GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS MEDIUM-TERM PLAN, ACCORDING PRIORITIES FOR UNITED NATIONS INTO NEXT MILLENNIUM
Press Release
GA/9213
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS MEDIUM-TERM PLAN, ACCORDING PRIORITIES FOR UNITED NATIONS INTO NEXT MILLENNIUM
19961218 Suspending Session, Assembly President Says 265 Texts Adopted; Wonders Whether They Reflect 'Issues of Our Time'The General Assembly approved a medium-term plan for the period 1998- 2001 which sets the pursuit of international peace and security and the promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development among the United Nations priorities, by adopting a draft resolution recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), before suspending the fifty- first session this evening.
The new medium-term plan sets eight priorities, instead of the six contained in the Secretary-General's proposed plan. Some of the others are development of Africa, promotion of human rights, coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts, promotion of justice and international law as well as disarmament. Also priorities are drug control, crime prevention and combating international terrorism in all its forms.
Furthermore, the approved plan includes 26 programmes, instead of the 25 proposed by the Secretary-General. The additional programme is on disarmament, which was proposed as a subprogramme. Decolonization becomes a subprogramme on its own. It had been proposed for inclusion in a subprogramme along with other topics.
"The medium-term plan constitutes the principal policy directive for the United Nations to address and respond to persistent problems, as well as address emerging trends and challenges of the future in accordance with the United Nations Charter", said the President of the Assembly, Razali Ismail (Malaysia), in closing remarks.
Reviewing other achievements of the fifty-first session so far, the President said it had saved some significant amounts of money by conducting its business more efficiently. The notional savings for the plenary meeting alone since September was $410,000.
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Although it had gone "right down to the wire", the Assembly had successfully concluded the appointment of a new Secretary-General, an issue which had riveted global attention on the United Nations, he said, adding that 265 resolutions had been adopted. "Can we attest that the resolutions which were adopted do in fact reflect the issues of our time?", he asked. The major challenge was to fulfil the overwhelming will of Member States to make progress in the working groups dealing with reform, restructuring and the financial situation of the United Nations.
In addition to the resolution on the medium-term plan, the Assembly approved several other texts on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee, concluding those on the proposed budget outline for 1998-1999, United Nations common and pension systems, administrative and budgetary aspects of financing of peace-keeping operations, scale of assessments, pattern of conferences, human resources management, the funding of the International Tribunals for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia, the financing of four combined forces in the former Yugoslavia, United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH), United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III) and on the Committee's agenda items and programme of work for the 1996-1997 biennium.
By adopting a resolution on the budget outline, the Assembly invited the Secretary-General to base the 1998-1999 budget on an adjusted estimate of $2.480 billion, at revised 1996-1997 rates. It also set the contingency fund at the level of 0.75 per cent of the preliminary estimate at 1998-1999 rates, namely at $19 million.
The Assembly then asked the Secretary-General to submit to it, no later than 31 May 1997, a policy paper that would help the search for a comprehensive solution to the question of additional expenditures, including those for the maintenance of international peace and security and on inflation and currency fluctuations.
By another action, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution which resolved that the appropriation of $1.299 billion for 1997 would be financed mostly by assessing $1.248 billion among States.
According to another text adopted, the Assembly decided to adjust downwards the 1996-1997 appropriations of $2.608 billion by about $5 million and to decrease the budget's income estimates of $471.4 million by $23.7 million.
By another resolution on the budget, the Assembly decided to provide some $2.8 million for the International Seabed Authority in 1997, which would be charged to the contingency fund. It also noted that a balance of $15.4 million remained in that fund.
By a recorded vote of 102 in favour to 1 against (Ukraine), with 12 abstentions, the Assembly adopted a resolution on the pension system by which
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it concurred with the proposed Agreement between the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board and the Russian Federation in relation to the problems arising from the implementation of the 1981 Transfer Agreements between the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and the former Soviet Union, Ukrainian SSR and Byelorussian SSR. By that, it concurred that the proposed Agreement would represent the first step in resolving the problems that have arisen in the application of the Transfer Agreements. (See Annex II for details of the vote.)
Under the provisions of the wide-ranging resolution, the Assembly amended, with effect from 1 January 1997, a relevant part the Pension Fund's regulations in order to incorporate the revised scale of pensionable remuneration for staff in the Professional and higher categories. Based on that scale, the pensionable remuneration staff in Step I of various salary grades would be $59,564 for those at the P-2 level; $72,604 for P-3; $87,233 for P-4; $105,510 for P-5; $119,218 for D-1; and $175,139 for an Under- Secretary-General.
In adopting the resolution, the Assembly also approved the admission of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea into the Pension Fund as from 1 January 1997.
By the terms of the text on the common system, the Assembly approved an increase of 0.4 per cent in base/floor salary scale for Professional and higher category staff.
Under the terms of a resolution on the pattern of conferences, the Assembly asked the Secretary-General to include Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha in the list of official United Nations holidays and requested that no United Nations meetings be held on Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, which in 1997 occur on 10 February and 17 April, respectively.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly strongly urged the Secretary-General to propose ways of facilitating developing countries' access to the optical disk system (ODS) in the six official languages. It also asked him to ensure that the texts of all new United Nations public documents and information materials are available in the Organization's World Wide Web site daily in the six languages and are accessible to Member States without delay.
Regarding the financing of International Tribunals and peace-keeping operations, the Assembly adopted some resolutions to appropriate about $225 million gross for the first half of 1997 for the Tribunals for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia, UNSMIH, UNAVEM III and the combined forces in the former Yugoslavia.
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The total amount would comprise:
-- $138 million for UNAVEM III; -- $23.6 million for the Tribunal in the former Yugoslavia; -- $23.1 million for the Tribunal for Rwanda; -- $27.4 million for UNSMIH; and -- $12.9 million for the combined forces in the former Yugoslavia -- the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters.
