'GROUP OF 77' AND CHINA MAY SUPPORT COMMITMENT AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT NEW MANDATES IN HAITI, GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, RWANDA, FIFTH COMMITTEE TOLD
Press Release
GA/AB/3079
'GROUP OF 77' AND CHINA MAY SUPPORT COMMITMENT AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT NEW MANDATES IN HAITI, GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, RWANDA, FIFTH COMMITTEE TOLD
19960521 United States Opposes Request for Additional ResourcesThe "Group of 77" developing countries and China might support a General Assembly decision to authorize the Secretary-General to commit the resources needed to implement new mandates in Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador and Rwanda, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this afternoon. The Committee was discussing the impact of new mandates on the $2.61 billion 1996-1997 budget.
The mandates are for the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH), the United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), the United Nations Office of Verification in El Salvador (ONUV) and the Commission of Inquiry for Rwanda. According to a report of the Secretary- General, they would cost some $65.7 million in 1996 and 1997.
Speaking for the Group of 77 and China, the representative of Costa Rica said that such a decision should also ask the Secretary-General, in the context of implementing the budget, to present the amount of additional resources needed on the basis of real absorption capacity. The Group of 77 and China had noted the Secretary-General's assertion that it was impossible for him to absorb the expenditures for new mandates within the budget limits approved by the Assembly. There was no agreement among Member States on how to absorb them, either.
The representative of the United States said, "It was inconceivable to my Government that space cannot be found for them within the existing budget". The Organization must exercise the utmost fiscal responsibility at this time, he said, adding that the United States could not agree to any expenditures that would demand more resources. The Secretary-General was best placed to identify areas of inefficiencies and programmes that no longer served their original purpose.
The representatives of Cuba and Uganda also spoke.
Some delegations also demanded that a representative of the Secretariat should explain to the Committee why paper and pencils were being withheld from conference rooms even though Member States had asked for them. The representatives of Costa Rica, Cuba, Uganda and Canada spoke on the matter.
The Committee will meet again on a date to be announced.
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue discussing aspects of the 1996-1997 budget. It had before it the Secretary-General's report on how he would absorb the costs of new mandates for United Nations special missions within the 1996-1997 budget (document A/C.5/50/67). In that report the Secretary-General reiterates that the mandates could be carried out within the budget if the Assembly chose which programmes should be terminated or eliminated. Member States might reflect on whether the Secretary-General could deliver all mandated programmes and keep expenditure levels "within existing resources".
The Secretary-General states that the ability to absorb an additional $120 million for new mandates in 1996-1997 should be considered in the perspective of the initial reduction of $98 million he had included in the budget and the $154 million additional reductions mandated by the Assembly. Efficiencies being identified are unlikely to yield savings exceeding the $154 million. It must be noted that efficiencies and cuts agreed upon by Member States may not have the same effect as immediate cuts in the budget. The feasibility of turning efficiencies or cuts by Member States of programmes into immediate savings is limited.
In addition to the mandates for International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH), the United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), the United Nations Verification Office in El Salvador (ONUV) and the Commission of Inquiry for Rwanda, other missions could be mandated including those to Afghanistan, Burundi and for the Central American peace process. Those missions could cost a total of $120 million ($51 million in 1996 and $69 million in 1997).
Statements
NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica), also speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the Secretary-General had reiterated in his report his decision to fully implement the programmes and activities of the budget approved by the General Assembly. That position was in line with the decisions contained in Assembly resolution 50/214, which had clearly stated that changes in the programmes and activities were the Assembly's prerogatives.
She said the Group of 77 and China were concerned with the United Nations difficult financial situation as well as the difficulties of the Secretary-General to implement new mandates in view of the budget cuts decided by the Assembly. The Group and China had reiterated on many occasions the full validity of the budgetary process as approved in Assembly resolution
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41/213 and considered that expenditure generated within that framework should be addressed according to that process.
The Secretary-General's assertion that it was impossible for him to absorb expenditures for the new mandates within the limits approved in resolution 50/214 had been noted by the Group of 77 and China, she continued. In that context, they reiterated that there was absolutely no agreement on possible means of absorbing the expenditures, including on measures mentioned in paragraph 12 of the Secretary-General's report. [According to that paragraph, at the request of the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly had convened two meetings with representatives of Member States to provide, collectively or individually, the Secretary-General with suggestions for any changes in mandated programmes that could release resources to be reallocated to support the activities requested from new mandates. Views were expressed, on the one hand, that the Secretary-General had no authority to reduce such activities. On the other, some suggestions were made as to the possibility for securing cuts in conference-servicing and travel costs, public information, subventions and intergovernmental and Secretariat structures. It was apparent that there was no agreement on the question of additional resources for new activities to be implemented.]
