FIFTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CANDIDATES FOR ACABQ, CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEE, BOARD OF AUDITORS, INVESTMENTS COMMITTEE, ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
Press Release
GA/AB/3034
FIFTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CANDIDATES FOR ACABQ, CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEE, BOARD OF AUDITORS, INVESTMENTS COMMITTEE, ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
19951103 The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning recommended 19 candidates to the General Assembly to fill vacancies in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Committee on Contributions, the Board of Auditors, the Investments Committee and the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.The Committee recommended several candidates by acclamation; but it decided by secret ballot when the number of candidates exceeded the vacancies or slots allocated to a regional group. That was done for appointment to the ACABQ and the Committee on Contributions.
For appointment to three-year terms of office in the ACABQ beginning 1 January 1996, the Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment of Tang Guangting (China) and Vijay Gokhale (India), and the reappointment of Yuji Kumamaru (Japan). Jose Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho (Brazil) and Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy) were elected by secret ballot in a first round of voting. Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) was selected in a second ballot restricted to two candidates who were not elected but had received the largest number of votes in the first round.
For the Committee on Contributions, the Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation, the appointment of Atilio Norberto Molteni (Argentina), Sergio Chapparro Ruiz (Chile), Neil Hewitt Francis of (Australia), and Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands) and Omar Sirry (Egypt). Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania) was chosen by secret ballot. Mr. Chapparro Ruiz of Chile, Mr. Francis of Australia and Mr. Ould El Ghaouth of Mauritania were reappointed.
The Committee recommended by acclamation the Comptroller and Auditor- General of India for reappointment to the Board of Auditors for a three-year term commencing 1 July 1996.
For the Investments Committee, the reappointment of Yves Oltramare (Switzerland), Emmanuel Noi Omaboe (Ghana) and Jurgen Reimnitz (Germany) was confirmed for three-year terms beginning 1 January 1996. Takeshi Ohta (Japan) was confirmed for the remainder of a three-year term expiring 31 December 1996, to replace Michiya Matsukawa, also of Japan, who had resigned.
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For the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, the Committee recommended the appointment of Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States) and the reappointment of Francis R. Spain (Ireland) for three-year terms beginning 1 January 1996.
Before the vote for appointments to the Committee on Contributions, statements were made by Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa, speaking on behalf of the African Group.
The Fifth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its section-by-section review of the 1996-1997 proposed programme budget. It will take up Part VI of the budget on human rights and humanitarian affairs.
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to make recommendations on appointments to a number of subsidiary bodies and to confirm others made by the Secretary-General. Those subsidiary bodies are the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Committee on Contributions, the Board of Auditors, the Investments Committee and the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.
The Secretary-General's note on the appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) (document A/50/101) states that the Assembly has to appoint six persons to fill vacancies of members whose terms of office expire on 31 December. The appointees will serve for three years beginning 1 January 1996. A subsequent note by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/50/6) presents candidates from France, Brazil, Greece, Mexico, India, Japan, Germany, China, United Kingdom and Italy. It also contains their curricula vitae.
The 16-member ACABQ examines and reports on the Organization's regular and peace-keeping budgets as well as the administrative budgets of the specialized agencies. It also advises the Assembly on other administrative and financial matters referred to it.
In his note on the appointment of members to the Committee on Contributions (document A/50/102), the Secretary-General states that the Assembly has to appoint six persons to fill vacancies when the terms of office of six members expire on 31 December. Those elected will serve for a three-year period, beginning on 1 January 1996. A related note (document A/C.5/50/7) presents candidates from the Netherlands, Chile, Australia, Argentina, Nigeria, Mauritania and Egypt.
The 18-member Committee on Contributions advises the Assembly on all questions relating to the apportionment of the Organization's expenses among Member States, the assessments of new Members, appeals by Members for a change of assessment and on the application of Article 19 -- on limits on voting rights -- in cases of arrears in the payment of financial contributions.
