PROPOSED 1998-1999 BUDGETARY RESOURCES FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AFRICA INSUFFICIENT TO MEET NEEDS, FIFTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD

28 October 1997

Press Release
GA/AB/3178

PROPOSED 1998-1999 BUDGETARY RESOURCES FOR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AFRICA INSUFFICIENT TO MEET NEEDS, FIFTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD

19971028 Discussion Begins on Pattern of Conferences; Consideration of Joint Inspection Unit Reports Continues

The proposed 1998-1999 budget's resources for economic and social development were insufficient for existing needs, particularly those of the least developed countries and Africa, Ethiopia's representative told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning, as it continued discussing the proposed $2.583 billion budget.

He expressed concern that the amounts proposed for the economic and social development of Africa showed only a 1.9 per cent growth for the upcoming biennium. Also, more resources should be channelled to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

New Zealand's representative, also speaking for Canada and Australia, said the Secretary-General's proposals of a net $56 million increase in funds for social and economic development and of a "development dividend account" should strengthen focus on delivering high-quality services, in line with the commitments of United Nations global conferences. Those States supported the budget's increased attention to the needs of Africa, the least developed countries and small island developing States.

Speaking on the section on peacekeeping, he said specific provisions should be made for special missions for peace and security, with a line item included in the budget. A suitable mode of financing could be found to avoid any danger of over-assessment.

The use of extrabudgetary resources, which were growing as the regular budget declined, should be clarified, Paraguay's representative said on behalf of the Rio Group. The Group attached special importance to the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), he added.

Agreeing with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) that high vacancy rates hampered the delivery of mandated

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programmes, the representative of Pakistan said that proposed staff cuts should be justified.

The budget should have reduced the numbers of gratis personnel loaned to the Organization, not regular staff, Syria's representative said. The work of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in development should be emphasized and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) should be given the resources it needed to fully implement its mandates.

Also this morning the Committee continued considering reports of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and began discussing pattern of conferences.

Statements were made by the representatives of the Philippines, Cuba, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Italy and Argentina.

The Chairman of the Committee on Conferences, Uldis Blukis (Latvia), introduced the Committee's report. The Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, Jin Yongjian, spoke and the JIU Inspector, Sumihiro Kuyama, also spoke.

The Fifth Committee is scheduled to meet again 10 a.m., tomorrow, 29 October, to continue discussing the scale of assessments and the pattern of conferences. It is also expected to take action on draft resolutions on death and disability benefits and on the financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL).

Fifth Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to continue its discussion of the proposed 1998-1999 budget and the reports of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU). (For background on the proposed budget, see Press Release GA/AB/3173 of 22 October; for information on the reports of the JIU, see Press Release GA/AB/3172.)

The Fifth Committee also expected to begin its discussion of the Organization's pattern of conferences. The Committee has before it the annual report of the Committee on Conferences and reports of the Secretary-General on control and limitation of documentation; review of subsidiary bodies that meet away from their headquarters; and review of subsidiary bodies that had not fully utilized their meeting entitlements. Also before the Committee were a report of the JIU, annexed to a note by the Secretary-General, on enhancing cost-effectiveness of United Nations publications, and two letters from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences regarding its agenda.

Reports on Pattern of Conferences

The report of the Committee on Conferences (document A/51/32 and Add.1) recommends that the Assembly adopt a draft calendar of conferences and meetings for 1998-1999 and adjust it based on decisions taken at the fifty-second session. It also recommends that efforts be made to avoid simultaneous peak periods at the various duty stations when planning the calendar of conferences and meetings.

The report states that statistical information on the meetings of United Nations bodies during 1996 indicated that, relative to 1995, the overall utilization of meetings resources had improved considerably and now exceeded the benchmark of 80 per cent.

Noting that 32 per cent of requests for interpretation services for meetings of regional and other major groupings of Member States had been denied, the Committee urged intergovernmental bodies to spare no effort in the planning stage to dovetail their meetings with those of the sessional body. Further, intergovernmental bodies should notify Conference Services in advance of cancellations so that unutilized conference-servicing resources could be reassigned to meetings of regional and other major groups of States.

The Committee supported the Secretariat's further development of a cost-accounting system for conference services to be expanded to encompass other areas of the Secretariat.

