REDUCED AMOUNTS FOR DRAFT RESOLUTION ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL APPROVED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY COMMITTEE

Press Release
GA/AB/3126

REDUCED AMOUNTS FOR DRAFT RESOLUTION ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL APPROVED BY ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY COMMITTEE

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon approved an oral decision to allow the General Assembly to appropriate an additional amount of $522,000 from the United Nations regular budget in 1997, should it adopt a draft resolution by which it would decide to convene a special session on international action to combat illicit drug abuse, production and trafficking in June 1998.

The decision was one of two approved by the Committee based on its consideration of programme budget implications of draft resolutions recommended by Main Committees for adoption by the Assembly. According to the rules of procedure, the Assembly shall not take action on any resolution that could have financial implications until the Fifth Committee reviews the proposal's effects on the United Nations budget.

The draft on international drug control was approved by the Assembly's Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural). Under the provisions of the Fifth Committee's decision, the Secretary-General's estimate of $976,500 for the special session was reduced to $522,000 as a result of the exclusion of amounts budgeted for preparatory expert group meetings. Of the reduced amount, $212,600 could be taken from existing regular budget resources and $87,300 from extrabudgetary resources. The balance of $222,100 would be drawn from the contingency fund.

The Secretary-General's estimates were reduced based on a proposal from the representative of Mexico, who stated that there was no legislative basis for the expert groups recommended by the Secretary-General for the preparation in 1997 of the substantive materials and reports for the special session in 1997. The Committee's decision also incorporated the proposal of the United States' representative that every effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary resources to finance the special session.

The representatives of Colombia and Cuba also made statements on the financial implications of the draft resolution on international drug control.

Fifth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/AB/3126 40th Meeting (PM) 11 December 1996

The Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Management, Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, introduced a conference room paper that facilitated the Committee's deliberation on the budgetary implications of the preparations for the special Assembly session on the fight against illicit drugs.

Also this afternoon, the Committee approved a draft decision that would inform the Assembly that no additional appropriations would be needed to implement the draft resolution on the elaboration of an international convention to combat desertification. The statement on the financial implications of that draft was introduced by the United Nations Controller, Yukio Takasu.

Mr. Takasu also introduced the Secretary-General's report on the financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III). The Committee deferred consideration of the financing of the mission to informal consultations without any statements being made.

The Fifth Committee is scheduled to meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 12 December, to consider the United Nations financial situation, the first performance report on the 1996-1997 budget and the outline of the proposed 1998-1999 budget. It is also scheduled to take up the financing of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH), United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNPROFOR), United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters. Discussion of funding of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda is also scheduled to continue.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue discussing the programme budget implications of draft resolutions before the General Assembly and to take up the financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III). (For background information, see Press Release GA/AB/3125, issued today.)

Statements on Financing of UNAVEM III

YUKIO TAKASU, United Nations Controller, introduced the Secretary- General's reports on the mission and reviewed some of their contents. The estimates had been revised to take account of a reduction of the mission's troop strength by 650 soldiers by the end of the month. The Security Council was expected to extend UNAVEM's mandate today. He also drew attention to the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the mission.

Consideration of the agenda item was concluded and referred to informal consultations.

Statements on PBIs: Draft on Desertification and/or Drought

Mr. TAKASU, introducing the statement on the financial implications of the draft resolution on the elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, said that no additional appropriations would be needed to meet the requirements contained in the text.

The Committee approved an oral draft decision informing the Assembly of that.

Statements on PBIs: International Drug Control

JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division of the Department of Administration and Management, said that a conference room paper circulated by the Secretariat showed that the total financial implications on the draft resolution on international drug control proposed by the Secretary-General was initially $976,500. Some of the funds would be absorbed within the regular budget, with additional $290,500 in appropriations needed. However, if the provisions for the six expert group meetings were deleted, as proposed by Mexico, the total costs would fall from $976,500 to $522,000. Of that, some $212,600 would be absorbed within the regular budget, $87,600 would be paid for from extrabudgetary resources. The balance of $222,100 would be financed under the provisions of the contingency fund.