The Assembly also adopted one decision and one resolution on the scale of assessments for apportioning United Nations regular budget expenses. It decided to continue considering the scale as a priority for the first part of its resumed session and that it would adopt, not later than 31 March 1997, the methodology to be used in recommending a scale for the period 1998-2000. By the resolution, it decided to permit the Comoros to vote through the fifty-first session.
In addition, the Assembly decided to relocate Zambia from one group of Member States to another in the special grouping of States created for assessing peace-keeping dues. The action moves Zambia to a group that is assessed at lower rates. The same text places the Czech Republic in "group (c)" of Member States and has its future dues calculated on that basis. Slovakia was also placed in "group (c)".
Acting on human resources management, the Assembly deferred consideration of that agenda item and related reports to the first part of the resumed session. However, it asked the Secretary-General, pending the consideration of the item, to review the need for the general recruitment freeze and to oversee all recruitments, placements and promotions through the Office of Human Resources Management.
Regarding the Office of Internal Oversight Services, the Assembly adopted a decision to continue its consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the Office at the resumed session.
Assembly Work Committee
The General Assembly met this afternoon to take consider reports of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
The Assembly has before it 16 Fifth Committee reports on the following topics: 1996-1997 programme budget; outline of the proposed 1998-1999 programme budget; financing of several peace-keeping operations and of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; programme planning; human resources management; United Nations common system; pattern of conferences; administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping operations; the Organization's pension fund; financial statements and Board of Auditors reports; the Economic and Social Council report for 1996; 1996 programme budget and the review of efficiency; and the scale of assessments.
Fifth Committee Reports
The report of the Fifth Committee on the administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (document A/51/692) contains one draft decision that would have the Assembly take note of the statistical report of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) on the financial situation of the specialized agencies and the IAEA.
The Committee's report on pattern of conferences (document A/51/742), contains one five-part draft resolution.
In section A of the draft, the Assembly would decide that no United Nations meetings shall be held on Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, which will be observed in 1997 on 10 February and 17 April, respectively. It would request the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to ensure strict implementation of that decision when preparing all future draft calendars of conferences and meetings of the United Nations and would request that the two days be included in the list of United Nations official holidays.
By other provisions of the draft, the Assembly would request that the bodies that have not fully utilized their meeting entitlements, including the duration of their sessions, review their meeting entitlements and report to the Assembly through the Committee on Conferences. The Assembly would express concern that the overall factors for utilization of conferences have fallen further and were below the established benchmark figure of 80 per cent in 1995. In expressing concern also about the underutilization of conference facilities at duty stations outside Headquarters, the Assembly would emphasize the need for the most effective use of such facilities and endorse the initiatives of the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences to assist bodies to achieve the optimum utilization of conference servicing resources and assess realistically their need for such resources.
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Also by the draft, the Assembly would also express concern that 35 per cent of requests were denied for interpretation services for meetings of regional and other major groupings of Member States. It would urge intergovernmental bodies to take account of meetings of their regional and other major groupings of Member States in the planning stages, to make provisions for such meetings in their work programme and to notify Conference Services in advance of any cancellations so that unutilized conference-servicing resources could be reassigned to meetings of such groups of Member States. The Assembly would reaffirm that priority should be given to meetings of Member States in the use of conference rooms.
Section B of the draft text would have the Assembly stress the need for strict compliance with the existing limits of 24 pages for Secretariat documents and 32 pages for reports of subsidiary bodies. It would request the Secretary-General to inform bodies when they request reports, whether they could be produced within established page limits and reaffirm that should a report be issued late, the reasons for the delay should be indicated in each of the six United Nations languages. The Assembly would reiterate its request to the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) to conduct a comprehensive survey of the role publications play in implementing mandates of intergovernmental bodies and the extent to which recurrent publications could be made more cost-effective and to submit a report on the matter no later than by the end of the fifty-first session.
Under section C of the draft resolution, as a matter of priority, the Secretary-General would be strongly urged to provide proposals to the Fifth Committee's first resumed session on facilitating access by developing countries to the optical disk system (ODS) in all six languages taking into account the possible savings from the reduced copying and distribution costs. He would be requested to ensure that all the texts of all new public documents and information materials of the United Nations are posted on the Organization's World Wide Web site daily in all six official languages and are accessible to Member States without delay. The Assembly would request further the Secretary-General to complete the task of uploading all important older United Nations documents on the United Nations Web site on a priority basis, so that those archives are also available to Member States through that medium.
By other terms of the draft, the Assembly would strongly urge the Secretary-General, as a matter of priority, to develop the cost-accounting system for conference services no later than the substantive session of the Committee on Conferences, using voluntary and internal expertise within the United Nations system. It would request the Secretary-General to report, through the Committee on Conferences, to each subsidiary organ of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on the cost of conference services each utilized in the year concluded to enable those organs to plan more effectively. It would decide that the use of new technologies as the optical
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disk system and the Internet shall not constitute an alternative to traditional documents.
Section D of the text would have the Assembly note the efforts made by translation services to improve the quality of translation of documents in all six languages and request the Secretary-General to pay attention to the management rules in translation-related matters. Section E expresses appreciation to the Secretary-General and the Secretariat for the timely implementation of resolutions 49/211 and 50/206 on pattern of conferences.
The report on scale of assessments for apportioning the expenses of the United Nations (document A/51/747) contains one draft decision and one draft resolutions.
By the draft decision, the Assembly would decide, as a matter of priority, to consider the scale of assessments at the Fifth Committee's first resumed session. It would approve, no later than 31 March 1997, the methodology that will instruct the Committee on Contributions to recommend to the fifty-second Assembly session on a scale for the period 1998-2000.
By the terms the draft resolution, the Assembly would endorse the Committee on Contributions conclusion that the failure of the Comoros to pay the minimum amount necessary to avoid the application of Article 19 was attributable to conditions beyond its control. As a result, the Assembly would decide that the Comoros should be permitted to vote through the Assembly's fifty-first session and that any extension that may be requested shall be subject to review by the Committee on Contributions.
The Committee's report on human resources management (Part II) (document A/51/643/Add.1) contains two draft decisions.
