GENERAL ASSEMBLY WOULD APPROVE $52.5 MILLION FOR EAST TIMOR MISSION UNDER TERMS OF TEXT APPROVED BY FIFTH COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/AB/3301
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WOULD APPROVE $52.5 MILLION FOR EAST TIMOR MISSION UNDER TERMS OF TEXT APPROVED BY FIFTH COMMITTEE
19990625 The General Assembly would approve a budget of just over $52.5 million gross (some $51.3 million net) for the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) for the period from 5 May to 31 August, according to a draft resolution approved this morning by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).After a long suspension during which the draft was discussed and orally amended, the Committee approved the text by consensus. Among other terms, the Assembly would: increase the Secretary-General's commitment authority from $35 million to the revised, increased amount; ask him to establish a special account for the Mission; and invite voluntary contributions to be administered according to the Assembly's relevant financial regulations, rules, procedures and practices. According to the Secretary-General's report, some $21.7 million in voluntary contributions had been received already.
Also, the Assembly would decide that assessments would be apportioned according to the method used to finance special United Nations activities, set out by resolution 43/232 and subsequently adjusted. [By those arrangements, Member States are classified in four groups. Those in Group D pay 10 per cent of the assessment rates established for the regular budget; those in Group C pay 20 per cent; those in Group B pay 100 per cent; and those in Group A pay the amounts not otherwise apportioned.]
The Security Council established UNAMET until 31 August 1999, to organize and conduct a popular consultation on the future status of the territory. The Mission will incorporate political, electoral and information components.
In its report, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) urged the Assembly to act immediately to determine the mode of financing UNAMET, so appropriations would be in accordance with financial regulations and rules. It recommended financing the Mission through a special account, with a special scale of assessment.
Indonesia's representative said this morning that UNAMET was behind schedule in preparing for the consultation in East Timor, particularly in disseminating information on the concept of special autonomy and in the
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registration of voters. Stressing that the Mission could not be considered a peacekeeping operation, he said his delegation was flexible as to whether it should be financed through the regular budget or through a special scale of assessments.
Germany's representative, speaking for the European Union and associated States, expressed concern at the approach adopted by the Secretariat in presenting the proposal. That should not create a precedent, he said.
Cuba's representative expressed reservations about a paragraph in the draft on voluntary contributions which, she said, should deal with the subject of tied contributions in implementing the Secretary-General's mandate. Similarly, Algeria's representative stressed that all voluntary contributions for mandated activities should in no way be tied.
Statements were also made this morning by the representatives of the Philippines for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mexico, Canada and the Republic of Korea. The Chairman of the ACABQ, C.S.M. Mselle, introduced that body's report.
The Committee will meet again on a date to be announced.
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to consider reports from the Secretary-General and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the question of East Timor. In May 1999, the Assembly authorized the Secretary-General to enter into commitments up to $35 million for the initial requirements of United Nations activities related to East Timor, pending further action by the Security Council and the submission of a revised budget. On 11 June, the Council established the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) until 31 August 1999, to organize and conduct a popular consultation on the future status of the territory.
In the Secretary-General's report (document A/C.5/53/63), he asks the General Assembly to approve his revised budget for UNAMET of just over $52.5 million gross (some $51.3 million net) for the period from 5 May through 31 August. He also requests the Assembly to increase his authority to enter into commitments from $35 million to that revised amount. Appropriation and assessment of related funds will be sought in the early part of the fifty- fourth session of the Assembly, he writes, when an updated report will be made available as to the level of voluntary contributions received.
The budget estimates include provision for 50 military liaison officers, 274 civilian police officers, 242 international staff, 425 United Nations Volunteers and some 3,645 local staff. Military personnel costs are estimated at $688,800; civilian personnel costs, almost $18.3 million; operational costs about $27.2 million; and other programmes costs, some $5.2 million.
The report further states that, to date, the balance in the trust fund for the settlement of the question of East Timor is some $21.7 million. There are also written pledges of contributions to the trust fund of up to $7.3 million and in-kind contributions from Australia equivalent of about $3.4 million. Contributions of some $14.2 million have been informally indicated.
The ACABQ report on the matter (document A/53/7/Add.14), states that while it does not recommend reducing the estimates, efforts should be made to achieve economies during the operation. It recommends that the Assembly act now to determine the mode of financing UNAMET, so appropriations would be in accordance with financial regulations and rules. UNAMET should be financed through a special account with a special scale of assessment, the ACABQ recommends. It was highly unusual to propose a budget without specifying which section of the Organization's budget it would be authorized under, or, alternatively, requesting a special account, as is done for activities financed outside of the regular budget.
