FIFTH COMMITTEE CONCLUDES FIRST READING OF FOUR BUDGET SECTIONS ON PEACE-KEEPING, OUTER SPACE, WORLD COURT AND LEGAL ACTIVITIES
Press Release
GA/AB/3028
FIFTH COMMITTEE CONCLUDES FIRST READING OF FOUR BUDGET SECTIONS ON PEACE-KEEPING, OUTER SPACE, WORLD COURT AND LEGAL ACTIVITIES
19951030 Concerns were expressed by some delegations about the proposed reductions in resources for the International Court of Justice and the Office for Legal Affairs, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon continued its section-by-section reading of the proposed 1996-1997 United Nations budget.The Committee completed the first reading of sections 3 to 6, on peace-keeping operations and special missions, outer space affairs, the Court and legal activities, respectively. The adjusted amounts proposed are: $90.4 million for peace-keeping operations and special missions, with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) recommending $59.3 million; $4.5 million for outer space affairs, recommended by both the Secretary-General and the ACABQ; $21.6 million proposed for the Court, with the ACABQ recommending $20.4 million; and $31.1 million recommended by the Secretary-General and the ACABQ for legal activities.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand, speaking through New Zealand, said the ACABQ's recommendations for drastic cuts in the Court's funds for communications should be carefully reviewed. Those delegations were not convinced that the reductions were necessary. Overall, the ACABQ had only recommended a 5.5 per cent increase for the Court over the 1994-1995 budget, instead of the 6 per cent sought.
The Russian Federation described the cuts for communications as modest, calling for even further reductions in telephones costs.
Cuba expressed concern about the 6.5 per cent reductions in resources for legal activities. Those decreases, its representative added, could affect the execution of tasks assigned to the Office of Legal Affairs in the next biennium.
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Statements were also made by Algeria, Japan, Uganda and Burkina Faso.
The United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu, responded to comments on the various sections; the Director of Programme Planning and Budget Division, Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, also spoke.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 31 October, to consider the United Nations financial situation and act on the financing of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH).
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue its section-by-section reading of the proposed budget for the 1996- 1997 biennium. It was expected to consider sections on peace-keeping operations and special missions (section 3), outer space affairs (section 4), International Court of Justice (section 5), and legal activities (section 6). (For information, see Press Release GA/AB/3027 of 30 October).
Statement on Peace-keeping Operations Section
YUKIO TAKASU, United Nations Controller, responding to questions posed this morning on section 3 of the proposed budget, relating to peace-keeping operations and special missions, said the proposal on the posts for backstopping had involved the General Assembly for more than a year. The Secretariat had developed concepts to define those backstopping, core and non- core functions of peace-keeping operations, as discussed in a report of the Secretary-General (document A/49/717). Even though the numbers and sizes of peace-keeping operations fluctuated, there was agreement that the United Nations would continue to be involved in them, creating the need for some permanent structure in the Organization. Those were core functions. Those functions that fluctuated, too, had to be provided for. After core functions had been defined, the discussions were on the number of posts needed to carry out those functions. The number of regular budget posts in the Department of Peace-keeping Operations was less than adequate for the core functions. There were 34 Professional posts, for example, lower than what was needed for those functions. The proposal to meet the shortfall was to move posts from the support account to the regular budget. The gap could not be filled with posts that had been abolished and posts could not be deployed between areas that were not similar to each other.
The matter of the ratio of Professional to General Service posts required careful review as many of those in general service posts did specialized, and not just clerical, jobs, he said. The function of peacemaking activities would be strengthened. The relations between the Departments of Political Affairs and Peace-keeping Operations should be considered in relation with other issues. The Department of Peace-keeping Operations was responsible for day-to-day operations; the Department of Political Affairs, on the other hand, had roles in preventive diplomacy, also. The two Departments had distinct functions. The role of military officers seconded to the Organization would be discussed in a report that was being prepared. The officers were not performing core functions; they had been provided on short-term basis to extend help in handling sudden increases in the sizes or numbers of peace-keeping operations.
The Chairman of the Committee, ERICH VILCHEZ ASHER (Nicaragua), said the first reading of section 3 had been completed. It would be submitted for informal consultations.
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Section on Outer Space Affairs
Since there were no comments on section 4, on outer space affairs, its first reading was completed.
