NEED FOR BROADEST POSSIBLE AGREEMENT ON UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME BUDGET STRESSED DURING FIFTH COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

Press Release
GA/AB/3327

NEED FOR BROADEST POSSIBLE AGREEMENT ON UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME BUDGET STRESSED DURING FIFTH COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

To debate the classification of any Secretariat post, or to spend time formulating a twenty page resolution that sent complex and contradictory guidance, was unnecessary and misjudged the Fifth Committee’s role, the representative of Canada, speaking also on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon, as it continued its general discussion of the proposed programme budget for 2000-2001.

He added that it was important that the budget be adopted by consensus, rather than by a vote, but that consensus did not provide a veto for any Member State. The broadest possible agreement must be reached to show support for the Secretary-General and the role and activities of the Organization.

The representative of Algeria said he was concerned that, under the Secretary-General’s proposal, essential activities were to be financed from extrabudgetary resources. Essential activities should be funded by regular budget funds, not from other sources that might prove hypothetical or be linked to conditions.

Increases proposed for Africa-related sections were modest, at best, given the immense needs and expectations of the continent, he added. Additional resources should be identified that would assist the African continent.

The representative of India said mandated programmes should be implemented more efficiently, but cost reduction could not be allowed to become an end in itself. The allocation of funds for development purposes should not be curtailed, and reduction in resources should not result in the involuntary separation of staff. Cross-borrowing from peacekeeping budgets to finance regular routine expenditure should be avoided, he added.

The representative of Cote d’Ivoire explained that the United Nations was a symbol of the new era which deserved special attention. It was an indispensable tool for the maintenance of peace and security,

Fifth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/AB/3327 21st Meeting (PM) 1 November 1999

a source of hope for men and women everywhere, and an instrument for the promotion of democracy, human rights and development. It should not be prevented from fulfilling the things people hoped for from it, he added.

The representative of Cuba, Costa Rica, Egypt, Tunisia, Republic of Korea, Ghana, Mexico, Sudan, Zambia, Botswana, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Ethiopia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia also addressed the Committee.

It will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to take action on a draft proposal submitted under its agenda item on the Joint Inspection Unit, and to continue its discussion of the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue its general discussion on the United Nations programme budget for the 2000-2001 biennium.

[For background on the proposed programme budget, see Press Release GA/AB/3322 of 27 October].

Statements on Proposed Programme Budget

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said the difficulty of the task facing the Committee had been set out by those who had addressed it. Algeria’s position on the proposed programme budget was based on a reaffirmation of basic principles. The budget was the legal and political instrument through which Member States decided on the resources that would be required to implement their mandates. There were constraints with which all Member States were familiar. All Member States must continuously give preference to conciliation, so as to arrive at consensus solutions to problems. Member States must make their contribution to the discussions transparently, and must be fully involved in the process.

Budget procedures must be maintained as established in General Assembly resolution 41/213, he said, and all must be wary of any departure from them. The in-depth analysis of all sections should be preserved as imperative. In addition, in resolution 51/221B, the Assembly had decided that no change could be introduced in the procedures for drawing up the programme budget unless it had first been considered and approved by the Assembly. A reminder of those decisions was necessary, as he was disturbed to note the inclusion in the proposal framework of new elements connected with the Secretary-General’s reform proposals, which were still under Assembly consideration. He was willing to consider proposals related to results-based budgeting, but any new measure should be implemented in a gradual manner during a transition period, and after the Assembly had approved it. Even advocates of results-based budgeting recognized that the concepts needed to be fine-tuned.

The Secretary-General had informed the Member States that the budget had not increased in nominal terms in five years and that new reductions would jeopardize delivery of mandated activities, he said. Economic development programmes, cut over the years, should not be affected. The budget narrative should respect the mandates established in the medium-term plan, as it was the main directive for United Nations policy and framework for budget preparation. Algeria supported those priorities. However, he had doubts about the proposed allocations, as the linkage between resources and priorities had not been established. Certain narratives required amendment or reformulation to be put in line with the plan.

He was also concerned that, according to the proposal, essential activities were to be financed from extrabudgetary resources, he said. Member States should have a substantive debate on the issue. Essential activities should be funded by regular budget funds, not from other sources that might prove hypothetical or be linked to conditions.