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The ACABQ notes that the budget had been prepared under uncertain conditions, so that accurate estimates had been difficult to obtain. Owing to the phased deployment of personnel to the mission area, there would be savings in the civilian personnel costs. Also, it had been informed that the rate at which office premises had been rented was a sharp increase from rates prevailing prior to the United Nations arrival. Some budgeted items seemed unjustified, such as the cost for spare parts, repairs and maintenance for new vehicles which were under warranty. In addition, requested funds for travel, charter flights to deploy the medical unit and for external polling in areas of major East Timorese concentration outside East Timor and Australia were not explained convincingly.
Statements
C.S.M. MSELLE, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) introduced the report of the Advisory Committee on the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).
CECEP HERAWAN (Indonesia) said that his delegation attached the utmost importance to the implementation of the agreements without delay, so as to enable the East Timorese to freely decide on their future through the popular consultation scheduled for 8 August. However, UNAMET was already behind schedule in the work towards timely preparation for the consultation, particularly in the dissemination of information to the people regarding the concept of special autonomy and the registration of voters. He also wanted to make a clarification that UNAMET could not in any form be considered a peacekeeping mission.
Regarding the mode of financing, he said that his delegation was very flexible on the means of financing -- through the regular budget or through a special scale of assessments -- as long as it was implemented within the mandate stipulated in the agreements, as well as in the resolution of the Security Council. He could also go along with any suggestion concerning the best time for the General Assembly to make its decision on the issue.
MARY JO B. ARAGON (Philippines), speaking for the Association of South- East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the Secretary-General should be given adequate funds to ensure that he could fulfil the mandate with which he had been charged. She, therefore, hoped the Committee would approve the amount of some $52.5 million and act on the matter without further delay.
ERNESTO HERRERA (Mexico) said the Organization's activities in East Timor should be financed through a special account and on the basis of a special scale.
The meeting was then suspended to allow for informal consultations on the draft resolution on financing UNAMET.
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When the meeting resumed, MOVSES ABELIAN (Armenia), Fifth Committee Chairman, drew attention to the draft resolution on the question of East Timor (document A/C.5/53/L.76). Acting without a vote, the Committee approved the draft text, which had been orally amended during the informal consultations.
By the draft, the Assembly would decide to appropriate some $52.5 million and request the Secretary-General to establish a special account for the Mission. The amount would be assessed in a manner to be determined after review of the report that Mr. Annan would submit to the Assembly at its fifty-fourth session and taking into account voluntary contributions received, which amount to some $21.7 million and might increase.
By other provisions, the Assembly would invite voluntary contributions to the Mission to be administered in accordance with its established financial regulations, rules and practices. By one of the draft's amendments, Article 17.2 would be included, to the effect that the expenses of the Organization shall be borne by the Members as apportioned by the General Assembly.
Also by the text, the Assembly would decide that assessments would be apportioned according to the method used to finance special United Nations activities, set out by resolution 43/232 and subsequently adjusted. [By those arrangements, Member States are classified in four groups. Those in Group D pay 10 per cent of the assessment rates established for the regular budget; those in Group C pay 20 per cent; those in Group B pay 100 per cent; and those in Group A pay the amounts not otherwise apportioned.]
GERHARD KUNTZLE (Germany) spoke for the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. He said the Union supported all efforts to bring peace to East Timor, and had welcomed the signing on 5 May of an agreement which constituted a major breakthrough towards solving a long-standing issue.
A month ago, he continued, the Assembly had adopted decision 53/472 authorizing the Secretary-General to enter into commitments up to $35 million. The Union had supported that decision to enable immediate action to initiate United Nations activities under the 5 May agreements. The current decision further secured the United Nations presence in East Timor. Therefore, the decision, which put UNAMET on a sound financial basis to implement its mandate, was welcome.
However, he expressed concern at the approach adopted by the Secretariat when the proposal had been presented. It should have specified the mode of financing for the Mission, so the requested amounts could be appropriated and assessed. That practice should not become precedent. In accordance with the Charter's Article 17, the expenses of UNAMET were expenses of the Organization, and should be born by Member States as apportioned by the Assembly.
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NORMA GOICOCHEA (Cuba) said her delegation's view would be stated in the Assembly plenary when the draft was adopted. She would only say now that her delegation had reservations regarding paragraph 3 of the draft, which should deal with the subject of tied contributions in implementing the Secretary- General's mandate.
GABRIELLE DUSCHNER (Canada) welcomed the text and the consensus by which it had been adopted, which was the way all the resolutions should be resolved. Consensus would have been impossible without flexibility.
DJAMEL MOKTEFI (Algeria) said his delegation shared the concern expressed in paragraph 7 of the report of the ACABQ, to the effect that the Secretary- General should continue to seek untied contributions. All voluntary contributions for mandated activities should in no way be tied.
PARK HAE-YUN (Republic of Korea) said his delegation was aware of the significance of bringing peace to East Timor. Member States should contribute to facilitating UNAMET in fulfilling its mandate.
Mr. HERRERA (Mexico) said such activities should be financed in conformity with the special scale.
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