On the control and limitation of documentation, the Committee recommended that the Assembly consider inviting intergovernmental bodies to

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reduce the length of their reports from the 32-page desired limit to a 20-page limit over a period of time. It also recommended that further development of the optical disk be encouraged.

The Committee recommended the adoption of the provisional calendar of conferences and meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council for 1998-1999 and urged the Council to review its calendar as a whole in the context of its review of mandates, composition, functions and working methods of its functional commissions and expert groups and bodies.

Annexed to the report are draft calenders of conferences and meetings of the United Nations for 1998 and 1999; a list of bodies whose mandate would be up for renewal at the Assembly's fifty-second session; and draft calendars of conference and meetings of the principal organs of the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 1998 and 1999.

An addendum to the report (document A/52/32/Add.1) contains information on the Committee's consideration of the effect on conference services of the proposed programme budget for the 1998-1999 biennium and of the Secretary-General's reform proposals. Concern was expressed that the elimination of posts might adversely affect the delivery of conference services. The Secretariat's representative had assured members of the Committee that the new structure envisaged for Conference Services and the proposed reductions in resources and posts would not affect the volume or quality of services, particularly regarding the timely translation and publication of documents in the Organization's official languages.

In 1998, the Secretariat was concerned primarily with developing uniform standards and coordinating resource policies, according to the report. Technological advances had reduced the text processing workload and had increased processing productivity. Plans for 1998-1999 include introducing machine-assisted translation.

Also before the Committee was a report from the Secretary-General on the review of 16 subsidiary bodies that had not fully utilized their meeting entitlements (document A/52/215). The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Executive Committee of the programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are among those that did not use their full allotment of meeting resources.

The ACABQ considers its use of conference services to be efficient, according to the report. Meetings start on time and sometimes end early because of agreements reached. In the interest of efficiency, the Advisory Committee says it has exercised flexibility regarding translation services. Its use of conference services is also affected by the fact that its schedule

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is determined by the needs of the Fifth Committee and other intergovernmental bodies to which it reports.

The report also covers factors involved in three bodies that did not utilize their allotted meeting resources for three or more sessions: the Special Committee on the Charter and on Strengthening the Role of the Organization; the Economic and Social Council; and the Commission on the Status of Women.

According to the section on the Economic and Social Council, the Council's session has been reduced by one week to streamline use of meeting resources. While the Special Committee on the Charter had shortened its meeting period, numerous factors determined its mandate at any given session. Due to the nature of its work, Special Committee members often require consultation with their governments, which in turn leads to delays. The Commission on the Status of Women reported that it had held numerous consultations on improving its work methods, yielding practical decisions such as time limits for speakers and a reduction of the general debate.

An addendum to the report (document A/52/215/Add.1) contains information on the review of three working groups of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and on the Committee on Information sessions. The section on the Committee states that fewer meetings had been scheduled for 1997, and that more active participation -- and therefore greater utilization of services -- was anticipated due to the fact that public information was part of the Secretary-General's reform initiative.

The Secretary-General's report on subsidiary bodies authorized to meet away from their established headquarters (document A/52/216) recalls that the General Assembly, through several resolutions, had requested ongoing review of the legal basis and experience of those bodies that meet away from their headquarters. The Assembly had also asked all such bodies to review their practice in the interest of improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness and invited the Economic and Social Council to request the same process from its subsidiary bodies.

The Secretary-General's report was prepared on the basis of written responses received from 21 bodies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), International Law Commission, UNCITRAL, International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), Conference on Disarmament, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on Human Rights, Board of Auditors and the United Nations Administrative Tribunal.

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, which is part of the Commission on Human Rights, emphasized that contact with its sources -- including family members of the disappeared -- is of utmost

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importance for it to fulfil its mandate. Several factors necessitate the Working Group's once-a-year session in New York. A number of governments with cases of disappearances do not have missions in Geneva, where the Commission is based. A large number of cases come from Latin America and many of the Working Group's sources, including organizations and individuals, are able to travel from there to New York, whereas travel to Geneva would be financially impossible.

An addendum to the report (document A/52/216/Add.1) contains information on the Special Committee on decolonization's review of its meeting practices. In accordance with the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, the Assembly requested the Special Committee to organize seminars in the Caribbean and Pacific regions, where most of the Non-Self-Governing Territories are located. According to the Special Committee, those seminars provide first-hand information about the Territories, as well as the opportunity to hear the views of the representatives of the Territories, and the States and organizations in those regions. The seminars are necessitated by the lack of formal cooperation on the part of some administering Powers, according to the report.

