MEMBER STATES WILL DECIDE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT, USG FOR MANAGEMENT TELLS FIFTH COMMITTEE

5 October 1998

Press Release
GA/AB/3240

MEMBER STATES WILL DECIDE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNT, USG FOR MANAGEMENT TELLS FIFTH COMMITTEE

19981005 Administrative and Budgetary Committee Adopts Programme of Work, Takes Up Support Account and Gratis Personnel

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning adopted its programme of work and began substantive work for the General Assembly's fifty-third session.

As the Committee began discussing aspects of the programme budget for 1998-1999, Under-Secretary-General for Management Joseph Connor presented the Secretary-General's report on the Development Account, through which savings from efficiency gains fund development projects. Only sustainable savings would be proposed for transfer to the Account, and Member States would decide its level, he stressed.

Speaking for the European Union and associated States, Austria's representative said that identification of prospective productivity gains should not impose constraints on programme managers' ability to seek efficiencies. The overall responsibility to conduct the search for efficiency measures should remain with the Secretary-General. Such measures were not subject to prior Member State approval.

As 70 per cent of the Organization's budget was related to staff, efficiency gains would mean staff redeployment, Japan's representative said. He stressed that it was too late if Member States were to be informed of efficiency measures in the first performance report and asked at that time for approval for the transfer of the amount to the Development Account. He added that there should be no department-by-department target for efficiency gains.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said that involuntary separation of staff should be avoided to the maximum extent, and that efforts should be increased to retrain staff. While resource allocation should devolve to programme managers, appropriate monitoring and accountability procedures must be in place.

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As he introduced the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), C.S.M. Mselle, Advisory Committee Chairman, emphasized that transferring efficiency gains was not a budget reduction exercise, and should not affect the level of the budget approved by the Assembly at any time.

During discussion on administrative and budgetary aspects of peacekeeping operations, the Committee took up the support account for peacekeeping operations. In light of the ACABQ's recommendation that staff redeployment be used to handle tasks earmarked for the new positions in the account, the United States representative felt that various departments with backstopping functions could be sources for redeployment.

Statements were also made this morning by the representatives of Indonesia (speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Egypt and Pakistan.

Reports on gratis personnel were introduced by the Director of the Operational Services Division, Office of Human Resources Management, Johannes Wortel, and the ACABQ Chairman.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 6 October, to hear a report on the United Nations financial situation by the Under-Secretary- General for Management. It will also discuss administrative and budgetary aspects of peacekeeping operations -- specifically, death and disability benefits and the support account for peacekeeping operations -- as well as the development account and use of gratis personnel.

Committee Programme of Work

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to begin its substantive work for the fifty-third session. It was scheduled to consider issues carried over from previous sessions, including reports on the Development Account, which was established during the Assembly's last session.

Under administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Committee planned to look at the support account for peacekeeping operations, as well as the processing of death and disability claims. Under the two items on review of the United Nations administrative and financial efficiency and the Organization's human resources management, the Committee planned to take up the matter of personnel loaned to the United Nations free of charge by Member States and other entities.

Reports on 1998-1999 Programme Budget

The Committee had before it a report of the Secretary-General on the use of the Development Account (document A/52/1009). In December 1997, the General Assembly decided to establish the Development Account to be funded from possible reductions in administrative and overhead costs in the 1998-1999 programme budget. The report elaborates on the Account's sustainability, implementation, purposes and performance criteria.

The Secretary-General recommends that redeployed resources be used for research and analysis, technical cooperation, advisory services, and inter- governmental and regional cooperation and/or other substantive activities. Funds appropriated for the Development Account would be treated as relating to multi-year projects, and, therefore, any balance at the end of the biennium would be carried over into subsequent bienniums.

The report proposes a source for base amounts for appropriations for the Account -- initially what remains in certain budget sections after the first performance report and subsequently the cumulative amounts transferred for each biennium -- as the basis for its sustainability. Efficiency gains would come from activities ranging from simplifying processes to using modern information technology. Annex I of the report provides illustrative information on types and areas of efficiency measures.

In order to confirm the amounts for redeployment prior to expending them, the gains, once achieved, would be verified to ensure they do not affect programme delivery, according to the report. Once verified, the gains will be included in performance reports, and approval for redeployment to the Development Account will be sought. Amounts will be retained in the budget section until the gain materializes and the General Assembly approves the transfer. The report emphasizes that gains will not be used to reduce the

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programme budget. An initial review estimates approximately $40 million could be targeted for redeployment in the 2000-2001 biennium.