In another note (document A/50/103), the Secretary-General states that the term of office of a member of the Board of Auditors -- that of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India -- expires on June 30 1996. The Assembly therefore has to fill the vacancy by appointing as a Board member, the Auditor-General or officer holding the equivalent title of a Member State, to serve a three-year period, beginning 1 July 1996. Every year the Assembly appoints an Auditor to take office from 1 July of the following year to serve for a three-year period. A related note (document A/C.5/50/8) states that the
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Government of India has nominated the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India for reappointment to the Board for a term of office beginning on 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1999. The three-member Board of Auditors has joint responsibility for the external audit of the entire United Nations system.
The Secretary-General's note on confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee (document A/C.5/50/9) states that three persons would have to be appointed to fill vacancies when the terms of office of three committee members expire on 31 December. The Assembly is expected to confirm the Secretary-General's reappointments of those three persons -- from Switzerland, Ghana and Germany. The new term begins on 1 January 1996. He also submits for confirmation a candidate from Japan to fill the remainder of a three-year term expiring 31 December 1996. That candidate was appointed as an ad hoc member for a one-year term beginning 1 January 1995 on the resignation of a member from Japan.
The Secretary-General has appointed as ad hoc members Peter Stormonth Darling (United Kingdom), Alexander Papamarkou (Greece and the United States) to serve the Committee in 1996.
Article 20 of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund provides for the nine-member Investments Committee to be appointed by the Secretary-General following consultations with the Joint Staff Pension Board and the ACABQ. The Investments Committee advises the Secretary-General on the investment of the pension funds and other trust and special funds under the United Nations control.
The Secretary-General's note on the appointment of members of the Administrative Tribunal (document A/50/105) states that two persons would have to be appointed to fill two vacancies, for three-year terms beginning 1 January 1996. A related note (document A/C.5/50/10) presents candidates from the United States and Ireland.
The Administrative Tribunal hears and passes judgement on applications alleging non-observance of contracts of Secretariat staff members or of their terms of appointment.
Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions
The Chairman of the Fifth Committee, ERICH VILCHEZ ASHER (Nicaragua), said that since the number of candidates for appointment to the ACABQ from the Asian Group corresponded to its number of vacancies, the Committee could elect members from that Group by acclamation.
The Committee recommended, by acclamation, the appointment of Vijay Gokhale (India), Yuji Kumamaru (Japan) and Tang Guangting (China) for three-year terms of office starting 1 January 1996.
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The CHAIRMAN said the Latin American and Caribbean Group had two candidates, Jose Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho (Brazil) and Jorge Jose Duhalt (Mexico), for one vacancy. One would be chosen by secret ballot.
The election of the candidates from the Latin American Group was conducted by secret ballot.
The results of the ballot were as follows:
Number of votes cast: 174 Invalid votes: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 1 Number of delegations voting: 173 Required majority: 87
Number of votes obtained:
Jose Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho (Brazil) 128 Jorge Jose Duhalt (Mexico) 45
The Committee therefore recommended the appointment of Jose Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho (Brazil).
There were five candidates for the two vacancies for the Western European and Other States Group -- Gerard Biraud (France), Erica-Irene Daes (Greece), Wolfgang Stockl (Germany), Nicholas Alan Thorne (United Kingdom) and Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy). The Committee would elect two by secret ballot.
The election was conducted by secret ballot.
The results of the ballot were as follows:
Number of votes cast: 177 Invalid votes: 2 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 0 Number of delegations voting: 175 Required majority: 88
Number of votes obtained:
Gerard Biraud (France) 49 Erica-Irene Daes (Greece) 58 Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) 83 Nicholas Alan Thorne (United Kingdom) 56 Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy) 88
The Committee recommended the appointment of Giovanni Luigi Valenza (Italy).