Statements on International Court of Justice
Speaking on section 5, on the International Court of Justice, LARBI DJACTA (Algeria) said the work of the Court was very important and the section was supported by his Government. The Court should be given adequate resources to carry out its tasks. Travel and telephone costs should be reduced, as stated by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). Since the cases before the Court were increasing, he would support the resources proposed.
DENISE ALMAO (New Zealand), also speaking for Australia and Canada, said that the ACABQ had approved only a 5.5 per cent increase for the Court, instead of the 6 per cent sought. The delegations were not convinced that the drastic cut in the allocations for communications were necessary. The ACABQ proposals should be carefully reviewed. Law firms and libraries should pay for the yearbooks of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
VLADIMIR v. KOUZNETSOV (Russian Federation) expressed support to the recommendations of the ACABQ on the proposed budget for the International Court of Justice. He asked how realistic it was to have joint services between the International Court and the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. More information should be provided on the cost of telephone services. The ACABQ recommendations on expenditure reduction for those services were quite modest; further reductions should be made.
JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division, said the Secretary-General's proposals for communications costs was justified since the Court did not expect a reduction of its workload in the next biennium.
FUMIAKI TOYA (Japan) said he was not convinced by the ACABQ proposals on the reduction of telephone expenses. In addition, the reason why the ACABQ has not accepted the conversion of posts was unclear. Those posts should be considered on a case-by-case basis. The proposals should be discussed in informal consultations.
NESTER ODAGO JALOMAYO (Uganda) expressed support for the recommendations of the ACABQ on the expansion of the Court's premises. Not enough justification had been given by the Court on that issue. More information was also needed on the common administrative arrangements between the Court and the Tribunal, especially regarding the library. Expressing caution about the
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request for laptop computers, he said they should be used and not left in their packages as was the case for similar items in the peace-keeping Department.
The Committee concluded its first reading of section 5, on the International Court of Justice.
Statements on Legal Activities Section
DULCE BUERGO (Cuba), speaking on section 6 relating to legal activities, said she had noted the cuts in the budget resulting from the reclassification of a post from the Principal Officer level (D-1) to the Senior Officer level (P-5) in the office of the Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea and Ocean Affairs in Kingston. Cuba was concerned about the 6.5 per cent cut in resources for legal activities. Despite that reduction, various tasks were being retained for the Office of Legal Affairs to perform. Additional tasks such as proposals on servicing the Commissions on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and others were to be undertaken in the next biennium. More resources should be made available to allow the office to do its job. The cuts could affect the execution of tasks planned for the next biennium. Moreover, there had been many instances where the advice of the staff of the Legal Office had been sought.
She emphasized that the Office had functions regarding the legal aspects of many peace-keeping operations. With the cuts, she asked how the Secretariat would coordinate work with those missions. She wanted more information on matters relating to interpretations of diplomatic immunity and similar matters. She asked how the work of the Office in fields like drugs would be coordinated with other departments.
She expressed doubts about the narrative for subprogramme 5, on the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade, and sought clarifications on the terms used to define some of the countries of eastern and central Europe.
Mr. DJACTA (Algeria) said resources should not be allocated to the detriment of other activities. The Secretariat should provide an organizational chart of the Office, with an indication of the nationality of each of its staff.
Mr. TAKASU, United Nations Controller, said that while the resources had decreased, those were partly due to some one-time expenses. The post in Kingston was eliminated in anticipation of the fact that the Authority of the Law of the Sea would have a separate budget. While the total cut was 6.5 per cent, that did not represent other requests for strengthening the section. The Legal Office advised the entire Organization, including the Department of Peace-keeping Operations. For instance, when the status of force agreements were negotiated, the Office was consulted from the beginning to ensure that
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the United Nations proceeded on sound bases. Many United Nations contracts were also handled by representatives of the Office, who acted as the Organization's attorneys. There was no duplication of duties since no other office handled similar briefs. The Office also gave services to committees, such as those on the relation with the host country.
MAMADOU SERME (Burkino Faso) asked for clarification from the Controller about the reduced budget for the Law of the Sea office in Kingston. He noted that the Council of the International Seabed Authority had not been established and asked whether that was the reason that no budget had been prepared for the Authority.
Mr. TAKASU, United Nations Controller, said the delegate of Burkino Faso was quite accurate. During the finalization of the proposed budget, there was the understanding that there would be a Secretary-General for the Seabed Authority. However, the Authority did not complete its work in August. As a result, it asked the Secretariat to prepare the budget. It was now being done and would be presented to the Committee.
The Committee completed the first reading of section 6 on legal activities.
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