SECRETARY-GENERAL REQUESTS $235 MILLION FOR 1997-1998 BUDGETS OF UNOMIL, UNMIBH AND UNPREDEP IN REPORTS TO FIFTH COMMITTEE

27 May 1997

Press Release
GA/AB/3150

SECRETARY-GENERAL REQUESTS $235 MILLION FOR 1997-1998 BUDGETS OF UNOMIL, UNMIBH AND UNPREDEP IN REPORTS TO FIFTH COMMITTEE

19970527 Delegates Seek Information from Secretariat On Submission of 1996-1997 Budget Performance Report

The Secretary-General asked the General Assembly to approve budgets totalling about $235 million for three ongoing peace-keeping operations in Africa and the former Yugoslavia for the period 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, in reports presented to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning.

The amounts -- for the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) -- would be assessed on month-by-month bases, subject to Security Council decisions on the operations' mandates.

The Secretary-General also requested $35.1 million net for the same period for the support account for peace-keeping operations to pay for 364 temporary posts for Headquarters' backstopping and related non-post requirements. The posts include 19 more than those approved for the previous 12-month budget period.

He defines backstopping as the overall direction, assistance and guidance given by offices at Headquarters to ensure effective planning, implementation and liquidation of peace-keeping missions. The support account provides for such work.

The Secretary-General's reports were submitted by the United Nations Controller, Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, who also presented documents seeking appropriations for preceding periods for the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia (UNPF) and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). The documents requests nearly $290.9 million gross for the UNPF for the period from 1 January 1996 to 30 June 1997 and an additional $5.1 million gross for UNAMIR for the period from 1 January to 30 June 1996. Significant parts of the amounts have previously been authorized.

Speaking on the support account for peace-keeping operations, the representative of the Netherlands said, on behalf of the European Union, that

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the report on the account should have been submitted earlier to enable the Committee to adequately consider it. Pakistan's representative expressed similar sentiments.

The Director of Peace-keeping Financing Division, Department of Administration and Management, Leon Hosang, explained that the report's submission was held back to enable the Secretariat to take into account any decision the Assembly might have taken on the use of gratis personnel, 140 of whom worked under the support account. A change in their status would have affected the account's needs.

The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) report on the support account was introduced by that Committee's Chairman, C.S.M. Mselle.

Also this morning, several delegations called on the Secretariat to inform them when the performance report on the 1996-1997 budget would be issued. The representative of Mexico stressed the importance of the document and the fact that it had been requested in a resolution.

The Chairman of the ACABQ responded to concerns about the late submission of reports on the International Tribunals. He stressed that the late issuance of his Committee's reports was not his fault but a result of the lateness of reports and additional information from the Secretariat. The key issue that should be raised by delegations was whether the Budget Division had enough staff to discharge its responsibilities, especially in the context of reduced resources.

The representatives of United States, Australia, Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Netherlands and Austria spoke on the programme of work.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 29 May, to continue discussing administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping financing, particularly the support account.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to consider the financing of five peace-keeping operations and administrative and budgetary aspects of peace-keeping, particularly the support account for such operations.

Financing of Peace-keeping Operations in Former Yugoslavia

In its review of the management structure in the civilian staff component of the United Nations Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia (UNPF) transmitted in a note by the Secretary-General (document A/51/305), the Office of Internal Oversight Services concludes that the UNPF's management would have been more effective and could have saved significant resources if its management structure had been more appropriate. Frequent expansions and changes in the UNPF mandate made the establishment of adequate internal controls even more important. Better internal control systems would have contributed to more efficient operations within the UNPF. They would have enabled the administration to manage the resources of the Organization more effectively and to ensure greater value for money.

The Office concludes that future peace-keeping missions should establish, at an early stage, appropriate management structures with proper internal controls to allow efficient management. The reply from the Department of Peace-keeping Operations to the Office's audit report showed that the UNPF had taken several steps to improve its operations -- they are incorporated in the report.

The Office recommends sound planning as a prerequisite for efficient missions, stressing that the creation of stronger management capacities at peace-keeping missions is crucial. The appointment of qualified officials as Chief Administrative Officer and for other functions is essential and should be supported by Headquarters. Monitoring and documenting of internal control systems and procedures should be developed to help future missions achieve their objectives.

