FIFTH COMMITTEE TAKES UP PART OF PROPOSED 2000-2001 PROGRAMME BUDGET ON PUBLIC INFORMATION

Press Release
GA/AB/3339

FIFTH COMMITTEE TAKES UP PART OF PROPOSED 2000-2001 PROGRAMME BUDGET ON PUBLIC INFORMATION

The role of the United Nations Department of Public Information was to tell the world what good work the United Nations did, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was told this morning, as it commenced its consideration of part VII of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001, on public information.

However, the representative of Canada added, while he supported that role, it seemed the Organization spent more time and resources telling the world about what it was doing than doing it. The United Nations needed a coordinated media plan, and he sought information on how the needs of audiences and the effectiveness of various communication activities were identified.

Public information activities were a critical element in achieving the objectives of all organizations, including the United Nations, the representative of Kenya told the Committee. Information was particularly important to the United Nations as it was frequently under attack from opinion leaders in some countries. As things stood, the marginal increase proposed in the Secretary-General’s budget proposal might not be adequate. For the Department of Public Information to be effective, it needed more resources.

Public information represented a major object of expenditure for the Organization, the representative of Finland, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, explained. Resources should be properly targeted so that the United Nations delivered a consistent message through a variety of outlets. While public information reforms undertaken thus far were welcome, the process was far from having reached its goal.

The Secretariat’s tools and working methods in this sphere needed to be improved, he said. Coordination between the various Secretariat entities was inadequate, as the various forms of United Nations media seemed to work to a different agenda. Publications must be relevant, cost-effective, and better monitored.

Fifth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/AB/3339 33rd Meeting (AM) 10 November 1999

The representative of Cuba said she was concerned about the modest size of the increase proposed for public information. All of the mandates given to the Department of Public Information must be implemented, she stressed. She also expressed concern about access to information disseminated electronically in developing countries, and asked to be reassured that the effort made to develop electronic dissemination would not result in a decline in resources used for more traditional means.

In addition to considering the public information budget part, the Committee continued its discussion of parts V and VI, on regional cooperation for development, and on human rights and humanitarian affairs, respectively.

The representatives of Pakistan, Uganda, India, Brazil, Algeria, Japan, United States, Namibia, Egypt, Israel, Guyana (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), China, Tanzania and Kuwait also spoke.

The Chairman of the Committee for Programme and Coordination, Tommo Monthe, and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), C.S.M. Mselle, presented comments from their respective Committees on the matters under discussion, and the Director of the Budget Division, Warren Sach, answered questions from Member States.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. this afternoon to continue its discussion of programme budget part VII, on public information, and to commence its discussion of part VIII, on common support services.

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to continue its consideration of part VI of the programme budget (on human rights and humanitarian affairs), and to commence its discussion of part VII (on public information) as part of its part-by-part examination of the programme budget for 2000-2001.

It had before it part VII of the Secretary-General's proposed budget for 2000-2001 (document A/54/6/Rev.1). This part consists of one section, also called public information. It also had before it the related comments of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) (document A/54/7).

[For a general introduction to the programme budget proposal and the general response of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), see Press Release GA/AB/3322 of 27 October. Further parts of the Secretary-General's proposed budget and the relevant ACABQ responses are summarized in the Press Release covering the meeting at which the Committee commences considering them. For background on part VI, see Press Release GA/AB/3338 of 9 November].

PART VII

For public information (section 26), the Secretary-General proposes some $137.58 million for 2000-2001, up about $2.01 million from 1998-1999. No additional posts are proposed. The proposed increase is the result of increases requested for posts ($21,200), other staff costs ($921,900), travel ($677,900), contractual services (about $1.47 million), and furniture and equipment ($43,000). These figures are partially offset by a reduction under general operating expenses ($676,800), supplies and materials ($428,500) and grants and contributions ($15,100).

A reduction of two extrabudgetary posts is expected, and approval for reclassification of one P-5 post to D-1 for the Chief of Office for the Under-Secretary- General and Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General, and a redeployment of two regular budget posts (one P-4 and one P-5).