Where increases were proposed for the Africa-related sections, he said, such increases were modest if not ludicrous given the immense needs and expectations of the continent. He asked what the attitude of the Organization should be to the under-privileged. It should prove possible to identify additional resources that could be aimed at assisting the African continent, and he would give special attention to Africa-related budget sections.

VED PRATAP VAIDIK (India) said a higher budget projection could almost certainly have enhanced the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil its mandated programmes and activities without being plagued by severe financial constraints. India agreed that mandated programmes should be implemented more efficiently, but cost reduction could not be allowed to become an end in itself.

It was of the utmost importance that vacancies be reduced and the process of recruitment be done expeditiously, he said. This would obviate the need for ad hoc measures that might contravene administrative practices. India also believed that the allocation of funds for development purposes should not be curtailed, that reduction in resources should not result in the involuntary separation of staff and that cross-borrowing from peacekeeping budgets to finance regular, routine expenditure should be avoided.

His delegation reaffirmed -– given the grim financial situation of the United Nations -– that all Member States should pay their contributions, promptly, fully and unconditionally, especially the most privileged ones, he added.

ROBERT FOWLER (Canada), speaking also on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, said the important task that had been delegated to this Committee was to consider and approve the budget, and he hoped it would focus on governance issues in the debate. The Fifth Committee did not need to debate the classification of any post within the Secretariat, nor spend time formulating a twenty-page resolution that sent complex and contradictory guidance. To do so would be to misjudge its role in relation to that of the Chief Administrative Officer. The Secretary-General and his managers must be allowed to manage.

He urged all Member States to raise their concerns early so they could be dealt with efficiently and constructively, he said. It was a key to the effectiveness and credibility of the Organization that the budget be adopted by consensus, never by a vote. Consensus, however, did not provide a veto for the largest or the most strident Member States. The Fifth Committee must continue to use the broadest possible agreement to show support for the Secretary-General and the role and activities of the Organization.

On balance, the budget proposal was good news, he said. More resources were proposed for the eight priority areas; however the level proposed for human rights -– less than that approved in 1996-1997 -- was of concern. He was pleased at the inclusion of the $86.2 million for special political missions. The countries he spoke for supported continued efforts to streamline administration and improve human resource management, and also the proposal to use results-based budgeting, on the subject of which the Fifth Committee was moving slowly.

The budget proposal was prepared by the Secretariat and reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) incrementally, he noted, and this method did not permit a comprehensive review. Thus, it diverted the Committee’s attention from serious consideration of budget priorities by allowing anomalies to persist. Without knowing to what extent programmes supported the broad objectives of the United Nations, it was difficult to determine whether specific expenditure levels were reasonable.

He was disappointed that the compensating economies of some $20 million referred to by the Secretary-General were not specifically addressed in the budget, he said. More economies could be found, particularly in light of large investments already made in information technology. Lack of central coordination of information technology was leading to significant inefficiencies and waste, and policies and priorities for it should be centrally established.

He agreed with the ACABQ call for more specific and clearly defined outputs, he said. The budget needed to be more results oriented, with focus on how meetings, research and publications would achieve Member States’ goals hence his support for results-based budgeting, which would focus the Assembly and the Secretariat on achieving goals, rather than on processes.

The overall regular budget had remained more or less constant for the past two bienniums, he said. The Secretary-General had proposed an increase in total expenditure for 2000-2001. The Organization should continue to reform, and part of this reform must be firm financial discipline.

No activity of the United Nations should be exempt from critical scrutiny, he said, and resources used for activities that were not advancing priorities identified in the medium-term plan should be switched to support those priorities. In addition, automatic cost escalations -– related to currency fluctuations, inflation and mandatory staff costs, were a thing of the past nationally, and would be subject to rigorous scrutiny when presented.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ PARRILLA (Cuba) said there was no point in stressing the central role of the United Nations in solving the problems of the world if it was denied the resources it needed to do the job. The evidence of the last few years illustrated that it had been severely hampered in this respect. Cuba was concerned about the Secretary-General’s comment that the United Nations could not bear any additional cuts. States should adopt a budget that met the real needs of the Organization.

The reduction in the current draft programme budget was not acceptable to Cuba, he said. To impose zero nominal growth would be a further blow to the Organization. Cuba also noted a growing use of the phrase “within existing resources” -– States should work toward the elimination of this phrase. The inclusion of this sentence in resolutions had a negative effect on various activities.

