SANCTIONS, EXTERNAL DEBT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING STATES' DUES, FIFTH COMMITTEE TOLD

16 October 1996

Press Release
GA/AB/3094

SANCTIONS, EXTERNAL DEBT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING STATES' DUES, FIFTH COMMITTEE TOLD

19961016 Debates on Assessments, Pattern of Conferences and Budget Cuts Continue

Economic sanctions and coercive measures which affected some Member States' capacity to pay their dues to the United Nations should be considered by the Committee on Contributions in determining the scale of assessments, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this morning as it continued debating the scale of contributions to the Organization.

The Committee also began discussing the Secretary-General's proposals on the savings from the 1996-1997 regular budget and issues related to the pattern of conferences.

Speaking on the scale of assessments, the representative of Libya said sanctions had resulted in losses to his country of $18 billion from 1992 to 1995, in addition to their human and psychological impacts. Furthermore, his Government also faced problems of acquiring foreign currency to pay its dues to the United Nations and other organizations as a result of the economic sanctions imposed on Libya.

Brazil's representative emphasized that the external debt burden adjustment should be maintained as an integral part of the scale methodology. The negative impact of external debt on Member States' capacity to pay could not be denied. Brazil spoke on behalf of the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR) and associated States.

The scale's contradictions and distortions as well as other factors, such as cross-funding at the expense of troop contributors -- which were mainly developing countries -- should be corrected to strengthen the Organization's financial base, the representative of Nepal said.

The representative of Papua New Guinea said that the scale's floor rate had led to a serious departure from the principle of capacity to pay for some

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small developing countries and should be lowered to 0.001 per cent. The reduction was vital not only for developing countries with small economies, but also to a large number of small island developing nations and least developed countries.

Statements on the scale of assessments were also made by the representatives of Sudan, Jamaica, Nigeria, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ghana, Benin and Kuwait.

Speaking on the Secretary-General's proposals on the savings from the 1996-1997 programme budget, the representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said he agreed with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) that the Organization's programmes should be reviewed in order to avoid a general deterioration in those programmes and any adverse effect on the priorities of the United Nations. That review should be part of the forthcoming discussions on the draft 1998-2000 medium-term plan.

As one of two speakers on the question of pattern of conferences, Singapore's representative demanded that the Secretariat should serve all Member States impartially and should not try to suppress views it did not agree with from its reports. Citing specific instances of what he termed professional impropriety and incompetence, he said that appropriate action should be taken against the officials concerned. Otherwise, Singapore would find it hard to support pay increases for Secretariat staff.

Speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, the representative of Bolivia said he was astonished that informal meetings had been electronically recorded. Such action would adversely affect the trust that existed among delegations and their dialogue. He called on the Secretariat to submit all information on such recordings.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 18 October, to continue debating the scale of assessments, the 1996-1997 budget and pattern of conferences.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to continue its consideration of the scale of assessments for apportioning the Organization's expenses among Member States and to begin its general discussion on the 1996-1997 programme budget and pattern of conferences.

On the scale of assessments, the Committee had before it the report of the Committee on Contributions (document A/51/11 and Add.2). Regarding the 1996-1997 programme budget, the Committee will discuss the Secretary-General's interim reports on measures to save $154 million from the biennium's budget (document A/C.5/50/57 and Add.1), as well as the reports of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the savings proposed by the Secretary-General (document A/50/7/Add.16 and A/51/7/Add.1). (For background on the scale of assessments and the reports on the 1996-1997 programme budget, see Press Releases GA/AB/3089 of 7 October and GA/AB/3093 of 15 October, respectively.)

Under the item pattern of conferences, the Committee will take up the report of the Committee on Conferences (document A/51/32 and Add.1) and two reports of the Secretary-General: one, on measures to enhance utilization of conference services (document A/51/253) and the other, on control and limitation of documentation (document A/51/268). It will also consider two letters, one from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences and the other from the Permanent Representative of Cuba. (For background on pattern of conferences, see Press Release GA/AB/3093 of 15 October.)