He estimates extrabudgetary resources for the biennium of some $6.24 million.

The ACABQ notes that some $6.12 million have been requested for public information activities under other sections of the budget. It also points out other substantive departments and offices also perform public information activities, the cost of which cannot be easily identified.

The Committee asks that in the next programme budget proposal the presentation of programme content and organizational structure of the Department be better aligned, and that workload indicators be included.

It recommends a review of the anomaly whereby the New York library falls under this budget section, but the Vienna and Geneva libraries are funded from General Assembly Affairs and conference service.

The Advisory Committee has no objection to the proposed redeployments of the P-4 post or the P-5 post, but recommends against the proposed reclassification of one P-5 post to D-1. As there are currently 20 D-1 posts under this section, if the functions of this post require a D-1 level, it should be obtained through an exchange or a redeployment within the Department.

It notes that no statement of programme budget implications was presented following an Assembly decision regarding search capacities for the United Nations Web site in official languages other than English, for which $206,100 has been requested. It asks that a cost estimate with a related Secretariat-wide plan be presented to the Assembly at its fifty-fourth session.

The functions of the Arabic, Chinese and Russian Web site coordination are being carried out through the use of general temporary assistance funds and temporary short- term loan of staff from other parts of the Department and from the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, it reports. Given the potential importance of the Web site, it trusts adequate resources will be provided for this.

While commending the Department of Public Information for its role in the development and implementation of the Web site, the ACABQ expresses concern about a lack of coordination in the establishment and maintenance of other United Nations system Web sites and encourages the Department to play a leading role in providing advice on the development and improvement of departmental Web sites and those of offices away from Headquarters.

The extent to which the United Nations is investing in new technology cannot be determined with the required precision, since not enough information is contained in the proposed programme budget, the ACABQ states. It cites as one example the failure to include a total project figure in a request for resources for phases I and II of the conversion of the analogue United Nations television to digital facilities.

Regarding the proposed development of a direct United Nations international broadcasting capability, the ACABQ notes that a provision of $496,300 would be required for the development of a small-scale pilot programme. The total cost of the main project is estimated at some $7.9 million per biennium, of which some $7.5 million per biennium will need to be found from extrabudgetary contributions. Given the size of extrabudgetary requirements, the ACABQ notes the Department does not plan to initiate the pilot project until there are clear indications of the availability of those resources. The ACABQ asks that a statement of programme budget implications be submitted to the Assembly before the pilot project is undertaken.

It reports that the proposed requirements for external printing seem very high. The Department explained that this was due to the need for items which cannot be printed internally because of lack of equipment, because competing priorities mean it is not always possible for the print shop meet the Department’s deadlines, and because the complex printing jobs of the Department require time and skills that are not available in-house.

In addition, the ACABQ expresses concern about a $97,500 increase sought for online services and asks that effort be made to reduce these costs.

The ACABQ asks that the criteria for determining the level of heads of United Nations information centres be reviewed and the results submitted in the next proposed programme budget. It also states that one of the problems of integrating information centres into the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offices is that the integrated information centres have a lower level of programme delivery and a narrower range of activities than those which have not been integrated. At the same time, it notes, the integration with the UNDP made it possible for all information centres to be maintained, despite the abolition of a large number of posts during the current biennium.

Statements on Proposed Programme Budget

The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), C.S.M. MSELLE, took the floor to reply to a previous comment by the representative of Guyana, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China. He said it was not the first time the Advisory Committee had handled section 21 on Regular Programmes of technical cooperation. The problems related to this section were long-standing. Some Member States held strong views about including the section in the regular budget, while others believed it should not be included. However, the General Assembly had decided that the regular programmes of technical cooperation should be funded from the regular budget.

The Advisory Committee had always proceeded on the assumption that it must report to the General Assembly and had devised a number of methods to do so, he said. He referred the Committee to the preface of the Advisory Committee report, where it was stated that there was provision for expenditures to which some Member States had objections in principle. The Advisory Committee considered that the controversy surrounding such items did not fall within its area of responsibility. It had determined that it would be best to have the Fifth Committee consider the proposals of the Secretary-General.