In a report on efforts to control and limit documentation (document A/52/291), the Secretary-General invites the Assembly to recommend that its subsidiary bodies limit the length of their reports to 20 pages from the current 32-page suggested limit. While no new initiatives to limit documentation had been reported by subsidiary bodies, several efforts had been made at the Secretariat level, according to the report, including reducing document length to 16 pages from the former 24. In other measures, circulation and stock quantities had been reduced, and Permanent Missions asked to review their documentation requirements. Use of the optical disk system and new document formats had also reduced paper consumption. The Secretary-General called for cooperation from intergovernmental bodies and Member States in containing the number of documents produced and requested.

The Committee also had before it a note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) on enhancing cost-effectiveness of United Nations publications (document A/51/946). The Inspectors formulated 18 recommendations in six broad areas to enhance the efficiency and relevance of United Nations publications.

While documents respond to legislative mandates, the report states, those mandates are seldom reviewed to determine their continued relevance. Also, while publications are one of several options for implementing mandates, they are not necessarily the most efficient. The Unit recommends that the Organization's substantive legislative bodies include in their programme of work a review of publications for continued relevance to the objectives for which they were mandated. It also recommends that the General Assembly

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undertake a detailed assessment of publications policies, to be based on an updated report from the Secretary-General.

The Unit found insufficient coordination between the two departments responsible for publications -- the Department of Public Information (DPI) and Office of Conference Support and Services, the report states. It recommends the review of the administrative, managerial and organizational structure of publishing activities and introduction of reforms as needed. It also recommends strengthening the Publications Board to ensure effective control and oversight, coordination and policy guidance. In addition, the Unit suggests the establishment, with no additional financial implications, of a small central unit by consolidating a number of existing publishing-related functions which could be linked to the Secretary-General's reform proposals.

Recommendations on the planning stages of documentation address criteria for screening proposed publications to avoid duplication. Each department and office should be given a separate budgetary line covering publishing activities, according to the Unit. Decisions by substantive legislative bodies which request new publications, subsequent to those approved in the programme budget, should be taken only after consideration of relevance and financial implications. The Unit recommends application of the "sunset rule" to all publications, so that all future mandates on publications would contain a specific time-frame and review clause.

The Inspectors also found that use of revenue from the publications sales requires closer monitoring. The Unit's recommendations include sales income reports on at least a quarterly basis, more vigorous sales promotion and a review of sales income with a view to the creation of a self-supporting publications fund or account. Revenue for the 1996-1997 biennium was expected to be around $16.2 million. Most of that amount goes to financing staff posts of the DPI sales section, resulting in a "net income" of only $1 million. While the Unit concedes that such is common practice within the Organization, it says that there is no real reason why only sales-related expenses should be covered by sales income.

The Unit says the Secretariat should intensify its general move towards electronic publishing and that joint publishing and other cooperative efforts should be encouraged. It recommends developing a cost-accounting system by the end of 1998 to provide information on the costs of publications -- including indirect costs, such as research and writing. Current outsourcing practices should be reviewed, including policies for selecting contractors. At the completion of the cost-accounting system, the available printing methods should be reviewed and a proposal submitted to the Assembly at its fifty-fourth session on which methods are appropriate.

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Two letters from the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences (document A/52/340 and A/52/340/Add.1) request that the Assembly allow several subsidiary bodies to meet during its fifty-second regular session.