Fifth Committee - 4 - Press Release GA/AB/3126 40th Meeting (PM) 11 December 1996

MARTA PENA (Mexico) said she wanted the Secretariat to explain the differing figures on the costs of the expert group meetings. The Secretary- General's statement of programme budget implications had stated $590,500 while the conference room paper had provided an estimated cost of $454,500, she added. Further, she stressed that no expert group meetings should be held as there was no mandate for such meetings.

Mr. HALBWACHS explained the differences. The figure of $529,000 could be arrived at by adding the $75,000 cost of the open-ended working group on demand reduction to the $454,500 that was given as the cost of the expert group meetings. As for the changes in what could be funded from extrabudgetary resources after the deletion of the provisions for the expert groups, he said that the Member States that were ready to contribute to the expert group meetings might not be ready to pay for other activities related to the special session of the General Assembly on international drug control. Therefore, the amount that was expected from those States had to be removed from the Secretariat's estimates of the requirements of the draft resolution.

NGONI FRANCIS SENGWE (Zimbabwe), the Committee Chairman, proposed a draft decision on the budget implications related to international drug control. Under its terms, should the Assembly adopt the relevant draft resolution, additional requirements of $522,000 would arise in 1997 under the budget section on international drug control. Of that amount, $212,600 could be met redeploying regular budget resources and $87,300 from extrabudgetary resources. The balance of $222,100 would be subject to the guidelines for using the contingency fund.

Ms. PENA (Mexico) said that the Committee should underline that there was no mandate for expert group meetings.

EDWARD KELLER (United States) asked whether a quick reaction of the ACABQ could not be sought before action was taken. He had some discomfort about how some of the requirements would be absorbed in extrabudgetary resources.

AURELIO IRAGORRI (Colombia) asked why the Member States the Director of the Budget Division had referred to would not be ready to contribute to other activities that would help prepare for the special session of the Assembly devoted to the fight against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities.

Mr. HALBWACHS said that the Secretariat could not assume that those who were willing to finance the expert group meetings would be willing to fund other activities.

Fifth Committee - 5 - Press Release GA/AB/3126 40th Meeting (PM) 11 December 1996

Ms. PENA (Mexico) repeated the phrase she wanted to be included in the draft decision of the Fifth Committee. The recommendation should ask the Assembly to take into account the fact that there was no provision in the draft resolution on the convening of the expert group meetings.

Mr. KELLER (United States) said he supported Mexico's proposals and would propose an additional amendment: that it was understood that every effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary contributions that would reduce the regular budget appropriations now being cited. That would include the contributions of States interested in the success of the project.

Mr. SENGWE (Zimbabwe), Committee Chairman, read the amendment from Mexico: that the expert groups had no legislative basis. To that he would add the United States proposal: that every effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary contributions.

Mr. KELLER (United States) clarified his proposal: that every effort should be made to replace the amounts to be taken from the regular budget amount and that the extrabudgetary funds should replace regular budget costs.

ANA SILVIA RODRIGUEZ ABASCAL (Cuba) said she could support the proposal to obtain the maximum extrabudgetary resources to finance the activity. However, extrabudgetary resources were not guaranteed. It must be made clear that the activity would be financed from the regular budget and every possible effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary resources. She, therefore, agreed with the Chairman's oral amendment.

Mr. SENGWE (Zimbabwe), Committee Chairman, then finalized the following amendment from the United States proposal: every effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary resources to finance those activities. He said that amendment should meet the concerns of Cuba and the United States.

The Committee then approved the draft decision as amended, according to which should the Assembly adopt the draft resolution on international drug control contained in the report of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), additional requirements of $522,000 would arise under section 14 (International drug control) in 1997. Of that amount, $212,600 could be met from the redeployment of existing regular budget resources and $87,300 from extrabudgetary resources. The balance of $222,100 would be subject to the guidelines for the use and operation of the contingency fund. The expert group meeting had no legislative basis. Every effort would be made to obtain extrabudgetary resources to finance those activities.

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