He then introduced the ACABQ's comments on part VII of the proposed programme budget on public information.

AMJAD SIAL (Pakistan) said he noted Mr. Mselle’s comments on the differing opinions about budget section 21 among Member States, but stated that the ACABQ should give its expert advice on matters as asked by the Assembly and required by the rules, not choose not to offer it as a consequence of any political problems it perceives.

Mr. MSELLE said that the ACABQ did not offer its advice from an ivory tower, and it would be undesirable for it to operate as if it were not aware of the political environment.

This had not caused problems for the ACABQ, which had always managed to discuss the matters it was required to, he said. It had not touched the estimates proposed under this part. If it were to make recommendations to change the amount, then it would have to provide an opinion, but it had not made such recommendations. The only action for the Secretary-General under this section was to recommend recosting of an amount chosen by the Assembly, to ensure it retained its real value. Therefore, he failed to see what damage could be done by the ACABQ not commenting. He expected the Assembly would adopt the proposed amounts under this section, as it had in the past, unless the Fifth Committee proposed a change.

Mr. SIAL (Pakistan) said it would have been helpful if the explanation had been offered in the ACABQ report. He repeated that the ACABQ should make recommendations on the basis of Assembly decisions, which should be the only criteria it employed.

The Committee then returned to its consideration, commenced yesterday, of budget part VI, section 22 on human rights.

DULCE BUERGO RODRIGUEZ (Cuba), speaking on section 22, in follow up to comments made by the Secretariat yesterday, said that the medium-term plan had specifically cited human rights indicators for cultural and social indicators, and the way the relevant paragraph was drafted did not take this into account. She wanted wording fully consistent with the mandate. Also, on financing for non-recurrent activities, her delegation was not entirely satisfied –- the question was still awaiting a definition by the General Assembly. This was another issue where the General Assembly should take a final decision, and she hoped the right framework could be found during the current session.

NESTOR ODAGA JALOMAYO (Uganda) said that one key question he had raised under this section yesterday had received no response. He drew attention to that question, on the geographical distribution of United Nations human rights posts, and asked that information on the matter be provided in writing.

RAMESH CHANDRA (India) said the High Commissioner for Human Rights had stated last week that human rights should not become an instrument of colonialism. This comment addressed the concerns of many developing States. Human Rights thematic rapporteurs often exceeded their mandates and stretched the tasks given to them. The mandates of most of these rapporteurs had been renewed, despite initial limited time-frames, and he believed that this had occurred in part as a consequence of the availability of extrabudgetary resources. He asked for a comprehensive review of the need to continue the mandates of these rapporteurs.

Resources must be provided to allow the continuation of the mandate of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, he said, without the strings involved in extrabudgetary funding. A large portion of programme funding for human rights came from extrabudgetary sources; even larger than was immediately evident if one considered the amount of regular budget funds that were used to pay for post. It was not, therefore, difficult to see why human rights reports were often influenced by special pleading and political agendas. Stress should be placed on the promotion of rights in the activities funded under this section, rather than on the monitoring of rights currently emphasized.

The Chairman of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) TOMMO MONTHE, introduced that body’s report on Section 23, Protection of assistance to refugees. He said the recommendation of the CPC that the narrative on this section be revised had yet to be carried out. Committee members should be aware of this.

FLAVIO DEMICO SOARES (Brazil) called attention to a paragraph calling for all States to respond generously to the needs of refugees. The CPC had said the level of assistance received by States hosting refugees should be commensurate with the numbers hosted. But many countries, especially in Africa, were facing numbers far beyond their capacity. Brazil also attached great importance to the review of the funding of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) posts.

DJAMEL MOKTEFI (Algeria) said he was concerned over the reduction in extrabudgetary resources available for the biennium and the negative impact on assistance to refugees. He emphasized that there should be no discriminatory treatment of refugees, wherever they were in the world. Special attention should be given to refugees in developing countries, particularly in Africa.