Statements on Proposed 1998-1999 Budget

ZERIHUN RETTA (Ethiopia) associated himself with the statement made by the representative of United Republic of Tanzania on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China at a previous Committee meeting. The United Nations was in the midst of a reform effort that coincided with a decline in resources. He welcomed the Secretary-General's effort to increase resources for economic and social development. Those efforts should be enhanced; resources currently available for such activities were not sufficient to meet existing needs. This was particularly true in the case of least developed countries and Africa. It was a matter of concern that the budget proposal for the economic and social development of Africa showed only a 1.9 per cent growth for the upcoming biennium. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) had contributed to integrating the region into the liberalized and globalized world economy, he said. In light of the importance of the Commission's work, more resources should be channelled to it. Its plan to deploy 25 per cent of its staff to the subregional centres might undermine its role in determining central policy guidelines and analysis. He attached great importance to the work of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and said that all programmes designed to promote the growth and development of least developed countries must be given adequate resources. He said his delegation was concerned about the practice of hiring international consultants, and therefore supported the suggestion of the ACABQ that required expertise be accessed from within the Organization. Cutting costs and reducing staff must not adversely affect mandated programmes. The implications of the budget proposal should be analyzed with the utmost care. BERNARDINO HUGO SAGUIER CABALLERO (Paraguay), speaking for the Rio Group -- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Honduras (for Central America) and Guyana (for the Caribbean) -- associated himself with the statement made for the Group of 77. Since 1987, the United Nations had been in a continued state of reorganization and financial difficulty. The Rio Group had studied the report of the ACABQ regarding processes and procedures applicable to the budget for programmes. It was concerned that the proposed budget applied, without prior approval by the Assembly, the practice of budgeting in net figures of the expenses of several bodies, including the JIU. Through net budgeting, some $35.2 million had been removed, and 356 posts had been eliminated from the personnel roster, 39 of which would be cut completely. The Secretariat should consider re-establishing budgeting in gross terms.

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In an organization such as the United Nations, which allotted a high level of its resources to staffing, any attempt to maintain or reduce the budget would inevitably impact personnel, he said. While the Rio Group did not object to efficiency measures leading to personnel cuts, it was concerned that posts had been deliberately kept vacant during the 1996-1997 biennium, without a corresponding evaluation of the impact on mandated programmes. He stressed that the delay of programmed activities did not imply their cancellation. The United Nations must strengthen activities dedicated to economic growth and sustainable development, he said. The Group attached special importance to the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). In light of increased extra-budgetary financing and decreases in the regular budget, he supported the ACABQ's recommendation that the role of extrabudgetary financing be explained in the budget's narrative. He called on all States to abide by their financial obligations. AHMAD KAMAL (Pakistan) called the Committee's attention to reports that the savings mandated by the Assembly had affected a number of the Organization's mandated programmes. That had contradicted assurances from the Secretariat that programmes would not be harmed. The $2.583 billion sought for 1998-1999 showed a net cut of about $123.9 million from the revised 1996-1997 budget. The proposed sum should be examined thoroughly to ensure that approved mandates were not affected again. The Secretariat should provide full justification for the reductions in the level of resources, as observed in the report of the ACABQ. He agreed with the ACABQ that the high vacancy rates hampered the delivery of mandates and that the proposed reduction of staff should be justified in the same manner as was done to seek increases. While the Secretary-General had formally proposed the reduction of United Nations staff, his promise to phase out gratis personnel had not yet been implemented, he continued. The Committee would be justified in asking the Secretary-General to submit the plan on phasing out the gratis personnel before informal consultations on the proposed budget began. The medium-term plan was the principal policy directive of the United Nations and should be the paramount consideration in preparing the budget, he said. The Secretariat should not propose anything that went beyond the mandates in the medium-term plan and relevant Assembly resolutions. It was Member States' duty to examine the budget to ensure full compliance with legislative mandates. Once the budget was approved, it was the duty of all States to provide the resources commensurate with the mandates contained in it, so as to enable the Secretariat to carry out the programmes approved. States should respect their legal Charter obligation to provide assured political and financial support.

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MICHAEL POWLES (New Zealand), speaking also for Canada and Australia, welcomed the Secretary-General's ability to propose a net increase of some $56 million for social and economic development. Those provisions and the proposal for a "development dividend account" should ensure a strengthened focus on delivering high-quality services to Member States, in line with the commitments of recent United Nations global conferences. The three delegations supported the Secretary-General's broad policy objectives in the development area and the increased attention he was giving in the budget to the special needs of Africa, the least developed countries and small island developing States. They also welcomed the increases proposed for the work on the advancement of women and noted that the staffing of the Office of Internal Oversight Services would at last be on a firm cost budgeting basis. The three delegations felt that reductions might be unavoidable in the current overall fiscal climate, and understandable in the context of structural and managerial changes being implemented in each area, he said. But they believed that the mandates of the human rights programme and the High Commission could not be sustained in future without a more adequate resource base. The essential functions for humanitarian emergency coordination should, in the medium-term, be fully supported by the regular budget. The total resources for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations still did not reflect the full requirements for the work done by the Secretariat and it remained disproportionately dependent on gratis personnel and staff funded from the support account to perform its basic functions. If the Department was to discharge its mandates, the level of ongoing resources should be kept under review. Consideration of that issue continued to be affected by the lack of a clear picture of the Department's overall staffing needs and of proposals regarding the appropriate structure to meet those needs. Canada, Australia and New Zealand believed that the time had come for specific budgetary provisions to be made for special missions relating to peace and security, he said. A specific recurrent line item in the budget was necessary. A suitable mode of financing which linked the use of resources with mandates could be found to avoid any danger of over-assessment. The countries looked forward to discussing the issue and the treatment of additional expenditures related to currency and inflation movements and mandatory staff remuneration increases. The delegations had made it clear that they would not endorse automatic cost escalations and increments for those expenditures and that a more prudent approach must be taken on the issue. Turning to the efficiency reviews undertaken by the Secretariat, he said that without them, the Organization would not have been able to achieve the reductions set by the Assembly at the end of 1995. The three delegations did not share the views of the ACABQ, as stated by its Chairman last week, that further analysis was needed to confirm that those reviews had mitigated the impact of budgetary cuts on programme delivery. There was no evidence to

