FIFTH COMMITTEE HEARS CALL FOR INCREASED ODA TO AFRICA

Press Release
GA/AB/3106

FIFTH COMMITTEE HEARS CALL FOR INCREASED ODA TO AFRICA

The international community should increase its official development assistance (ODA) to Africa and strengthen the United Nations capacity to implement the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this afternoon as it continued discussing the programmes in the proposed medium- term plan for 1998-2001.

The representative of Namibia made that suggestion as the Committee discussed programme 6 (Africa: new agenda for development), which he endorsed. The international community should also increase support for the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) which was mandated to monitor and follow up on the implementation of programmes for Africa's development, he added.

Speaking on programme 7 (Economic and social information and policy analysis), the representative of Ireland, on behalf of the European Union and other States, called for better coordination between the United Nations and other statistics-producing intergovernmental organizations in order to avoid duplication of work, harmonize work methods and produce more reliable information.

Statements on the programmes in the medium-term plan were made by the representatives of Mexico, Libya and Cuba.

Earlier in the meeting, several delegations, including Costa Rica, speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, proposed that the debate on the budget-cutting proposals should not be closed until the Secretariat provided written answers to their questions on the Efficiency Board, efficiency measures, staff reductions and other budgetary issues.

Statements were made by the representatives of Cuba, Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, Uganda, Germany, Canada and Colombia.

The United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu, responded to the statements made by Member States during the debate on the savings.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 5 November, to take up financial statements and reports of the Board of Auditors and conclude its debate on human resources management.

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Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue discussing the savings from the 1996-1997 programme budget and the proposed medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. It was expected to take up the following programmes of the medium-term plan: programme 5 (Policy coordination and sustainable development); programme 6 (Africa: new agenda for development); programme 7 (Economic and social information and policy analysis); and programme 8 (Development support and management services). (For details of the 25 programmes of the medium-term plan, see Press Release GA/AB/3096 of 21 October.)

For its consideration of the proposed medium-term plan, the Committee has before it a comprehensive document (document A/51/6) which includes two forward-looking policy documents -- the Perspective and the Note -- which provide analyses of persistent international problems, challenges and emerging trends that need to be addressed by the international community in the next four years, as well as the role and the priorities of the Organization. The proposed medium-term plan also includes the outlines of 25 programmes in the form of fascicles (document A/51/6-fascicles).

The Committee has also before it the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) (document A/51/16-Part I) on the first part of its thirty-sixth session, which contains the outcome of the Committee's consideration of programme planning, coordination questions and reports of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU). Part II of the report contains the recommendations of the second part of the Committee's thirty-sixth session, held from 26 August to 6 September. The report reviews the 25 programmes of the proposed medium-term plan.

The programmes in the medium-term plan cover a period of four years and are presented along sectoral lines. Each programme consists of a short narrative which identifies the mandates that provide overall direction for the programme and which, therefore, govern the overall work of the responsible department/office. It describes the broad approach of the department/office in carrying out the work and the results that are expected to be achieved in pursuance of the mandates. Each programme contains subprogrammes which would cover an area of activity entrusted to a major organizational unit within a department or office. It identifies the objectives and expected results that are expected to be achieved at the end of four years. (For details of the 25 programmes of the medium-term plan, see Press Release GA/AB/3096 of 21 October.)

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Programme 5 -- Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development

The programme contains the following four subprogrammes: 5.1 -- Policy coordination and inter-agency cooperation; 5.2 -- Advancement of women; 5.3 -- Social development; and 5.4 -- Sustainable development. The overall orientation of the programme is to facilitate better integration and coordination of the work of the United Nations in the economic and social spheres by providing support to the central policy-making bodies and coordination processes on the various aspects of development. The Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development has the responsibility for implementing the programme.

The CPC recommended approval by the Assembly of programme 5 with a number of modifications. Two paragraphs are replaced by new texts: 5.5 (c), on the Organization serving as a focal point for the non-governmental organizations; and 5.9 (c), on strengthening participation and cooperation among all social development actors. Two new subparagraphs are added to paragraph 5.9, on the multi-year programme of work on the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development, and to 5.11 (f), on the work programme of the Division for Sustainable Development regarding the economic and social dimensions of sustainability.

Programme 6 -- Africa: New Agenda for Development

The programme contains the following three subprogrammes: 6.1 -- Mobilization of international support and global coordination; 6.2 -- Monitoring, assessment and follow-up to the implementation of action programmes for African development; and 6.3 -- The campaign for global awareness of the critical economic situation in Africa. The general orientation of the programme is to mobilize the support and galvanize the efforts of the international community for African development; to ensure that African development remains one of the priorities of the international community; to promote a supportive framework for African development efforts; and to promote a coordinated and effective response by the United Nations system at the policy and operational levels in support of African development. The programme will be the joint responsibility of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The CPC recommended approval of programme 6 -- Africa: New Agenda for Development, subject to the addition at the end of paragraph 6.2 of the following text: "Furthermore, the document entitled `Relaunching Africa's economic and social development: the Cairo Agenda for Action', taken note of by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/160 of 22 December 1995, not only focused on what Africa could do for itself, but also reaffirmed the

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invaluable contribution the international community could make to Africa's recovery and development."