Efficiency measures will result from redeployment of resources, including staff, within and between the various sections of the programme budget, according to the Secretary-General. While involuntary separation of staff is intended, some new skills will be required of redeployed staff and an investment in retraining is envisaged. Staff reductions will be met by redeployment and natural attrition. The report states that managers responsible for implementing initiatives will be responsible for assessing impact on staffing and for advising the Office of Human Resources Management and the Office of Programme Planning accordingly. Information on the impact on staffing will be included in the 2000-2001 programme budget proposals, and precise information will be provided in the performance reports containing proposals for productivity gain redeployment.

The report says expenditure from the Development Account will follow the same modalities and procedures that govern the regular budget. Therefore, the Secretary-General will submit proposals for funding development projects in the proposed programme budget. Additional project proposals would be included in future performance reports. Thus, the 2000-2001 programme budget would contain proposals for the $13.1 million currently appropriated and for any subsequent addition approved by the General Assembly.

The report states that the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs will serve as programme manager in preparing proposals to be funded from the Account. The Secretary-Generals' formulation of proposals will occur within the framework of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs. Entities of the Executive Committee will also undertake evaluation upon completion of project, based on which the Secretary-General will report to the General Assembly.

Projects should complement existing projects, be of regional or subregional scope, aim at a distinct result within two bienniums, have well- defined resource requirements adequate to achieve results, pursue low-cost solutions, and have a strong South-South cooperation content, the Secretary- General states. Given the diversity of projects, performance indicators will be project specific and directly linked to the anticipated result. Evaluation by the Executive Committee and subsequent review by the General Assembly of the impact of the proposals should provide a sound basis for ensuring effective use of resources. Detailed performance criteria will be included in proposals submitted to the General Assembly. An annex to the report outlines areas for possible use of the Development Account against related objectives set out in the medium-term plan.

In its related report (document A/53/7/Add.1), the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) notes that productivity gains

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would not be limited to any one area or activity. The ACABQ agrees with the proposal that once an efficiency gain is achieved, the relevant transfer, once approved by the General Assembly, would form a permanent part of the maintenance base of the budget section relating to the Development Account. The process of transferring amounts to the Development Account should continue in each biennium until the cumulative base reaches the level of the Development Account as determined by Member States.

The report states that the degree to which efficiency measures can continue to lead to quantifiable resources for transfer to the Account will be affected by a prolongation of the current budgetary constraints. Gains from currency fluctuation and inflation would not be available for transfer to the Development Account, nor would savings that are due to activities that were postponed or not implemented. The Advisory Committee agrees with the Secretary-General's proposals on modalities for identifying gains and transferring funds. It also agrees with the multi-year project concept and that any balance of appropriation for the Account at the end of a biennium should be carried forward to the succeeding biennium.

Regarding staffing levels, the Advisory Committee notes that the Secretary-General intends to retrain staff to take on new functions as needed. It recommends that comprehensive information on this and other relevant matters be provided in the proposed programme budget and the performance reports. Also, it advises that consideration of the utilization of savings achieved during 1998-1999 should proceed in an ad hoc manner. Finally, the ACABQ recommends that section 34 of the programme budget not be entitled "Development Account" -- a term that should be reserved for financing, accounting and auditing purposes -- but instead be called "Supplementary development activities".

Reports on Budgetary Aspects of Peacekeeping Operations

The Committee had before it a report from the ACABQ on the financial performance of the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, and for the following 12-month period (document A/52/892).

Regarding the earlier period, the ACABQ states that it has no objection to the Secretary-General's proposal that an unencumbered balance of almost $2.5 million for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 be applied to the account's requirements for the upcoming 12-month period. It believes the Secretary-General's performance report was too focused on statistical information, and should have been more analytical.

Regarding the period from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999, the ACABQ states that it was unable to complete its consideration of the Secretary-General's request for new and converted posts, because explanatory information and

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reliable statistics were unavailable, the report says. The ACABQ plans to resume its consideration of the requirements in September, after it receives reliable data and analysis.