By draft decision I, the Assembly would take note of the amendments to the 100 and 200 series of the Staff Rules contained in the report of the Secretary-General, without prejudice to the consideration of agenda item 120, human resources management, at the first part of its resumed fifty-first session.
By draft decision II, the Assembly would decide to defer consideration of agenda item 120 (human resources management) and the reports submitted under that item to the first part of the Assembly's resumed fifty-first session and to consider it as a priority item. The reports include: the JIU report entitled "Inspection of the application of United Nations recruitment, placement and promotion policies (Part II, Placement and promotions)", and the reports on "Management-Staff Union relationships in the United Nations system" and "Comparison of methods of calculating equitable geographical distribution within the United Nations system".
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The draft text would request the Secretary-General, pending consideration of the agenda item and on an interim basis, to review the need for the general recruitment freeze and to oversee and monitor all recruitments, appointments, placements and promotions through the Office of Human Resources Management of the Secretariat, taking into account the need to recruit from unrepresented and under-represented Member States and to achieve gender balance.
Also on an interim basis, the Secretary-General would be requested not to expand existing arrangements with regard to delegation of authority in recruitment, appointment, placement and promotion matters; to limit short-time appointments against regular budget posts to temporary replacements in case of mission service and leave; to limit exceptions from regular rules and procedures to the recruitment, appointment, placement and promotion of under- secretaries-general, assistant secretaries-general, special envoys at all levels and staff of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Also on an interim basis, he would be requested to continue not to convert fixed-term contracts into permanent contracts until the Assembly has taken action on the respective report; and to report on all recruitment, appointment, placement and promotion activities after 1 November 1996 to the Assembly at the first part of its resumed fifty-first session.
The report on the financing of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III) (document A/51/740) transmits a draft resolution that would have the Assembly appropriate and apportion about $138 million gross for the UNAVEM III for the first half of 1997. The Assembly would apportion the sum at a monthly rate of about $23 million gross ($22.5 million net) beginning 1 January 1997, should the Security Council extend UNAVEM's mandate beyond 28 February 1997. The $138 million gross, which includes $4.1 million for the support account for peace-keeping operations, would be an addition to $170.1 million gross ($167 million net) that had been appropriated for the period from 1 July to 31 December.
The report on financing of financing of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) and the United Nations Peace Forces headquarters (document A/51/639/Add.1) contains one draft decision. It would have the Assembly authorize the Secretary-General to commit $12.9 million gross ($12.2 million net) for the liquidation of the combined forces and the provision of common support for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997. The amount would include an additional $895,000 for the support account for peace-keeping operations.
The report of the Fifth Committee on the financing of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (document A/51/743) recommends a draft
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resolution that would have the Assembly appropriate about $23.7 million gross ($21.2 million net) for the Tribunal for the period 1 January to 30 June 1997.
In financing that appropriation, the Assembly would, according to the draft, take into account an anticipated unencumbered balance of about $5 million in the Tribunal's account for 1996. When that $5 million is taken into account, half of the remaining $18.7 million gross ($16.2 million net) of the total appropriation would be financed by transferring $9.3 million gross ($8.1 million net) from credits arising from previous budgets of the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia. The other $9.3 million gross ($8.1 million net) would be apportioned according to the 1997 scale of assessments.
The Fifth Committee report on the financing of the International Tribunal for Rwanda (document A/51/744) contains one draft resolution. It would have the Assembly appropriate about $23.7 million gross ($21.2 million net) for the Tribunal for the period 1 January to 30 June 1997.
In financing that appropriation, the Assembly would, according to the draft, take into account an anticipated unencumbered balance of about $12 million in the Tribunal's account for 1996. When that $12 million is taken into account, half of the remaining $11.1 million gross ($8.9 million net) of the total appropriation would be financed by transferring $5.6 million gross ($4.4 million net) from credits arising from previous budgets of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). The other $5.6 million gross ($4.4 million net) would be apportioned according to the 1997 scale of assessments.
The Committee's report on the Secretary-General's report on the Office of Internal Oversight Services (document A/51/741) contains one draft decision. It would have the Assembly continue its consideration of the Secretary-General's report 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.
The report on the financing of United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) contains one draft decision. Under its terms the Assembly would decide to appropriate $27.4 million gross ($26.2 million net) for the maintenance of the Support Mission for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, in addition to $28.7 million gross ($27.5 million net) already appropriated for the period from 1 July to 31 December 1996.
The Assembly would also decide, as an ad hoc arrangement, and taking into account the amount already apportioned for 1 July to 31 December, to apportion the additional amount of $27.4 million gross ($26.2 million net) for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 among Member States at a monthly
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rate of $4.6 million gross ($4.4 million net) and the scale of assessments for the year 1997, subject to the decision of the Security Council to extend the mandate of the Support Mission beyond 31 May 1997.
Other terms of the draft would request the Secretary-General to take all necessary actions to address relevant findings and relevant recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Office of Internal Oversight Services and the Board of Auditors in respect of the Support Mission and the United Nations Mission in Haiti.
The report of the Committee on the United Nations common system (document A/51/745) which contains one draft resolution on the report of the International Civil Service Commission.
Under its provisions, the Assembly would reconfirm the continued application of the Noblemaire principle -- by which the salaries of the Professional category are determined by reference to those of the best-paid national civil service; and reaffirm the need to continue to ensure the competitiveness of the conditions of service of the common system.
Concerning the comparator, the Assembly would take note of the further steps taken by the Commission to complete its study to identify the highest paid national civil service and decide to consider at its fifty-second session the part of the Commission's 1995 report on the matter.
Regarding margin considerations and base/floor salary scale, the Assembly would approve, with effect from 1 January 1997, the revised scale of gross and net salaries for staff in the Professional and higher categories contained in annex I to the draft resolution and the consequential amendment to the Staff Regulations of the United Nations (regarding staff assessment rates), as reflected in annex II of the text.
