now." One IOC member from Asia who said that he would also like to remain anonymous called the turmoil a "big blow" to Istanbul. Police in Istanbul "are being blamed for attacking peaceful demonstrators in Taksim Square" (KYODO, 6/17).


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Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about - to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he's good with that - until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, self-professed saviour on a Harley. And then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart - and who may be the key to redeeming his soul.
©2009 Jessica Bird (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
"Harley-riding angels battle a demon temptress in the latest paranormal romance thriller from best seller Ward, author of the beloved Black Dagger Brotherhood series.... Ward provides the combination of fun, thrills, and gratuitous sex she's best known for. Fans of the Brotherhood, clear a shelf: your next series addiction has just begun." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Ward wields a commanding voice perfect for the genre.... Intriguing, adrenaline-pumping.... Fans of LA Banks Laurell K Hamilton and Sherrilyn Kenyon will add Ward to their must-read list." ( Booklist)
"Powerful. Ward pulls no punches and delivers an extraordinary paranormal drama." ( Romantic Times)
"Covet: A Novel of the Fallen Angels, Book 1"
A good read, with a nice twist in the plot. Heron is an unusal candidate for the role here, his dark side lingering in the background. The only problem I had with this book was some of various plots were a bit long winded, although got there in the end. The scene was set with some familiar characters as well as some new and interesting ones in the mix. I am looking forward to book 2 being available on Audible.
Nice read. Audible is a treasure for people such as me with dyslexia issues.
If you read the "Blackdagger Brotherhood" series you will enjoy this. If you have not read that series, its a good read too. Not yet on Audible though.
"cannot even finish this "
usually into the urban fantasy genre, but this production just gets it wrong. slut vs madonna (both of whom are ubersexy of course), with a main character who tries so hard to be the complex loner tough guy but still comes across as a flat cardboard-cutout trope. And the reader - sorry, mate - is incapable of accents. These are so awful that it pained me to listen. If you like stereotypes galore (the angels were actually quite offensive), aren't big on plot or narrator performance, then go for it, but don't say I didn't warn you.
"Great book!!!"
Great book let down by the guy reading it. Voice was quite monotone made a lot of the male characters sound camp. If a hadn't already read the black dagger brotherhood n known what a good writer j r ward is I wouldn't have continued listening.
"Draws you in and laeves you wanting more"
God yes, Already love J R Wards Black DaggerBotherhood books and this new series lived up to my expectations.
Good characters and storyline and left me wanting the next book straightaway
JIm Heron a killer but quite noble with it
Voice very endearing and pulled you into the characters and story
In parts yes
"A clever twist on the war between good and evil."
If this had been in book form it would be a page turner. I enjoyed the way those on the side of good were not perfect and make mistakes, they are also dealing with their own demons. But for all their faults they want to do good. Plus the lead character has trouble understanding why he was chosen to do the job as he is more killer than savorier and has no clue or understanding of what he has to do. He just knows that a lot is riding on him to get it right or it could be the end of the world. You find yourself wanting him to get it right and you go on the journey with him.
That is a difficult question to answer because they all have something about them that you fall in love with and you want to know more about them and know why they are like they are. But Dog is pretty special. But you get left with the feeling their is more to him than just a cute little mutt.
Stephen Douglas makes you fall into the world he is reading about and it is hard to pick just one character but at a push I would have to say Jim Heron.
But he has a lovely tone and makes it easy for you to listen.
Don't judge the Angel by the bike he rides......
It takes hard men to do this dirty job, The three men who have been charged with saving the world and for all there own troubles and demons they carry you wouldn't want anyone else to do this job and save the world.
I love J.R Ward and was looking forward to starting a new series..... and it didnt disappoint. I love the writing style and this is a very promising book to a new series.
"A poor story equalled by it's author."
I have already bought "Crave", the second in this series. I shall return both.
"Ivory"! by Tony Park
He has a "yawl" which makes parts of the story almost unintelligible.
All of them
Yes. The series promises to be a story about the fight between Good and Evil at the Angel, Demon level.
It turns out to be nothing but a badly written, badly performed 'sex' blurb. I shall watch for J. R. Ward in the future, in order to avoid him.