In their discussion, Committee members were of the view that the commitments and programme priorities contained in the New Agenda were not adequately reflected in the programme narrative. Others considered that the programme had an imbalanced focus on international community efforts and did not adequately address how the programme would support or encourage national efforts of African States. There was the view that issues related to financial resources, transfer of technology and external debt should be reflected in the programme narrative.

Programme 7 -- Economic/Social Information, Policy Analysis

Programme 7 (Economic and social information and policy analysis) contains the following four subprogrammes: 7.1 -- Statistics; 7.2 -- Population; 7.3 -- Global development trends, issues and policies; and 7.4 -- Global approaches to social and micro-economic issues and policies. The general orientation of that programme is the promotion of an integrated approach to economic, social and environmental aspects of development, including the elaboration of perspectives that will provide for sustainable, equitable and participatory development. The programme will also develop and promote a coordinated approach to key policy issues. It will assist governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and others interested in determining development priorities at the international, national and local levels, and will contribute to devising policies and measures aimed at fulfilling them. The Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis will be responsible for the programme's implementation.

The CPC recommended approval by the General Assembly of Programme 7 with some modifications.

Programme 8 -- Development Support and Management Services

The programme contains two subprogrammes: 8.1 -- Public administration and development management; and 8.2 -- Environment and social development management. The overall orientation of the programme is to enhance and support, through technical cooperation, the national efforts of Member States, in particular developing countries and the least developed among them, as well as economies in transition, to build their human and institutional capabilities and infrastructures to formulate and effectively implement economic and social policies that will contribute to sustainable, people- centred development and the eradication of poverty. The programme is under the responsibility of the Department for Development Support and Management Services.

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The CPC recommended approval of programme 8 (Development support and management services) with a number of modifications, including replacing paragraph 8.5 by new text on improving efficiency of public institutions and administrative procedures administration.

Programme 10 (Environment)

The programme consists of the following five subprogrammes: 10.1 -- Sustainable human management and use of natural resources; 10.2 -- Sustainable production and consumption; 10.3 -- Better environment for human health and well-being; 10.4 -- Handling globalization and the environment; and 10.5 -- Global and regional servicing and support. The programme's overall orientation is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has responsibility for the programme. Its broad approach will focus primarily on developing and promoting assessments, analysing and advising on policy options and assisting in the formulation of management strategies.

The CPC recommended approval by the General Assembly of programme 10 (Environment) with a number of modifications.

Statements on Proposed Savings from 1996-1997 Budget

NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica) said that the "Group of 77" developing countries and China had received a paper from the Secretariat which did not contain sufficient answers to the questions that had been asked by the delegations she spoke for. She had sought specific information, and what the Secretariat had submitted was not sufficient. Until the Secretariat provided the information sought by the Group, the discussions on the agenda item should remain open.

NORMA GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said she supported the request from the representative of Costa Rica. Cuba had spoken in detail on the item and would not repeat its views. She recalled that the normal procedure was for the Secretariat and delegations to cooperate with each other. She felt she had to depart from the procedure because she was very dissatisfied with the paper distributed on the efficiency and programmes questions. Cuba would not accept the replies that had been given in response to the specific questions that had been asked. The savings exercise had implications for the future of the Organization. She did not agree that some items were the prerogatives of the Secretary-General. While the management of vacancy rates fell to the Secretariat, the decisions on the level of vacancy rates fell to the General

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Assembly. She supported the suggestion that the debate on the budget cuts not be concluded today. There should be a true reply to the requests of Member States.

AMMAR AMARI (Tunisia) supported the statement by Costa Rica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. He regretted the fact that the questions which had been asked in detail by the Group of 77 and China had not been answered adequately. Until the Fifth Committee received satisfactory answers, the question should remain open.

DJAMMEL MOKTEFI (Algeria) expressed the same sentiments on the documents that had been circulated in the conference room this morning. He supported the statement of the Group of 77, Cuba and Tunisia.

MORTEZA MIRMOHAMED (Iran) said he shared the concerns of Costa Rica. His own follow-up questions, too, had not been answered. The Secretariat responses were crucial to further consideration of the agenda item.

Ms. GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said that replies in writing had been sought and they should be provided.