TETSUO KONDO (Japan) said Japan strongly supported the programme budget proposals for refugees, which would allow the United Nations to urgently respond to needs. He looked forward to closer coordination between the UNHCR and other offices of the United Nations system, particularly the UNDP.

He noted that, as a result of a new categorization of posts, the amount in the proposal was provisional, he said. Japan would nevertheless appreciate more information on proposed increases of 35 per cent for consultants fees, as well as a proposed 45 per cent increase in contract services.

ALEXANDER TABB (United States) said the United States generally endorsed the UNHCR programme of work for the biennium. He understood that the UNHCR had switched to a unified performance oriented budget. This would allow better prioritization of work and ensure that core mandates were funded, as well as providing donors with more information.

However, the accomplishments listed in the narrative were imprecise and should be changed to allow for a meaningful performance assessment at biennium end.

Mr. ODAGA JALOMAYO (Uganda) said his people had once been refugees, and were now hosts to refugees from elsewhere. Thus he was a supporter of the programme activities funded under this budget section. Uganda supported the CPC recommendations on the narrative of this section. He had expected that the Secretariat would have altered the narrative in cognizance of the CPC comments, yet the narrative was still wanting. What was the reason for this? he asked.

He stressed that refugees should be treated equally, irrespective of where they were. Uganda was concerned that every time the UNHCR’s budget was reviewed there was a decrease in extrabudgetary resources. The Assembly, in resolution 52/220 had asked the Secretary-General to monitor the extrabudgetary resources available for activities in support of refugees, and to make recommendations about the UNHCR statute and his proposals for regular budget funding based on this. He saw no evidence of this review in the narrative.

He asked when the recategorization of the UNHCR posts would be completed. In addition, if extrabudgetary resources available to it continued to decline, he believed the Assembly must take some creative steps to ensure adequate funding for its activities.

EVA SILOT BRAVO (Cuba) noted that a new document on the relationship between regular and extrabudgetary resources for this section had been issued as a result of a request from the CPC. She asked for additional clarification on possible alternatives to solve the problems of financing for this section. She said the format for the various sections was not always the same, here “expected accomplishments” was in the programme of work – this should be corrected. The Spanish translation for this was also inaccurate, she noted.

B. KANDANGA (Namibia) said countries hosting refugees should receive adequate assistance to ensure their decent and humane treatment. He emphasized that all refugees should get the same treatment, whether they were in Europe, Asia or Africa. He was concerned about reliance on extrabudgetary resources, and the reduction in their level leading to an adverse impact on refugees.

WARREN SACH, Director of the Budget Division, responded to Member States’ questions on the section. The review of the funding situation had not yet commenced, he stated, and thus the narrative as presented was still an accurate assessment of the situation.

In answer to the request for a timetable for this review, he explained that its timing was dependent on progress in the UNHCR Secretariat in the re-categorization of posts. He expected that dialogue between his Office and the UNHCR would commence in spring 2000. He would not like to guess when an outcome should be expected. This was a difficult review, he noted -- more in the nature of a negotiation. There were between four and five thousand posts to be considered.

He noted that there had been a number of similar reviews conducted in the past on what parts of UNHCR should be funded from extrabudgetary resources and what should be funded by the regular budget.

He assured Member States that the Assembly’s message on this matter, conveyed in its resolution 52/220, was clearly heard by the Secretariat and by the UNHCR, and that progress would be made as quickly as possible. It must be borne in mind that the result would depend on what was available in the regular budget under this section, and what was forthcoming in extrabudgetary funds.

He said he was sorry to hear about problems in the Spanish version of the expected accomplishments area of this section of the proposal. He had become aware during the preparation of the proposal that the phraseology in English had been translated inconsistently into other official languages, with no clear delineation being made between expected "accomplishments" and expected "results". Standardization of terms had been undertaken, but something had obviously slipped past. He would arrange to make the change.