The Assembly would decide that the net remuneration margin methodology without the modifications recommended in the Commission's twenty-first annual report should continue to apply. It would reaffirm that the range of 110 to 120, with a desirable mid-point of 115, for the margin between net remuneration of officials in the Professional and higher categories of the United Nations in New York and officials in comparable positions in the United States federal civil service should continue to apply, on the understanding that the margin would be maintained at a level around the desirable mid-point of 115 over a period of time. It would also be noted that, for 1996, the margin is 114.6.
Other provisions of the text would request the Secretary-General to make operational proposals to the Assembly by 1 October 1997 on the possibility of introducing a system of performance awards or bonuses, in the context of the performance appraisal system, to a limited number of staff in recognition of
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their outstanding performance and specific achievements in a given year, for the Assembly's consideration at its fifty-second session. In addition, the executive heads of the organizations of the common system would be invited to develop and submit proposals, as a matter of priority, to their relevant intergovernmental bodies on the possibility of introducing performance awards or bonuses to a limited number of staff in recognition of their outstanding performance and specific achievements in a given year, and to coordinate, to the extent possible, those proposals with those developed by the Secretary-General. The Commission would be requested to provide general comments on the concept of performance awards and bonuses to the Assembly at its fifty-second session.
On supplementary payments, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General and the executive heads of the organizations of the common system to take measures and make proposals to end such practices. All organizations would be requested to issue or reissue, as appropriate, instructions to staff regarding the unacceptability of receiving supplementary payments. Member States would be invited to discontinue such practices.
On post adjustment matters, the Assembly would reiterate its request to the Commission urgently to complete its study regarding the methodology for establishing a single post adjustment index for Geneva, and to complete the study needed to implement the single post adjustment at the earliest date, and no later than 1 January 1998. It would requests the Commission to review further all the issues relating to the post adjustment system and report to the Assembly on the matter at its fifty-third session.
On dependency allowances, the Assembly would approve, with effect from 1 January 1997, an increase of 7.98 per cent in the children's allowance (including that for disabled children) and secondary dependant's allowance.
On general service and other locally recruited categories, the Assembly would urge the representatives of staff to participate fully in the Commission's working groups in its review of the salary survey methodologies. It would request the Commission, as part of its review of the methodology for salary setting for General Service category of staff, among other things, to: resolve, to the extent possible, inconsistencies between the methodology and the one which is applied pursuant to the Noblemaire principle, including by examining the question of overlap in remuneration between the two categories; study the feasibility of increasing the weight of public-sector employers in the salary surveys at headquarters duty stations and submit a report on the review of the methodology at the Assembly's fifty-second session.
Further by the draft, the Assembly would request the Commission to defer a final decision on the General Service salary setting methodology pending the Assembly's review of the application of the Flemming principle at its
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fifty-second session and to adjust its programme of headquarters salary surveys as appropriate.
On the common staff assessment scale, the Assembly would approve, effective 1 January 1997, the revised staff assessment scale recommended by the Commission for determining the pensionable remuneration of all categories of staff as well as for use in conjunction with gross salaries of the General Service and related categories of staff, and the consequential amendments to the Staff Regulations. The Commission would be requested to report on the impact of the differences in national and local tax rates at the seven headquarters duty stations on the gross pension benefits of locally recruited staff in the General Service and related categories at those duty stations in comparison with the compensation for such taxes provided by the common staff assessment rates.
On the education grant, the draft would have the Assembly approve increases in the maximum reimbursement levels in seven currency areas, as well as other adjustments to the management of the reimbursement of expenses under the education grant, as recommended by the Commission. On appointments of limited duration, the draft takes note of the Commission's reporting on that issue and requests it to continue its review of the subject of limited duration without delay.
By other provisions of the draft the Assembly would approve the Commission's recommendations regarding the mobility and hardship scheme. It would endorse the Commission's decision to delink hazard pay for Professional and higher level staff from the base/floor salary scale and to review the level of hazard pay every two years.
The Assembly has also before it the report of the Fifth Committee on the United Nations pension system (document A/51/746) which contains one draft resolution.
Under its provisions, the Assembly would take decisions on the pensionable remuneration of staff, pension adjustment system, admission of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea into the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, as well as on the Fund's administrative expenses and investments.
On actuarial matters, the draft would have the Assembly approve, with retroactive effect as from 1 July, amendments to article 28 of the regulations of the Fund, set out in an annex to the draft. [Note: According to an annex in the report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board, the proposed amendments are the consequences of the increase in the maximum number of years of contributory service which went into effect on 1 July 1995.]
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On the pensionable remuneration of staff, the Assembly would retain the use of the income replacement approach in New York as the basis of the methodology for determining the pensionable remuneration of Professional and higher category staff. The methodology to determine the current scale of pensionable remuneration, contained in the report of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), would continue to be used in the future. Also by draft text, the monitoring of the pensionable remuneration and the United Nations/United States income replacement ratios should be carried out during the periodic comprehensive reviews of the pensionable remuneration and consequent pensions of such staff. Between the comprehensive reviews, the ICSC should review, every two years, the factors affecting the comparisons of pensionable remuneration and income replacement ratios and, if necessary, report to the Assembly. [Note: The ICSC defines the income replacement ratio as the ratio of gross pension to average net pay received in the three-year period used to determine a pension benefit.]
The draft would also amend, with effect from 1 January 1997, article 54 (b) of the Fund's regulations, to incorporate the revised scale of pensionable remuneration for staff in the professional and higher categories. Based on that scale, the pensionable remuneration a staff Step I of P-2 would be $59,564; $72,604 for P-3; $87,233 for P-4; $105,510 for P-5; $119,218 for D- 1; and $175,139 for an Under-Secretary-General.
Regarding General Service staff, the draft would have the Assembly decide that the income replacement approach and its related methodology should continue being used in determining the pensionable remuneration of such staff, including the use of 66.25 per cent in the net pensionable pay for grossing-up purposes.