"Great Book...."
The story line was great, and the voice of the book was nice and clear to understand.
Overall the story line was great. Well spoken. For a first time I found it hard to not go off day dreaming though.
I honestly didn't like his voice playing the female or child rolls. Kinda put me off.
Getting into the fight and manly sceens were good.
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Is your business taking advantage of Video Marketing? If not you you could be missing out on one of the biggest marketing opportunities of the decade.
One of the top expenses for many businesses is marketing. We have seen businesses spend large monthly budgets on marketing and in many cases they were using methods that were like throwing a net out and hoping they caught the right audience. Email Marketing can help your business cut some of your marketing costs.
With the growth of Mobile Device usage having a mobile marketing strategy is a must in today's environment.
A website is great, but if no one is visiting it then it is not effective. We use a variety of methods to ensure that your site is optimized, found and that you are getting traffic. Our approach includes many components to drive customers to you.
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Thursday, 17 November 2016
Governmental Powers and Duties - Sources
The Royal Prerogative is a major source of governmental power and is examined in a later post - Governmental Powers and Duties - Royal Prerogative Powers.
I. General law:
The law permits the Crown (basically the government) to do many things such as own property and make contracts. These are sometimes referred to as "third source" powers. At common law the Crown, as a corporation possessing legal personality, has the capacities of a natural person and thus the same liberties as the individual - see the Court of Appeal's judgment in R v Secretary of State for Health ex parte C [2000] 1 FLR 627 and the further discussion in Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Councils v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2008] EWCA Civ 148.
See also the Supreme Court judgment in R (New College London) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] UKSC 51 at para 28
II. Statute Law:
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Showings by Open House only. First Open House Wednesday, June 3, 2015 12-1PM. Lovely Rutland Square one bedroom boasts hardwood floors, new windows/fridge/stove, high ceilings, bay windows, galley kitchen, alcove great for dining or study, lots of closet space and sunny bedroom. Quiet and meticulously maintained building with common washer/dryer. No pets please. This beautiful unit looks out onto Rutland Square and is just steps from South End's choice restaurants, shops and public transportation (green and orange lines). Available 9/1/15. No smokers please. Rental applications are attached to MLS listing. No Co-signers please.
Listing Courtesy of Theresa DiPiro , By the Sea Sotheby's International Realty


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Opera 46 goes final, more quality and Opera's first TV ad
Today's stable release is stage two of the Reborn project. Opera 46 improves the quality of Opera Reborn by introducing more user interface changes, reducing crashes, fixing issues for built-in browser VPN, and adding support for animated PNG files (APNG). First release after Reborn Reborn has generated huge interest, marking a big step forward in...» Read more


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The value of a near by fishing spot
Discover why some homes cost more because when there is a catch nearby...
There's an unattributed quote on the subject of fishing which says that an angler is a man who sits around all day doing nothing on the water because his wife won't let him do nothing at home.
But within that predominantly male society of studied idleness there is – naturally – a hierarchy.
There's sea fishing from the shore, up against the waves, which is free and which anyone can do, risking nothing but their own lives and the lives of mackerel.
There's coarse fishing, in which you spend all day trying to catch a fish that you don't want to eat, only to be derided as a mere drowner of worms.
And above all that is the elite – mostly gentlemen's – club of fly-fishing, in which you spend all day trying to catch a fish that you're probably not allowed to eat, and using the most obtuse and difficult methods, and then brag about it.
Ireland is internationally famous for its fly-fishing, but there are byzantine laws dictating who can fish, for what and from where.
The phrase 'only our rivers run free' plays fast and loose with the facts. You can have water without fishing rights or, perversely enough, you can have fishing rights without water. Matters are complicated and, consequently, it can turn out quite expensive.
From February or March onward, anglers from all over the world begin streaming towards this country's 26,000km of rivers and tributaries, and half a million acres of lakes. And they pay quite a lot for the privilege of pitting their wits against the fish and, as often as not, losing.