The inclusion within the budget of the provision for special political activities should be maintained, and if there was an additional need for such funding it should be met, he said. Cuba reaffirmed the principle, adopted in many resolutions that laid down the need for Member States to comply with their financial obligations, in full, on time and without conditions.

For the next biennium, he said, the proposed staffing table was very selective in character. Cuba believed the Organization should have adequate human resources to carry out its various mandates. Cuba also awaited with interest details of the projects that would be financed under the modalities already agreed on for the Development Account.

CARLOS FERNANDO DIAZ (Costa Rica) said that during the last 10 years the United Nations had suffered from serious budgetary constraints. In light of this, the reduction in the current budget was a cause for disquiet. While there were provisions for increases in individual mandates, those were not sufficiently reassuring.

The idea of a zero real or nominal growth rate contravened various resolutions of the General Assembly, he said. The decision of the Assembly to eliminate gratis personnel should be complied with. He agreed with the general thrust of reform, provided there was no negative implication for the mandates in question. It was up to the Member States to grant the United Nations the sufficient financial resources to be able to renew itself in the next millennium, he stressed..

AHMED DARWISH (Egypt) said the Secretary-General had proposed an amount for the budget that was less than the outline adopted by the Assembly in resolution 53/206. The proposed budget must reflect the real needs of Organization. The financial situation of the Organization had reached alarming proportions, and this was a severe obstacle to implementing mandated programmes and activities. Member States that owed the Organization must pay immediately and without conditions, to allow the payment of troop-and equipment-contributing countries, including Egypt, for their contributions.

The budget proposal must be in accord with Assembly decisions and the Financial Rules and Regulations of Organizations, he said. It also must reflect the priorities in the medium-term plan, particularly the activities for development. He remained concerned by high vacancy rates, particular those in regional commissions. Vacancy rates must not be used to reduce the budget of the United Nations, he stressed, and maximum effort must be made to reduce them. General temporary assistance must only be used to deal with peak periods, as stated by the ACABQ, and, similarly, the use of consultants should be limited to situations where necessary expertise was not available within the Secretariat.

He shared the concern of the ACABQ about the length of time taken for recruitment, he said. The time periods must be reduced. He was also concerned about reductions of staff levels and their effect on mandated programme delivery. All mandated programmes must be implemented fully. Therefore, the Secretary- General must make clear how efficiencies could be gained without negatively impacting on mandate delivery.

Regarding the public information section, he called for the immediate implementation of the establishment of an international broadcasting system that would highlight the issues and activities of the United Nations. He would like more information on resources related to this programme, during informal consultations, and also sought a shorter response in the related formal meeting.

Egypt shared the ACABQ’s opinion that the situation of Directors of United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) must be reconsidered, he said, and he asked that more light be shed on this. On the question of merging UNICs with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices, he drew attention to Assembly resolutions on this matter, which must be fully respected. The Assembly had stated that opinions of Member States on the merging must be taken into consideration. The mergers should only occur where they were cost-effective and after consultation with the host country. Decisions should be made on a case-by- case basis and the independence of the Centres must not be effected negatively.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) said the budget had not increased for five years and this was noteworthy. Each year, expenditure had been reduced to offset inflation. At the same time, the responsibilities and tasks entrusted to the United Nations had increased. One must also add the difficult financial situation to the consideration, as it affected the United Nations capacity to fulfil its role as defined by the Charter and to discharge mandates entrusted to it by Member States.

The Secretariat had endeavoured to preserve the Organization’s capacity to play its role, he said, but not without difficulty. For this, the staff should be commended. They had demonstrated creativity in doing the most with less. However, their efforts could not suffice without firm commitments by Member States to give the Organization the means to fulfil mandates on a solid financial basis.

It was imperative that all bear in mind that the Organization had reached a point where new reductions would gravely jeopardize the services requested by Member States, he said. The Secretary-General had warned that sacrifices would be inevitable if reductions occurred. He would not contemplate any deletion of programmes without legislative consideration -– certainly not because of resource problems. This would challenge credibility of the Organization.