Further by the draft, the Assembly would ask the ICSC to undertake, in the year 2002, further comprehensive reviews of the methodologies for determining pensionable remuneration for Professional and General Service staff and for adjusting such remunerations between comprehensive reviews. It would also ask the ICSC to submit recommendations on the matter to the Assembly's fifty-seventh session.
On the pension adjustment system, the draft would have the Assembly approve changes in that system which would include a special measure for determining local currency track pension amounts for beneficiaries living in countries which had introduced new currencies that were significantly stronger in relation to the United States dollar. The special measure would take retroactive effect on 1 January 1996.
[Note: The proposal is the result of a request by the Pension Board for its Secretary to prepare a study on the problems which may arise in operating the pension adjustment system in countries which have had or might have very wide fluctuations in the exchange rate, thus affecting the exchange rate
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stability required in determining local currency pensions. In a 1995 study, the Secretary analysed the problems experienced by beneficiaries in Argentina and Brazil and suggested the special measure. The introduction of new currencies in Argentina and Brazil had led the sudden and significant strengthening of their respective currencies against the United States dollar. As a result, there had been a considerable loss in the purchasing power of the dollar pension entitlements in both countries. The special measure is to help address that problem.]
On the problems regarding the 1981 Transfer Agreements between the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and the former Soviet Union, Ukrainian SSR and Byelorusssian SSR, the Assembly would note that the fund had transferred to the Social Security Fund of the former Soviet Union the actuarial value of the pension rights accrued by individual former United Nations Pension Fund participants. The draft would have the Assembly take note of the legal opinion of the United Nations Legal Counsel, as contained in the report of the Pension Board to the forty-eighth session of the Assembly. It would also take note that the proposed Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Pension Fund did not give rise to any rights for any person under the Fund's regulations and the provisions of the proposed Agreement were not incorporated in any way in the Fund's regulations or administrative rules.
Also by the terms of the draft, the Assembly would concur with the proposed Agreement, which would represent the first step in resolving the problems that have arisen in relation to the applications of the Transfer Agreements.
In addition, the draft would have the Assembly take note that some Member States have expressed concern that the proposed Agreement covered certain former Fund participants who were now citizens of the Russian Federation.
Moreover, the Assembly would endorse the further steps envisaged in the proposed Agreement and paragraph 246 of the report of the Pension Board, as endorsed by the ACABQ. Towards that end, the Assembly would urge the Governments of the Member States concerned to hold direct talks to resolve the financial issues regarding the former Fund participants who were their citizens or permanent residents. It would then ask the Pension Board to report to the fifty-third Assembly session on the developments of those talks and make recommendations to it as appropriate.
[Note: In paragraph 246, the Board approved the proposed agreement and decided to convey to the Assembly the importance of similar agreements being reached with the other Member States whose citizens had transferred their pension entitlements under any of the three 1981 Transfer Agreements. The Board recognized that financial arrangements regarding to the actuarial costs of such agreements should be pursued further by the States concerned. It
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asked its Secretary to keep searching for a comprehensive solution on the claims of those former Fund participants from the countries concerned who were not covered by the proposed Agreement.]
Under other provisions of the draft, the Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to continue making the United Nations procurement and contracting system available to the Fund.
According to further provisions of the draft resolution, the Assembly would approve the admission of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea into the Pension Fund as from 1 January 1997.
On administrative expenses, the draft would have the Assembly approve the additional staffing sought by the Pension Board, involving $1.2 million for 1996-1997, which would be charged to Pension Fund. [Note: In its report, the Board had recommended that the Assembly approve two new P-5 posts and the conversion of four temporary positions (one P-4, three General Service).]
On other matters, the Assembly, taking noting of the cap that had been set on what United Nations pensioners would earn from the Organization, would ask the Pension Board to continue its consideration of amendments to relevant Fund regulations on the re-employment of pensioners. It would have the Board submit recommendations to the fifty-third Assembly session on that issue.
The report of the Committee on the administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations (document A/51/753) which contains a four-part draft resolution which would have the Assembly take ad hoc decisions on the peace-keeping assessments of Zambia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which would go into effect on 1 January 1997.
Under the terms of part A, the Assembly would include Zambia in "group (d)", with effect from 1 January 1997, in the special grouping of Member States created for assessing peace-keeping dues and calculate its assessments accordingly.
By the terms of part B, the Assembly would include the Czech Republic in "group (b)" as from the same date after welcoming its readiness to be placed there. Regarding the country's apportionment for the period from its admission on 19 January 1993 through 31 December 1996, the Republic shall be included in the "group (c)" and its dues for that period calculated accordingly. The Assembly would then decide to credit those past dues to Member States in "groups (b), (c) and (d)".
The Assembly would, according to part C, include Slovakia in "group (c)" for the assessment of its peace-keeping dues for the period from its admission on 19 January 1993 through 31 December. It would also decide Slovakia's
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peace-keeping dues for 1993 and from 1994 to the end of 1996 shall be credited to member States in "groups (b), (c) and (d)".
The draft's part D would simply have the Assembly continue considering the agenda item in the resumed session.
[The United Nations membership is divided into four groups for apportioning peace-keeping expenses. Those in "group (d)" are named economically less developed Member States that would be charged at one-tenth cent of their regular budget assessment rates. Countries in "group (c)" are other economically less developed States which would be billed at one-fifth. "Group (b)" are named economically developed States which are not permanent members of the Security Council and would be assessed at 100 per cent. In "group (a)" are the permanent Council members which would pay 100 per cent and cover expenses left unapportioned.]
The Committee's report on programme planning (document A/51/748) transmits a draft resolution on the proposed medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001.
The draft resolution contains five parts -- the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001, the structure, priorities, the programme performance report, and other conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC).
By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would adopt the proposed medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001, together with the relevant recommendations of the CPC and the additional conclusions and recommendations contained in the annex to the draft, taking into account the views of the Assembly's Main Committees. It would reaffirm that the medium-term plan, as adopted, is the principal policy directive of the United Nations and shall serve as a framework for the formulation of the biennial programme budgets. It would stress the importance of ensuring that the medium-term plan reflects all mandated programmes and activities and would decide to include reference in the approved version of the plan to the legislative mandates relevant for the work to be carried out.
