Tasks and Responsabilities The Permanent Mission’s main tasks are to promote and clarify the position of The Netherlands in the UN, report to the authorities in The Hague and give advice on developments at the UN. The position of the Netherlands on various subjects is increasingly being finalised in the framework of the European Union. However, the Mission has countless contacts with other member states of the UN, the UN-secretariat and UN-organisations, and operates on an individual basis (including through the delivery of statements) in cases where European coordination is not foreseen. The Netherlands held the Presidency of the European Union during the second half of 2004. Its previous Presidency took place during the first half of 1997.

Diplomats of the Mission participate in debates and negotiations in the General Assembly, ECOSOC and subsidiary bodies of which it is a member or active observer, in UN conferences and in other bodies such as UNDP , UNFPA or UNICEF. During its membership of the Security Council the Netherlands actively participated in the Council’s discussions on political crises. The website contains a separate list of current Dutch memberships of UN bodies.

The Mission maintains contacts with ngo’s, universities and other institutions with a clear interest in the UN’s work. The Mission also regularly provides briefings to visiting students and other groups. Periodically the Mission initiates thematic discussions or seminars on new or disputed issues with representatives and experts from within and outside the UN-community. Recent examples were seminars on the relationship between the Security Council and ECOSOC, on the New Partnership for African Development(NEPAD), on revitalizing the General Assembly and on the report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.

The Permanent Mission has a total staff of 30 people, half of which is diplomatic staff and half is supporting/administrative staff. The Permanent Representative and his Deputy head this team.

The Permanent Mission has four sections:

1. Political Section

The political section of the Mission covers both the political areas as well as the legal and budgettary / administrative areas of the UN. This section includes six diplomats, of which four work on political matters, one on legal matters, and one on budgettary / administrative matters.

Political activities of the Mission focus primarily on issues of peace and security. Although currently not a member of the Security Council, the Netherlands closely follows developments in and around the Council.

There is a close cooperation with the military section, especially on peacekeeping matters. The political section also deals with disarmament matters, although the focus of much of the UN disarmament debate is in Geneva, Vienna ( IAEA) and The Hague ( OPCW) and is being covered by Dutch Permanent Missions in those cities.

Increasingly, the political section works closely with the economic and social section, in view of the growing recognition of the links between political, social and economic issues.

Besides the Security Council, the political section is handling political items in the Plenary, in the First Committee and in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonisation Committee) of the General Assembly.

The legal expert covers all legal matters within the UN, ranging from issues such as law of the sea, the International Court of Justice, the Criminal Tribunals to issues such as the convention on reproductive cloning of human beings and legal measures to eliminate international terrorism. Since The Hague is the seat of the International Criminal Court, the Mission was very closely involved in preparatory discussions on that matter in New York in the meetings of the Assembly of State Parties. The legal expert also follows the implementation and monitoring of sanctions.

The budgettary and administrative expert represents The Netherlands in all administrative, budgetary and budgettary matters within the UN. On the financial side this involves not only the regular budget of the UN, but also the financing of UN peacekeeping operations and financing of its program activities. The expert monitors UN personnel matters (e.g. salaries, vacancies and Dutch nationals at the UN).

The political section also covers information matters (including press contacts) and coordinates candidatures to UN bodies.

2. Economic and Social Section

This section, consisting of 5 diplomats, handles all economic, social, humanitarian and human rights issues being discussed in the General Assembly (especially in the Second and Third Committees, as well as in the Plenary), in the ECOSOC and in ECOSOC’s subsidiary bodies. It also covers the funds and programmes located in New York, such as UNDP and UNFPA (the Permanent Representative was the UNDP/UNFPA's Executive Board’s Chairman in 2002), UNICEF, UNIFEM and UNCDF.

Special emphasis is placed on promoting the Millennium Development Goals and to ensure implementation of the agreements of the major UN Conferences in the development areas, such as those on Financing for Development (Monterrey) and Sustainable Development (Johannesburg).

The section maintains close contacts with the Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). During 2003 the Permanent Representative chaired the Humanitarian Liaison Working Group, an informal group of Permanent Representatives involved in humanitarian affairs.

3. Military Section

The Military Section consists of one military advisor and one deputy military advisor. The section advises on all military and defense matters and is closely involved in the Mission’s handling of peacekeeping issues and matters of de-mining.

The section maintains contacts with the UN Secretariat on peacekeeping operations, including the Netherlands involvement in those operations, as well as with other bodies of the UN-system, such as the UN Office for Project Services.

The military advisor participates in meetings of troop-contributing countries, represents the Netherlands in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, and is a member of the Mine Action Support Group.

4. Administrative Section

This section, with a staff of 13, handles all administrative and logistical requirements of the Mission, its staff and visitors, including ministers and parliamentarians. Its activities cover financial and personnel matters, housing, security, communication issues, transportation, archives, and other support services.