Typically, in the most popular spots, it costs between €20 and €50 a day to get a permit from whoever owns the fishing rights. To catch salmon or sea trout, you also need a licence, which costs €100 for a year. You'll want to hire tackle and a boat and, if you're unfamiliar with the best rises, a ghillie. On Lough Corrib, for instance, that will cost about another €150 a day. And only a cad wouldn't buy a ghillie a decent lunch.
One way to get around it all is to acquire a home with its own bit of river or lake frontage.
Lough Derravarragh, a limestone lake between Lough Sheelin and the Shannon, is popular with trout anglers, especially at its broad, shallow northern end. But take your mind off dinner. The lake is not stocked – it holds only wild trout – so catch-and-release is encouraged.
Derravarragh Lodge, a sprawling bungalow on 91 acres of land at Coole, Co Westmeath, has 1.6km of frontage onto the northern end of the lake, as well as private access to another 21.74 acres of shoreline. It's on the market for €1.45m through Ganly Walters (01 662 3255).
Designed by architect Jeremy Williams and built in 2004, the 3,880sq ft lodge has a drawing room with three windows overlooking the lake, a dining room, and a bay-windowed kitchen. Off the kitchen are a family room and a study, and there are four en-suite bedrooms, two of them with lake views.
To fish there you'll require a permit from Inland Fisheries Ireland's Midland Fisheries Group, which costs €40 annually for an adult or €15 for a day. There's a daily bag limit of three.
Fishing on Lough Derg, on the other hand, is free.
The third-largest lake on the island, at 32,000 acres, is a mixed fishery but well known for good-sized brown trout.
Dromeela, at Ogonelloe, Co Clare, has lake access with its own private jetty, so you could wander down with a priest (no, it's a baton for killing fish named for administering the "last rites") and take your chances any morning during open season between March and September.
With 2,118sq ft of floor space, Dromeela has a living room, study, conservatory, and kitchen/dining room on its ground floor.
Upstairs are five double bedrooms with views over Lough Derg. Two of the bedrooms are en-suite, and there's also a family bathroom on this level.
Handily enough, Dromeela also has a boat house to the side. It's for sale through Ganly Walters (01 662 3255) for €375,000.
Fishing rights over rivers, where the best salmon and sea trout fishing can be found, can often be controversial, as in the case of the River Blackwater, where the Duke of Devonshire still holds historical fishing rights.
A government review of fishing rights declared that the ownership of Irish rivers is fragmented into "competing and conflicting" and sometimes "irreconcilable" interests.
The Owenwee, also known as the Belclare, is a short, spate river on the shores of Clew Bay in Mayo, with runs of salmon and sea trout from June onward.
Alpine Lodge, at Cloona in Westport, has two rod rights over the Owenwee at its most fruitful spot, so you can fish all you like there once you've acquired a licence.
Again, though, you're going to have to throw everything back and eat bought fish for tea, because the river is not meeting its conservation limit at present.
Built in 1750, the house is set on 20 acres of wooded land fronting onto the Owenwee.
Its 2,000sq ft include a sitting room, drawing room, family room, sunroom and kitchen/dining room, as well as four bedrooms, one of which has an en suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe.
Sherry FitzGerald Crowley in Westport (098 29009) is the agent for Alpine Lodge and the asking price is €595,000.
The Aherlow river, running through the Glen of Aherlow, is a tributary of the Suir which is renowned for game angling. Some of the best fishing on the Aherlow is near Galbally in County Limerick, where Penrose Cottage can be found.
Penrose is on 4.5 acres of land amid the Galtee mountains, with fishing rights on the Aherlow.
It might have started out as a cottage, but it's now been extended to 4,000sq ft, including a lounge, sunroom, study and kitchen/dining room, and even a gym and cinema.
There are four bedrooms, two of them en-suite.
The cottage has been for sale for some time, and the price has dropped steadily from €699,000 to €469,000. The agent is Michael Dorgan in Mitchelstown (025 85700).
The Owenriff, which flows through Oughterard, Co Galway, is a tributary of Lough Corrib, Ireland's fishing mecca.
Salmon and lake trout begin running the river from late June, and while fishing is free in the town, the rights upstream are held by various riparian owners.