Statements on Scale of Assessments

LEYLA OMER BASHIER (Sudan) said Member States' failure to honour their financial commitments to the United Nations was the main impediment to the Organization's ability to carry out its responsibility to least developed countries. The scale of assessments must be based on the principle of capacity to pay as the key element in apportioning the Organization's expenses. General economic conditions and economic changes affected Member States' capacity to pay. There must be fairness in considering those factors when determining capacity to pay. Consideration of the gross national product (GNP) alone was insufficient. Per capita income and a six-year base period should also be taken into account, as well as the market exchange rates and the debt adjustment burden. The scale's ceiling and floor rates were inconsistent with the principle of capacity to pay.

IBRAHIM ELMONTASER (Libya) said the principle of capacity to pay was a basic factor in determining the scale of assessments. During the current session, the Fifth Committee's main task was to reach agreement on the elements of the scale methodology for determining the next scale of assessments. The Committee should avoid linking that issue to any other

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matters. To do so would only add to the complexity of their basic job and might even impede agreement. Noting that the Committee on Contributions had not reached agreement on many of the elements of the scale methodology, he said that Committee was the right forum mandated to determine assessments. However, its members should be reminded that they had been elected as experts and not as country representatives. They should not have political affiliations or consider their countries' interest when considering the scale methodology.

The ceiling was one of the distorting factors in the current scale methodology whose adverse consequences were borne by developing countries, he continued. It was time to consider its abolition. The Committee should reach an agreement on a statistical base period which was neither too short nor too long. He appealed to the Committee on Contributions to consider all factors which affected the capacity to pay, such as economic sanctions and coercive measures imposed by certain Member States on other countries. Libya was a victim of such sanctions which had resulted in material losses in the amount of $18 billion from 1992 to 1995, in addition to human and psychological losses.

Libya also faced the problem of rates of exchange when making currency transactions to pay its contributions to the United Nations and other organizations, he said. That was also due to the economic sanctions imposed on his country by the United States. The country was unable to change its currency directly into United States dollars. It had to change its currency first into other international currencies and, subsequently, into dollars, resulting in losses. The Committee on Contributions should come to an agreement to a more realistic scale of assessments by removing the distorting factors. Double standards should not be applied when considering Member States' requests for exemption of the provision of Article 19 of the United Nations Charter and for exercising the right to vote. The Committee's opinion should apply only to the technical aspects of the scale and be free from political considerations.

SHEILA SEALY MONTEITH (Jamaica) said that changes in the scale of assessments would not affect the financial situation if Member States did not pay their dues on time. She agreed with the view of the Committee on Contributions that there should be some stability, but not rigidity, in the scale methodology. The principle of capacity to pay should remain the fundamental criterion for determining assessments. For the scale to be fair and equitable, it should be based on estimates of national income, taking into account the effects of various adjustments. The debt burden adjustment, for instance, should continue to be used in determining Member States' capacity to pay. The low per capita income should remain a part of the scale methodology.

The representative said that the floor rate of assessments had led to a serious departure from the principle of capacity to pay for many small

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developing countries. Therefore, any change in the scale should consider the situation of those nations and should not prolong the burden on them. It should fairly represent their true capacity to pay, and the recommendations of the Committee on Contributions in that regard were worthy of consideration.

HENRIQUE VALLE (Brazil), speaking on behalf of the member countries of the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR) (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay), with Bolivia and Chile joining the statement, associated those nations with the statements by the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, and by the Rio Group. The financial problems of the United Nations could only be resolved when Member States paid their contributions in full, on time and without conditions. The current scale of assessments for the peace- keeping budgets should be maintained and institutionalized, given the varying responsibilities of the various States in maintaining international peace and security.

The representative said that GNP was an appropriate means of measuring capacity to pay. It should, however, be seen as a starting point in determining the capacity to pay, adjusted by other factors to ensure a fairer methodology. The statistical base period should be adjusted to nine years. A short base period in economies with great fluctuations in a relatively short time would not adequately reflect actual capacity to pay. Only comparisons over a longer period would allow for a more accurate consideration of all variables of an economy. The countries of MERCOSUR regarded the use of market exchange rates as most appropriate for converting national income figures. Some adjustments could be made for countries where the change of internal prices could distort their capacity to pay.

