FIFTH COMMITTEE DISCUSSES COMPOSITION OF SECRETARIAT, APPROVES TWO DRAFTS ON BUDGETARY EFFECTS OF TEXTS CURRENTLY BEFORE ASSEMBLY

9 December 1997

Press Release
GA/AB/3202

FIFTH COMMITTEE DISCUSSES COMPOSITION OF SECRETARIAT, APPROVES TWO DRAFTS ON BUDGETARY EFFECTS OF TEXTS CURRENTLY BEFORE ASSEMBLY

19971209 Approved Drafts Concern Disarmament Research Institute and Economic and Social Council Decisions

The Secretariat should explain and remedy a situation whereby 70 per cent of the staff members who resigned from United Nations service were under 45 years of age, with 44 per cent younger than 35, Japan's representative said this morning as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) discussed the composition of the Secretariat, under the item on human resources management.

The representative of Bahamas asked the Secretariat to make more vigorous efforts to ensure gender parity by the year 2000, because at the current rate of increase of female staff in professional and other categories the target would not be achieved.

Since women currently occupied about 22.8&2 per cent of the posts at the Principal Officer (D-1) and higher levels, the Secretariat was on its way towards achieving the target of 25 per cent women's participation at those levels, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, Rafiah Salim, said as she responded to Committee members' queries. She had earlier introduced the Secretary-General's report on the composition of the Secretariat.

As it considered questions related to the proposed 1998-1999 budget earlier this morning, the Committee acted without a vote to approve two oral draft decisions related to the budgetary effects of decisions or resolutions before the General Assembly. The draft decisions would have the Assembly note the Secretary-General's documents on revised estimates resulting from the resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council and on subvention for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). It would also note the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on UNIDIR.

The representatives of Cuba, Guatemala, United States, Niger, India, Cameroon, Uganda, Pakistan and Iran also spoke.

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The ACABQ Chairman, Conrad S.M. Mselle, introduced that body's views on the financial implications of decisions.

The United Nations Controller, Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, responded to Member States' questions.

The Committee is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m., tomorrow, 10 December, to continue discussing questions related to the proposed 1998-1999 budget, when it would examine office accommodations at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, and the International Court of Justice. It would also continue debating the budgetary effects of the Secretary-General's reform proposals.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to take up questions related to the United Nations regular budget and some aspects of human resources management. Among the questions related to the budget are subventions to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), office accommodation in Geneva, the funding of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), costs of sessions of the International Law Commission and the estimates for United Nations political and peacekeeping offices. (For background on the budget see Press Releases GA/AB/3200 of 5 December and GA/AB/3201 of 8 December.)

The Committee would also consider reports on the administrative costs of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund. (For background, see Press Release GA/AB/3186 of 6 November.)

Questions Related to Budget

A note by the Secretary-General transmits the request of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for a $213,000 subvention from the budget to the UNIDIR (document A/C.5/52/14). Should the Board's request be approved, no additional appropriation would be required because the budget section on political affairs contains a $426,000 subvention to UNIDIR for the biennium. But, a formal request for a subvention for 1998 of $213,000 is made to maintain established procedure. Furthermore, the provisions for UNIDIR are proposed for transfer from section 2, Political affairs, to a new section 2B, Disarmament, in the context of the Secretary-General's United Nations reform proposals.

Reporting on the Institute's finances in accordance with an Assembly resolution, the Secretary-General says that $247,000 was available at the beginning of 1997. Total income expected for 1997 is $897,400, mainly from voluntary contributions, public donations and the subvention. Income expected from voluntary contributions for 1998 is $424,700.

Total estimated expenditure for 1997 is $763,600. The 1998 requirements of $888,700 would pay for such items as salaries and related staff costs, personal service contracts and photographic supplies.

A report of the Secretary-General submitting the revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council at its 1997 sessions (document A/C.5/52/17) states that those actions do not give rise, at this stage, to a need for additional appropriations for 1996-1997 or 1998-1999.

However, the Council's decision to recommend that the General Assembly convene not later than the year 2001 a world conference on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to undertake a number

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of preparatory activities for the conference is before the Assembly as a draft resolution (document A/C.3/52/L.9). Should the Assembly act on the recommendation, a statement of budget implications would be submitted to the current Assembly session.

The Secretary-General's report on office accommodation at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, (document A/C.5/52/19) seeks the General Assembly's concurrence for the acceptance of the proposal of the Swiss Federal Council to make available to the United Nations a building called the "Palais Wilson". The building has adequate space for the needs of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and could be occupied by mid-April 1998.