As a compromise formula, the Group of 77 and China might be willing to support a decision to authorize the Secretary-General to make commitments to implement the mandates of MICIVIH, MINUGUA, ONUV and the Commission of Inquiry for Rwanda by the sums requested, she said. Such a decision would also request the Secretary-General, in the context of the report on the implementation of the budget, to present the amount of the additional resources required on the basis of the real capacity of absorption.
HERBERT GELBER (United States) said, in examining the Secretary- General's report, he had focused special attention on the Secretariat's claimed inability to absorb the cost of several programmes within the existing budget. It was troubling to see that Secretary-General has been unable to fund programmes such as MINUGUA and MICIVIH without additional assessments. That situation was of concern because it implied the inability to stay within the budget. The report had ignored a third option -- cost effectiveness. The Organization's work could be done more efficiently and at less cost.
The United States' goal was not to change the mandates agreed to in the Assembly but to press for the efficient accomplishment of agreed objectives, he continued. It had been encouraging to hear the Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management say that the Secretary-General had realized that cost reductions could not be achieved if the Organization's full work programme was implemented, as initially envisaged. The work programme should now be examined in order to identify areas of inefficiencies and programmes
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that no longer served their original purpose. The Secretary-General was best placed to identify such programmes.
The remarks introducing the Secretary-General's report should be endorsed, he said. Such action would allow the Committee to interpret the report to mean that the Secretary-General would be able to operate within the budget. It was on that basis that the United States could work with the members of the Fifth Committee and the Secretariat to improve the Organization's efficiency and to allocate scarce resources to fund priority programmes. With modest efforts, resources would be found to fund the relevant programmes. "It was inconceivable to my Government that space cannot be found for them within the existing budget." The Organization must exercise the utmost level of fiscal responsibility at this time. The United States could not agree to any expenditures that would demand more resources from Members.
NESTER ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said he endorsed what was said by the representative of the Group of 77 and China. However, his perception was that the contents of the Secretary-General's report and the statement that introduced it were saying different things. While the Secretary-General's report was asking Member States for guidance on how to implement the work programme, the statement was saying that absorption of costs of the new mandates was possible and could be achieved. Those positions were contradictory. Also contradictory was the impression given in the statement that views arrived at informally should be implemented.
The Secretary-General had had meetings with representatives of a number of regional groups on the matter, he continued. Some views were given prominence in the report while others were lumped together. That showed unequal treatment of the latter. Referring to the views of the Group of 77 on the budgetary process, he said the consensus adoption of the 1996-1997 budget was based on Assembly resolution 41/213. The budget had been adopted to meet the demands of some Member States. He hoped that there was now no intention to abandon resolution 41/213. Abandoning it would complicate the budgetary process. Neither should the Committee selectively use parts of that resolution. It should be referred to as a total package.
The budget resolutions -- 50/214 and 50/215 -- had been adopted by consensus as a package, he said. If the Committee wanted to choose to prepare a budget that could be changed every two or three months, a different procedure was needed to adopt the budget. The consensus approach should be observed and abided by. The proposal for programmes cuts would lead to a new and unending debate on what to cut. It was important for the Secretary- General to proceed with the implementation of the new programmes and seek means of financing them. The General Assembly should not take decisions on
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what programmes should be curtailed. It was too early to proceed in that manner.
NORMA GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said that her delegation's position had been stated by the representative of Costa Rica, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. She expressed support for the comments of Uganda also.
The Fifth Committee should allocate the additional resources requested in the Secretary-General's report, she said. The fact was that the Assembly had reaffirmed resolution 41/213 in other subsequent resolutions. More than $200 million was being sought to further modify the approved budget, substantially reducing resources available. There should be a decision to provide additional allocation for those new mandates as the Secretary-General had stated that the additional requirements for them could not be absorbed.
She expressed satisfaction that the Secretary-General was committed to fully applying the decisions of the Assembly. The Secretariat should not shift from that decision. There was no possibility of absorbing the new programmes. She supported the views expressed at the meeting regarding paragraph 12 of the report. It was regrettable that the Secretariat had expanded the suggestions of some delegations which had called for cuts while not giving equal weight to the views made by other delegations. For analysis, the reports of the Secretary-General on the budget cuts, on the new mandates and on conference servicing for the climate change convention should be seen as being inter-related.
All delegations knew the reason behind the adoption of Assembly resolution 41/213, he said. The provisions in that resolution had been fought out and adopted with extreme care. It was a package calling for consensus decision-making, laying down the procedure for using reserve funds and on matters related to international peace and security. The various aspects of that resolution should not be applied selectively. If any of its sections was to be reviewed, all parts of the resolution should be reviewed, including that dealing with the concept of consensus decision-making.
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