2006年VOA标准英语-Annan Proposes UN Management Shakeup

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
07 March 2006

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has unveiled a plan to shake up the U.N. management structure as part of a broad effort to reform the world body. The proposal calls for modernizing¹ the 60-year-old organization, and outsourcing some work now being done at headquarters.

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In a speech to the General Assembly Tuesday, Secretary-General Annan called for a radical² overhaul³ of the entire U.N. bureaucracy.

"My assessment⁴ is, if I may put it bluntly in one sentence, that in many respects our present regulations and rules do not respond to current needs; and indeed that they make it very hard for the organization to conduct its work efficiently⁵ or effectively."

A 32-page document outlining the reform proposal calls for a wide variety of changes and updates in management. Among them is what Mr. Annan called a "drastic simplification of budget and financial management processes," streamlining the bureaucracy, modernizing computer and other technology, as well as outsourcing, or moving some jobs, such as translation services, to other countries as a cost-saving measure.

The proposals to improve efficiency are partially⁶ in response to demands by the United States and Japan, which together pay more than 40 percent of the U.N. budget.

 But the secretary-general warned that the proposed reforms would cost more, at least in the short term.

Kofi Annan   
  
"Yes, there are real savings⁷ to be made through these proposals, since over time they will reduce the cost of many of our activities by ensuring that they are carried out more simply and effectively," he added.  "But what the report shows, above all, is that for many years this organization has been skimping⁸ on investment; investment in people, investment in systems, investment in information and communications technology, and that these deferred⁹ expenditures¹⁰ must now be made up for."

One of the most controversial proposals is to contract operations out, or shift work to lower cost locations. A recent report estimates outsourcing of translation services could save 35-million dollars a year and free three-floors of the 38-story headquarters building in New York.

At the same time, Mr. Annan's report calls for an increase of $280 million a year in salary and staff benefits.

The New York headquarters employs about 4,500 people. But Mr. Annan noted¹¹ that worldwide, the organization has 30,000 employees, more than half in the field. The biggest growth area in recent years has been in peacekeeping, which takes up 70 percent of the $10 billion annual budget.

To underline the growth of peacekeeping, Mr. Annan noted that when he took over as secretary-general 10 years ago, peacekeeping accounted for only 50 percent of a budget that totaled less than half of today's $10 billion figure.

1 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

2 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

3 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

6 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

7 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

8 skimping   

v.少用( skimp的现在分词 )；少给；克扣；节省

参考例句：

• Nearly a third of workers are skimping on work to meet personal commitments. 几乎有三分之一的员工仅仅是为了达到自己许下的承诺因而在工作上马虎了事。 来自互联网

9 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

10 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。