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support the views of the ACABQ and it would not be an efficient use of the Fifth Committee's time to continue debating that issue. The first part of the report of the ACABQ on the budget had commented exhaustively on the efficiency gains at the expense of advising the Assembly on the general features of the new budget proposal. The fact that the Secretary-General had placed importance in the proposed budget on, for instance, social and economic development, seemed to have escaped the ACABQ's attention, at least in its first pronouncement on the budget. FELIPE MABILANGAN (Philippines) said the proposed budget of $2.583 billion, after adjustment for inflation and other factors, was within the budget outline approved by the General Assembly last year. Since it was less than the revised 1996-1997 budget of some $2.603 billion, the drop should not be seen as a reduction in the role of the Organization and should not adversely affect the full implementation of all mandated programmes and activities, especially in international and regional cooperation for development. He welcomed the Secretary-General's plan to reduce the budget proportion for administrative costs and to divert the savings to substantive programmes in the social and economic fields. However, Member States must be provided with the data and analysis they needed to reach informed decisions on the matter. The Organization's most vital asset was its staff, he continued. In the initial estimates the Secretary-General proposed a staffing level of 8,839 which represented a reduction of 1,182 posts from the level approved for 1996-1997. With plans to further reduce posts to 8,695 in the Secretary- General's reform proposals, Member States should be assured that such intentions would not harm the full implementation of mandates. Nevertheless, the Secretary-General should have included in the budget all the posts he deemed necessary to ensure that the Secretariat's departments could carry out their functions. Noting the proposal of vacancy rates of 5 per cent for Professionals and 2.5 per cent for General Service staff for the next biennium, he said he was not clear about the feasibility of achieving those rates, given the level of proposed post reductions and its implications on the effective delivery of mandates. Further, the concept of "net budgeting" required further elaboration. MARIA FLOREZ PRIDA (Cuba) said external oversight bodies should be further strengthened in light of the importance of their mandates. She said she supported the statement made for the Group of 77 and China. Decisions on the proposed budget should contribute to doing away with uncertainty and lack of trust. In successive resolutions, the Assembly had reiterated the validity of the established budgetary process, which had reflected a delicate political balance. The international community had hoped that the Organization's primary contributor would do away with the conditions attached to its payment. Instead, for one decade, the United Nations had suffered a financial crisis, due largely to a crisis of arrears.

