FIFTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD TO QUESTION MOTIVES OF COUNTRIES WHICH, DESPITE DUES ARREARS, LEND PERSONNEL TO UNITED NATIONS

13 November 1996

Press Release
GA/AB/3113

FIFTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD TO QUESTION MOTIVES OF COUNTRIES WHICH, DESPITE DUES ARREARS, LEND PERSONNEL TO UNITED NATIONS

19961113 China Says Developing Countries at Disadvantage; United States Responds that Objective Is Just to Help Peace-keeping Missions

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this afternoon that it should ponder the motives of States that placed their nationals in important United Nations departments at the expense of their governments, even while owing huge arrears to the Organization, and setting budget cuts as conditions for paying those dues. The representative of China took that position as the Committee discussed the administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations.

The hiring of staff on loan from governments, it was said, would limit the chances of having officials from developing countries join the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, since more than 70 per cent of the loaned officers in the Department were from developed nations.

Responding to the issue of motives, the representative of the United States said that while his Government was in arrears, it also loaned officers to the Organization. Its only motive was to help the United Nations carry out peace-keeping missions efficiently, in response to requests from the Secretary-General. If they were unwelcome, the policy of providing them could be reviewed.

The representative of Zambia said that his nation should be moved, effective 1 January 1997, from group "c" to group "d" of the Member States in the special scale created for determining assessments for peace-keeping operations. Since almost all least developed countries were in group "d", it was only fair for Zambia to join them, since its economy had plummeted, leading to a 1991 decision by the Committee for Development Planning to place Zambia in the ranks of the least developed countries.

[Group "c" States are assessed for peace-keeping at one fifth of their regular budget assessment rates; those in group "d" are billed at one tenth of their regular budget rates.]

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In addition to budgetary aspects of peace-keeping financing, the Committee also discussed programme 19 (human rights) in the proposed 1998-2001 medium-term plan, and the reports of the Board of Auditors and of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

Speaking on the Oversight Office, the representative of Japan said it should identify the root causes of the problems it had reported, which were merely symptoms of a disease. The root cause was the United Nations management system and its culture, he said. He expressed the hope that the Office's next report would address that fundamental issue.

The extravagance or irregularities unearthed by the Office caused concern, not only for the material losses involved, but also because the image of the Organization was damaged and the confidence of world opinion in the United Nations undermined, according to the representative of Costa Rica, speaking also for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China.

On the human rights programme in the medium-term plan, Senegal's representative said that few of the staff in the Centre for Human Rights were from developing countries, particularly Africa. Even those few occupied junior positions.

Statements on the auditors' reports were made by the representatives of Ukraine and of Ireland, also speaking for the European Union and other States. Those who spoke on peace-keeping financing included the representatives of Canada (also on behalf of Australia and New Zealand), Egypt, Bangladesh, Cuba and Syria. Statements on the medium-term plan were made by the representatives of Venezuela, Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Uruguay, Bangladesh, China, Russian Federation, Chile, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Singapore, Philippines, Norway, Australia, United States and Canada.

Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts and United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu, responded to questions from Committee members.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 14 November, to continue discussing the medium-term plan.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue discussing the reports of the Board of Auditors and of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and also to continue debating the administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations. (For details on the Board's reports, see Press Release GA/AB/3107, of 5 November; on the office's reports, see GA/AB/3112, of 11 November; and on administrative aspects of peace-keeping financing, see GA/AB/3109, of 7 November.)

The Committee is also scheduled to discuss various programmes in the proposed 1998-2001 medium-term plan, under the agenda item on programme planning, as follows: 19 (Human rights); 20 (Humanitarian assistance); 21 (Protection and assistance to refugees); 22 (Palestinian refugees); 23 (Public information); 24 (Administrative services) and 25 (Internal oversight). (For details on those programmes, see Press Release GA/AB/3111, of 8 November.)