The negative effect of external debt should not be ignored, he stressed. In 1995, for example, the total external debt of the MERCOSUR countries was $300 billion. For some of them, their share represented more than 400 per cent of their total export incomes or up to 60 per cent of GNP. The magnitude of the figures denied the arguments intended to minimize the importance of the impact of debt on the real capacity to pay. The low per capita income should remain a component of the scale methodology. The floor rate should be substantially lowered. However, that should not cause a substantial and sudden increase for other developing or least developed countries that paid the current floor rate. The ceiling should not be lowered further. The scheme of limits should be eliminated for the period 1998-2000, as stated by General Assembly resolution 48/223 B. However, there should be no more than a 15 per cent increase in the rates of developing countries, as a result of the scheme's elimination.

ISAAC E. AYEWAH (Nigeria) expressed his delegation's belief that it was wrong to determine the scale of assessments on the basis of national income alone. The socio-economic factors of Member States should also be retained and their importance taken into consideration. Nigeria subscribed to the

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continued use of the debt-burden adjustment in calculating the scale of assessments. Debt burden, which continued to be a significant burden on many developing countries, remained a necessary step in determining the capacity to pay of Member States.

The representative said that the floor rate of the scale of assessments should be lowered even further since it had led to a serious departure from the principle of capacity to pay for some smaller countries. It also placed excessive burdens on some nations, which were forced to pay more than their share of world income. Nigeria would not support the lowering of the ceiling rate.

He expressed regret that those on whom the United Nations Charter had conferred a privileged status and who had gained the most from their United Nations membership were, in fact, mostly responsible for its current financial problem. Nigeria, for its part, had paid its dues to both the regular and peace-keeping budgets for 1996. All States should do so.

ALYAKSANDR SYCHOU (Belarus) said that the scale of assessments had not become simpler since 1946. There were various causes for the current financial crisis, which included the non-payment of dues and the lack of clarity in the scale of assessments. The scale should be flexible enough to reflect the current changes in many economies of the world. Belarus had experienced an unfair scale of assessments, which had led to its accumulation of arrears, especially at a time when many peace-keeping operations were approved. Some of his country's problems had been appreciated by others. For instance, Belarus was being moved gradually from Group (b) to Group (c) for the purposes of peace-keeping assessments.

[Note: The United Nations membership is divided into four groups for apportioning peace-keeping expenses. Those in Group (d) are specifically named economically less developed Member States that would pay one tenth of their regular budget assessment rates. Countries in Group (c) are economically less developed States which would pay one fifth. In Group (b) are specifically named economically developed States which are not permanent Security Council members and would pay 100 per cent. Those in Group (a) are the permanent Council members which would pay 100 per cent plus what is left unapportioned.]

He called for a complete phase-out of the scheme of limits as from 1998 in order to allow Belarus to be assessed in accordance to its capacity to pay. The floor rate should be reduced to 0.001 per cent to show Member States' willingness to eliminate factors that adversely affected many countries. The ceiling should not be lowered further. Any new system for determining the scale should take into account the issues of indebtedness and include the low per capita income formula. The statistical base period, which had fluctuated from one year to 10 in the past, should be set at three years. The market

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exchange rates should be used to convert national incomes. When debt adjustment was used in determining assessments, it should be based on the actual payment of interest. Despite its problems, Belarus had paid about $3 million recently to the United Nations.

ABDULRAHMAN GDAIA (Saudi Arabia) said he had noted the difficult conditions faced by developing countries regarding the scale of assessments. The principle of capacity to pay was the most important criterion for determining Member States' assessments. Welcoming the lowering of the scale's floor rate to 0.001 per cent, he said that it would not affect other Member States' contributions. The lower rate would ensure fairness and equity.

Fundamental changes in the international economic environment had had both positive and negative impacts, including on the United Nations, he said. In that context, Member States must have the political will to fulfil their financial obligations in full and on time. The financial crisis was due to some Member States' failure to pay their dues and not to the scale methodology. As a founding State of the United Nations, his country had never failed to pay its dues, nor failed to fulfil its commitments to the Organization, despite the financial difficulties it had faced since the Persian Gulf War. The Saudi delegation would cooperate with the members of the Fifth Committee to reach an agreement on the scale methodology in the interest of all States.