The Palais would be provided rent-free, initially for the period from 1998 to 2000, with the intention of maintaining that arrangement indefinitely, according to the Secretary-General. Further, while it would be managed by the Fondation des immeubles pour les organisations internationales (FIPOI), which would be responsible for building and technical services installations, the costs of those services would be paid by the United Nations Office at Geneva at a fixed rate of $930,000 per year.

The move to the Palais would have a one-time and recurrent costs totalling about $6.1 million, the Secretary-General says. The $3.4 million one-time costs include those for increasing conference rooms and related equipment; security-related changes that would involve fencing, reinforcing window panes and installing cameras and metal detectors; and structural changes. The $2.6 million recurrent costs include staff costs and maintenance.

Under the funding arrangement proposed by Swiss authorities, they would cover about $3.9 million of the costs, according to the Secretary-General. The balance of some $2.1 million would be met from the Organization's resources. While no additional resources are requested for 1998-1999, the recurrent costs of the building would be reflected in the proposed budget for United Nations Administration at Geneva. In conclusion, the Secretary-General suggests that the Assembly accept the Swiss offer of the building since it is unlikely for the Organization to find comparable space near the Palais des Nations at the cost estimated for the move to Palais Wilson.

A statement by the Secretary-General on MINUGUA (document A/C.5/52/21) tells the Assembly that additional appropriation of $61.8 million net would be required, if it adopts draft resolution A/52/L.19 to extend the mission's mandate for 21 months, from 1 April 1998 through 31 December 1999. The addition would be required since nothing is provided for MINUGUA for that period in the budget section on peacekeeping and special missions. The total amount would be spent on such items as civilian personnel ($45.8 million); accommodation ($3 million); air operations ($2.3 million); and military personnel costs ($1.2 million).

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Should the Assembly adopt the draft, the Secretary-General says, international personnel would be increased from a previously authorized 129 to 141 and local employees increased from 199 to 229. The staff increase would strengthen MINUGUA's capacity to coordinate its work, ensure adequate geographical coverage of Guatemala and address areas of verification of compliance with the agreements signed by the Government and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG). The agreements include commitments on political, social, economic, indigenous, military and public security issues. The parties requested the verification of their agreements by an expanded MINUGUA.

In its report on MINUGUA (document A/52/707), the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) does not recommend any reduction of the Secretary-General's initial proposed estimates based on draft resolution A/52/L.19.

But, the ACABQ adds, significant savings could be made from reductions in the costs of air operations and in the proposed ranking of the heads of the mission's five verification areas. Rather than have them elevated from the Professional level of P-5 to the level of Principal Officer (D-1), the ACABQ would have the posts retained at the current level. However, those savings might be partially offset by some other ACABQ recommendations on, for instance, civilian personnel costs.

An addendum by the Secretary-General (document A/C.5/52/21/Add.1) submits the budgetary implication of a revised draft resolution (document A/52//L.19/Rev.1) on MINUGUA, which would renew the mission's mandate only until 31 December 1998, instead of 31 December 1999. Consequently, he revises the requirements for the Mission to $28.2 million (almost $30 million gross), from the original $61.8 million ($66.7 million gross).

The statement on the sessions of the International Law Commission (document A/C.5/52/23 and Corr.1) tells the Assembly of the budgetary effects of its adoption of a draft text on the Commission. Such an action would lead to additional requirements of $275,600 under the proposed budget, if all of the Commission sessions are held in Geneva. If some are held in New York, an additional requirement of $245,200 would arise. The Commission intends to hold 11- and 12-week sessions in 1998 and 1999, respectively.

The second option, the Secretary-General says, would require the granting of an exception to an Assembly resolution for the holding of all of the Commission sessions at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Human Resources Management

According to the Secretary-General's report on the composition of the Secretariat (document A/52/580), the present configuration of the Professional and General Service and related categories limits career development.

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Insufficient numbers of staff at the entry level preclude efficient staff replacements. Low retirement and turnover rates further limit replacement. Over the past 10 years, the number of resignations -- most of which were from staff in the younger brackets -- exceeded the number of retirements. This fact hampers the replacement of higher level staff with experienced younger staff members.