The Secretary-General's report on the financing of the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (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/51/701) contains a financial performance report with updates on the liquidation of the forces for the period 1 January to 30 June 1996. The United Nations peace forces in the former Yugoslavia consisted of: UNCRO, whose mandate ended on 15 January 1996; UNPROFOR, whose mandate terminated on 20 December 1995; UNPREDEP, which became an independent

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mission as from 1 February 1996; and the UNPF headquarters, which provided administrative support to the three.

The report covers the six-month transitional period, during which the UNPF undertook pre-liquidation tasks related to UNCRO and UNPROFOR, including the disposition of assets, settlement of claims and the transition to the Implementation Force (IFOR). During this period, UNPF provided support to UNPREDEP and to the new operations in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium -- the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) -- and in Bosnia and Herzegovina -- the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH).

During that period, the Secretary-General states, a total of $240.6 million gross ($237.5 million net) was authorized by the Assembly and spent on the mission. He asks the Assembly to appropriate that amount and assess about $151.1 million gross ($148.4 million net) of the total. The new assessment would be an addition to the $89.5 million gross ($87.9 million net) assessed previously by the Assembly.

As for the period 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, he asks the Assembly to appropriate and assess about $50.3 million gross ($47 million net) for the forces.

Turning to the period from the forces' inception on 12 January 1992 to 31 December 1996, the Secretary-General states that a total of about $5.110 billion gross ($5.074 billion net) was made available to them, of which about $4.785 billion gross ($4.751 billion net) was spent. A related unencumbered balance of about $112 million gross ($115.2 million net) accrued, which should be disposed of.

In addition to the appropriations and assessments, the Secretary-General also asks the Assembly to review the amounts budgeted for reimbursing contingent-owned equipment upon the completion of the processing of claims.

In a revision of a portion of the report, which was submitted to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), he states that the most up-to-date information puts the total reimbursement for such equipment at about $877.5 million. Since $431.5 million of that has been paid, about $446 million is outstanding. As only about $197.9 million had been set aside for such reimbursements, an additional $248.1 million needs to be appropriated by the Assembly for contingent-owned equipment. The request for such an appropriation will be made when the actual amounts owed to all 30 troop-contributing States have been determined.

In a section of its related, four-part report on the financing of the combined United Nations peace forces in the former Yugoslavia, UNMIBH, UNTAES

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and UNPREDEP (document A/51/872), the ACABQ recommends the appropriation of the $240.6 million gross for the period from 1 January to 30 June 1996. But, it adds, there is not yet a need to assess the $151.1 million gross proposed, pending clarifications on the value of contingent-owned equipment, unliquidated obligations, overspending related to international contractual personnel, legal claims against the Organization and compliance with the status-of-forces agreement.

For similar reasons, the ACABQ recommends that no decision should be taken on the initial $112-million gross unencumbered balance, which it says was reduced to $102.7 million by the Assembly. Further, it recommends against the assessment of $50.2 million for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, even though it does not object to the sum's appropriation.

Financing of UNOMIL

On the financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), established by Security Council resolution 866 (1993), the Committee has before it a report of the Secretary-General (document A/51/756/Add.2) in which he asks the Assembly to appropriate $19.7 million gross ($18.2 million net), and assess that amount at a monthly rate of $1.6 million gross ($1.5 million net) for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, subject to the extension of the mandate of the Observer Mission by the Security Council.

The Secretary-General's report contains the proposed budget of UNOMIL for the 12-month period. That budget reflects a 38 per cent reduction in gross terms when compared with the appropriation for the preceding 12-month period, from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997. The reduction is due primarily to the elimination of requirements for the disarmament and demobilization programme, which has been completed.

The proposed budget provides for the maintenance of UNOMIL based on a projected phased reduction in the strength of its military and civilian personnel from 415 to 138, consisting of 30 military observers, 56 international staff, 39 local staff and 13 United Nations Volunteers.

There would be a gradual reduction from 323 to 108 posts, consisting of 56 international staff, 39 local staff and 13 United Nations Volunteers, the report states. It represents a net reduction of 215 posts, consisting of 33 international staff, 170 local staff and 12 United Nations Volunteers. Those reductions are due to the closing of the 10 remaining demobilization centres and to the phased reduction of the military component during the budgeted period.