Among them is the owner of Clareville Lodge in Oughterard, a listed Georgian house from 1760 on 1.25 acres with river frontage and fishing rights. It's for sale for €730,000 through DNG Martin O'Connor (091 866 708).
Ironically, perhaps, Clareville is the former home of 'Humanity Dick' Martin, famous champion of animal rights and founder of the RSPCA.
It has a living room, a dining room, family room, kitchen and utility in its 3,350sq ft. There are four bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite bathroom, and three of which overlook the river.
Outside is a cut-stone coach-house and a pair of sheds, and the grounds feature woodland, shrubbery and a walled garden with a patio.
And for those who don't care for fishing, Clareville's water frontage has been turned into a river garden, where you can picnic instead, or read, or just sit and contemplate the lives of fish and fishermen.
Indo Property


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Ever wondered what happens when you're a really loyal fan to Taylor Swift? Well, apparently the pop star treats you very well. Just days after news broke that the superstar surprised a fan at her bridal shower, Swift is now sharing her side of the story in a video blog, which was uploaded to the singer's YouTube channel on Wednesday, April 16.
I haven't done a video blog in about 2 years but this was so much fun, I had to. http://t.co/gOMlt7FWa2— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 16, 2014
In the almost-5-minute video, Swift tells viewers that she's up early in the morning because she wants to surprise a loyal fan named Gena Gabrielle, who invited the singer to her wedding via fan mail. Unfortunately, Swift couldn't attend the wedding, but she sure took up the offer to be part of the bridal shower.
"I've never been to a bridal shower, so we're going to fly to Ohio today," Swift exclaims to the camera. "She has no idea that we're coming. None of her friends know that we're coming, so we're going to surprise her."
It gets even better. Not only did Swift make a personal appearance at the gathering, but she also brought handmade gifts. Yes, you read that correctly. Taylor Swift baked her fan a batch of chocolate chip cookies and painted her artwork. As expected, Gabrielle was shocked at the singer's appearance and appeared overwhelmed as she brought her special guest into the shower's banquet hall.
T-Swift lived up to the celebrity good deed hype and appeared to stay throughout the entire event. At the end of the video blog, Swift concluded her video with a montage of photos from the occasion and a message that read, "Dearest Gena, Thank you for inviting me to your bridal shower, … and for inviting me into your life. (since 2007!!!)." At time of press, the video had already racked up more than 28,000 views with an additional 11,000 favorites on Swift's tweet.
She really did stay back and watch me shine. So I'm takin this chance to say That I had the best day with you today pic.twitter.com/KDXmLbwQkq— Gena Gabrielle (@GenaGabrielle) April 14, 2014
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About LegiStorm's Earmarks Database
Earmarks are a subject that have garnered much attention in Washington, including in the 2008 presidential campaign.
The term "earmark" generally refers to a federal expenditure that is specifically directed to apply to a particular project or program, usually within the congressional district of the provision's author. In recent years, funding for earmarks has exploded to more than $18.3 billion in fiscal year 2008 alone. A significant portion of the lobbying industry in Washington is devoted to securing earmarks for clients.
Supporters of earmarks say that lawmakers are more accountable to their constituents than the federal bureaucracy and are in a unique position to know what their districts need. They point out that even sometimes controversial earmarks are ones that are popular with local constituents and are of proven need. Furthermore, they note that the amount spent on earmarks is a tiny fraction of the overall federal budget.
But criticism of earmarks has intensified as the volume of earmarking has grown. Critics point to the fact that most earmarked funds are directed and allocated without going through the competitive bidding process otherwise required for other government funding. They also point to a string of scandals, such as the Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) bribery prosecution, that suggest that the earmarking process is a corrupting influence on Washington. Some of those scandals have occurred because earmarks have mysteriously been added to bills at the last minute with no knowledge by the public or even of the vast majority of lawmakers who are required to vote on the bills.
The debate about earmarks spilled into the presidential campaign in 2008. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) emphasized that he was one of the few legislators who has renounced all earmarks while his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), requested $400 million in earmarks for fiscal year 2008. Meanwhile, McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, tried to capitalize on the earmarks issue by claiming that as governor, she had refused to accept funding for the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere." But then it was quickly revealed that she campaigned in support of the bridge funding and took the funds earmarked for the bridge but spent it on other state projects.