Statements on Board of Auditors' Reports

VOLODYMYR M. KOSYI (Ukraine) supported the recommendations in the reports of the Board of Auditors and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). Overall budgetary controls and some internal audit had improved. But some of the problems in the administrative and budgetary spheres that had been identified in previous years by the auditors had persisted. In peace-keeping operations, for example, millions of dollars had been lost through waste, fraud, overpayments, misappropriation and the purchase of junk. Large amounts of inventories had been stolen and vast quantities of assets found missing. Contract and inventory management in the Secretariat should be improved not only regarding peace-keeping missions but throughout the Organization. He endorsed the recommendations of the ACABQ that the United Nations should speed up the establishment of an assets management system that would balance the requirements of preparedness with cost-effectiveness and full accountability.

The representative said that lack of planning was one of the problems of the procurement system, leading, sometimes, to the shipping of poor equipment to various parts of the world. Since the General Assembly had called for personal accountability in staff performance, the Secretariat should ensure that staff involved in losses and mismanagement were made personally accountable. The ex post facto approval of large contracts should be stopped and the roster of vendors should have a more satisfactory geographical balance.

PATRICK KELLY (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, as well as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, said the reports of the Board of Auditors were crucial in gauging how well the Organization was being

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financially managed. They also contributed to the sense of confidence which Member States could have that their contributions were being properly and efficiently managed. However, the Board should produce more precise recommendations to ensure that the required action was taken. "Value for money" recommendations would also be welcome, providing some indication of the potential savings that could result from their implementation. The late issuance of the Board's reports was of concern since it hampered Member States' proper consideration of them.

The main impression of the reports was the failure of the United Nations and the funds and programmes to address recurring faults, such as poor procurement planning and inadequate attention to the internal audit function, he said. Such problems had figured regularly in the Board's reports over the years. Their recurrence could be interpreted as a signal that the administrations were still failing to give priority to the implementation of the Board's recommendations. There was a need to improve significantly the follow-up of the Board's recommendations.

The deficiencies in the area of procurement were of concern, such as in the competitive bidding procedures within the Procurement and Transport Division, he continued. Many of the deficiencies were merely symptomatic of a wider problem, namely the lack of effective procurement planning. Procurement reform must be a top priority in the entire United Nations system, he stressed.

On the issue of an effective policy on asset/inventory management within the United Nations, he said the Secretariat should make every effort to improve performance in that area and avoid wasteful expenditure. It should ensure that appropriate evaluation and needs assessment were carried out before assets were transferred from a liquidating mission to a continuing mission and that liquidation tasks within a peace-keeping operation were completed within a specified period. In addition, it was important for host governments to conclude status-of-forces agreements as quickly as possible and to comply fully with their obligations under such agreements.

Referring to the Board's qualification of its audit opinion on the financial statements of five organizations -- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation -- and the United Nations in connection with peace-keeping operations, he said qualification of an audit opinion was a serious matter. Immediate steps should be taken to remedy the causes for the qualification. However, he welcomed the clarification provided by the Auditor-General of Ghana on peace- keeping operations.

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He said the qualified opinion on the financial statements of the UNDP, UNFPA, UNDCP, and UNEP demonstrated another long-standing problem in the financial performance of many of the funds and programmes, such as the failure of implementing and executing agencies to comply fully with funding and project agreements. The UNDP was of particular concern. Immediate steps should be taken by the Programme to improve the modalities for national execution and also to provide for strengthening governments' monitoring and evaluation skills. There was a need for improved oversight and control over implementing partners and for greater pre-agreement assessment by the funds' and programmes' capacity to implement projects. On Habitat, he said the decision to divert $900,000 from the Foundation's funds to meet the financial requirements of the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) was totally inappropriate and should be addressed as the Board had recommended.

There was a need for greater individual accountability of United Nations personnel for their actions, he said. Disciplinary action should be taken when instances of loss were determined as being attributable to personal failure on the part of staff members and management concerned, to comply with established procedures. On the issue of the extension of the term of office of the members of the Board of Auditors, he said the European Union could support bringing the term of office into line with the length of the budgetary cycle to ensure efficiency and follow-up.

Statements on Reports on Internal Oversight

NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said that the profligacy of irregularities presented by the Internal Oversight Office deserved the greatest attention of the Member States and the Secretariat. The Organization could not afford to waste resources in the current financial crisis. The Office should be given greater access to information, documentation and communication records to help its work. The report's extravagance or irregularities were cause for concern, not only for the material and monetary losses involved, but also because the image of the Organization was damaged in the process and the confidence of world opinion on the United Nations undermined.