Also by the draft, the Assembly would decide to approve the programme structure of the medium-term plan, subject to the provisions of the draft resolution and to maintain disarmament as an independent programme in the medium-term plan. It would decide to adopt programme 19 (Human rights) without prejudice to considerations by the General Assembly of the ongoing process of restructuring of the Centre for Human Rights.
The Assembly would decide further to review in depth the structure of the medium-term plan, through the CPC, at its fifty-fifth session. However, the Assembly would take note with concern of the fact that the
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Secretary-General, in presenting the programme structure of the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001, did not take fully into account the recommendations of the CPC, the ACABQ, and the views and opinions expressed by Member States, as requested in decision 50/452, on programme planning, adopted on 22 December 1995.
The Assembly would endorse the conclusions and recommendations of the CPC on the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations programme performance for the biennium 1994-1995. It would endorse the conclusions and recommendations of the CPC at its thirty-sixth session that have not otherwise been approved by the Assembly at its fifty-first session. The low rate of implementation of the self-evaluation of the programmes, as reflected in the report of the Board of Auditors, was to be noted with concern.
By other provisions of the text, the Assembly would stress the importance of priority-setting as an integral part of the planning, programming and budgeting process and request the Secretary-General to present to the CPC at its thirty-eighth session recommendations on priority-setting including at the subprogramme level within the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. The Secretary-General would also be requested to implement the plan in accordance with the agreed overall priorities as contained in the annex to the draft resolution.
The annex to the text contains the conclusions and recommendations on programmes and subprogrammes of the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. It comprises a section on the plan's introduction and priorities and selected programmes of the medium-term plan which have been revised in the Fifth Committee's informal consultations. (The draft text initially had 25 programmes.)
In the section on introduction and priorities, the Assembly would state that "in response to the need to address efficiently and effectively persistent problems, as well as to respond to emerging trends and challenges of the future, the Organization will, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, give priority to the following areas of work during the implementation of the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001".
Those priority areas are the following: a) maintenance of international peace and security; b) promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions and recent United Nations conferences; c) development of Africa; d) promotion of human rights; e) effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts; f) promotion of justice and international law; g) disarmament; and h) drug control, crime prevention, as well as combating international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
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In programme 1 (Political affairs), seven paragraphs on the programme on disarmament state its five objectives (disarmament is now an independent programme in the medium-term plan). The objectives of the programme now include to provide organizational and substantive secretariat support to multilateral bodies entrusted with deliberation and/or negotiations on disarmament issues.
In addition, decolonization is established as a new subprogramme in programme 1 (Political affairs). The annex contains new language on the objectives of that subprogramme, and two paragraphs on the Special Committee on decolonization replacing earlier text. A number of new paragraphs have also been added on objectives related to the question of Palestine. A change is proposed for paragraph 8.1 on the general purpose of programme 8 (Development support and management services).
For programme 9 (Trade and development), a new paragraph was included on the ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX) (Midrand, South Africa, May 1996). There are a number of other paragraphs which propose changes in the draft text of programme 9, including adding a new paragraph 9.5 (bis) which states that "UNCTAD will continue its role as the focal point within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of development and interrelated issues in the areas of trade, finance, technology, investment and sustainable development".
Some of the other programmes that have been revised in the annex include programmes 15 (Economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific), 19 (Human rights), 23 (Public information) and 24 (Administrative services). Programme 24 (Administration) has now been renamed "Administrative services".
The Committee's reports on the review of efficiency (documents A/51/751 and A/51/752) contain two draft decisions and a draft resolution.
Draft decision I would have the Assembly decide that the Fifth Committee should continue its consideration of the following agenda items and relevant reports at its resumed fifty-first session: financial reports and Board of Auditors reports; review of the efficiency of the Organization's administrative and financial functioning; improving the financial situation of the United Nations; the 1996-1997 programme budget; scale of assessments for apportioning the Organization's expenses; human resources management; the United Nations common system; and the United Nations pension system.
The following agenda items would also be considered at the resumed session: the financing of the peace-keeping operations and the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; the administrative and budgetary aspects of peacekeeping operations; and the Secretary-General's Report on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
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By draft decision II the Assembly would approve the Fifth Committee's biennal programme of work for 1997-1998. The Annex to the decision lists the agenda items to be considered for the entire period. For 1997, the Committee's programme of work would include the following: financial reports and the Board of Auditors reports; the review of the efficiency of the Organization's administrative and financial functioning; the 1996-1997 programme budget; the proposed 1998-1999 programme budget; improving the United Nations financial situation; the JIU; pattern of conferences; scale of assessments; the United Nations common system; the financing of peace-keeping operations; administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping financing; the report of the Economic and Social Council; and the appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments.
For 1998 the Committee's work programme would comprise all the item listed above as well as the following: 1998-1999 programme budget; programme planning; administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); human resources management; and the United Nations pension system. The JIU would not be included in the work programme.
The draft resolution on the outline of the proposed 1998-1999 programme budget would invite the Secretary-General to prepare his proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 on the basis of the total preliminary estimate of $2,608 million at initial 1996-1997 rates, recosted to $2,574 million at revised 1996-1997 rates. The Assembly would decide that the contingency fund shall be set at the level of 0.75 per cent of the preliminary estimate at 1998-1999 rates, namely at $20.1 million dollars.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would note that the Secretary-General's proposed budget outline for 1998-1999 contains a provision of $85 million for special missions, which represents a serious departure from current budgetary practice, and would decide that no provision for mandates yet to be approved should be included in the budget outline for 1998-1999.
In addition, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to submit, in the context of the proposed 1998-1999 programme budget, the following information: the rates of exchange and inflation used in the outline; the outputs deferred, postponed or curtailed in 1996-1997; the amount related to the proposed 6.4 per cent vacancy rate; the total number of posts for the biennium; and the impact of activities approved in 1996-1997 that would continue in 1998-1999. It would reaffirm that the outline should provide a greater level of predictability of resources required for the following biennium, promote a greater involvement of Member States in the budgetary process and thereby facilitate the broadest possible agreement on the programme budget.