The scandals have led lawmakers to reform the process to provide more openness. The public outcry had grown so great that the Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, which required disclosure of all earmarks and which lawmakers sponsored these controversial legislative provisions. This new disclosure has allowed us to provide the database in the form it is.
The data contained in our earmarks database has been generously provided by the Taxpayers for Common Sense, who researched, compiled and analyzed the original data. In many cases, Taxpayers for Common Sense was required to make judgment calls about what exactly constituted an earmark. The group found that $3.5 billion of the $18.3 billion total were earmarks that were never disclosed as such.
LegiStom is proud to integrate the data with our other data sets in order to bring deeper insight and increased transparency to congressional and executive spending. We anticipate adding the earmark spending data for FY09 after the budget process is complete. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy exploring where our tax dollars are spent and by whom.


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July 19, 2005
Wie back on women's trophy trail
By Mark Ledsom
EVIAN, France (Reuters) - Teenage prodigy Michelle Wie is
resetting her sights on the women's game this week, five days
after narrowly missing out on her lifelong dream to qualify for
the U.S. Masters.
major, the 15-year-old schoolgirl from Hawaii made it to the
last eight of last week's U.S. Amateur Public Links tournament
before losing in matchplay format to the eventual winner.
Wie was hoping to win the event, thereby earning an invite
for next year's Masters.
"I was disappointed with the result but pleased with how I
played," Wie told reporters after arriving here for the women's
$2.5 million Evian Masters. "Hopefully I'll have more chances
in the future."
Few who have seen Wie in action would challenge that
The six-foot (1.83-meter) Wie is already out-hitting most
of her women rivals, and many of the men, with regular drives
of 300-yards plus.
In January 2004 she became only the fourth female, and the
youngest overall, to play an event on the men's PGA Tour,
missing the cut by one stroke.
In her second crack at the men's circuit, in this month's
John Deere Classic, Wie missed the cut by two shots.
The American looks set to become the first female to make a
men's cut and maybe even become a regular on the men's tour.
"Obviously I'd love for that to happen one day," Wie said.
"I learn so much from the men and it's really fun.
"They're awesome players and awesome people so I really
love being with them. I can't really explain it beyond that,
it's just something I've always wanted to do."
Wie, yet to win her first senior tournament, comfortably
handled the questions posed at a packed news conference,
including the almost inevitable comparisons with men's world
number one Tiger Woods.
Asked about predictions she will beat Woods by the time she
turns 20, Wie said: "I hope to do it before then."
On her ambitions this season, she added: "I want to win at
least one tournament...because I've been so close all year
long. I've come to the last big step so now I just have to make
that step to win."
Despite still putting her studies before her golf, Wie has
shone on the women's circuit this year.
The teen-ager was a runner-up at the SBS Open and the LPGA
Championship, where she was beaten by Swedish world number one
Annika Sorenstam.
Nine-times major winner Sorenstam, 34, will be among those
challenging Wie in a strong Evian field which also includes
American Juli Inkster and Australia's Karrie Webb.
It is a daunting line-up but for Wie it seems there are
other things to worry about.
"I go back to school at the end of August," she sighed.
"I'm really looking forward to meeting up with my friends
again but I'm not happy that we have to wear a uniform this
year. I've heard it's really strict."


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A federal judge has issued a favorable ruling for the Quileute and Quinault tribes in a dispute over the extent of their ancestral fishing grounds, ruling that the Quileute and Quinault's fishing grounds extend to where they historically harvested marine mammals. At issue in the case was the harvesting of Pacific Whiting in a particular fishery, which the Quileute and Quinault contend they are entitled to harvest.
In an 83-page order, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez concluded that the term "fish" in the Treaty of Olympia was meant to also include sea mammals like whales and seals. The judge relied on a dictionary definition of fish from the relevant period, which defined the word as "[a]n animal that lives in the water," as well as linguistic evidence that the tribal signatories to the treaty drew no distinctions between groups of aquatic species and would have understood the term "fish" to encompass aquatic animals on which they relied for their subsistence purposes.