The total number of staff of the United Nations is 33,487, of whom 14,136 are assigned to the Secretariat and 19,351 to the secretariats of United Nations subsidiary organs, according to the report, which is based on data as at 30 June 1997. In the Secretariat, the United States accounts for 14.3 per cent (1,638 persons) and France 7.4 per cent (843). Staff from 128 countries account for less than 0.5 per cent of Secretariat staff, while 16 Member States are not represented at all within the staff of the Secretariat.

The Secretary-General recalls that the General Assembly set guiding ranges for geographical distribution for United Nations staff directly appointed by the Secretary-General for at least one year in the Professional category and above, whose appointments are not limited to a particular mission, office, fund or programme. Of the 2,461 who are subject to such geographical distribution, 371 come from Africa; from Asia and the Pacific, 433; Eastern Europe, 239; Western Europe, 572; Latin America, 205; Middle East, 120; North America and the Caribbean, 508; and "other", 13, which includes Switzerland and the stateless. In terms of the Assembly's parameters for geographical representation, 25 States were unrepresented, 20 States were under-represented, 126 within range and 14 overrepresented, as at 30 June 1997.

Overall female staff representation remains low in strategic groups, and is generally lower in offices away from Headquarters, according to the report. Despite the implementation of strategies to achieve gender equality, the numbers of female staff in the Director and Professional categories will not be achieved by the year 2000, as the Assembly had mandated. Except for female recruits in the Director category, the overall female share in recruitment -- which has been low for the past 10 years -- is decreasing. During the next five years 1,563 staff members will reach retirement age, 63 per cent of whom are men. This fact creates the possibility of achieving gender balance, particularly in the Director and Professional categories (where retirement is expected at 90 per cent for males versus 10 per cent for females among Directors; and 72 per cent male versus 28 per cent female retirees in the Professional group).

Statements on MINUGUA

CONRAD S.M. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, introduced the views of the ACABQ on the budgetary implications of extending the mandate MINUGUA. The Advisory Committee had not adjusted the estimates submitted by the Secretary- General and had recommended the sums of $61.8 million net for the Mission's operation through December 1999.

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After the ACABQ approved its report, he said, the draft resolution on MINUGUA before the plenary had been amended, leading to the Secretary- General's subsequent change in his estimates for the Mission. Since the Mission would be for nine months -- through 1998 -- rather than for 21 months, the Secretary-General indicated that the additional requirements would be some $28.2 million net. The ACABQ had not found it necessary to review the amended budget implications from the Secretary-General. The ACABQ was still recommending some $61.8 million net to provide for the Mission through 31 December 1999, a move that would conform with the General Assembly's decision to delink the mandates of missions from the period of their financing. Even though draft resolution A/52/L.19/Rev.1 would extend MINUGUA's mandate only through December 1998, the ACABQ expected the Mission to be retained, later, through 1999. Therefore, providing $61.8 million net would ensure some financial predictability for the Mission.

NORMA GOICOCHEA ESTENOZ (Cuba) said that the general position of the Cuban delegation was that the financing of activities for maintaining international peace and security had been spelled out in resolution 41/213, on the budgetary process. The procedures laid down in that text were valid and, therefore, the financing of the Mission should top the overall figure of the proposed 1998-1999 budget. Therefore, there should be an additional appropriation which would be added to the proposed 1998-1999 budget in order to pay for the Mission.

She expressed regret that the position of the United States had led to some readjustments in the Secretary-General's proposal. For MINUGUA, an effort should be made to ensure resources through the end of the implementation of the agreements to be verified by the Mission. The Committee should authorize the amount sought by the Secretary-General, bearing in mind the duration of the need to verify the agreements reached by the Guatemalan Government and the URNG.

BRENDA MERCEDES CASTELLANOS-GONZALEZ (Guatemala) thanked all those countries which had joined in co-sponsoring the resolution. From its inception, MINUGUA had played an important role in the Guatemalan peace process, and still remained keenly relevant. Her country would have preferred authorization of the extension of the Mission to enable the fulfillment of its mandate, which consisted of verifying all the peace agreements through the year 2000. Due to budgetary adjustments, extension of the Mission only through December 1998 was now being considered. While she was grateful for the Mission's extension by one year, the Mission should have the resources it needed to fulfil its mandate.

ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh), Fifth Committee Chairman, read out the following draft decision:

"Should the General Assembly decide to adopt draft resolution A/52/L.19/Rev.1, an additional appropriation of $68,815,100 would be required

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under section 3, Peacekeeping operations and special missions, of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 for the activities of MINUGUA from 1 April 1998 to 31 December 1999."