SOLIMAN AWAAD (Egypt) said the Organization's financial crisis was a political crisis which emanated from the failure of the major contributors to pay their assessment and the delay of some Member States to pay their dues in full and on time. There was no linkage between the determination of the scale of assessments and the financial crisis. Egypt was not in arrears to the Organization. He would accept only some minor changes in the scale of assessments which took account of genuine problems faced by developing countries. He could not go beyond that, nor would he accept any substantial or fundamental changes in a system that had been established over decades.

Stressing that there was no genuine will to resolve the financial crisis, he said the tendency to impose conditions on the Organization before payment of dues was cause for concern. Such conditions were premature in the wake of the inconclusive discussions of the General Assembly's high-level working group on the Organization's financial situation.

Most of the recommendations of the Committee on Contributions were acceptable, he continued. The principle of capacity to pay remained the fundamental criterion and the main component of the scale methodology. The statistical base period should be six years. The GNP must be used to measure income without changing the lower per capita income adjustment. The latter factor must be studied further. The World Bank should be the source for debt data. The mitigation factor -- whereby the assessment of countries facing

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exceptional difficulties was further cut at the discretion of the Committee on Contributions -- should continue to be used as a factor to determine assessments. The floor rate should be lowered. The ceiling rate should be implemented in a practical manner since it caused additional financial burden and ran counter to the principle of capacity to pay. Fundamental changes in the scale methodology had already been made in the past in the base period and the scheme of limits.

KEDAR BHAKTA SHRESTHA, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, said the Committee on Contributions had been largely successful in proposing many adjustments in the scale methodology, while taking account of the need to base the methodology on reliable, verifiable and comparable data. The capacity to pay should remain the fundamental criterion for apportioning the Organization's expenses. The scale's contradictions and distortions and other factors, such as cross-funding at the cost of troop contributors which were mainly from developing countries, should be corrected to strengthen the Organization's financial base. A mechanism should be developed to ensure that countries pay their dues on time and in full. However, political will and Member States' commitment to do so was of paramount importance.

He welcomed the Committee on Contributions' recommendation to lower the scale's floor rate to 0.001 per cent. Smaller developing countries, especially the least developed countries, had shared the burden of disproportionate assessment for too long. The Assembly should implement the recommendation of the lowering of the scale's floor rate during the its fifty- first session.

JACK B. WILMOT (Ghana) said the United Nations financial crisis should be solved immediately. The Fifth Committee should direct its efforts to determining the scale of assessments methodology and establishing guidelines for the new scale for 1998-2000. The crisis was not due to the scale of assessments, but to the non-payment of dues. It was artificially created by Member States which unjustifiably and unilaterally refused to pay their assessments. Member States must pay their dues in full, on time and unconditionally. The Organization's expenses should be apportioned broadly according to the principle of capacity to pay.

He agreed with the Committee on Contributions' recommendation to use the GNP to calculate assessments. The base period should be shorter, but should reflect changes in the economies of developing countries to ensure precision in the scale. He had a preference for a base period of between six and nine years. Market exchange rates were the most accurate rates for making conversions for the purpose of comparing Member States' national incomes. The different economic situations of Member States should be taken into account in the scale methodology. The floor rate should be corrected as a matter of urgency. He was not convinced of the arguments to reduce the ceiling rate. Debt burden adjustment and its servicing must continue to be used in the scale methodology. The scale should be reflected in three decimal places.

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UTULA UTUOC SAMANA (Papua New Guinea) said that the floor rate of the scale of assessments had led to a serious departure from the principle of capacity to pay for some small developing countries. It should be lowered to 0.001 per cent. Reducing the rate to that level was vital not only for developing countries with small economies but also to a large number of small island developing nations and least-developed countries. The capacity to pay should ensure fairness and equity and should remain the fundamental criterion for assessing Member States. The Fifth Committee should lower the floor rate to reflect reality, fairness and equity.

ZACHARIE RICHARD AKPLOGAN (Benin) said that all Member States should pay their dues on time, in full and without conditions in order to alleviate the United Nations financial crisis. As for the scale itself, the floor rate should be lowered further. Lowering the ceiling rate, however, would run counter to the principle of capacity to pay. The reforms of the methodology should be global and should meet with consensus among Member States. The scale methodology should not be reformed along the lines sought by a minority of Member States. Regarding the United Nations financial crisis, he said that Benin had fully discharged its obligations to the Organization. Other nations should do so in order to ensure the success of the ongoing reforms.

