HAITI MISSION EXTENSION WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL $3.4 MILLION SAYS FIFTH COMMITTEE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS TEXT

16 December 1996

Press Release
GA/AB/3131

HAITI MISSION EXTENSION WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL $3.4 MILLION SAYS FIFTH COMMITTEE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS TEXT

19961216 Committee Also Approves Draft on Office of Internal Oversight Services

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon adopted an oral decision, without a vote, to inform the Assembly that additional appropriations of $3.4 million would arise in the 1996-1997 budget section on peace-keeping and special missions, if it extends the mandate of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) until 31 July 1997. The sum would be considered in the context of the revision of the 1996-1997 appropriations.

The Committee took that action on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), which had approved the $3.4 million in additional appropriations. The views of the ACABQ were presented by its Chairman, C.S.M. Mselle.

Programme budget implications of draft resolutions are submitted to the Fifth Committee under the Assembly's rules of procedure, which provide that a legislative organ shall not vote on any draft resolution with financial implications until the Administrative and Budgetary Committee has determined the impact on the regular budget.

The statement on budget implications (A/C.5/51/43) indicates that the United Nations component of the Haiti Mission has 116 staff, comprising 32 international staff, headed by a Deputy Executive Director at the D-1 level, 80 local staff and 4 United Nations Volunteers. The staffing would be supplemented by experts on: juvenile justice; detention of women; crime prevention and conflict resolution; criminal investigation; prosecution of past human rights violations; and the establishment of an ombudsman's office.

According to the statement, if the draft resolution extending the Mission is adopted (document A/51/L.63), the additional $3.4 million would be needed to, among other things, pay for: salaries and staff costs ($2.1 million); mission subsistence allowance ($593,000); and consultants ($187,500). It would fall under the regular budget section on peace-keeping

Fifth Committee - 2 - Press Release GA/AB/3131 45th Meeting (PM) 16 December 1996

and special missions. The additional appropriation is necessary, the statement says, because it has not been included in the 1996-1997 budget, could not be absorbed and could not be taken from the contingency fund, owing to the extraordinary nature of the work to be carried out under the terms of the draft resolution.

By other action, the Committee approved a draft decision (document A/C.5/51/L.19) that would have the Assembly continue its consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the Office of Internal Oversight Services at the resumed fifty-first session. The draft would also have the Assembly reaffirm a decision it made last June to consider Oversight reports under the relevant agenda items.

According to the draft, the Assembly would consider respective Oversight reports when it, for instance, examined alleged misappropriation of assets in the United Nations Gift Centre, the United Nations access control system and the review of the management of the civilian component of the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 3 p.m. Tuesday, 17 December, to take action on all outstanding agenda items and draft resolutions.

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