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The Committee's report on the 1996-1997 programme budget (A/51/750) contains two draft resolutions.
Draft resolution I contains various separate draft texts on the budget such as those on revised estimates resulting from the resolutions of the Economic and Social Council, the subvention to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research for 1997, allocation for the International Seabed Authority on the first performance report on the budget, and on the contingency fund. The draft on the Seabed Authority would have the Assembly decide that the provision of $2.8 million be charged to the contingency fund or that the charges would be offset by cuts from provisions for constructions, improvements and major maintenance at the United Nations. It would also have the Assembly note that a balance of $15.4 million remained in the contingency fund.
Draft resolution II, on the budget appropriations for 1996-1997, would have the Assembly resolve that the appropriations of $2.608 billion should be adjusted by about $5 million, according to other provisions of the proposed text. In addition, it would also decrease the 1996-1997 income estimates of $471.4 million by $23.7 million. Also, the Assembly would resolve that the 1997 appropriations of $1.299 billion would be funded mainly by assessing $1.248 billion among Member States.
Action on Fifth Committee Reports
IGOR GOUMENNY (Ukraine), Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, introduced the Committee's reports.
The Assembly first took up the Committee's report on administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the IAEA.
It adopted the draft decision on administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy without a vote.
Next the Assembly took up the Committee report on pattern of conferences, adopting the draft resolution without a vote.
The Assembly then adopted one draft decision and two draft resolutions on scale of assessments for the apportioning the Organization's expenses.
Also without a vote, the Assembly adopted the two draft decisions in the report on human resources management.
The Assembly then adopted without a vote one draft resolution on financing UNAVEM III.
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Next, the Assembly turned to the Committee's report on financing of peace-keeping operations in the former Yugoslavia and adopted a draft decision without a vote.
The Assembly then took up the report on the financing of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. It adopted the draft resolution without vote.
On the report on the financing of the International Tribunal for Rwanda, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution without a vote.
The Assembly then took up the report on the Secretary-General's report on the Office of Internal Oversight Services. The draft decision was adopted without a vote.
On the financing of UNSMIH, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution without a vote.
The Assembly took up the report on the United Nations common system. The draft resolution was adopted without a vote.
At 6.50 p.m., RAZALI ISMAIL (Malaysia), President of the General Assembly, suspended the meeting until 10:30 p.m. to allow for the completion of the remaining reports of the Fifth Committee.
When the Assembly resumed at about 10.40 p.m., it took up the remaining five reports of the Fifth Committee.
The report of the Committee on the United Nations pension system was before the Assembly for action.
YURI BOHAYEVSKI (Ukraine) spoke specifically on section IV on the draft resolution on the pension system contained in the report. [That section deals with the problems related to the 1981 Transfer Agreements between the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and the former Soviet Union and other former Republics.] He said that his position had not been changed, since the interests of his country had not been treated adequately. The action in the Committee had taken a course that mainly favoured one country.
He then requested two separate votes; one would be on the adoption of section IV of the draft and the other would be on the adoption of the entire draft resolution. If section IV was deleted, he could support the rest of the draft resolution.
The Assembly President put the question of the adoption of section IV of the draft resolution to the vote.
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By a vote of 36 in favour to 1 against (Ukraine), with 62 abstentions, the Assembly adopted section IV of the draft. (See Annex I for details of the voting.)
The President then put to the vote the adoption of the draft resolution on the pension system as a whole.
The Assembly adopted the text by a vote of 102 in favour to 1 against (Ukraine), with 12 abstentions. (See Annex II.)
Next, the Assembly took up the report on administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations.
The four-part draft resolution on administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of peace-keeping operations was adopted without a vote.
The Assembly then took up the Fifth Committee's report on programme planning containing the draft resolution on the proposed medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001.
The draft resolution was adopted without a vote.
Speaking after the action, DONALD GELBER (United States) explained his country's position regarding priority b of the medium-term plan and the budget outline which called for "promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and recent United Nations Conferences". The clearest and most important of those references was contained in paragraph 6 of the Copenhagen Declaration adopted by the World Summit for Social Development, which read: "We are deeply convinced that economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development, which is the framework for our efforts to achieve a higher quality of life for all people. Equitable social development that recognizes empowering the poor to utilize environmental resources sustainably is a necessary foundation for sustainable development. We also recognize that broad-based and sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development is necessary to sustain social development and social justice."
He said that it was the understanding of his delegation that priority b as set forth above meant sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development. Since the beginning of the decade, the international community had held a series of global conferences which had defined an evolving consensus on common principles. The United States believed that the consensus was one of the most important developments of the post-cold war world. It called for sustainability: for economic development, social development and environmental protection. The reckless pursuit of economic
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growth at all costs had been disastrous in all regions of the world. Sustainability was critical for all countries and must be incorporated into all development policies.
PATRICK KELLY (Ireland), speaking for the European Union, said he was pleased to have joined in the consensus adoption of the draft resolution. However, the Union did not accept that the priority on sustainable growth and development adopted reflected the concept of sustainable development as approved in international conferences and agreements.
On the issue of human rights, he said that the Assembly did not have to take action to approve the restructuring of the Centre for Human Rights, which was within the competence of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
SAM HANSON (Canada) said he supported the statements by the United States and Ireland.
NORMA GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said she supported the priority accorded to the issue of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, as adopted in the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001. The text, as it related to the issue of human rights, meant that the Assembly should be involved in action on the restructuring of the Centre for Human Rights.
The Assembly then took up the Committee's report on the review of efficiency. It adopted the draft resolution on the budget outline for the 1997-1998 biennium; the draft decision on the continuation of the Fifth Committee's consideration of its agenda items; and the draft decision on the Fifth Committee's biennial programme of work for 1997-1998, all without a vote.