The General Assembly should be able to complete action on the support account before the end of October, the ACABQ says. In the meantime, the Committee recommends four new posts for assets management, and the conversion of 34 gratis positions to temporary posts, with priority going to functions related to military expertise and civilian policy. Together with the current 30 vacancies, the new posts will bring the number to be filled to 68 through October.

The ACABQ also recommends that the amount to be prorated to the various peacekeeping operations for contributing to the support account should be based on the 1997-1998 level for the account ($32.4 million), with an additional $2 million for the above-mentioned posts, bringing the total to $34.4 million, the report states. Additional requirements would be reflected in the relevant performance reports of each operation after the Assembly had completed its decision on the account.

In another report on the support account (documents A/52/837 and Corr.1), the Secretary-General asks the Assembly to approve an estimate of some $39.4 million for the support account for the period from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999. He also asks that it apply an unencumbered balance of $2.5 million for the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 for the upcoming period, and prorate the balance of $36.9 million among the individual peacekeeping operations budgets to meet the support account's requirements for the period from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999. Of the budget estimate, almost $35.9 million would go for post requirements and $3.6 million for non-post requirements, the report explains.

The Secretary-General's budget estimate is almost $7 million more than for last year, the report says. He recommends a staffing level of 469 temporary posts, which is 123 more than the currently authorized level of 346 posts. The figure is based on a 5 per cent vacancy rate for existing posts, and 50 per cent for the proposed posts. The net change of 123 posts includes the replacement of 106 posts currently filled by gratis personnel, deletion of three posts, and 20 new posts. The Secretary-General states that those posts would be advertised externally.

Of the 20 new posts, eight would go for the Rapidly Deployable Mission Headquarters, designed to enable the United Nations to quickly deploy a cohesive team of civilian and military personnel in the mission area, the report says. One new post is proposed for the Civilian Police Unit in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations; eight posts for implementing the peacekeeping assets management function; two new posts for the Investigations Section of the Office of Internal Oversight Services; and one new post for the

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Contributions Section of the Financial Management Office of the Department of Management.

In its related report (document A/53/418) also before the Committee, the Advisory Committee regrets that little has been done to respond to its concerns about the quality of information contained in the Secretary-General's report, or about the Fifth Committee's concerns about the provision of contradictory and inconsistent information. These facts had made the ACABQ's review difficult.

The Advisory Committee concluded that in a number of instances regarding posts, while a particular function needed to be added, the requirement for posts could be met through redeployment after a thorough review of the current structure throughout the Secretariat. The results of that review and redeployment should be reported in the context of the next report of the Secretary-General on the support account, which should cover posts funded from all sources.

A note by the Secretary-General transmits the fourth quarterly report on clearing the backlog in processing death and disability claims (document A/C.5/53/16). In May 1997, a backlog of 564 claims had been awaiting processing. To expedite the processing of these claims, the Assembly had provided $158,500 for general temporary assistance from the support account for peacekeeping operations. In view of progress made to date in that effort, the Secretary-General did not request further provision of general temporary assistance resources for that purpose.

Annexes to the report show the total number of claims received as at 30 June 1998 from troop-contributing countries for incidents occurring up to 30 June 1997. The information is presented by country and by peacekeeping operation. A third annex compares the total number of reported incidents with the number of claims submitted. Of a total of 4,911 incidents reported up to 30 June 1997, 1,450 claims had been submitted as of 30 June 1998.

Gratis Personnel

In the Secretary-General's report on gratis personnel and the support account for peacekeeping operations (document A/52/54/Rev.1), he recalls the General Assembly's request, in resolution 51/243, that gratis personnel be expeditiously phased out throughout the Secretariat. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is most affected by this resolution, he states, since it has relied heavily on the expertise of loaned personnel for planning, supporting and managing peacekeeping missions.

The Secretary-General says that recruitment and placement processes will be completed by the end of February 1999, to enable the phasing out of all gratis staff in the Secretariat by 28 February 1999. Accelerated procedures have been initiated to ensure the speedy recruitment of staff to replace

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gratis personnel. Also, vacancy announcements are to be circulated for all posts proposed for conversion from gratis personnel in the Secretary-General's report on the support account (documents A/52/837 and Corr.1). Based on these steps, he anticipates that offers of appointment will be made to qualified candidates by December 1998 against posts the General Assembly approves.