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The Acting Chairman, AMMAR AMARI (Tunisia) said the Committee would proceed to the first restricted ballot. In accordance with rule 94 of the Assembly rules of procedure, the second round would be restricted to two candidates, Erica-Irene Daes (Greece) and Wolfgang Stockl (Germany), who were not elected but had received the largest number of votes in the first ballot.
The election was conducted by secret ballot.
The results of the ballot were as follows:
Number of votes cast: 175 Invalid votes: 2 Number of valid ballots: 173 Abstentions: 0 Number of delegations voting: 175 Required majority: 87
Number of votes obtained:
Erica-Irene Daes (Greece) 66 Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) 107
The Committee recommended the appointment of Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) to the ACABQ for three years beginning 1 January 1996.
Committee on Contributions
The ACTING CHAIRMAN said as the number of candidates for the Committee on Contributions from the Latin American and Caribbean and the Western European and Other States Groups corresponded to the four seats allotted to them, the Committee could dispense of balloting. As for the African Group, three candidates were competing for two slots.
The Committee recommended, by acclamation, the appointment of Sergio Chapparro Ruiz (Chile) and Atilio Norberto Molteni (Argentina) from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and Pieter Johannes Bierma (Netherlands) and Neil Hewitt Francis (Australia) from the Western European and Other States Group for three-year terms beginning from 1 January 1996.
EL HASSANE ZAHID (Morocco) said, as coordinator for North Africa, he recommended the approval of the candidacy of Omar Sirry (Egypt) because Egypt had been endorsed by the African Group. The vacant seats meant for Africa had been allocated by subregion. The Committee should endorse Egypt and proceed to decide on the other vacant seat.
IBRAHIM GAMBARI (Nigeria) said the statement was unfortunate; the African Group had only one spokesman for the month -- South Africa's representative.
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Mr. ZAHID (Morocco) said he acknowledged South Africa as the spokesman for the African Group and that he had spoken as coordinator for North Africa. The Chairman of the African Group could clarify matters. A seat had been allocated to North Africa.
KHIPHUSIZI J. JELE (South Africa), speaking for the African Group, said it had endorsed the candidacy of Omar Sirry of Egypt. The Group had also decided that Nigeria and Mauritania should resolve the seat issue bilaterally. There had been no subsequent agreement on the matter.
Acting on the proposal of the ACTING CHAIRMAN, the Committee recommended, by acclamation, the appointment of Omar Sirry (Egypt) to the Committee on Contributions.
The Committee proceeded to elect one of the two remaining candidates from the African Group -- Timothy Anaele Mgbokwere (Nigeria) and Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania) -- to the Committee.
The election was conducted by secret ballot.
The results of the ballot were as follows:
Number of votes cast: 174 Invalid votes: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 1 Number of delegations voting: 173 Required majority: 87
Number of votes obtained:
Timothy Anaele Mgbokwere (Nigeria) 75 Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania) 98
The Committee therefore recommended the appointment of Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Ghaouth (Mauritania) to the Committee on Contributions.
Board of Auditors
The ACTING CHAIRMAN announced that India's Comptroller and Auditor-General was the sole candidate for the vacancy on the Board of Auditors. The Committee recommended, by acclamation, the appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India to the Board of Auditors, for a three-year term beginning 1 July 1996.
Investments Committee
By acclamation, the Committee recommended the confirmation of the Secretary-General's request to reappoint Yves Oltramare (Switzerland), Emmanuel Noi Omaboe (Ghana) and Jurgen Reimnitz (Germany) for three-year terms of office, starting 1 January 1996. It also recommended the confirmation of
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Takeshi Ohta (Japan) to fill the remainder of a three-year term that would expire on 31 December 1996. Mr. Ohta was appointed as an ad hoc member for a one-year term beginning 1 January 1995 on the resignation of Michiya Matsukawa, also of Japan.
Administrative Tribunal
The Committee recommended, by acclamation, the reappointment of Francis R. Spain (Ireland) and the appointment of Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States) to the panel for three years from 1 January 1996.
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