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The Assembly had in its fifty-first session decided on a level of appropriations below that requested by the Secretary-General, she said. That decision had been the result of a political decision, rather than the requirements of mandated programmes and activities. The budget should not be used to introduce new concepts or prejudge the outcome of intergovernmental negotiations. The programme budget process and procedures must be restored. The proposal to do away with a large number of posts should be questioned, she said. Debate and negotiation must include detailed analysis of the impact of such measures. Economy measures could detrimentally affect implemented programmes and activities. Results-based budgeting should not be implemented without prior consent by the Assembly. The Secretary-General had implemented a number of innovative budgetary measures. She proposed that the level of appropriations should include funds and posts that had been abolished through net budgeting, to do away with the anomalies in the proposed budgeting. Delegations should be given sufficient information to make decisions to implement mandates, she continued. She asked for information on the delay in the decision to lift the recruitment freeze. Development of developing countries should have received more resources under the proposed budget, due to their pressing economic needs and realities. The current negotiations on the budget should result in the Organization preserving its intergovernmental character and living up to the purposes entrusted to it at its inception. BAGHER ASADI (Iran) said that budgeting United Nations programmes under a predetermined ceiling should not be an end in itself. Mandated activities and objectives should not be altered to reach a particular budget level. Programmes preceded the budget. The Committee's current examination must ensure that mandated programmes were duly represented. The Secretary-General had requested a lower amount of resources than the revised appropriations for 1996-1997, he said. Fiscal reduction did not mean a reduced role for the Organization. The reduction must not affect implementation of mandated programmes, particularly in the field of international and regional cooperation for development. He noted the ACABQ's observation that "since no prior analysis had been made to ascertain whether the agreed budget level and full implementation of mandated programmes were compatible, there was no way to know whether the demand to implement programmes fully can be honoured". The Secretary-General's report indicated that savings had been identified without a prior determination of programme priorities. Another concern pertained to the proposed abolition of posts, and the possible resulting negative consequences, he continued. The Organization's international character must be maintained, and equitable geographical

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distribution must be adhered to in any cutting of posts. The budget proposal should have included all posts required to ensure programme functioning without resorting to gratis personnel. He said he shared the ACABQ's concern that the abolition of posts had in many cases been accompanied by requests for funds for consultants and expert groups. He asked how many individuals, and of what nationality, were currently working as consultants and on short-term contracts for the delivery of mandated programmes. Permanent staff should not be replaced by short-term staff. That practice would undermine institutional memory, and otherwise negatively affect delivery of work. He was also concerned by the current use of the vacancy rate, which created the false impression that real resources had been saved. TAMMAM SULAIMAN (Syria) said he supported the statement made for the Group of 77 and China. The proposed budget came at a time of financial difficulties, due to the fact that the largest contributor had not paid its arrears. The Assembly had adopted the Organization's medium-term plan after much discussion, and the proposed budget must be guided by that plan. He supported the Secretary-General's determination to reduce the administrative costs, but that should not affect implementation of mandated programmes. The Organization continued to waste resources. One example was to be found in the implementation of the performance appraisal system. The matter of gratis personnel must be considered together with the Secretary-General's proposals on staff reduction, he said. The Committee was still waiting for information from the Secretariat on gratis personnel. The proposed budget should have reduced the numbers of gratis personnel, not the regular staff. Proposed budgetary reductions must be accompanied by analysis. He attached great importance to the activities of Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in all development efforts. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) must be given the resources required for full implementation of its mandates, he said. He attached great importance to the work of United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and expressed concern about the Secretary-General's proposed post reductions, stressing that such proposals must be accompanied by a justification from the Secretary-General.

AHMED FARID (Saudi Arabia) reminded the Committee that, while he had several weeks ago requested the submission of the performance report for 1996 before the proposed 1998-1999 budget was discussed, the Secretariat had not yet submitted it. It was useless to discuss what would be spent in 1998 without knowing how much was actually spent in the past year. The Secretariat's report on the performance of the budget in 1996 should be submitted in writing before discussing 1998 and 1999 spending.

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JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, United Nations Controller, said that the report on expenditure in 1996 would be submitted shortly. The performance report on the 1996-1997 biennium budget would be made available in December. Statements on Joint Inspection Unit TRYGGVE GJESDAL (Norway) said the JIU's programme of work for 1997-1998 focused on concrete managerial, administrative and programming questions aimed at providing practical and action-oriented recommendations. Norway broadly supported the proposed work programme, which also seemed ambitious and comprehensive. In addition to the focus on managerial issues, he welcomed the JIU's emphasis on operational activities for development. There seemed to be some overlap between two reports -- one on the use of experts and consultants, and the other on the use of consulting firms. The review of the machinery of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) could provide interesting information on the workings of the United Nations system and should be accorded priority. Norway supported the intended review of the administration of the International Labour Organization (ILO). He said he was pleased to note from the last two annual reports of the JIU that two important steps had been taken to help the Unit's working methods and effectiveness. First of all, the elaboration of internal standards for inspection, evaluation and investigation assured professionalism and more uniform quality if they were followed. Secondly, the proposed follow-up system on reports and recommendations reflected a broader concern with more effective follow-up to recommendations of all United Nations oversight bodies -- both internal and external. His delegation supported the proposed new system which would be based on the concept of shared responsibility. The quality of research staff was important to the work of the JIU. Norway would like to know whether some existing rules or practice prevented the desired recruitment.