Regarding questions about proposed increases for consultants and experts, and for contractual services, he pointed out that these increases related to extrabudgetary funding, not regular budget funds. He did not immediately have the basis for the proposals available. It had been approved by the Executive Committee of the UNHCR, which was responsible for approving the extrabudgetary expenditures of the UNHCR. He would seek information and provide it to the Committee.

Mr. MOKTEFI (Algeria) said the international community should pursue assistance for Palestine refugees, and expressed his delegation’s firm support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He was concerned about the decline in extrabudgetary resources, which might have an adverse impact on the Agency’s work. He asked for information on the Agency’s financial situation.

Mr. KONDO (Japan) said he wished to commend the activities of the UNRWA. Japan had cooperated with help for Palestine refugees and he appreciated the transfer of a post to enhance the work for refugees. He asked the Secretariat how the UNRWA could ensure managerial accountability in reporting its achievements. This information was important to ensure the quality of service provided by the UNRWA.

Ms. BUERGO RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said she was concerned about the reduction in resources for this section and about some activities which it would be impossible to carry out during this biennium, especially education. This should be properly dealt with by the General Assembly. The resolution on staff costs being financed from the regular budget should be reviewed in the light of the growing needs for resources from this section. Also, Cuba understood the Secretary-General had reported to the Fourth Committee on the financial situation of the UNRWA. She asked for this to be shared with the Committee.

Mr. TABB (United States) said he was concerned with the rapid rate of staff turnover within the UNRWA. He hoped the Agency’s leadership would redouble their efforts to attract qualified people. The United States asked once again why “expected accomplishments” tended to be vague in general. To take a clear view of this category, he said, there had to be a clear view of standards and goals.

AYMAN ELGAMMAL (Egypt) said he was concerned about the CPC’s observation that the reduction in resources could adversely impact on the quality of services provided by the UNRWA. Resources should be forthcoming from the regular budget in order to enable the UNRWA to carry out its activities to refugees.

RON ADAM (Israel) said his delegation’s policy had been and remained supportive of the UNRWA, even though Israel was not a host country. As Israel and its Palestinian peace partners entered into serious negotiations, he was concerned about the deepening financial crisis of the UNRWA. He also welcomed the programme- based budget for presenting the UNRWA’s budgetary estimates and looked forward to receiving this document in the Committee.

Mr. ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said he wished to add his support to this section of the budget, to which he attached the same importance as section 23. He hoped the situation of refugees in Lebanon particularly could be addressed. He had noted the decline in resources which had had a negative impact on the work of the UNRWA. He asked what would happen to posts that had been reduced –- would it affect the delivery of programmes in the UNRWA? Were the posts being abolished or kept vacant? Uganda felt the programme deserved the requisite resources to enable it to fully carry out its mandate.

MR. SACH, Director of the Budget Division, then responded to questions. He noted that most questions related to the extrabudgetary funds estimated under this section, which were much larger than the regular budget funds for the Agency. The Agency’s annual report (document A/54/13) was allocated by the Assembly to its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), he explained. He was unsure whether the Fifth Committee could formally consider it. An addendum to that annual report related to the Agency’s financial situation. It stated that a financing crisis was affecting the UNRWA, and that it had been necessary to hold back on some activities. The Commissioner also reported funding problems could lead to halting of some services and that even defaulting on obligations could occur. This did not affect the regular budget proposals, he added.

Regarding the expected accomplishments of poverty alleviation, and the question of whether a database to measure poverty existed, he said that information on this was contained in that annual report. It reported that national poverty rates in the area ranged from 16 to 39 per cent. A large number of UNRWA projects addressed poverty alleviation in various ways, and quantitative measurements were available on these.

Mr. MOKTEFI (Algeria) said he had difficulty accepting the idea that the report on the Agency’s financial situation could not be communicated to the Fifth Committee. In the context of the consideration of the budget, reports of bodies that received both extra and regular budget funding were useful. Even though the Fifth Committee could not take action on the document, it would be useful to have it provided to the Committee as a source of information. Ms. BUERGO RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said she agreed that the information in the report on the financial situation of the UNRWA would be useful for the Committee, and added that this should be made available.

