Financial Rule 105.13 provides that "The Under-Secretary-General for Management (USG/DM) is responsible for the procurement functions of the United Nations, shall establish all United Nations procurement systems and shall designate the officials responsible for performing procurement functions".

The USG/DM has further delegated the authority to designate officials responsible for performing procurement functions, to the ASG/OCSS. The ASG/OCSS has sub-delegated such authority to other officials.

Only those officials who have duly received a Delegation of Procurement Authority issued under the authority of the ASG/OCSS may enter into financial commitments relating to procurement activities on behalf of the United Nations.

This authority has been sub-delegated to the Under-Secretary-General/Department of Field Support (USG/DFS) who issues Delegations of Procurement Authority to staff at Field Missions. The authority has been sub-delegated to CAO/DOA at Offices away from Headquarters, who in turn issues Delegations of Procurement Authority to staff at OAHs. The Director of the Procurement Division is empowered to issue Delegations of Procurement Authority to staff of the Procurement Division.