RENATA ARCHINI (Italy) said that the JIU was expected to focus on issues such as the management of the ILO and other topics of interest to her delegation. The review of the award of contracts, performance appraisal and the management of the International Court of Justice would also be welcome, as they would help interested departments and organizations. The JIU was developing a follow-up system to ensure timely implementation of its recommendations. Its observations were of high value and its contributions, in the climate of reforms, should be encouraged. VALERIA MARIA GONZALEZ POSSE (Argentina) said the reports of the JIU were particularly relevant in the prevailing atmosphere of United Nations reforms. She supported the establishment of basic parameters for selecting the Unit's programme of work, which would help avoid duplications with the work of other bodies. The format of JIU reports had improved and the inclusion of observations and recommendations would help follow-up and implementation. The establishment of a revised set of internal norms for JIU

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inspections, evaluations and investigations deserved the Fifth Committee's support. The Assembly should consider the reports of the JIU in due time and reject the practice of merely taking note of them. It should either accept or reject their recommendations. Renewed interest shown in the JIU report by the Assembly would further encourage the Unit's inspectors to engage in more thorough work. Statements on Pattern of Conferences

ULDIS BLUKIS (Latvia), Chairman of the Committee on Conferences, introduced its report. The Committee had been charged with recommending a draft calendar of United Nations conferences and meetings, and ensuring the optimum utilization of conference-servicing resources. The Committee had worked closely with the Secretariat and relevant bodies in the preparation of its draft calendar and in its other work.

For nearly 15 years, the Committee had followed trends in utilization of conference-servicing resources, he said. In 1996, overall utilization had been better than in 1995, worldwide. That was partly attributable to years of effort to improve utilization of conference-servicing resources. Provision of interpretation services to meetings of regional and other groups of Member States was a continuing matter of concern. Improving coordination of conference services remained a priority. While the Committee on Conferences had completed the work on its agenda, participation in it had been scant. Due to the technical nature of the issues before the Committee, the Secretariat should arrange an informal briefing prior to its annual organizational session.

JIN YONGJIAN, Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, said the establishment of his Department was part of the Secretary-General's reform measures. He was pleased to announce that overall utilization of conference-servicing resources in Geneva, New York and Vienna had exceeded the 80 per cent benchmark during 1996. That improvement had been the result of several efforts, including ongoing dialogue between Conference Services and the secretariats of intergovernmental bodies over the past two years.

The groundwork had been successfully laid for developing a cost- accounting system, he said. The campaign to control and limit documentation had also yielded some successes. Member States should avoid requests for reports that were unlikely to contribute substantially to the body of information on a subject, and should exercise restraint in their submission of letters for circulation. Increased use of the optical disk system, new document formats and improvements in document processing had combined to reduce volumes of documentation. While limited staff resources and physical

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facilities at times impeded the successful meeting of Member States' demands, all efforts would be made to improve output.

SUMIHIRO KUYAMA, JIU Inspector, introduced his report on the Organization's publications. He regretted that the Secretary-General's comments were not yet available and that the ACABQ had therefore been unable to prepare comments on the report.

The Unit had several recommendations concerning United Nations publications, he said. Member States should be more restrained in their requests for new publications. He emphasized the need for the development of a cost-accounting system for publishing activities. There was no consolidated budget line corresponding to the actual cost of the Organization's publishing activities. A more transparent budgetary system for publications should be instituted within the programme budget.

Proposed publications should be screened for duplication and relevance to mandates, he continued. The interdepartmental Publications Board should be strengthened. The Secretary-General should undertake a comprehensive review of the current administrative, managerial and organizational structure of publishing activities, and introduce necessary changes. Income generated by publications sales should be used in a more rational and flexible manner.

Mr. FARID (Saudi Arabia), welcoming efforts to increase use of the optical disk system and to reduce documentation, asked for detailed and written information on the Secretariat's progress towards implementing the Assembly's request for a cost-accounting system. Implementation of that system would save the Organization millions of dollars. Each day without a cost-accounting system result in financial losses for the Organization.

Mr. SULAIMAN (Syria) asked for information on the reasons for the abolition of the post of Arabic language teacher in Vienna.

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