Mr. KONDO (Japan) said the expected accomplishments for the Agency and managerial accountability could be taken further in informal sessions.

Mr. DEMICO (Brazil) said under section 25 that the experience of the 1990s had underscored the importance of the work of the United Nations in this area. He supported the growth in resources for this section of the budget. He asked for information on the points raised by the Advisory Committee on the liaison unit in Geneva. On the question of consultants, he asked whether the Secretariat was considering implementation of the recommendations in this area. He also asked about possible further streamlining of OCHA.

CHRISTOPHER BURTON (Canada) asked whether the subvention of $2.3 million from the regular budget to the UNDP was still necessary.

Mr. DEMICO (Brazil) said the United Nations played a key role in the challenges presented by both natural and man-made disasters. He thought it was very important to elaborate a complete manual on ways to deal with humanitarian crises, and he asked for more information on the rationalization for further posts for OCHA.

CHRISTOPHER BURTON (Canada) asked whether a $2.3 million subvention from the regular budget to the UNDP was really still necessary.

Mr. KONDO (Japan) said the Committee should be engaged in administrative scrutiny of the extension of its structure at headquarters. Operation activities for OCHA should be transferred to the operational funds and programmes. In this regard, he noted that it was proposed to enlarge the executive direction and management area by one P-5 and one P-2 post, transferred from the programme part of the section. He sought more information on this proposal, specifically regarding any new mandates or accomplishments that the posts were required to address.

He also noted that it was proposed that two new posts be created for subprogramme one, to accommodate servicing of two bodies. Similarly, he would like any additional mandates applying to those bodies that would result in the need for the new posts identified.

He sought more information on a proposed increase in funding requested for payments to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regarding a Web site, given that the site already existed and simply needed to be maintained.

Proposals for increases for travel for the Coordinator and his immediate staff to New York required more justification, he said, particularly in light of another, perhaps duplicative, request for additional travel funds under programme support.

He shared the concern expressed by the representative of Canada on the proposed $2.3 million subvention to the UNDP. He would like to receive a briefing from the Secretariat on what had been agreed upon regarding this subvention in the Economic and Social Council at its recent session, to allow him to be confident that the grant to the UNDP should be set at the level proposed.

Ms. SILOT BRAVO (Cuba) speaking about the basic functions outlined in the narrative on OCHA said that one function was incorrect. In the negotiations prior to the Assembly decision on promotion of humanitarian issues, specific references to the Security Council had been removed. The Secretariat should avoid including functions that were not approved by the Assembly, and should check before proposals were made to ensure the legislative status of activities. In this instance they apparently also failed to check this function against the medium-term plan.

She also sought information on the subvention to the UNDP for operational activities for natural disaster reduction and disaster relief, particularly as to whether the subvention should be ongoing.

Mr. TABB (United States) acknowledged the efforts made by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to find new ways to fund itself, but he wished to postpone making specific comments until the informal sessions.

Mr. MOKTEFI (Algeria) asked about the end of the decade for the prevention of natural disasters and for clarification on what the Secretariat intended to do with the relevant offices in Geneva.

Mr. Sach, Director of the Budget Division, responded to questions on this section. He explained that as part of the reforms recommended in 1997, arrangements had been made for the 1998-1999 biennium for a grant to be made to the UNDP for services carrying out activities previously undertaken by the Secretariat humanitarian assistance operation. Whether this would be a one-only grant, or would continue, was not specified. The programme budget proposal was a recommendation for its continuance for the next biennium. If it was adopted this approval would be the legislative mandate for that continuance.

On the Decade for Natural Disaster reduction, plans were not finalized, he said. The funds for this were extrabudgetary resources. If activities for the Decade continued, they would fall within the mandate of humanitarian assistance. The Secretariat had no plans to move the related staff from the Palais Wilson in Geneva, he added.