YUKIO TAKASU, United Nations Controller, said that the Secretariat had provided two notes on the savings and efficiency measures. The information sought fell under three categories. Some of the information sought, such as those on where the cuts would fall and their impact, had been contained in part II of document A/C.5/50/57/Add.1. The savings proposals were made by the Secretary-General, not intergovernmental bodies. It would be more productive to provide some of the information in informal consultations. The funding of the additional mandates would be discussed in the forthcoming performance report on the budget. On the mitigating effect of the efficiency measures, the Secretariat had provided brief answers. On posts, he said that information on the transfer of staff from the regular budget to extrabudgetary funds was not readily available. They had to be collated from various parts of the United Nations system.

As for the questions by the representative of Iran, he said that the specific information would be provided on each budget section, when that matter came up. On the regional commissions, he said that the Secretary- General's report provided a comparison on the proposed cuts from all of them. The staff cuts proposed for the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) was 6.5 per cent, which was higher than those of other commissions, except the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

Ms. GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said she was satisfied with the assurances given by the Controller that a document would be prepared and would address all the questions raised by the representative of Costa Rica. Referring to

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statements by the Secretariat that a set of activities had been cut, deferred or postponed by decisions made by programme managers and the Secretary- General, she wanted to know the bases for such decisions. In that connection, she asked how did the evaluation process by programme managers function. She referred to a report of the Board of Auditors on the programme managers evaluation process in the bienniums 1992-1993 and 1994-1995 which had stated that managers' evaluation had only been carried out on a limited number of programmes. She therefore called on the Secretariat to elaborate on the bases for the budgetary cuts since the Fifth Committee had been told repeatedly that the programme managers had made the recommendations -- which should have been made on the basis of programme evaluation.

NESTAR ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said he associated with the views of the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China and others of that Group. He awaited the answers to the questions asked. However, he was concerned about the issue of the Efficiency Board. It was noted that on some issues the Secretariat had its mind set, regardless of the views of Member States. Despite that, Member States would continue to request what they needed. However, his delegation looked forward to the improvement of cooperation between Member States and the Secretariat.

He would find it very difficult to enter into negotiations on the Efficiency Board when the Committee would receive a document on its performance, he said. The Board had been put in place to assist the Secretary-General to run the Organization. Stressing that "all of us know the history of the Efficiency Board", he said it was the Secretary-General's prerogative to establish it but Member States would only consider "the Secretary-General's report on the Board", he added. Questions such as the Board's mandate had to be considered by the Fifth Committee, if the Board was doing a job on behalf of the Secretary-General. "That had been our position from day one."

The Fifth Committee had been informed that the Board would be run at no cost to the Organization, he continued. The Controller therefore should inform on whether the Board was not expending any funds "in real terms", even in areas such as office space and telephones. Where was the money coming from, how was it accounted for and who was contributing to the Board's budget? he asked. He also asked for information on the contractual status of personnel working with the Board. He reiterated that until such time as there was an Assembly mandate establishing it, matters relating to the Efficiency Board could not be considered by the Fifth Committee.

Mr. AMMARI (Tunisia) said that the questions raised in formal meetings by the Group of 77 and China -- which included 132 Member States -- should be taken seriously. Mr. Takasu himself had acknowledged that the Group's

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questions had not been answered fully. The agenda item should remain open as long as the appropriate answers were not given in writing.

Ms. INCERA (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said the replies to the Group's questions should be submitted in writing, with detailed information. It was extremely important to have those replies before informal consultations started on the proposed cuts from the budget.

As the representative of Costa Rica, she wanted to know the names and nationalities of those working for the Efficiency Board. She asked for information on the fund which might have been set up to finance the Board, the amount and which countries contributed to it.

WOLFGANG STOCKL (Germany) said he did not share Cuba's view that the Secretary-General was bound by the mandated vacancy rates. Those rates were a minimum he had to achieve. However, if he could attain higher rates, for instance, through attrition, that was his prerogative. The structure of the Organization looked more like an apple or a pear than a pyramid. The vacancy rates should not affect lower Professional levels disproportionately.

Ms. GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said that, while there was no doubt that the Secretary-General had the prerogative to manage vacancy rates, the Assembly was to determine those rates. The question of vacancy rate must enjoy the support of Member States since it had budgetary implications. Information was lacking from the Secretary-General's report on a set of posts that were agreed to in the process of the budget negotiations. She asked why those posts had not yet been filled, 10 months after the budget's adoption.

SAM HANSON (Canada) said that his delegation had made it clear that the vacancy rate was a management tool and a target average to be reached over the course of the 1996-1997 biennium. Germany, too, had expressed similar views. It was difficult to understand the implicit suggestions being made that the vacancy rate was an absolute ceiling. "If a person came to the Office of Human Resources Management and asked to retire, would the Office decline that request because the retirement would exceed the vacancy rate", he asked. The United Nations Charter had given the Secretary-General some responsibilities, which he should be allowed to exercise unless the Charter was amended.