In its related report (document A/51/423/Add.2), the ACABQ recommends that the Assembly approves the Secretary-General's request that $19.7 million

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gross ($18.2 million net) be appropriated for maintaining UNOMIL for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. That amount should be assessed at a monthly rate of $1.6 million gross ($1.5 million net), subject to the extension of the Mission's mandate by the Security Council.

The ACABQ also requests that in the event that the Mission be liquidated after 30 June 1997, adequate personnel should be made available to carry out the liquidation process efficiently.

Financing of UNAMIR

The report of the Secretary-General on financing of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) (document A/51/830) requests the Assembly to appropriate an additional amount of $5.1 million gross ($5 million net) for the period from 1 January to 30 June 1996, with assessment to be determined at a later date. The amount is requested to provide funding for the additional resources in excess of the available appropriation for the period under review.

The report states that a preliminary review of the unliquidated obligations recorded in the Assistance Mission's accounts is being conducted to determine if the required additional resources could be offset by any obligations pertaining to prior mandate periods that may no longer be required. For that reason, the assessment of the additional appropriation mentioned above is not requested at the present stage.

The Secretary-General's report contains the financial performance report of UNAMIR for the period from 1 January to 30 June 1996. A total amount of $54.6 million gross ($53.6 million net) was provided by the Assembly for that period. The expenditures incurred amounted to $59.6 million gross ($58.6 million net) and resulted in additional requirements of $5.1 million gross ($5 million net).

According to the report, the additional requirements were attributable to a number of unforeseen developments that had an impact on the Mission's activities during its final mandate and withdrawal periods. While the departure of formed contingents proceeded largely in accordance with the established schedule, the Mission encountered difficulties in arranging for the removal of the United Nations-owned assets and in the timely settlement of disputes involving UNAMIR and its contractors. Those extraordinary problems included issues such as the disposition of UNAMIR equipment, corporate taxation of the United Nations contractors, licensing and imposition of communications fees and differences in the interpretation of the status-of-mission agreement.

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In addition, delays in the repatriation process were increased owing to the negotiations on the establishment of the United Nations Office in Rwanda (UNOR) and on the transfer of the UNAMIR equipment. Although the originally envisaged time-frame of six weeks for liquidation of the activities ending 20 April 1996 proved to be insufficient, UNAMIR was compelled to leave on that date in compliance with the wishes of the Government of Rwanda, with its administrative staff having to relocate to Nairobi.

Those developments necessitated the continuation of administrative and logistical support personnel in Rwanda beyond the originally projected deadlines and resulted in additional expenditures under all main budget headings related to logistical support, the report states. Further adjustments to the original withdrawal requirements had to be made. The earlier than anticipated departure, effective 2 February 1996, of the key military logistic support unit provided to UNAMIR required that the functions of that unit be provided through commercial contractors. The negotiations in connection with the proposed establishment of UNOR gave rise to additional requirements for the storage, prior to eventual removal, of the UNAMIR equipment that had been earmarked for UNOR. In addition, expenditures were recorded in the review period for the settlement of claims and invoices arising from commercial agreements pertaining to prior mandate periods.

The UNAMIR was established by Security Council resolution 872 (1993). Its mandate was revised and extended by the Council in subsequent resolutions and extended for a final period until 8 March 1996.

In its related report (document A/51/891), the ACABQ recommends that no action be taken on appropriation, pending the receipt of a further report addressing the outcome of the uncertainties it draws attention to in its report.

The ACABQ notes that, of the total of $5.1 million indicated as overruns in the Secretary-General's report, an amount of $3 million relates to charges for prior periods. The Committee believes that although the mandate periods beginning on 1 January 1996 were of short duration and therefore may have caused some uncertainty in planning, resources could have been better administered and charges for prior periods should not have been carried over as frequently as has been done in that case.

The Advisory Committee makes some further observations on areas of expenditure. It notes that in a number of cases additional charges have been incurred for goods and services which had not been included in the cost estimates. The performance report classifies goods and services received under "claims and unliquidated obligations"; some of those are still only estimates, pending submission of the related claims. The Committee believes that the proper procedure for raising requisitions and obligating funds for

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the required goods and services should have been followed in order to avoid confusion and uncertainty at the time of disbursement of funds and reporting on the financial performance.