The representative asked the Secretariat to provide further information on whether it had been aware of all cases of irregularities presented. If so, she asked for how long it had been aware of them and what actions it had taken to stop, rectify and prevent their recurrence. She also asked whether civil or criminal measures had been initiated against those responsible for the losses incurred by the Organization, including financial losses and administrative mismanagement. The answers should be in relation to cases such as the transfer of equipment worth over $35 million without proper accounting; the purchase of 650 generators valued at $7.2 million that were either not used or sent to other missions; delays in the United Nations Mission in Haiti

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(UNMIH) in establishing ration and service contracts which cost the Organization $12.4 million; allegations in relation to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) that some contractors were used to smuggle goods; overpayments to staff at the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the UNEP; and the loss of about $1.3 million in relation to the security control system at Headquarters.

She also asked about the relationship between the Oversight Office and the Efficiency Board and whether there were duplications of duties between the two bodies.

SHOJI OGAWA (Japan) asked whether the existence of the Office had made a difference in the area of oversight, since the units that carried out audits and evaluations had existed before the office was established. He asked whether the Office was more than merely the sum of all those functions previously carried out by various sections. Japan would like to hear from the Under-Secretary-General on the issue. He said that the Office's functions of audits, inspections and evaluations had many common elements. He, therefore, asked whether the Office's organizational structure allowed it to discharge its responsibilities as efficiently as possible. Even if it was agreed that the structure was appropriate, a section should coordinate the activities of the various units. For example, the units might carry out some oversight work together, pooling their respective capacities.

The representative said that, since the problems identified by the Office were merely symptoms of a disease, the objective of the Office should be to identify their root causes. "That root cause, which in the view of my delegation is the management system and its culture, is not adequately addressed in the report we have before us, making it likely that the problems will persist." He expressed hope that the next report of the Office would contain a more extensive treatment of that fundamental issue. Further, the Office would not fulfil its mandate or Member States' expectations if it merely engaged in audits and other traditional oversight work. Its main task should be to provide management advice to all parts of the United Nations system. It should become a proactive body that prevented problems from arising, instead of remaining a reactive one. Such an office would truly become an instrument for United Nations reform.

Statements on Financing Peace-keeping Operations

G. DUSCHNER (Canada), also speaking on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, said the success of the new budgetary cycle for peace-keeping financing had helped the Committee to have more detailed and technical discussions on individual peace-keeping budgets and to focus on substantive issues. She favoured the concept of a global insurance plan and agreed that there could be no direct contractual or statutory link between each individual military member and the United Nations. She questioned whether the proposed

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insurance scheme was in keeping with the principle that compensation to the beneficiary should not be lower than reimbursement by the United Nations.

Regarding the proposal for roving finance and management review officers, she asked how their functions would differ from the current oversight mechanisms, how their efforts would complement the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), and if they had been foreseen as part of the rapidly deployable mission headquarters. On the peace-keeping reserve fund, she said she supported the concept of having at least one month's peace- keeping expenditure in the reserve fund. The fund should not be increased from $150 million to $400 million at present. With the fund's current balance at about $90 million, she said she regretted that it was still not fully capitalized four years after it had been established. In that connection, the delay in reimbursements to troop-contributing States, due to the non-payment of assessments by some Member States, was also of concern.

She called for a review of the rates of reimbursement and urged the Secretariat to carry out a survey on troop costs and submit its report in the Fifth Committee's resumed session. On the management of peace-keeping assets, she said the logistics base at Brindisi required regular funding in the form of an approved budget. It might be worthwhile to call it a mission and provide it with its own assessed budget. Alternatively, it could be regarded as a core peace-keeping activity and included in the budget of the Department of Peace-keeping Operations (DPKO). It was essential to have a comprehensive management strategy in place for liquidating peace-keeping operations.

Calling for a detailed examination of the United Nations logistics base, she proposed the creation of an open-ended experts group of interested Member States to evaluate the base to address Member States' concerns on the matter. Alternatively, a consultant could be hired to provide an independent review of the base. She cited inconsistencies in the reports of the working groups on the reimbursement of lost and damaged equipment and called for an amendment to those reports. Also, the assessment scales for peace-keeping operations needed a comprehensive revision.