Also before the Committee was the Secretary-General's quarterly report on gratis personnel provided by governments and other entities (document A/C.5/52/56). The report covers the period from 1 April through 30 June 1998. During that period, 85 type II gratis personnel -- all those except interns and associate and technical cooperation experts -- concluded their assignments, resulting in a net decrease of 71 (from 246 to 175). At the same time, 14 "type II" loaned staff started service in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.

In the Peacekeeping Department, eight loaned staff were accepted to provide expertise not available in the Secretariat for specialized functions in logistics, movement control, planning and supply. At the Tribunal, six such staff, functioning as investigators, were accepted to allow the Tribunal to process the cases brought to it, pending completion of the recruitment procedures against posts approved by the General Assembly in the Tribunal budget. Those staff are to complete their duties on 30 September 1998.

In its related report (document A/53/417), the ACABQ states that it was still of the opinion that information provided in the quarterly reports did not demonstrate the extent to which type II gratis personnel provided expertise not available in the Organization, and it considered that it was lack of staff resources that gave rise to the need for type II gratis personnel. The Committee also notes that the use of gratis personnel pending recruitment of staff to the two tribunals contravened General Assembly resolution 51/243. It recommends that those matters be taken into account in future quarterly reports and that those reports indicate the number of staff in areas where gratis personnel have been accepted and provide information on compliance with deadlines of engagement of such personnel.

[By the terms of General Assembly resolution 51/243, type II gratis personnel may be accepted for a limited period of time, after a budget is approved to provide expertise not available within the Organization. Also, such staff can be accepted to provide temporary and urgent assistance for new and/or expanding Organizational mandates, pending the Assembly's decision on funds for those mandates.]

Organization of Work

MOVSES ABELIAN (Armenia), the Committee Chairman, highlighted changes to the Committee's programme of work.

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PRAYONO ATIYANTO (Indonesia), speaking for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, commented on the programme of work. He said that the procurement reform discussion included outsourcing practices, and which the programme of work should reflect. He asked for clarification on what would be discussed under the programme budget for 1998-1999.

MOHAMED ABOUD MAHMOUD (Comoros) asked about the report of the Committee on Contributions. He asked that the ACABQ include a paragraph on his country's request regarding Article 19 of the Charter, by which Member States are stripped of their right to vote when their arrears fall below a certain level.

The Committee then adopted its programme of work.

Statements on UN Development Account

JOSEPH E. CONNOR, Under-Secretary-General for Management, presented to the Committee the Secretary-General's proposals on the Development Account (document A/52/1009). The report contained procedures for administering the Development Account.

He said that all concerns of delegations and of the ACABQ had been addressed. Productivity improvement initiatives would cover all parts of the Secretariat. Information on proposed initiatives would be provided in the proposed programme budget. The estimates would be used as management targets to attain productivity gains and could be adjusted. Productivity gains would be verified prior to submission of proposals to transfer funds to the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee. Upon approval and transfers, project proposals would be developed. The ACABQ and the Fifth Committee would be requested to approve projects within the context of the programme budget.

He said that this proposal provided an opportunity to enhance productivity, streamline and simplify the bureaucracy, take full advantage of modern technology and eliminate duplication of effort. The Secretary-General was committed to improving efficiency and effectiveness to strengthen programme delivery capacity.

On the issue of sustainability, he said that only sustainable savings would be proposed for transfer. He stressed that the level of the Development Account would be built up until Member States decided to change it. From a budgetary perspective, it was a question of shifting funds from one area to another. He hoped the Member States would support this approach and maintain existing budget levels. He noted that the ACABQ supported the approach.

C.S.M. MSELLE, Chairman of the ACABQ, introduced that body's report. The ACABQ had limited its consideration to policy issues and had not taken up annexes or the report on the use of the Account. It had noted with satisfaction that a number of its recommendations had been taken into consideration. The Advisory

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Committee was of the opinion that, for 1998-1999, an ad hoc procedure should be used in reviewing the Development Account, although the procedure to be followed in the future should become clear as funding and other matters became regularized in proposed regular budgets.

Transfer of resources derived from efficiency measures to the Development Account was not a budget reduction exercise, he said. That transfer and the preparation of the next budget should not affect the level of budget approved by the Assembly at any time. The ACABQ recommended that section 34 of the budget not be categorized as a "development account", but rather as "supplementary development activities".