The ACABQ draws attention to costs and unliquidated obligations for contingent-owned equipment and the provision of supplies and services. In addition, amounts have been obligated for contracts for medical services and for logistic support services -- both awaiting final claims. A total of $61 million in unliquidated obligations was estimated as at 20 March. As a result of a detailed review of all outstanding government claims as at 20 March, an additional claim in an amount of $2.5 million for rations had been identified for which no obligation existed in the related mandate period. The Committee believes that a cumbersome procedure for identifying and verifying goods and services received as well as a lack of proper documentation maintained by the Mission may have contributed to the late identification and reconciliation of some of the claims. In addition, the Committee expresses concern about an expenditure of $368,000 for the warehousing of rations -- a charge which was inadvertently left out of the cost estimates.

Financing of UNMIBH

In a report on the financing of the UNMIBH (document A/51/519/Add.1), the Secretary-General asks the Assembly to appropriate about $172.6 million gross ($164.5 million net) to maintain the UNMIBH and the United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) for the period 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. The sum should be assessed at the rate of about $14.4 million gross ($13.7 million net) monthly.

The overall budget, he says, provides for 28 military observers, 5 military liaison officers, 1,721 civilian police, 371 international staff and 968 locally recruited staff and non-recurrent costs of some $11.1 million for transport operations and other equipment.

The budget he proposes is the total cost of maintaining the UNMIBH, including UNMOP, and reflects a 9.9 per cent gross rise over the previous one for the 12-month period. Even though UNMOP is an independent mission, it is treated as part of the UNMIBH for budgetary purposes.

In a later report on the financing of the UNMIBH (document A/51/519/Add.2), dated 6 February and submitted at the request of the ACABQ, he reduces the estimates for the period 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998 by almost $7 million to about to $165.6 million gross ($157.5 million net). He asks the Assembly to appropriate the amount and assess it at a monthly rate of about $13.8 million gross ($13.1 million net), subject to extension of UNMIBH's mandate beyond 21 December 1997. He proposes the cut because hazard duty

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allowance was terminated for Bosnia and Herzegovina, effective 1 December 1996, on the recommendation of the United Nations Security Coordinator.

In a section of the four-part report on the financing of the combined United Nations peace forces in former Yugoslavia, the UNMIBH, UNTAES and UNPREDEP (document A/51/872), the ACABQ recommends the appropriation of about $159 million gross for the UNMIBH, assessed at some $13.3 million gross monthly.

By way of a financial performance report on UNMIBH, including UNMOP and the Office of the Special Coordinator for Sarajevo, for the period 1 January to 30 June 1996 (document A/51/519/Add.3), the Secretary-General asks the Assembly to determine what to do with an unencumbered balance of about $6.5 million gross and net for the period.

In the same report on the combined United Nations peace forces, the UNMIBH, UNTAES and UNPREDEP (document A/51/872), the ACABQ recommends that the balance in the UNMIBH's account be credited to Member States.

Financing of UNPREDEP

The Secretary-General, in a budget report on the financing of UNPREDEP (document A/51/508/Add.1), asks the Assembly to appropriate some $44.3 million gross ($42.8 million net) for the Force for the period 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. He asks it to assess the sum at a monthly rate of about $3.7 million gross ($3.6 million net), should the Security Council extend UNPREDEP beyond 31 May.

The Secretary-General states that the amount he seeks is 12.1 per cent less, in gross terms, than what was provided by the Assembly for the previous 12-month period. That is mainly due to cuts in troop costs resulting from the Council's reduction of the Force's military strength from 1,050 to 750 soldiers.

In the UNPREDEP-related section of its four-part report on the financing of the combined United Nations peace forces in former Yugoslavia, the UNMIBH, UNTAES and UNPREDEP (document A/51/872), the ACABQ recommends that no action be taken until the Secretary-General submits revised estimates for UNPREDEP, no later than 5 June, reflecting the latest developments in the mission's mandate. The recommendation is due to the fact that the Secretariat has suggested raising the budget by some $5.2 million to $49.5 million gross, as a result of a Security Council decision to suspend the reduction of UNPREDEP's troops until the end of its mandate on 31 May.