AHMAD KAMAL (Pakistan) said the administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping operations required in-depth deliberations and appropriate follow-up action. The Board of Auditors had raised doubts about the Secretariat's efficiency. The Secretariat had been asked to provide a detailed report on officers on loan since the Assembly's forty-eighth session. It had been subsequently asked again during the fiftieth session and that report was to be submitted no later than 1 September 1996. He was unable to understand why the document had not been forthcoming. The delay constituted disrespect by the Secretariat of a clear and specific instruction from the Assembly. It was not possible for the delegates to work properly if they received "scraps of paper on their desks" on the day of a debate.

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Regarding death and disability payments, he said troops from developing countries should be treated equally. They felt the same pain when they were injured or dying and the value of the peace-keeper did not depend upon his nationality. Decisions on peace-keeping operations could not be deferred, since peace-keepers faced daily risks, and such decisions should not be delayed because of the Secretariat's inability to provide information on time or because of some vested interests. The decisions should be addressed during the current session. He asked for a comparative figure for travel for loan officers and non-loan officers in the DPKO.

PETER L. KASANDA (Zambia) said that the Fifth Committee should help move Zambia, effective 1 January 1997, from group "c" to group "d" of Member States in the special scale created for determining assessments for peace-keeping operations. (Note: Group "c" countries pay one-fifth of their regular budget rate; group "d", which includes least developed and low-income countries, pay one-tenth of its regular budget rate.) In considering his proposal, the Committee could refer to some precedents. Since almost all least developed countries were in group "d", it was only fair for Zambia, a least developed country, to be placed in that group. While the relocation should be back- dated to 1 January 1992 when Zambia joined the ranks of the least developed countries, his delegation would not insist on a retrospective decision because it would help matters if all sides were forward-looking. Under the current scale of assessments, his country was paying 50 per cent more than it should be charged. Such a situation was unsustainable for its small economy.

The representative provided statistics to make the case that the economy of his country had plummeted, leading to a 1991 decision by the Committee for Development Planning to place Zambia in the ranks of the least developed countries. The contraction of Zambia's economy started in 1974 when the price of copper slid to a historically low level.

ZHOU FEI (China) said that Article 100 of the United Nations Charter provided that the Secretary-General and staff shall not seek or receive instructions outside the Organization. It was therefore paradoxical to allow the loaned officers to receive salaries from their Governments while expecting them not to take instructions from those Governments. Such a situation flouted the Charter. The practice of hiring international officials on loan from governments in effect limited the possibility of officials from the developing countries from joining the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, since more than 70 per cent of the loaned officers were from the developed nations. He then asked how the Department's impartiality could be ensured and how the interest of the developing countries would be protected.

The representative said his delegation was surprised to learn that some of those officers were working in some of the Department's most sensitive units, such as the Planning Division. The Secretariat should inform Member States about the numbers of such officers and whether they enjoyed the same

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rights as budgeted staff. Some had argued that the use of loaned officers could cut the United Nations financial burdens. China could not rule out cases where some developing States had provided staff to the Secretariat on non-reimbursable bases due to their concern for the Organization's financial situation. But, there were also States which had accumulated huge arrears to the United Nations -- countries that set budget and personnel cuts as a condition for paying their dues -- that were agreeing to place their nationals in important departments at the expense of their own governments. The motives behind such practices should be pondered. The issue of loaned officers should be resolved quickly.

AMR NOUR (Egypt) said that the expansion in the use of loaned officers was alarming due to its possible consequences on the international civil service, the interest of many countries and the principle of geographical balance. He looked forward to receiving a report with further information on the officers. It would be difficult to adopt a resolution on the issue without considering such a comprehensive report from the Secretariat.

SYED RAFIQUL ALOM (Bangladesh) said that many of the issues in the agenda item were of crucial concern to his delegation. The issue of reimbursements to troop-contributing States should be carried out in conformity with relevant Assembly resolutions. The Secretariat should provide details on the funding and management of trust funds for peace-keeping operations. He reserved comments on death and disability benefits, on which he would speak further during informal consultations.