"The negotiators could have used species-specific words, such as salmon, that were available in the common Chinook jargon negotiating medium and in all the parties' native languages," Judge Martinez said. "As this court has previously explained, that the parties to the treaties chose instead to use the sweeping word 'fish' in lieu of more tailored language indicates an intended breadth of the subsistence provision that should not be circumscribed on the basis of post hoc understandings and linguistic drift."
"We are gratified that the court affirmed the maritime traditions of the Quileute tribe based upon the evidence from elders, historical documents and archeology," said Lauren King and John Tondini, trial counsel for Quileute. "This is a significant decision in affirming the respect that should be shown for the treaty rights of all native people."
"We make every effort to avoid intertribal conflicts such as this, and that was certainly the case here," Quinault President Fawn Sharp said in a statement. "We are very fortunate to have federal court to resort to in those rare instances when we need it ... Winning this case will not only help secure our long-held ocean fishing heritage for our fishermen, it will also help us continue to manage ocean fish stocks properly."


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Great Decisions In Foreign Policy
This award-winning series - recommended by the New York Times - frames the most important foreign policy questions of the year ahead. Each episode provides background context, contemporary analysis and policy options.
Great Decisions In Foreign Policy Previous Broadcasts
The New Global Economy (Episode #309)
KQED World: Sat, Mar 3, 2012 -- 11:30 AM
What trends will define the next chapter in the global economy, what rules will govern the new economic order, and can another crisis be avoided?


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Ex-Madoff aide must stay in jail
Former secretary charged in fraud
NEW YORK — Annette Bongiorno, Bernard Madoff's longtime secretary indicted this month in his Ponzi scheme, lost her bid for bail and was ordered by a federal magistrate in Florida to be taken to New York to face charges.
Bongiorno, 62, who started working for Madoff in 1968, shortly after she graduated from high school, is charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy, securities fraud, and tax evasion. US Magistrate Judge Ann E. Vitunac in West Palm Beach yesterday denied Bongiorno's request to be released with electronic monitoring or under house arrest.
Bongiorno worked as Madoff's personal secretary in the 1980s. She also had clerical duties at Bernard Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Clients who discovered the wrong Social Security numbers on their statements were told to call Bongiorno, according to a copy of one such notice.
She took $14.4 million out of the investment fund by creating sham trades in her own account, where she deposited a total of $920,000 from 1975 to 2008, the government charged.
Bongiorno also received $325,000 in off-the-books payments from the firm, prosecutors charged. She faces a prison sentence of as long as 75 years if convicted of all charges, federal authorities said.
Maurice Sercarz, Bongiorno's lawyer, said in court that he was continuing to work with federal prosecutors and agents in New York to come up with at least five family members or friends of Bongiorno's who can post $2 million in assets to secure a $5 million bond.
Assistant US Attorney Marie Villafaña said at yesterday's hearing that the government might not accept one property as collateral because the owner has a previous felony conviction.
"I'm not sure he can be used as a surety,'' Villafaña said.
The Brooklyn, N.Y., storefront is worth more than $975,000, Sercarz said.
Last week, prosecutors demanded at least $3.5 million in hard assets to secure a $7 million bond for Bongiorno, who lives in Manhasset, N.Y., and has a winter home in Boca Raton, Fla. They lowered the amounts to be consistent with the bond terms given to another former Madoff employee, Joann Crupi, of Westfield, N.J., who was also arrested on Nov. 18.
Crupi, who was hired by the firm in 1983 as a keypunch operator, was released on bail on Nov. 19.
Prosecutors have been seeking to seize more than $2 million in cash and the New York and Florida homes from Bongiorno and her husband. The couple is fighting the seizure attempt.
Madoff, 72, pleaded guilty last year to fraud and was sentenced to 150 years in prison for using new investors' funds for payouts to existing ones in a scheme that ran from at least the early 1990s.
At the time of Madoff's arrest, his firm's statements reflected 4,900 accounts with $65 billion in nonexistent investments, according to Irving Picard, the trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of Madoff Securities. Investors lost about $20 billion in principal.