ZIYAD MONAYAIR (Kuwait) said Kuwait had been paying its dues on time. The calculation of the scale of assessments could be made fairer and more equitable by considering a number of factors. For example, the statistical base period could be set in relation to what the Committee on Contributions deemed reasonable, in order to ensure stability. Also, the GNP could be used to reassess capacity to pay, the floor rate could be reduced to achieve a fairer scale, and the ceiling rate should not be changed. He supported the statement by Costa Rica's representative on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

There should be no increase in the rates of the developing countries, even if the floor rate was further lowered, he said. The Assembly had established the criteria that formed the basis of the work of the Committee on Contributions and asked it to make transparent scale calculations based on data that could be verified. The utmost objectivity should be applied to the calculation of the scale of assessments.

Statement on 1996-1997 Budget

PATRICK KELLY (Ireland) made a statement on behalf of the European Union, which was joined by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Norway. The European Union, he said, had noted the view of the ACABQ on the Secretary- General's proposals to reduce the budget. It shared the concern of the ACABQ that very little information had been available on the budgetary consequences of the Secretary-General's proposed cuts and on their impact on programmes.

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It also agreed with the ACABQ that the programmes should be reviewed in order to avoid a general deterioration in the programmes and priorities of the United Nations. The appropriate occasion for such a review would be the forthcoming discussions on the draft medium-term plan for the years 1998-2000.

The Union endorsed the comments of the ACABQ that the Secretariat should also undertake a critical review to identify outputs that had originated from within the Secretariat and those that had been specifically requested by the competent intergovernmental bodies, he said. It concurred with the comments of the ACABQ in paragraphs 32 and 33 of its report. [Note: Those paragraphs say, among other things, that the Secretary-General should have provided more detailed information on how specifically, and at what cost programmatically, the Secretariat's efficiency measures would mitigate cuts in mandated programmes. It appeared to the ACABQ that two separate and uncoordinated exercises were under way, one to effect budget reductions and the other to achieve efficiencies. Any link between them had not been apparent. The ACABQ was aware that the information that had served as the basis for many of the efficiency measures had been available prior to its completion of the review of the Secretary-General's report. Despite a request, the information had not been given to the ACABQ on time. The information could have helped the ACABQ analyse the Secretary-General's statements on the potential impact of efficiency measures.]

The representative said that, in terms of achieving the savings of $104 million for 1996-1997, it had been proved necessary for the Secretary- General to raise the vacancy rate above the level of 6.4 per cent set in Assembly resolution 50/214. The Union and associated States shared the concerns of the ACABQ on how the vacancies were being used to accommodate the costs of additional mandates. The Union was ready to deal with the issue of the new mandates in the context of the first performance report on the 1996-1997 budget to be issued later this year. The Secretariat should include a department-by-department breakdown of the funding basis for all United Nations staff -- both budgetary and extra-budgetary -- in that performance report.

Regarding the Union's overall attitude to the measures presented by the Secretary-General, he said that a thorough intergovernmental review of priorities and programmes should have preceded the setting of the savings target of $104 million. The Union had some reservations regarding some of the savings that conflicted with the Organization's priorities. Nevertheless, no one could avoid the implications of the Assembly's decision of last December. The Union, therefore, concurred with the ACABQ that the Secretary-General should update the estimates contained in his report in the context of the first performance report, to be submitted later in the year, and that the Assembly consider and approve revised appropriations at that time.

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Statements on Pattern of Conferences

EDGAR CAMACHO-OMISTE (Bolivia), speaking also on behalf of the Rio Group -- Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica (on behalf of Central American countries), Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela -- said he approved of the 1997 revised draft calendar of conferences. He urged the Secretariat to ensure efficient conference services while bearing in mind the reduction of resources. The Group was concerned at the low utilization factor. Consultations should be held with the chairmen of the relevant bodies to determine the reasons for the low utilization of the services. The optimum use of conference facilities reflected discipline and responsibility.

Regarding the provision of interpretation services for regional group meetings, he said such meetings were a valuable mechanism which facilitated the adoption of decisions by intergovernmental bodies. He was therefore concerned that as much as 35 per cent of such meetings had not been given interpretation. Priority must be given to Member States' needs for such services. On the other hand, there was a need for better planning by Member States to ensure their more efficient use. Acknowledging the importance of the financial implications of the use of conference services, he called for more information on those implications.