ANA SILVIA RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said she supported the statements of Pakistan, China, Egypt and Bangladesh on the use of loaned personnel in the Secretariat. There had been an alarming increase in such personnel, particularly in the DPKO. Their use endangered the Organization's institutional memory. Although the policy had been an attempt to solve the problem of lack of personnel in some areas to carry out mandated activities, it tended to create a geographical imbalance and an imbalance in political criteria since such personnel came from developed countries. Very few developing countries were able to provide such staff. The matter should be given the highest priority by the Secretariat and it should provide the report requested by the Assembly so that that body could have an informed debate on the matter. The Committee should not have to wait for a report requested two years ago.

WILLIAM GRANT (United States) said he would respond to the Chinese delegate's reference to the motives of countries in arrears in providing loaned officers. His Government was in arrears and provided gratis military officers. Its only motive was to assist the United Nations in carrying out peace-keeping operations efficiently and effectively. It had responded to requests from the Secretary-General. In almost all cases the officers' work was appreciated, and his Government had been asked to extend the period of

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those personnel, or been asked that they be replaced by others with similar competence.

The contributions of such officers did involve some cost to his Government, he continued. If they were unwelcome, there could be a rethinking of the policy. A debate on that issue would be appreciated, but it would not be facilitated by questioning the motives of contributing governments.

Mr. TAKASU, United Nations Controller, said the comprehensive report on loaned personnel was being finalized and would be presented to Member States soon to facilitate their review of the matter. The issue was very broad and not limited to gratis military officers. Since the use of loaned personnel had expanded, a major policy discussion was required. Their increase and recruitment in a number of departments had made it difficult to obtain accurate information.

He said there were two trust funds in the DPKO. One provided funding for the "lessons learned" unit and the other was used to assist loaned military officers for peace-keeping operations. Information on travel expenses had been provided for the gratis military officers for 1995. In response to the request of the delegate of Pakistan for the full cost of travel for the officers in the DPKO, he described the various sources of funding for travel. He asked Member States to have patience. The report would be issued soon.

Ms. DUSCHNER (Canada) asked for the amounts of resources in each trust fund managed by the DPKO.

Mr. KAMAL (Pakistan) said that, after listening to the Controller's clarification, he faced the problem that the salaries of Secretariat staff were drawn from regular budget funds paid by Member States. Such funds were disbursed so that the Secretariat could carry out its functions. Therefore, when Member States gave an instruction which called for a detailed report to be submitted on a specific date -- in this case no later than 1 September 1996 -- it should be produced, irrespective of the detailed nature of the report. If it could not be produced, the Secretariat should have expressed its regret on the day in question. The mere statement that the report would come as soon as possible was not acceptable.

The Secretariat must be prepared to face the consequences when the time came for Member States to approve the salaries of personnel who could not respond to Member States' requests, he continued. He reiterated his request for the comparative expenditure on travel for loaned and other staff in the DPKO, and stressed the sanctity of the Member States' request. He had taken note of the Secretariat's staff's inability to perform.

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TAMMAM SULAIMAN (Syria) associated his delegation with statements by his counterparts from Pakistan, Egypt and China. He asked why the Secretariat had not issued the detailed report on the loaned officers, since it had been requested almost two years ago by the ACABQ and the Assembly. He expressed hope that the report, reportedly in its final stages of preparation, would include information on the nationalities of the officers, their departments, their status and other details that would enable the Committee to conduct its work in an orderly manner.

Mr. TAKASU, United Nations Controller, assured the Committee that the Secretariat would provide information on the trust funds and on the nationalities and other facts on the loaned officers.

Statements on Medium-term Plan -- Programme 19 (Human Rights)

ROSSANNA FIGUERA (Venezuela) said that she supported the statements by Colombia, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and by Bolivia, for the Rio Group, on programme 19. She supported the programmes of restructuring in the Centre for Human Rights and the establishment of three units there and welcomed the inclusion of the right to development in one of the subprogrammes in programme 19. There should be close cooperation between the Centre and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The new structure did not necessarily require new financial resources. She reiterated what the Non-Aligned Movement had said, that there should be specific reference to the organizations that would contribute to an integrated approach to human rights.

MARCIO FAGUNDES (Brazil) said that activities to promote the right to development in the context of the 1993 Vienna Declaration were very important to his delegation.