HANS PETER MANZ (Austria) spoke for the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Iceland and Norway. The Union had supported the Secretary-General's proposal to create a dividend for development by using savings from productivity gains, but it was aware of concerns raised by a number of delegations. However, the Union was convinced that it was in the interest of all Member States to adopt the Secretary-General's reform proposal, to better focus on the fulfilment of mandates and improved programme delivery. The Development Account was an integral part of the reform proposals.

Efficiency savings did not necessarily mean cuts in budgets, he said. All programme managers had responsibility to increase efficiency in their respective areas. Efficiency measures should not negatively affect mandated activities. The Assembly should verify that gains achieved did not negatively impact on programme delivery. The Union agreed with the modalities for identifying gains and transferring funds proposed by the Secretary-General. The indication of prospective productivity gains need not be exhaustive or impose constraints on programme managers' ability to look for efficiency measures. The overall responsibility to conduct the search for efficiency measures should remain within the purview of the Secretary-General. Such measures were not subject to prior approval.

Mr. ATIYANTO (Indonesia) said the Group of 77 and China would make its statement on the matter at the Committee's next formal meeting.

KAZUO WATANABE (Japan) said that the Committee had been unable to come to agreement on the mechanism of the Development Account during its resumed session in May, primarily because of insufficient information from the Secretariat. Gains achieved as the result of productivity improvements did mean redeployment of resources, including human resources, since 70 per cent of the Organization's budget was related to human resources costs.

Japan's main concern was the issue of timing, he said. What was the role of the General Assembly regarding the Development Account? he asked. Member States were to be informed of efficiency measures in the first

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performance report and asked for approval for the transfer of the amount to the Development Account. But this was too late.

During the discussions on the budget outline in the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), Member States had learned that efficiency gains of $20 million would be allocated to cover new mandated programmes, he said. That meant that in the budget fascicle for the upcoming biennium 2000- 2001, they were able to see the breakdown of the $20 million -- from where it came as efficiency gains and to where it would be allocated. Why could the Secretary-General not show the content of the $40 million to Member States? he asked. The breakdown of that amount should be provided to Member States during discussions on the budget for the next biennium or at least at an early stage of the budget information.

He then asked for confirmation that there was no department-by-department target for efficiency gains. Budgets of all departments should not be reduced or saved across the board on a pro rata basis. Surpluses accrued from currency fluctuations and inflation (recosting) should be returned to Member States in accordance with the Organization's financial rules and regulations.

M. HUMAYUN KABIR (Bangladesh) said that his delegation attached great importance to the Development Account, which was an essential aspect of the reform process. It was regrettable that satisfactory guidelines for its purpose or use had not yet been finalized.

Noting that previous efficiency gains had gone to new mandates and implementation of other Member State decisions, he asked what the relationship would be between use of resources for the Development Account and new mandates. He supported the recommendations that gains should not affect total budgetary resources, and that they should be sought Secretariat-wide.

Bangladesh was uncomfortable with several proposed areas of focus identified in annex 1 of the Secretary-General's report, notably the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) pilot projects and the proposal concerned with the performance of conference services. He noted that the process for building the Development Account to a desirable level remained open, but asked for how long such gains could be derived. Under-Secretary- General Connor had said that only savings of a lasting nature would be proposed for transfer. He wished to know what was meant by this.

Bangladesh endorsed the ACABQ recommendation that funds that formed the maintenance base for future bienniums should not be recosted, as well as the ACABQ view on reporting procedures for staff redeployment. More clarification was required as to how proposed projects would fit into the medium-term plan. He suggested that developing countries perhaps needed substantive low-cost "low-tech" support, rather than increased understanding of their problems.

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CHO CHANG-BEOM (Republic of Korea) said that his country had consistently supported the Secretary-General's reform initiatives and attached great importance to the Development Account. Member States seemed to support the redeployment of resources to development, and he hoped that consensus would be reached soon so the Development Account could be implemented at an early date.

The creation of the Development Account was not a budget reduction exercise, he said. Its resources must represent true savings, not the results of postponement of projects or the inability to carry out programmes. Levels of service should not be compromised. The $200 million proposed as the level of the Development Account by the 2002-2003 biennium should be viewed as a target. Therefore, no absolute time-frame for the achievement of this amount should be specified. Similarly, the estimated $40 million productivity gains for 2000-2001 biennium should be a target, not the full implementation of mandated activities. He looked forward to a full report on how the $40 million savings would be achieved in due course.