SUSAN SHEAROUSE (United States) asked for clarification on the proposed decision. She recalled that the revised draft stated that the mandate was through December 1998 and that $28 million was needed.

Mr. CHOWDHURY said he had been referring to the numbers in the ACABQ's report.

Ms. SHEAROUSE (United States) said she was not prepared to take a decision on the recommendation of the ACABQ. She was prepared to take a decision based on the addendum to the Secretary-General's report.

Mr. CHOWDHURY said that informal consultations would be required on that matter.

Statements on Law Commission

Mr. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, said the Advisory Committee had considered the programme budget implications of the draft resolution. In light of the Commission's preference to hold the second part of its session in Geneva, as well as the recent information that developments in conference servicing now allowed for the second part of the session to be held in Geneva, the Advisory Committee recommended that the Fifth Committee inform the Assembly that should it adopt the resolution in A/C.6/L.15 and Corr.1, an additional appropriation of about $275,528,000 in the legal affairs section of the proposed budget would be required.

Ms. SHEAROUSE (United States) said she had difficulties, especially on the length of the meetings of the Commission. She was not in a position to support the recommendations of the ACABQ.

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) asked for clarification from the Secretariat as to whether the financial implications of the decision of the Sixth Committee (Legal) could be met from the contingency fund. It should also say how much was left in that fund.

JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, United Nations Controller, said the amount would be subject to the use of the contingency fund, which stood about slightly more than $19 million.

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) said that since neither the contingency fund's nor any other relevant procedures had been abrogated, the Committee should go ahead and approve the amounts requested. It would not be for the Fifth Committee to cut the length of meetings approved by the Sixth Committee.

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Ms. SHEAROUSE (United States) said she was aware of the procedures of the contingency fund but her delegation did not in principle agree with the number of weeks approved for meetings of the Law Commission. The matter should be shifted to informal consultations or voted upon.

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) said that if the United States wanted a vote on the budgetary implications, all delegations might be ready to oblige with such a provision of the Charter. She asked the Secretariat to clarify the duration of the meetings of the Commission that was approved in the Sixth Committee. The budgetary implications before the Fifth Committee had been based on a decision of that Committee, which was also a Main Committee of the Assembly. Her delegation was open to informal consultations.

BOUBACAR TANKOANO (Niger) said he had represented his country as a delegate in the Sixth Committee, where the budgetary implications contained in the Commission's report, including the extension of its session, had been approved by a vote. Unfortunately, that had not been a recorded vote. The majority of delegations had accepted the draft in light of the Commission's heavy workload; its sessions should be split into two and extended to enable the subjects to be dealt with properly.

RAJAT SAHA (India) said he supported the comments made by Cuba's representative. Reducing the length of the Commission's session was not called for.

MICHEL TOMMO MONTHE (Cameroon) said the Sixth Committee had dealt with the Commission. The Fifth Committee simply considered the budgetary implications of decisions taken. He supported the interpretation made by the ACABQ, which was the Committee's usual counsel. The Fifth Committee had the right to dispute the ACABQ's recommendations, however, it could not consult regarding the decisions taken by another Committee.

Mr. CHOWDHURY, Fifth Committee Chairman, said that the Sixth Committee decision could not be negotiated. The amounts recommended by the ACABQ could be discussed. He suggested that the Committee take a decision on the matter at tomorrow's meeting.

Statements on Disarmament Research Institute

Mr. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, said the Advisory Committee recommended approval for the $213,000 subvention requested for UNIDIR.

Ms. SHEAROUSE (United States) expressed reservations on the financing of the Institute from the regular budget and sought some clarifications from the Secretariat.

NESTER ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said that since the Institute greatly helped the work of the Organization, it deserved the United Nations support. He supported the recommendation of the ACABQ.

Ms. GOICOCHEA (Cuba) supported the Ugandan representative's statement.

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Mr. HALBWACHS, United Nations Controller, said the report on the financing of regional institutes had been submitted to the Assembly but had not been acted upon. UNIDIR, however, was not a regional institute and its statute stated that it could receive subventions from the regular budget.

Mr. CHOWDHURY, Committee Chairman, proposed an oral draft decision that would have the Assembly take note of the note by the Secretary-General and the subsequent recommendations of the ACABQ.

The Committee approved the draft decision without a vote.

Revised Estimates on Decisions of Economic and Social Council

Mr. CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh), Committee Chairman, proposed an oral draft decision that would have the Committee recommend that the Assembly take note of the Secretary-General's report on the estimates resulting from reactions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Committee approved the draft decision without a vote.