RIYADI ASIRELIN (Indonesia) expressed concerns about the structure of the programme and about the motives of lumping the right to development in the same subprogramme as research and analysis. As currently drafted, subprogramme 19.1 -- Right to development, research and analysis -- left too much ambiguity as to where the emphasis would be placed within the Research and Development Branch. That underscored the need for a separate branch in the Centre devoted to the right to development. The right to development should be accorded priority in terms of programmes and staff. Continuing, he expressed concern regarding subprogramme 19.3 -- Advisory services, technical cooperation, support to human rights fact-finding procedures and field activities. The High Commissioner had given assurances in Geneva on 5 November that there would be no linkage between fact-finding and technical assistance. However, having the same staff perform those functions could result in conflicts of interest that could undermine objectivity and professionalism, hence undermining the programme. Also, since the High Commissioner had indicated plans to expand the human rights field presence, and given the finite resources available under the subprogramme, he was

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concerned about the Centre's ability to provide technical assistance. The part of the subprogramme on support to human rights fact-finding procedures should be included in subprogramme 19.2 -- Supporting human rights bodies and organs.

SEYED MORTEZA MIR MOHAMMED (Iran) said that the programme did not reflect accurately all relevant mandates. Thus, paragraphs 19.1, 19.3 (a), 19.3 (h), 19.4 and 19.9 should be amended accordingly. He reiterated the importance of strict compliance with legislative mandates, adding that the Secretariat should refrain from including elements that were far removed from intergovernmental agreements. A separate subprogramme should be exclusively dedicated to the right to development and the allocation of resources for promoting that right should be communicated to Member States in advance. The result of the restructuring of the human rights implementing bodies did not constitute a mandate for the programme. Those results should be considered and approved by the relevant intergovernmental bodies, such as the Commission on Human Rights, the Economic and Social Council and the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).

BERNARDO GREIVER (Uruguay) said that the opinion of his delegation had been expressed by the Rio Group. The right to development should be emphasized, without excluding other aspects of human rights. The High Commissioner for Human Rights should be given adequate support in his work.

SYED RAFIQUL ALOM (Bangladesh) associated his delegation with the statements made for the Group of 77 and China and the Non-Aligned Movement. The right to development would be undermined if it was lumped together in one subprogramme with research and analysis. That right could be made a separate subprogramme. He said that he was not fully comfortable with the fact-finding bodies referred to under subprogramme 19.3 -- Advisory services, technical cooperation, support to human rights fact-finding procedures and field activities. He asked how field activities would be handled in the entire United Nations system.

XIE BOUHUA (China) expressed concern about United Nations reforms in the area of human rights and supported the statements by Colombia, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Revisions should be made to the programme, since it currently contained several deficiencies. Generally speaking, the human rights programme of the United Nations should follow the mandates of the Assembly and other relevant bodies. They should be implemented in consultations with Member States and must emphasize the right to development.

He agreed with Cuba's statement on subprogramme 19.1 -- Right to development, research and analysis. More principles, like those included in the 1993 Vienna Declaration, should be reflected. Regarding subprogramme 19.2 -- Supporting human rights bodies and organs, he said that relevant United Nations bodies should be the ones that react to human rights

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violations. Some of the words used in the Vienna Declaration had not been applied in the subprogramme's language.

He expressed concern about the wording of some of the paragraphs and subparagraphs in subprogramme 19.3 -- Advisory services, technical cooperation, support to human rights fact-finding procedures and field activities. The issue of the relationships among peace-keeping operations, humanitarian and human rights activities should be resolved through consultations among Member States. The current wording on those relationships could cause operational problems and also went beyond the provisions of the Vienna Declaration. Also, some of the terms used in the programme should be clarified. For example, how would the Committee handle the inclusion of references to the activities of grass-roots organizations and civil society? he asked. He was concerned by the imposition of such terms as "civil society" in the language of the programme.

ALEKSEI DVINILANINE (Russian Federation) said he would make proposals on subprogramme 19.2 -- Supporting human rights bodies and organs -- during informal consultations, in order to save the Committee's time.