There was a reference to additional expenditures for the operation of the United Nations relief Web site, the running of which was contracted to the International Telecommunication Union, he said. The resources requested were for the expansion of this activity. It had been successful, and the aim was to improve it.

He said he was aware of several other questions that were raised, and he would answer them in informal consultations on this section.

JARMO SAREVA (Finland) spoke on behalf of the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta. He said, on part VII, that resources should be properly targeted so that the United Nations delivered a consistent message through a variety of outlets. He welcomed the reform of the programme so far, but added that the process was far from having reached its goal. Public information represented a major object of expenditure, with a budget of more than $140 million a year.

It was the view of the Union that the Secretariat’s tools and working methods in the sphere of public information needed to be improved, he said. Coordination between the various Secretariat entities was inadequate, as the various forms of United Nations media seemed to work to a different agenda. There was also a general need to ensure that publications were relevant and cost effective. They needed to be better monitored by the respective departments.

Mr. BARNWELL (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, requested that adequate funding from the regular budget be made available for the pilot project of the International Broadcasting System. He agreed that criteria for determining the level of heads of United Nations Information Centres should be reviewed. He also felt the level of staff for the United Nations Information Centres should be commensurate with the approved programmes and activities of the information centre.

He was also concerned that the Arabic, Chinese and Russian Web sites were being maintained through the use of general temporary assistance funds and short- term staff.

Mr. ELGAMMAL (Egypt) said the pilot project of the International Broadcasting System should start immediately. There should be equity among United Nations media -– especially traditional broadcasting. Special importance should be attached to such means, as new technology was often not available in developing countries.

Egypt was concerned that the functions of the Web site in Arabic were dependent on short-term staff, he said. He reaffirmed the need for equitable treatment of Web sites in all languages, and asked for a permanent post for the Arabic site.

SUN MINQIN (China) said that the activities of the Department of Public Information were very important, as it was the channel through which the world came to know about the United Nations. In its report, the ACABQ noted that coordination of United Nations Web pages in Arabic, Russian and Chinese was carried out by temporary staff, whereas the English, Spanish and French Web sites were run by staff in fixed Professional and General Service posts. China believed that the six official languages should be treated equally. This meant that the Chinese language had clearly not received equitable treatment.

The continuous development of information technology meant more and more users had access to the United Nations Web sites, she said. Only by strengthening the development of the Chinese Web sites would the Chinese language be treated equitably. More regular budget resources should be allocated to that end and funds from the regular budget should be used to establish a permanent post for this task.

Mr. ODAGA JALOMAYO (Uganda) said information was knowledge, and knowledge was power. Therefore, with good dissemination of information, the United Nations would work better and receive more support. He acknowledged the good work done by the Department and stressed that adequate resources should be given to it. He particularly appreciated the good work performed to engender knowledge of African needs, notably through the Africa Recovery publication and through radio broadcasts, some of which were in Swahili.

It was important to continue to employ traditional communication methods, he said. While electronic dissemination was important, many countries were behind in modern communication and therefore traditional communications must be retained. He emphasized the importance of the Department having close relationships with the public, as well as the media, to ensure that the public understood what the United Nations did.

Mr. KONDO (Japan) said that, as globalization advanced, there was a growing demand for more information about the United Nations. However, the need for budgetary restraint must be kept in mind. Cost-effectiveness must be further pursued by the Department, and the best use of resources must be made through redeployment.

The increase in travel funds requested for the Office of the Spokesman far exceeded the proposed rise in the Secretary-General’s travel expenditure, he said. Japan also noted with concern the ACABQ observation that the extent to which the United Nations invested in new technology could not be determined from the proposed programme budget. An overall work plan should be submitted every biennium on projects that would take more than one biennium to complete, he said. Similarly, any Secretariat-wide project should be highlighted in the forward and the introduction to the budget proposal, in the interest of enhanced clarity and transparency.

