FIFTH COMMITTEE ADOPTS 37-ITEM WORK PROGRAMME FOR NEW SESSION

Press Release
GA/AB/3088

FIFTH COMMITTEE ADOPTS 37-ITEM WORK PROGRAMME FOR NEW SESSION

At its second meeting of the fifty-first session, the Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon elected Syed Rafiqul Alom (Bangladesh) and Klaus-Dieter Stein (Germany) as its two Vice-Chairmen. They were nominated respectively by the Groups of Asian States and of Western European and other States. Igor V. Goumenny (Ukraine), nominated by the Group of Eastern European States, was elected Rapporteur.

The Committee also adopted its 37-item programme of work for the fifty- first session.

The Chairman of the Committee, Ngoni Francis Sengwe (Zimbabwe), said the Committee would begin its substantive work on Monday, 7 October, with a two-week debate on the scale of assessments for apportioning the Organization's expenses. At that meeting, the Committee would also take up the financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO); the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia; the United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH); the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL); and, a new item, the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH).

The following week, on Tuesday, 15 October, the Committee would begin considering three items: the 1996-1997 budget of the Organization, pattern of conferences and human resources management. The Committee's debate on a major item of the fifty-first session, programme planning, which includes the 1998-2001 medium-term plan, would begin on Monday 21 October and continue for three weeks. The review of the efficiency of the Organization's administrative and financial functioning would begin during the same week.

After a lengthy discussion on its consideration of the medium-term plan, the Committee agreed that its Chairman should write to his Main Committee counterparts to obtain the input of those Committees on the medium-term plan. (The 1998-2001 medium-term plan is the Organization's strategic document designed to enable the United Nations to address major global trends and

problems that might persist into the next millennium. Its 25 chapters, which in general correspond to sections of the United Nations budget, represent the Secretariat's proposed response to the challenges to be faced.)

Beginning on 1 November, the Committee would to take up the United Nations common system and the pension system. Financial statements and Board of Auditors reports would be considered from 4 November. Elections and appointments to subsidiary organs of the Assembly would be discussed on Friday 8 November. The outline of the proposed 1998-1999 budget would be debated towards the end of November.

The Committee would be apprised periodically by the Under-Secretary- General for Administration and Management on the Organization's current financial situation, another agenda item. The Committee would consider only thematic reports of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) during this session even though the item, the JIU, would not be taken up at this session, in accordance with the Committee's biennial programme of work.

Other items on the Committee's agenda are: the 1994-1995 programme budget; administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); the financing of all other peace-keeping operations and the international criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia; administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations; the Secretary- General's report on the office of Internal Oversight Services; and the report of the Economic and Social Council.

The United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu, informed the Committee that the implementation of new mandates, which should be absorbed under the 1996-1997 programme budget, had not led to over-expenditure in the budget. However, the Secretary-General would provide a more meaningful picture in the context of the first performance report on the budget. On the issue of involuntary separation of staff in the context of the 1996-1997 budget, he said he would report on the efforts being made to place the staff concerned.

The Committee meets again at 3 p.m., Monday, 7 October, to begin its substantive work.

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Fifth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/AB/3088 2nd Meeting (PM) 23 September 1996

GAAB3088