GENERAL ASSEMBLY AUTHORIZES $35 MILLION FOR EAST TIMOR
Press Release
GA/9560
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AUTHORIZES $35 MILLION FOR EAST TIMOR
19990524 The General Assembly this afternoon authorized the Secretary-General to enter into commitments of up to $35 million, from all sources of funds, for the initial requirements of the United Nations activities related to East Timor, pending further action by the Security Council and the submission of a revised budget by the Secretary-General.Adopting without a vote a decision recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), (document A/53/485/Add.3) the Assembly also expressed concern at the tendency of its substantive Committees and other intergovernmental bodies to involve themselves in administrative and budgetary matters. It reaffirmed, in accordance with its resolution 45/248 B, section VI, that the Fifth Committee was the main committee entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters.
Explaining his position after action on the text, the representative of the Republic of Korea welcomed the signing on 5 May of the General Agreement between the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal, as well as the Supplementary Agreements between the United Nations and the two Governments, which would serve to consolidate peace in East Timor. The international community must now make the funds and human resources available to implement the Agreements, he said. The tasks ahead were challenging, with the security situation in East Timor a particular concern. The time before the election was so short that it was essential to give the Secretary-General the means to deploy the mission with civilian police. For that reason, he supported the decision.
The Security Council, in resolution 1236 (1999) of 7 May, had welcomed the concluding of the General Agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on the question of East Timor. It also welcomed the Secretary-General's intention to establish a United Nations presence to: assist conducting a popular consultation of the East Timorese people on the acceptance or rejection of a constitutional framework for autonomy for East Timor, scheduled for 8 August; and make available civilian police officers to act as advisers to the Indonesian police in the discharge of their duties in East Timor and to supervise the escort of ballot papers and boxes to and from polling sites.
By the same text, the Council had asked the Secretary-General to keep it closely informed of the situation in East Timor and to report to it by 24 May
General Assembly Plenary - 2 - Press Release GA/9560 100th Meeting (PM) 25 May 1999
on implementation of the resolution and the Agreements, specifying the detailed modalities of the consultation process, and containing detailed recommendations to the Council regarding the mandate, size, structure and budget for the United Nations mission and to report thereafter every 14 days.
Early in May, the Secretary-General established a trust fund for voluntary contributions to finance the quick establishment of the mission without waiting for the assessed budgetary process. Staff have already been deployed to ensure the execution of the consultation process, pending a formal decision by the Council on the mission.
At the outset of the meeting, the Assembly noted that Yemen had made the payments necessary to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter.
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