FERNANDO VARELA (Chile) said he fully supported the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as the main focal point of the United Nations work in the area of human rights. Human rights activities should be provided the resources agreed to in the Vienna Declaration.

MARIA TERESA LATERZA (Paraguay) supported the statement made by Bolivia on behalf of the Rio Group. She expressed satisfaction with the inclusion of a subprogramme devoted to the right to development. She also supported the work of the Centre and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. They should be provided adequate resources. The regional commissions of the United Nations had been dealing with certain aspects of the right to development for some time. While the commissions did not have specific mandates on human rights, many of their activities were devoted to promoting the right to development.

Ms. INCERA (Costa Rica) said the right to development should have been a separate subprogramme. She supported the statement made by Bolivia on behalf of the Rio Group. The Group of 77 and China had reiterated that no programmes could be amended without the Assembly's approval and nothing should be produced as a fait accompli.

IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal) said, as a member of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), he had already spoken on the proposed medium-term plan. The restructuring of the Centre for Human Rights was of great importance and would enhance the Centre's role, that of the related intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations. However, restructuring should give pride of place to the question of the right to development which was important to the developing countries. He stressed the

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importance to the developing countries of issues such as the right of indigenous populations, the right of women and the girl child, and measures to fight racism.

On advisory services and technical cooperation, he said the Centre's restructuring should follow procedure and allow for the Member States concerned to make their observations. Permanent arrangements had been made without consultation of Member States. Neither had they been allowed to express their views on the elements of restructuring carried out by the firm hired to advise on the exercise. All those matters should have been submitted by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the relevant intergovernmental bodies.

The disappearance of some programmes was also cause for concern and might adversely affect the participation of some governments and non- governmental organizations from developing countries in the Centre's work, he continued. The imbalance of the geographical representation of the Centre's staff was also of concern, particularly the small number of personnel from developing countries, including from Africa. Such staff tended to occupy only junior positions. He wondered what would be the fate of such staff as a result of the restructuring. The measures taken to restructure the Centre should be balanced, taking account of all the countries concerned. They should be considered by Member States prior to implementation.

HO TONG YEN (Singapore) welcomed the efforts to strengthen the Centre for Human Rights, but he questioned the restructuring of the Centre. Referring to the establishment of a branch for the right to development, he said it should be the focus of the Centre and not just a subprogramme. The Centre's division of work was puzzling. When changes were made to the Centre's programmes they should be done in close consultation with the appropriate intergovernmental bodies. He looked forward to discussing the Centre's strengthening in the context of the proposed medium-term plan.

MARY JO ARAGON (Philippines) said she supported the human rights programme and the efforts of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She regretted that the CPC was unable to reach consensus on programme 19 and she hoped that the Fifth Committee could breach the views so that the Centre could carry out its mandates.

JORN GUTTEROD (Norway) commended the efforts of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen the Centre. Lack of resources could hamper the Centre's work. All measures must be taken to ensure that the Centre was provided the necessary resources to carry out its mandates. He supported programme 19. It should be adopted by the Assembly.

Fifth Committee - 14 - Press Release GA/AB/3113 27th Meeting (PM) 13 November 1996

MILES ARMITAGE (Australia), speaking also for New Zealand, said he was satisfied with the current form of programme 19 and supported its adoption by the Assembly. He welcomed the efforts to restructure the Centre which lay within the authority of the Secretary-General. The restructuring was a management issue and not a policy issue for intergovernmental bodies. The Centre should be provided with the financial resources to fulfil its important tasks.

THOMAS REPASCH (United States) regretted that there had been no consensus on the programme in the CPC. Human Rights was a priority for the United States. The Centre's restructuring had proceeded in accordance with the correct mandates. He supported programme 19 which should be approved unchanged.

SAM HANSON (Canada) said he fully supported the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the efforts to restructure the Centre. The restructuring was a management issue. He agreed with the structure of programme 19. The establishment of the various branches was important to carry out the programme. The right to development was an integral part of human rights. He could not support any initiative to fragment human rights by establishing separate programmes for individual human rights. Although the draft programme was not perfect, he could accept the draft text.

HIDEKI GODA (Japan) said he supported programme 19 and the current efforts to restructure the Centre. He hoped that the efficiency of the Centre would be improved.

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