The Secretary-General had proposed modest budget growth, he said. The total proposed was lower than the outline decided by the Assembly. While the ACABQ had found no reason to change the proposed figure, negotiations between Member States should not exclude the possibility of reverting to the higher amount of the Assembly’s budget outline, which had been agreed to after long and painstaking negotiations. In the light of reports and statements Member States had received and heard, he felt it had been established that mandated activities had been postponed or frozen because of a lack of resources. Thus, the higher figure might be appropriate.

Regarding the proposal’s references to extrabudgetary resources, the use of such resources was imprudent and fraught with risk, he said. Such resources were proposed for activities that were priorities established in the medium term plan. Resource predictability must be respected and priority areas could not depend on voluntary contributions, no matter how generous.

Any reform measure that could strengthen the Organization and its effectiveness would be supported by Tunisia, he said. But it was necessary that any reform be based on a scrupulous analysis, to ensure the long-term viability of changes and their consensual adoption.

The reductions proposed for common support services did not seem to be appropriate, he said, and he had expected an increase to remedy the deterioration in services. The proposed reductions for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services did not seem appropriate given the additional meetings expected, which inevitably increased workloads. He noted that under the proposal 25 per cent of resources would be used for development activities, and hoped that the priority established for Africa would be respected.

Member States must achieve a budget compromise that was viable for all, and decide on an amount that took into account the interests of the Organization, he concluded.

LEE SEE-YOUNG (Republic of Korea) said his delegation viewed the level of the proposed budget positively, as the Secretary-General had made every effort to realize maximum cost effectiveness through administrative efficiency and restructuring. However, as the budget had been constrained since 1994, it was also worried about the negative impact of budget stringency on mandated programmes. As it had done in the past, his delegation stressed that the efficiency measures proposed in the budget should not adversely affect the full implementation of the programmes and activities mandated by Member States.

The Republic of Korea was particularly pleased to see resources being allocated to priority areas such as development in Africa, humanitarian assistance, human rights, drug control, training and oversight. It also welcomed the inclusion in the budget of $86 million for special political missions. This was a significant improvement, remedying the past practice of appropriating additional resources midway through the biennium.

He added, however, that he was concerned at continued reliance on extra- budgetary resources in the funding of many priority activities and at the continued high vacancy rates within the United Nations system, which should be used neither as a means of realizing budgetary saving nor to decrease the level of the budget.

LESLIE CHRISTIAN (Ghana) said any further budget cuts would seriously compromise the mandates given to the Secretary-General by Member States. Stringent budgeting, he said, was bound to starve the Organization of vital programmes designed to cater to its own needs and the interests of States.

Ghana wished to reiterate its position that the financial crisis facing the United Nations was due to the unwillingness of certain Member States to discharge their financial responsibilities; it had nothing to do with over-programming or lack of reform. The Secretary-General and his able staff had responded commendably to the concerns of Members States in that direction.

Ghana agreed with the Advisory Committee’s observation that the current high vacancy rate hampered the delivery of mandated programmes. In a situation of zero nominal growth this trend would accelerate and worsen because programme managers without resources could not be expected to fill posts. He was pleased to note the Secretary-General’s proposal for a 10.1 per cent increase in resources for staff training in the United Nations, he added, as well as the emphasis placed on gender mainstreaming in the programme budget.

ERNESTO HERRERA (Mexico) said the sum total of resources in the budget should equal the total implied by the programmes and activities mandated by the General Assembly -– not a dollar more, not a dollar less. Likewise, the substantive activities of the United Nations should be financed from within the ordinary budget, and not from alternative sources, which would merely mortgage the future of the Organization.

His delegation believed the vacancy rate was too high, in a whole range of departments. The Organization could play a better role if that problem was addressed. There had to be an improvement in the recruitment system of the Organization, he stressed. He appealed to all Member States to take advantage of the current opportunity, which occurred every two years, to inject new vitality into the Organization, which was facing ever more difficult administrative problems.

SIDDIG M. ABDALLA (Sudan) asked if it was really possible to reduce the budget without affecting the delivery of services. Problems with recruitment had clearly affected the Organization, he noted. Using vacancy rates to reduce the budget decreased the overall initial recruitment rate. Recruitment was thus limited to the technical requirements of mandated programmes, and the Organization would therefore not benefit from fresh blood, and the spirit of innovation it brought.