In an addendum on UNPREDEP (document A/51/508/Add.3), the Secretary- General complies, formally revising the costs to $49.5 million gross ($47.9

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million net) to reflect the retention of the Force's military strength of 1,050 troops. He asks for the amount to be appropriated and then assessed at a monthly rate of some $4.1 million gross ($4 million net).

The revision takes into account recent developments in Albania which showed that stability in the Balkans was fragile. Although there is no imminent danger of Albania's problems spilling into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the crisis was causing anxiety there. The revised budget is for the deployment of 35 military observers, 1,050 troops, 26 civilian police, 76 international staff and 127 local staff.

The Secretary-General's financial performance report on the financing of UNPREDEP (document A/51/508/Add.2) for the period 1 January to 30 June 1996, asks the Assembly to determine what to do with an unencumbered balance of $5.3 million gross ($5.1 million net) related to that period. The balance arose after the mission spent $19.9 million gross ($19.6 million net) of the $25.2 million gross ($24.7 million net) appropriated for the period.

The ACABQ recommends that the balance be credited to Member States.

Administrative/Budgetary Aspects of Peace-keeping Financing

In his report on the support account for peace-keeping operations (document A/51/890), the Secretary-General asks the Assembly to approve $35.1 million net for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, which would pay for 364 temporary posts for Headquarters backstopping and related non-post requirements. There would be 19 more posts than those approved for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, which also had an allocation of $30.5 million.

The Secretary-General defines backstopping as the overall direction, assistance and guidance given by offices at Headquarters to ensure effective planning, implementation and liquidation of peace-keeping operations. The support account was set up to provide for such work.

He requests the Assembly to confirm the new funding mechanism for the support account it provisionally approved in June 1996. The new mechanism requires that a level of backstopping resources needed should be established annually. Once the Assembly approves the level of requirements for the support account, they would be shared out proportionately among the budgets of the peace-keeping operations rather than appropriated and assessed separately. The new method is necessary since the old system would generate only about $18.6 million of the $35.1 million needed for 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. The old method was based on including in each budget an amount equal to 8.5 per cent of the estimates of salaries, common staff costs and travel of a mission's civilian staff.

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In its related report on the support account (document A/51/906), the ACABQ recommends that the amount sought by the Secretary-General should be reduced by $2.1 million. That would reflect its rejection of 17 of the 19 net additional posts sought by the Secretary-General.

Statements on Support Account on Peace-keeping Operations

JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, United Nations Controller, introduced the Secretary-General's report on the support account on peace-keeping operations. The Secretary-General was asking for 19 net additional posts and proposing the abolition of one post (Under-Secretary-General) in his Executive Office.

C.S.M. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, introduced his Committee's report, reviewing some of its contents. The ACABQ supported the Secretary-General's proposal to abolish one post of Under-Secretary-General in his Executive Office. But the Secretariat should have done more analysis on work requirements to find out the exact amount of resources actually required, taking into consideration that the amounts for peace-keeping operations were dropping. Not only should the request for new posts be supported but the need for the existing posts should be justified. The ACABQ concurred that the new funding mechanism for the support account should be used to fund the support account.

PAUL MENKVELD (Netherlands) said, on behalf of the European Union, that he was not in position to make a statement today on the support account, which was an important issue. The Fifth Committee should be given enough time to consider the subject. However, the issuance of the reports on the support account at the present time would make it hard for the Committee to thoroughly deliberate upon the agenda item. He asked why the Secretariat had not submitted the reports at the beginning of the current resumed session, rather than in the third week of a four-week session.

AMJAD SIAL (Pakistan) shared the concerns expressed by the representative of the Netherlands. He said that the General Assembly had adopted a resolution that demanded that reports should be submitted in accordance with the six-week rule. Also, it had decided that when documents were issued late, explanations should be attached to them. Adequate time should be provided for discussions on the support account.

LEON HOSANG, Director, Peace-keeping Financing Division, Department of Administration and Management, said the preparation of the Secretary-General's report on the support account was held in order to enable the Secretariat to take into consideration any decision that the Assembly might take on the deployment of gratis personnel, some of whom were used in the support account.

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(The Secretary-General's report states that 140 gratis personnel on loan from Member States were working under the support account estimate for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998. If their indicative dollar value ($14.9 million) was taken into account, the overall cost of backstopping of peace-keeping operations at Headquarters would rise from $35.1 million to about $50 million.)