His country attached great importance to simplifying procedures, rules and resources, he said. The main thing was to improve efficiency, and inefficient procedures must end without delay. Programme managers should have greater responsibility for resource and staffing needs, as the Secretary-General proposed, but appropriate monitoring and accountability procedures must be in place before such delegations of authority were instituted.

He said funds for the Development Account should be treated as multi- year allocations, as proposed, and unspent balances should be reported in performance reports. It was unfortunate that delays meant that the $13 million appropriated for the 1998-1999 biennium was unlikely to be spent. He endorsed the Secretary-General's recommendations for areas of use of the Development Account, notably those directed at globalization and the follow-up to United Nations conferences. In addition, proposed support for better networking was a useful tool to avoid marginalization of developing countries.

Establishment of clear performance indicators were a key prerequisite of the meaningful use of the Development Account, and these should be, as proposed, project specific, he said. Involuntary separation of staff should be avoided to the maximum extent, and he supported increased efforts directed at retraining staff.

Mr. CONNOR, Under-Secretary-General for Management, responded to questions and observations by delegations. He turned first to questions raised by Japan's representative, who had said using the performance report as the verification document was "too late". The Secretariat had sought a benchmark period that would not be incomplete. There was need for a good number of weeks and months to "prove out" a fairly large segment of the intended potential redeployment in the budget.

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The Secretariat had had to make a choice between how much of the efficiencies would be included in the programme document, and how much would be put on a deferred basis and not recognized in programme planning until verified, he continued. While that allocation seemed logical, it was a choice to be made by Member States.

There had not been definitive targets for savings in each area of the Organization, but conversations had been held with a number of programme managers to obtain a sense of what might be possible, he said. That was different from a target. After States had approved the budget outline, the Secretariat would have more specific conversations with programme managers. Regarding returns to Member States from foreign exchange rate fluctuations, he said he would not anticipate such returns this year.

Regarding the efficiency gains to cushion new mandates, he said those mandates were relatively small in United States dollar impact -- about $20 million. Concerns had been expressed regarding pilot projects, for example that in ECLAC. He stressed that these were pilot projects -- testing devices -- the evaluation of which would be reported to the Fifth Committee.

Any final amount for the Development Account had been removed, he said. The Secretary-General's earlier report had put the target at $200 million, but that had not been continued in the present proposal. No attempts to reach that amount would be made by the time period indicated in the first report. Member States determined the total, not the Secretary-General. Information regarding what the efficiencies were, their impact on potential redeployment and the staff affected as a result would be reported as part of the programme document. Questions on utilization of the Account would be answered by Nitin Desai, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and programme manager of the Development Account.

Statements on Administrative and Budgetary Aspects of Peacekeeping Operations

Mr. MSELLE, ACABQ Chairman, said the Secretary-General's report on the support account for peacekeeping operations had been submitted late and was of poor quality. The ACABQ had submitted in its winter session interim recommendations pending a full review of the Secretariat's proposals. It had recommended a total of 384 out of 469 posts requested by the Secretary- General. The General Assembly had then authorized 400 posts, pending a post- by-post review of the Secretary-General's proposals by the ACABQ. The ACABQ now recommended 393 posts.

Very little improvement had been seen in the quality of information available, he continued. Corrections had been submitted by the Secretariat until the last day of the Advisory Committee's work. Further, information requested by the Fifth Committee had not been available.

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The Secretariat had requested an addition of 123 to the 346 posts authorized for the period ending 30 June 1998, he said. The Advisory Committee noted that the level of peacekeeping operations had decreased by more than two thirds. The ACABQ acknowledged that a more than two-thirds decrease in the level of peacekeeping operations did not necessarily lead to an immediate proportionate decrease in Headquarters support needed. Further, it was aware that substantial support was provided by gratis personnel, and the Secretary-General's request to convert positions to support account posts was based on the need to implement the Assembly's decisions to phase out use of these personnel.

However, the ACABQ was of the view that the request for the additional 123 posts had not taken into account the use of the current establishment of 346 positions in light of the substantial decrease in peacekeeping operations, he said. A better streamlining of functions and reorganization of a number of units in the Secretariat could release additional staff savings which would handle a number of the tasks earmarked for the new positions. There was need for further cooperation and coordination between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Management. Where a function might be required, additional staff resources could be obtained through redeployment after a thorough review of the current structure in the concerned Secretariat units.