Member States had debated the use of technology in administration, he said, and he commended efforts to refine the means of administering the Organization. At the same time, he noted the importance of bridging the technical gap that existed between the Organization and developing countries. He urged the United Nations to use its expertise to smooth the coordination between it and developing States.

A large percentage of the proposed resources were dedicated to the provision of posts, he said. In the sections related to the Economic and Social development for Africa, they amounted to some 76 per cent, which seemed high even against levels elsewhere in the budget. He was concerned that the level of proposed resources did not correspond to resources in the field. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) only received limited funds, and Africa support required additional resources. That under the proposal activities for environment and human settlements would be funded from extrabudgetary resources was of concern, as they therefore might not be concluded should resources be lacking.

The United Nations must support countries that confronted specific economic problems, so they could meet the challenges of globalization, he said. Such support must be provided without discrimination or preferential treatment based on political considerations. There were imbalances in the Secretary-General’s proposal, he concluded, in that it focused on matters like conferences and workshops at the expense of field programmes which benefited developing countries.

MANLAN AHOUNOU (Côte d’Ivoire) said the United Nations was a symbol of the new era which deserved special attention. It was an indispensable tool for the maintenance of peace and security, a source of hope for men and women everywhere, and an instrument for the promotion of democracy, human rights and development. But it was facing a financial crisis which was preventing it from fulfilling all the things people hoped for from it. He commended the Secretary-General for taking into account the aspirations of the Member States in compiling the budget. The merit of this biennial budget was that after several consecutive years of zero growth, States felt able to give the Organization some leeway; the current small increase was symbolic.

He cited the Chinese proverb which said that if you want a year of prosperity grow wheat, if you want 10 years of prosperity grow a tree, but if you want 100 years of prosperity train men. Education was essential for any structural reform, and in proposing an increase of more than 10 per cent toward training, the Secretary-General was highlighting the importance he attached to this field.

He said Côte d’Ivoire was also concerned about the high vacancy rate in various departments, and by the high use of consultants and temporary staff. Why use someone on a temporary basis –- perhaps as long as five years -– without offering them a staff contract? It was not fair.

MATHIAS DAKA (Zambia) said his delegation was concerned at the implications of new concepts in the programme budget, such as zero nominal growth, results- based budgeting and sunset provisions. As much as Zambia welcomed the reform of the Organization, it believed that expert bodies such as the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee should thoroughly examine the implications of these concepts. Their findings should then be submitted to the General Assembly.

He was pleased to note that in the budget proposals particular attention had been given to the need to maintain and enhance the skills of staff, while the human resources management reform agenda emphasized the need for building a competent, multi-skilled, versatile and independent international civil service. Zambia also attached great importance to the Development Account, and was pleased to note that the Committee had adopted modalities on its use. It was Zambia’s sincere hope that the Secretariat would soon submit project proposals on this for the consideration of the General Assembly. He also urged the General Assembly to ensure adequate funding for several special initiatives on Africa -– including poverty alleviation.

COLLEN KELAPILE (Botswana) said the United Nations was an irreplaceable institution; for it to achieve its objectives it should be provided with adequate financial and human resources. However, as brilliantly summed up by the Under- Secretary-General for Management, Joseph E. Connor, “the United Nations is running on empty, with many miles yet to travel”. States’ seriousness about the preservation of the United Nations would remain questionable as long as it was not provided with the resources it required.

While Botswana had full confidence in the abilities of the Secretary-General and his staff in carrying out reform of the Organization, it doubted the level of resources proposed for the next biennium would be sufficient for the full implementation of the objectives and mandates of the United Nations, he said. He was equally concerned about the disproportionate increases afforded to some priority areas of the medium-term plan – particularly those related to economic and social development activities. In addition, overall vacancy rates remained unjustifiably high, especially in the professional category of staff -– despite repeated calls from the General Assembly to the Secretariat to reduce this problem.

DJAUHARI ORATMANGUN (Indonesia) said his delegation was concerned that the proposed level of resources was lower than the budget outline agreed to by the General Assembly. It saw those continuing cutbacks of an already severely limited programme budget as adversely affecting the ability of the Organization to implement its mandated programmes and activities.