Mr. MENKVELD (Netherlands) said the Assembly had adopted a resolution which had asked for the report on the support account to be presented with comprehensive data on all resource requirements. The request for comprehensive reports had been sought one year ago and there should have been no connection between the support account and the issue of gratis personnel and full-cost budgets.

Mr. HOSANG said that since some 140 posts were encumbered by gratis personnel, an Assembly decision on gratis personnel would have forced the redeployment of those personnel elsewhere and led to a re-evaluation of the resources required by the support account. Such a development would have affected the funding needs of the support account.

Mr. SIAL (Pakistan) said the explanation given was not in line with resolution 50/211 B on the support account, in which the Assembly had requested a comprehensive proposal on total human resources requirements. He wondered why such a proposal had not been submitted for consideration by the Fifth Committee. He asked the Secretariat to give the reasons for not complying with the resolution's request at the next Committee meeting.

Organization of Work

The representative of Mexico asked for a response to the Committee's request for the performance report on the 1996-1997 budget. Stressing the importance of the document and the fact that it had been requested in a resolution, she said delegations had received no information as to when it would be available. The Committee was still awaiting it.

The representative of the United States also stressed the importance of the Secretariat responding to Assembly resolutions by providing the reports requested.

The representative of Australia expressed concern about the limited time for discussing the reports on the International Tribunals, including the reports of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

The representative of Canada, as coordinator of the informal consultations on the two International Tribunals, said delegations had expressed concern about the late scheduling of those consultations, the late

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issuance of the documents and, consequently, the late scheduling of consultations. They wanted to ensure a full discussion of the Internal Oversight reports. As a result of the political nature of the Tribunals, priority should have been given to the issuance of those reports. Their review should be detailed, not cursory and abbreviated.

The Acting Chairman, KLAUS-DIETER STEIN (Germany), said he would try to make enough time available for the discussions.

The representative of Cuba also expressed concern about the late submission of reports which undermined the proper conduct of the Committee's work. She wondered if delegations were being toyed with since they were not receiving replies to their requests for documents. Regarding the performance report, she said the Secretariat should take the matter seriously and respond to the Committee by Friday this week.

The representative of Brazil said he also awaited the performance report. Not having that reference material as requested in resolution 51/211 was harming the Committee's discussion of the next budget. He still expected the Secretariat to provide it as soon as possible.

The representative of the Netherlands, referring to the financing of the International Tribunals, noted that the Committee had been told recently by the Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management of the "hundreds" of efficiency projects that had been implemented. Such efficiency had not been evident in its reporting on the support account. More consistency in the speed in providing the reports to the Committee would please his delegation.

Mr. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, responded to the concerns about the reports on the International Tribunals. He stressed that the Committee should be concerned about the issuance of the Secretariat reports. He gave details of the times when his Committee received the Tribunal reports from the Secretariat as well as 200 pages of additional information which had been received. Some requests had been complied with after the Committee "had kicked up a riot".

He added that the ACABQ had been frustrated. It had been asked to consider volumes of advance copies of reports in a very short time and not in all languages. The Committee bent over backwards to accommodate the Secretariat when documents were late. It made an enormous amount of sacrifice.

Stressing that the late issuance of the Committee's reports was not its fault, he said the key issue that should be raised by delegations was whether the Secretariat had the resources to produce the reports. That was where the

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problem lay. The Budget Division worked enormously but one had to wonder if it had enough staff to discharge its responsibilities, especially in the context of reduced resources.

The representative of Pakistan said he could not accept that the late issuance of reports resulted from lack of resources. He noted the contradiction in statements referring to a lack of resources and the Secretary-General's proposal to cut 1,000 posts. However, late submission of documents was inexcusable. He was not critical of the ACABQ. Its work was appreciated. It was doing a remarkable job.

The representative of the United States asked the Chairman to ensure that the Committee had adequate time to discuss the Tribunals.

The Acting Chairman appealed for the finalization of draft proposals to ensure more time for such consultations next week.

The representative of Austria, as coordinator of the draft text on death and disability, said the draft proposal would be available this afternoon.

The Chairman said the Secretariat would provide an answer on the issuance of the performance report on Thursday.

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