After action, NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the Group had joined in the consensus on the resolution despite its position that the Assembly should approve the same allocations of resources as it had approved for the 1996-1997 biennium. It was fundamental that the decision on the proposed budget outline be in line with budget resolution 41/213. In the preparation of the draft 1998-1999 budget, the Secretary-General should not include budgetary estimates for activities that were not mandated.
Mr. KELLY (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said he was pleased to join the consensus on the draft text on the budget outline. It was regrettable that it was not possible to include increased estimates for special missions in the budget outline. Such resources would correspond to a very real need in the context of the budget. He stressed that such provisions should be made in the next biennium's budget. He looked forward to the comprehensive policy paper requested of the Secretary-General for consideration with the draft budget.
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Citing the amount of resources agreed to in the budget outline, he said the total preliminary estimates were superior to the level of resources requested by the Secretary-General. He referred to the potential of support costs for new mandates. The Secretary-General should take due account of the unexpected capacity of the amounts that had been estimated for special missions. Regarding the priority of the medium-term plan, he recalled the Union's position of the priority related to the promotion of sustainable development.
JAN JAREMCZUK (Poland) said he aligned himself fully with the statement of the representative of Ireland.
The Assembly then took up the Committee's report on the 1996-1997 programme budget, which contains two draft resolutions.
Draft resolution I (A and B) on questions related to the 1996-1997 budget was adopted without a vote.
The Assembly then adopted without a vote draft resolution II (A, B and C), on revised appropriations for 1996-1997 programme budget.
Speaking after action, Ms. INCERA (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said that it was fundamental, in implementing the costs savings from the budget, that the Secretariat ensure the full implementation of mandated programmes and activities. The resolution had noted the assurance from the Secretary-General that he would not take any decision on the involuntary separation of staff, including those who had been placed on the redeployment list. The terms of operative paragraphs 14 and 15 should be implemented. The Secretary-General should take all necessary action to avoid the duplication of efficiency review procedures. He should also integrate and harmonize efficiency reviews which would help avoid the institutionalization of the efficiency structures that had been set up recently.
She drew particular attention to paragraphs 18, 19 and 20. Those paragraphs requested the Secretary-General to report to the relevant intergovernmental bodies on the efficiency proposals which had programmatic and programme budget implications that required prior legislative approval. One of the paragraphs also requested the Secretary-General to present, no later than 1 March 1997, a programme performance report on the impact of approved savings measures on the implementation of mandates, which the Assembly would consider in the first part of its resumed session.
The Assembly then concluded consideration of the reports of the Fifth Committee.
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Next, the Assembly President took up the programme of work of the Assembly. He proposed the continued consideration of some agenda items in the fifty-first session. The list included more than 50 items which would be retained, apart from some organizational matters and items that might have to be considered under the operation of the rules of procedure of the Assembly and bearing in mind the action already taken by it in previous sessions.
The Assembly approved the retention of those items.
Closing Statement
In closing remarks, the PRESIDENT of the Assembly, RAZALI ISMAIL (Malaysia), said that although the issue had gone "right down to the wire", the Assembly had successfully concluded the appointment of a new Secretary- General, an issue which had riveted global attention on the United Nations.
Speaking at what he called the last meeting of the main segment of the current session, he congratulated the Assembly on its achievements. He spoke of the significant progress over the past three months in enhancing efficiency, increasing productivity and reducing wasteful practices.
Although the work had been concluded one day later than the Assembly's self-imposed deadline of 17 December, he pointed out that by starting meetings on time and improving work methods, the Assembly's Plenary and Main Committees held 26 fewer meetings than during the last session. Up to December 15, there were 107 fewer hours of "unused meeting time" than last year; the notional savings for the plenary alone since September was $410,000.
He called on the Assembly to use its collective energies to chart an honest and appropriate course for the United Nations to enable it to better meet its expectations. Commemorative occasions should be used not only to extol the achievements of the United Nations and various organizations, but to examine the application of the principles at the heart of those multilateral efforts. "We must, with courage, blow the smokescreen of rhetoric away", he said. An honest and appropriate course must be charted for the United Nations so that it was better able to meet its expectations.
Turning to United Nations financing, he urged Member States to pay their assessment contributions "on time and in full", noting that the total deficit of $2.3 billion for both regular and peace-keeping budgets remained too high for the financial health and viability of any organization.
For the United Nations to remain at the centre of international relations, he went on, it must not only be perceived as a vibrant organization in terms of its management, but also in terms of the qualitative and timely leadership it brought to bear on the issues of our time. Citing some of those issues as disarmament, development, protection of the environment and the role
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of civil society in multilateral affairs, he asked: "Can we attest that the resolutions which we adopted do in fact reflect the issues of our time?"
He highlighted some of the salient issues at the session as nuclear disarmament and development, on which significant resolutions had been adopted. Important decisions were also taken on such social issues as the rights of the child, international action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking, the advancement of women, and human rights. He further drew attention to some other issues on which the Assembly had deliberated, mentioning the Middle East, Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a resolution on the elimination of international terrorism and the establishment of an international criminal court.
Looking forward to 1997, he said the major challenge was to fulfil the overwhelming will of Member States to make progress in the working groups dealing with reform, restructuring and the financial situation of the United Nations.
The meeting was then adjourned and the fifty-first session of the General Assembly was suspended.
(annexes follow)
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ANNEX I
Vote on Section IV of Text on United Nations Pension System
The Assembly adopted Section IV of the draft resolution on the United Nations Pension System (document A/C.5/51/L.36) by a recorded vote of 36 in favour to 1 against, with 62 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Morocco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uganda, United States, Zambia.
Against: Ukraine.
Abstaining: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, China, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zaire.
(END OF ANNEX I)
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ANNEX II
Vote on United Nations Pension System
The Assembly adopted the draft resolution contained in the report of the United Nations Pension System (document A/51/746) by a recorded vote of 102 in favour to 1 against, with 12 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: Ukraine.
Abstentions: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Fiji, Ghana, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, Uruguay.
Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Oman, Palau, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zaire.
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