He said he awaited the result of the experiences of bodies that had changed their requirements for meeting reports. He urged the Secretariat to improve translation services in all languages, adding that language services must be given resources to ensure a high quality of service. The shortage of those resources was a matter of concern. Efficient conference services were of maximum importance since they had a direct impact on delegations' substantive work. There was a need for better analysis of the demand for conference services.

He went on to say that he was astonished that informal meetings had been electronically recorded. Such tapings were contradictory to the concept of informal consultations and the exchange of ideas between delegations and between the Secretariat and delegations. It also ran counter to the use of resources at a time when they were limited. He called on the Secretariat to submit information to the Fifth Committee on the following: the meetings, including the dates and times of such tapings; justification for such recordings; the reasons why Member States had not been informed of such tapings; and the use that was made of the tapes. In addition, he asked whether the tapes had been transcribed, sent to some specific office or division of the Secretariat or to specific Member States. If so, such action would adversely affect the trust that existed among delegations and would affect their dialogue. He complimented the professionalism of conference servicing staff, particularly for its work during the Assembly's Special Commemorative Meeting on the occasion of the United Nations fiftieth anniversary, and its work in the regional group meetings.

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HO TONG YEN (Singapore) drew attention to "procedural oddities" that had occurred at the session of the Expert Group Meeting on Violence against Women, held in Manila from 27 to 31 May. They had been ignored by the senior Secretariat official present, the Director of the Division for the Advancement of Women, Angela King. The first issue was the participation of non- governmental organizations.

The Chairman of the session, who, according to the representative, was ill-informed about United Nations procedures, had allowed non-governmental organizations to take part in substantive negotiations regardless of their status of accreditation. "The Secretariat did nothing to correct this", he said. The Secretariat had also offered no advice to Singapore when its delegation formally inquired about those organizations' status and privileges. It was only after it was pointed out that the statements of those non- governmental organizations could be disregarded on the grounds of non- compliance with rules of procedure that Ms. King conceded that only non- governmental organizations accredited as government representatives could speak.

On another occasion, he continued, an observer delegation was found speaking at a bureau meeting even though it did not belong to the bureau. Asked to explain why that had happened, Ms. King had "tried to gloss over this procedural impropriety by inviting Singapore to attend the meeting as well", he added. She had, however, refused to invite other observers to the meeting, he said. Singapore was appalled by the breach of transparency in a United Nations meeting, which had been condoned or perpetrated by a Secretariat staff who should be loyal to the entire United Nations membership.

After the Expert Group session, he said, his delegation had continued to encounter problems with Ms. King over the report from the Group to the Economic and Social Council. She had distorted, misrepresented, and in some cases, omitted the reservations Singapore had expressed at the meeting. That was rectified only after the matter had been brought to the attention of the Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Nitin Desai. However, earlier in October, Singapore discovered that the same mistakes had been repeated in the advance copy of the Secretary-General's report on violence against women migrant workers, with Ms. King claiming that they had been caused by a computer error.

He questioned that view, calling the mistake, at best, "a sorry reflection on the competence of the Division for the Advancement of Women". Ms. King had also been reluctant to amend the report to show that there had been no unanimity within the Expert Group and that the recommendations had been made with serious reservations from at least one of the experts, he continued. She claimed that she could not accept amendments because they had been proposed after a deadline set by the Office of Conferences and Support Services. The Assistant Secretary-General for Conferences and Support

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Services, Benon Sevan, had said that that was not true and that further amendments could be made to the report. It was only then that Ms. King agreed reluctantly to include Singapore's amendments. "One mistake can be attributed to human error", he said. "However, several identical mistakes and a lie on a sensitive issue like this suggests either systematic bias or gross incompetence unworthy of international civil servants."

He added that the Secretariat should not try to suppress views it did not agree with or to mislead any Member State. Its staff should serve all Member States and guide them on the rules of United Nations conferences. There were ample grounds for a formal complaint against Ms. King on the basis of professional impropriety and incompetence. Unless action was taken to redress incompetence among Secretariat officials, Singapore would find it hard to support recommendations for an increase in the pay of Secretariat staff.

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