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When you start out it feels like your going to quit after the first time you lose but you end up getting really addicted. Love it! 9/10
not bad
a submission that actually has something to do with salad fingers
Pretty fun game.
It was surprisingly addictive, I must say. I got about 60,000 points before I died... could've gotten farther but I didn't quite master dodging everything until then, and well... it seems the more damage you take, the faster your health drops when you move around... is that intentional? It adds a nice challenge. Keep up the good work.
Oddly adictive
Mind them not, the game is fine.
For people complaining about difficulty, if it was easy, then why bother?
Theres no imbalances here:Cant make the game last forever.
Good job, and I look fowards to another game from you.
i dont think so
very difficult and unreasonable game. you need to fix alot of things.


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Has your child seen those pictures of her grandparents in the sixties and thought they looked cool? Then this Kids Peace And Love Hippie Costume is just what she needs for the next costume party. If there is a prize for the best costume, your child will certainly win with this snappy, retro ensemble.
Perhaps this Halloween, you kid doesn't want to go to the party looking like something scary. Perhaps she wants to go as something a little different, ready to spread the message of peace and love throughout the party. Sure, Frankenstein and Dracula may not be too interested in this message, but at least your child can say she tried. Still, if she can win over a few zombies with her positive message, then it can be counted as a job well done.
As a kid's costume go, this is one of the most impressive ones out there. With matching fringe and color combinations, this beautifully patterned dress will really help your child stand out from the crowd. If she is looking for something a little different that will get her friends to notice, then this costume is certainly for her. At least it will make her grandma and grandpa happy when they see their little grandchild has followed in their footsteps. Nothing can communicate the true spirit of the 60s quite like this costume!Read More
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Field Notes From
Megatransect II
<< Back to Feature Page
View Field Notes
From Author
David Quammen
View Field Notes
From Photographer
Michael Nichols
In most cases these accounts are edited versions of a spoken interview. They have not been researched and may differ from the printed article.
Photographs by Michael Nichols (top) and John E. Brown III
Across Africas Wilds
Field Notes From Author
David Quammen
I happen to like snakes, so one of the highlights of this leg of walking was coming across three vipers in the course of 24 hours. We spotted one in our camp and the others on the path we were following.
Gabonese vipers are among the most poisonousand the most beautifulsnakes in the world. Theyre very stubby, but when they bask or lurk for prey, they flatten out until they are about five or ten times as wide as they are thick, like pancake batter. They blend in fiendishly well with the golden-brown leaf litter on the forest floor.
The snakes stayed calm while we ogled them and took photographs. Then we went around them and left them in peace. For me, seeing these creatures was like gazing at a resplendent quetzal or an especially gorgeous cockatoo.
After traveling all day on Christmas Eve from Gabon to my home in Montana, I felt tired but otherwise fine. I was due for my annual physical and when I saw my doctor, I happened to mention that I had been running a fever for 24 hours. He ordered blood tests, and when the results came back he put me in the hospital on an antibiotic IV drip. My white cell count was extremely high, he told me, which suggested that I had a bacterial infection in my blood.Within 24 hours I suffered through severe chills alternating with sweats, and my temperature went up to 105.6°F (40.8°C). I shivered so badly that I had trouble breathing. Then the fever peaked and fell down to 95°F (35°C). By the next evening I was fine, so the doctor let me go home. The official diagnosis is that it was a mystery fever.
As we were walking through the forest, a rain shower interrupted a stretch of relatively dry days. The precipitation brought out a heavy concentration of millipedes. We saw close to 100 of these 8-inch-long (20-centimeter-long) creatures in a single day. Theyre oxblood brown, shiny, and completely harmless, but for some reason our Gabonese crew were wary of them. I didnt know if they thought they would be bitten, or if millipedes were connected somehow to their spiritual beliefs. They were careful not to step on one.
We were sitting near our campfire when a millipede crawled near our feet. I picked it up and gently tossed it away from the fire. That set the Gabonese guys off. They cringed and averted their eyes. I wasnt sure if they pitied me for being so foolhardy, or if they were disgusted that I had violated some sort of taboo. I never did find out why they were so put off by millipedes.
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