Statements on Human Resources Management

RAFIAH SALIM, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, introduced the Secretary General's report on the composition of the Secretariat. It came in two parts. The first contained information on the composition of the Secretariat, and primarily focused on those staff subject to geographical representation. The second part analyzed the major demographic characteristics of Secretariat staff with respect to a number of human resources parameters.

The Secretariat requested clarification from the Assembly on two matters, she said. It requested the Assembly's guidance on whether transitional measures applied to staff serving on peacekeeping support account posts should be extended to all staff who were serving on appointments of less than one year as at 3 April 1997, and were in regular budget posts or extrabudgetary posts of one year or longer. Second, the Secretariat asked for advice on the level of posts for which staff members who had served for at least 12 months in peacekeeping or other field missions would be eligible to apply when an internal vacancy announcement had been issued.

She recalled that the Assembly had requested that the Secretary-General prepare and submit guidelines on the terms of reference, selection, hiring and renewal of consultants. While consultations had been held regarding the proposed guidelines on consultants, those had not been concluded. While she was committed to the development of guidelines for the selection, use and monitoring of consultants, she asked for a deferment of the target date for

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the submission of those guidelines until the fifty-third session, to allow a thorough review of related issues.

KOJI F.X. YAMAGIWA (Japan) welcomed the innovations contained in the Secretary-General's report on the composition of the Secretariat. He hoped that, based upon analysis of available data, the Office of Human Resources Management would develop long-term strategies for human resources. He asked for an explanation of the delay in the report's issuance, and drew attention to numerous errors, in both tables and text. He urged the Secretariat to pay closer attention to the preparation of its texts, so that they could be accepted without doubts.

While he welcomed the reduction in the number of States that were unrepresented and under-represented in terms of geographical distribution, the Secretariat should come up with a concrete plan to redress the remaining imbalances. In terms of recruitment activities, he sought clarification on those who were appointed to P-2 and P-3 posts without having passed the national competitive examinations. The Secretariat should reduce the time required for making appointments, which would include improving coordination with the Office of Human Resources Management.

Japan was concerned about the scarcity of the number of staff in the lower grades of the Professional and General Service categories, he said. Another concern was the overall ageing of the Organization's staff. There was a disproportionate scarcity of young staff members. The fact that 44 per cent of the staff members who resigned were younger than 35 years of age, and that 70 per cent were under 40 years of age, was a cause of deep concern. The Secretariat should provide its diagnosis and possible prescriptions for addressing those unusual symptoms.

AMJAD HUSSEIN SIAL (Pakistan) expressed concern regarding the deficiencies in the use of consultants by the Secretariat. The Organization should state when it would submit a report that had been requested on the use of consultants.

Mr. SAHA (India) thanked the Secretariat for submitting clarifications to questions raised by his delegation at previous meetings. Even though the conference paper (document A/C.5/52/CRP2) submitting the clarifications was comprehensive, some points should be addressed by Member States and the Secretariat. Since the "Group of 77" developing countries and China was discussing the matter, it should be allowed to speak on it at a formal meeting.

SEYED MORTEZA MIRMOHAMMAD (Iran) sought explanation regarding a table concerning staff hired according to the principle of equitable geographical representation, their nationalities and gender. The table did not lend itself to easy comparisons as to which posts had been decreased; the Secretariat should provide clarification in the matter.

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SHARON BRENNEN-HAYLOCK (Bahamas) sought clarification on the representa- tion of women in the Secretariat. It should clarify matters relating to women's overall rate of participation, which had been increased to 50 per cent by the year 2000 at the Beijing Conference on Women, and to their participa- tion at the D-1 and higher levels. She asked for the actual percentages of the various regions and subregions in the Secretariat. For example, if the Caribbean subregion was disaggregated from the totals for the entire North American and Caribbean region, it might be observed that the Caribbean subregion might have a participation rate that hovered around 1 per cent. Since the current rate of increase in female staff in the professional and other categories would not ensure the achievement of gender parity by the year 2000, more vigorous efforts must be made by the Secretariat to ensure that the target was met.

Ms. SALIM, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, apologised for delays in submitting reports, partly caused by the transition to the use of data based on the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). When the system stabilized the data would be produced on time and with fewer errors. As of today, women occupied some 22.8 per cent of the posts at the D-1 and higher levels. Hence, the Secretariat was on its way towards achieving the 25 per cent target.

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