AURELIO IRAGORRI (Colombia) said that, in some circumstances the vacancy rate could be seen as an administrative tool. But when it was used in financial planning, it was no longer a prerogative of the Secretary-General or an administrative tool.

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Ms. GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said she would like to agree with the views of Canada that the Secretary-General was the chief administrative officer of the Organization. However, by resolution 50/214, the Assembly had set particular vacancy rates for Professional and General Service staff. Given the way the rates were adopted and their relation to the budget, they could only be changed by the Assembly. The Secretariat should tell the Committee in greater detail the number of staff that would be affected by the use of attrition, enforcement of retirement and involuntary separation of staff. It should explain the financial implications of the vacancy rates.

MORTEZA MIRMOHAMMAD (Iran) said that the question of the vacancy rate had been discussed in the context of the 1995-1996 budget. The proposals did not require the Secretary-General to have a higher vacancy rate. Decisions on moving beyond the established rate should be done in the context of the budget resolution 50/214. He agreed with the representative of Cuba on the issues she raised and awaited the responses to those questions.

NGONI FRANCIS SENGWE, Fifth Committee Chairman, said, as a result of the issues raised by delegations, the agenda item on the 1996-1997 programme budget would be open until the information was received from the Secretariat.

Statement on Proposed Medium-term Plan

Speaking on programme 6 (Africa: new agenda for development) MARTIN ANDJABA (Namibia) stressed the importance of development programmes to the developing countries, especially Africa. African countries had time and time again reaffirmed that the region's development was first and foremost the responsibility of Africans. The unanimous adoption in 1991 of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s had been a recognition of Africa's continued efforts to forge its development process as well as the enhanced need for partnership between Africa and the international community for the social and economic development of Africa.

However, he said, Africa could not achieve development without the full support of the international community, particularly with regard to the increase in financial flows to the continent and to the ECA which was mandated to monitor, assess and follow up on the implementation of programmes for Africa's development. It was important that the DPI be provided with adequate resources as well to promote global awareness of Africa's critical economic situation and the efforts of African countries themselves.

He called on the donor community to increase its official development assistance (ODA) to Africa. Referring to the recently held mid-term review on the implementation of the New Agenda, and programmes such as the System-wide Plan of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development and the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa as complementary programmes,

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he said there was need to strengthen the institutional capacity for the New Agenda's implementation and for the coordination of the follow-up. He therefore endorsed programme 6 as proposed by the Secretary-General and amended by the CPC.

Statements on Proposed Medium-term Plan -- Programme 7 (Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis)

Speaking on programme 7 (Economic and social information and policy analysis, PATRICK KELLY (Ireland), on behalf of the European Union as well as Latvia, Poland and Slovakia, said he had noted a great deal of similarity between subprogrammes 7.3 -- Global development trends, issues and polices and 7.4 -- Global approaches to social and micro-economic issues and policies. There was scope for rationalizing those subprogrammes. The European Union agreed with the five main objectives of subprogramme 7.1 -- Statistics, for which the Statistical Division was responsible. He asked why the need for better coordination and cooperation between the United Nations and other statistics-producing intergovernmental organizations had not been clearly identified. Such action would avoid overlapping and duplication of work and harmonize methods for data gathering for statistics which would make them more reliable and transparent. The European Union believed there was also scope for appropriate intergovernmental review in order to determine the continuing relevance of a number of mandates cited as the legislative basis for various subprogrammes.

MARTA PENA (Mexico) said she supported and endorsed the CPC's recommendations on programme 7.

IBRAHIM ELMONTASSER (Libya) said programme 7 should address the question of a non-discriminatory trade system and the transfer of technology. Regarding subprogramme 7.4 -- on global approaches to social and micro- economic issues and policies, he said the effect of coercive measures taken unilaterally had to be taken into account in the subprogramme.

Speaking on programme 8 (Development support and management services, Ms. PENA (Mexico) said she supported the CPC's recommendations on that programme, which should be included in the draft resolution on the programme.

Mr. KELLY (Ireland), also speaking for the European Union and Latvia, Poland and Slovakia, said that some reference should be made in the programme to the outcome of the Assembly's special session on public administration and development, held last April, and how the Department for Development Support and Management Services was planning to focus its activities in the areas identified in resolution 50/225. There was a case for reviewing the scope of subprogramme 8.2 -- Environment and social development management -- in the light of subprogramme 5.3 -- Social development -- and executed by the

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Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, in order to avoid any possible duplication of activity.

DULCE BUERGO (Cuba) reserved the right to make detailed statements after receiving the input of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial). However, she could, in principle, support programme 8 (Development support and management services) and the conclusions of the CPC at its last session.

Statements on Programme 10 -- Environment

Speaking on programme 10 (Environment), Ms. PENA (Mexico) accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the CPC on that programme, adding that they should be included in a draft resolution concerning the programme.

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