Indonesia also believed that efforts to reform and modernize the management system of the United Nations should be undertaken only to enhance the responsiveness and programme delivery capacity of the Organization, he said, and should not be seen as a budget reduction exercise. Indonesia welcomed the adoption by consensus of the resolution on the modalities for the operation of the Development Account, and it fully supported the work programme of the item focused on providing integrated support for the central coordinating and policy-making functions vested in the Economic and Social Council.

He added that he fervently hoped that the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) would maintain its constructive role in ensuring that all countries in the region shared equitably in the fruits of economic and social development.

Mr. GATILOV (Russian Federation) said the budget proposal was consistent with the reform effort, the strengthening of management and financial discipline and ensuring zero nominal budget growth. He noted with satisfaction assurances the Secretary-General had given that economies would be achieved in administration and in common support services. It was essential that a uniform vacancy rate be used for developing the budget that corresponded to real circumstances. Only then could one speak of realistic estimates.

He welcomed the inclusion of special political missions in the proposal, he said, as this would reduce tensions around their financing and add predictability and clarity to the timely provision of resources.

He noted proposed increases in resources for training of staff, he said. It was essential, in accordance with the Charter, that recruitment procedures bring in staff with the highest level of competence. United Nations resources should be used to increase qualifications and skills that had direct bearing on a staff member’s sphere of work. Resources should not be used for general education and retraining. The United Nations was not a learning institution but a general political organization faced with colossal tasks requiring prompt solutions. There must be strict monitoring of resources spent on professional training. He drew attention to a continuing trend to top heaviness in the staffing table, which was not consistent with structural reform of the Secretariat.

The Russian Federation would consider proposals for results-based budgeting, he said. The purpose of introducing new budgeting elements should be to increase output.

He was in favour of deepening the administrative and budgetary reform of the United Nations, he said. The goal of that reform should be the streamlining of structures and the better concentrating of meager resources on areas where the Organization had apparent advantages and could make a tangible contribution. Real reform was impossible without a far-reaching review of personnel policies in the light of today’s requirements. A compact, efficient Secretariat was required. An important condition for achieving this was the elimination of permanent recruitment and a shift to fixed-term appointments that would allow for rotation and flexible manoeuvring of resources to meet real needs.

TAYE TESFAYE (Ethiopia) noted that the Committee for Programme and Coordination had expressed concern that not all budget proposal sections had been approved on the basis of General Assembly mandates, and that the general level of resources was lower than that indicated in the proposed budget outline. The trend it identified towards extrabudgetary funding for activities that should be paid for from the regular budget deserved the attention of the Committee.

The proposed budget should allocate adequate resources to allow the United Nations to function optimally, to make it more responsive to emerging issues, and to allow it to continue to be useful for Member States, he said. He asked what the rationale could be for the submission of a proposal that was less than the outline the Assembly had approved, and whether the result of accepting it would not lead to a deterioration of quality of services and delays in implementing mandates. He sought clarification from the Secretariat that the proposed budget would allow full implementation of programmes and activities assigned to it.

While he supported the emphasis given by the Secretariat to priority areas in the proposal, he said, the budget should fully reflect the actual resource requirements for those mandated activities. Member States should be certain that this was the case before the Committee commenced its discussion of the proposal. If Member States were to maintain a United Nations that was relevant and responsive, it must be provided with adequate resources. A moderate expansion of the proposal was therefore commendable.

VASKO GRKOV (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said his delegation hoped that the proposed reduction in the budget outline would not affect the work of the United Nations. He noted that for a successful implementation of the United Nations mandate it was necessary for all Member States to pay their assessed contributions, including the major contributors.

He welcomed the proposed increases in the budget for certain priority areas, such as the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance, protection of human rights, the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime and development. Coming from a region where there had been several wars in the past 10 years and which had hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees, he was well aware of the importance of the peacekeeping and humanitarian activities of the United Nations.

His delegation also attached great importance to the provisions for special political missions: preventative diplomacy and peacekeeping were very important tools for the maintenance of international peace and stability. Here he wished to underline the positive results achieved by the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP), which had paved the way for future preventative diplomacy missions around the world.

He also supported the steps taken by the Secretary-General towards the institution of results-based budgeting, and underlined the importance of boosting the training programmes and technological capacity of the Organization. Its staff should have the skills and knowledge they needed to do their jobs in the best possible manner. Gender mainstreaming and geographical balance were also important, he added.

* *** *