The ACABQ called for such reviews to be reported to the Assembly in the context of the next budget submission for the support account, he said. It had not recommended redeployment in an arbitrary manner. While he expected that not every ACABQ recommendation would be accepted, its recommendations should provide a basis for the Committee's debate.

RICHARD SKLAR (United States) said his delegation shared the ACABQ's concerns that the Secretariat was again unable to justify its staffing and funding request. The United Nations peacekeeping function was of great importance to his country, and, like all troop contributors, the United States was concerned that the support account supported a staff that was both effective and efficient. It was unfortunate that the Secretariat's failure made it necessary for the ACABQ and now the Fifth Committee to analyse the situation without the Secretariat's valuable input.

The ACABQ's recommendation for redeployment of personnel from non- critical and redundant positions to positions that were essential to missions was sound, he said. The concept of redeployment was going to be more important as the United Nations focused on fulfilment of its missions and mandates. There were several positions that were critical to the support of missions that could benefit from the recommended redeployment. The Office of Human Resources Management, the Department of Management, the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations were all involved in backstopping functions, and should be examined for duplication.

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He said that objectives must be: staffing of all critical military positions with skilled serving military officers; holding the total staffing level to the ACABQ's recommendation of 393 support account positions; holding the total funding to the $34.2 million level agreed upon last spring; and effective use of redeployment to accomplish the above three goals. There were 14,000 peacekeepers deployed worldwide supported by posts to be discussed who would be affected by the decisions taken.

Mr. ATIYANTO (Indonesia) said the Group of 77 and China would make its formal statement on the matter at tomorrow's meeting.

JOHANNES WORTEL, Director of the Operational Services Division, Office of Human Resources Management, introduced the report on gratis personnel.

Mr. MSELLE, ACABQ Chairman, introduced that body's report on the subject. The Committee was not satisfied with the way the Secretariat was justifying all of its recourse to gratis personnel. The term "expertise unavailable in the Secretariat" was being used loosely. In the next reports to be prepared by the Secretariat, recourse to such loaned staff should be in strict accordance with the provisions of Assembly resolution 51/243.

Statements on Other Matters NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica) expressed displeasure about the way in which security officers of the United Nations and the City of New York had handled the security situation during the General Assembly's general debate. The city had taken excessive measures and made matters extremely difficult during the general debate. Her country's Foreign Minister had been treated poorly by security forces. Further, there had been incidents of physical harassment. Security measures should never impede international civil servant officials from performing their functions.

Access had been restricted to the Delegates' Entrance, she continued. Attempts to enter had been met with rudeness that went against the dignity of the concerned officials. There had been problems with the use of cash machines in the Building, leaving some delegates without cash. There had been a lack of courtesy shown by representatives of Member States, who seemed to be acting more as a police force. Staff members of the United Nations should act with at least a minimum level of courtesy. The dignity of all delegations should be respected. Her delegation would be promoting adoption of a decision or resolution on those issues.

AHMED DARWISH (Egypt) said that, during the general debate, a flier had been distributed by the Secretariat saying that diplomats' cars could be parked between 51st and 57th Street so long as they displayed the appropriate markings. That had been done, yet cars had been towed. Where had the Secretariat obtained this information, and if it had changed, why had delegations not been informed? he asked.

Fifth Committee - 15 - Press Release GA/AB/3240 3rd Meeting (AM) 5 October 1998

Mr. KABIR (Bangladesh) said that the Committee was to have considered death and disability benefits during the current meeting. Would it be taken up again? he asked.

The CHAIRMAN said it would be taken up tomorrow.

Mr. ATIYANTO (Indonesia), speaking for the Group of 77 and China, asked for another meeting to discuss administrative arrangements for the International Trade Centre and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), under agenda items on review of the Organization's financial efficiency, and the budget for 1998-1999, respectively.

The CHAIRMAN agreed to that proposal. Regarding the comments made by the representative of Costa Rica, he said he took note of her delegation's concerns, and would inform the Secretariat of them, but that they should be raised at the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.

AMJAD SIAL (Pakistan) said documents were not being issued in accordance with the Assembly's stipulations. He asked for clarification from the Secretariat on why that was so.

Ms. INCERA (Costa Rica) said matters of security outside the United Nations should be transmitted to the Committee on Relations with the Host Country, while matters inside should be brought to the attention of the relevant Secretariat officials.

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