He admitted the increasing need for continuous development, maintenance and enrichment of the United Nations Web site, in the light of the growth of the Internet, but said that the financial situation of the Organization must be borne in mind. Further consideration should be given to maintaining the Web site by ensuring a pragmatic use of resources.

Regarding the decrease proposed for the Library Division’s work, Japan welcomed the implementation of the integrated library management system, he said. In the light of technological developments in this area, he sought more information on further developments in the library.

THOMAS REPASCH (United States) said DPI was responsible for discharging its responsibilities in the most cost effective manner. There was little in the budget proposal reflecting modernization and therefore he could not support the proposal for this section.

He said he had a large number of relevant questions. What did DPI do to comply with the rule requiring programme managers to undertake self-evaluation? he asked. How would the Department determine when it had achieved an enlarged audience and what was the mandate for the four United Nations focus articles on self-governing territories?

Had the Department engaged in activities to supplement existing information entities? he asked. He also asked how the DPI was taking advantage of new technology and what types of projects it would be implementing to bring the Department into twenty- first century. He asked why near verbatim summaries of meetings were issued as press releases –- did the press really need these?

The DPI should better define its audience, he said. The narrative reflected no systematic thinking about the link between the audience and the information it received. He asked whether the various bulletins issued by DPI did not duplicate each other. Had DPI really surveyed what the media needed and used? A new electronic distribution method for the daily highlights was only useful if the content was really useful.

The DPI should also take a look at the photo coverage of the activities of the Secretary-General, he said. The need to placate important internal audiences was interfering with obligations to the outside audience. He believed that the clippings service and news summaries from the field should be handled electronically. Why did the United Nations maintain a cartographic service?

MUHAMMAD YUSSUF (United Republic of Tanzania) said he understood that Kiswahili was one of the languages used on United Nations radio and DPI had been doing a good job in vernacular broadcasts in East Africa, but there was only one announcer who spoke the language hired on a non-permanent basis.

There was a network of 63 United Nations information centres, but was the post requirement in the budget really sufficient? he asked. Were they all to be manned by professional staff?

Ms. BUERGO RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said she was concerned about the modest increase for this section, as all of DPI’s mandates needed to be implemented. On the new departmental structure, she asked in what context the General Assembly had taken this decision; it did not seem entirely consistent with the organogram. She was also concerned about electronic access to information in developing countries. Would this result in a decline in resources for traditional means? she asked.

On the information centres, she said she was concerned about the failure to comply with some of their mandates. Integration should not adversely affect their functioning. The Committee should follow up on this.

She asked what the policy was on the participation of the media in meetings of the General Assembly and its Committees. On the question of Palestine, she noted the decline in the next biennium for activities related to Palestine and asked what the reason was for this. She asked about the link that existed between the office of external relations and the division of public relations –- was there overlapping or duplication there? Turning to publication services, she said such services had a long- term effect on public opinion. Printed documents were the best way of conveying information throughout the world and the Department should receive sufficient resources.

RON ADAM (Israel) said he shared the views expressed by the representative of Finland, on behalf of the European Union, particularly as regarded the comparison of public information expenditures with development expenditures. A reorientation of the Organization could be undertaken in the Fifth Committee. He asked about an apparent duplication of activities between the Office of the Spokesman and the Office of External Relations in the Office of the Secretary-General.

The United Nations Web site deserved commendation, especially in English, and the work to improve the other languages should continue.

JOHN ORR (Canada) said telling the world what good work the United Nations did was the Department’s role, and he supported this role. However, he noted the European Union’s comments. It seemed that the Organization spent more time and resources telling the world about what it was doing than doing it.

In addition, the requested resources and the programme of the Department were totally disconnected in the budget proposal, he said. The first part of the proposal seemed to be a reprint of the medium- term plan. The second part was an “objects-of- expenditure” account of resources required. With the exception of the library subsection, there was no link between the subprogrammes of the budget section, the various divisions and units of the Department, and the resources requested. The budget proposal was presented in the “objects-of-expenditure” format, which was phased out over 25 years ago by the United Nations, he added. It should be resubmitted according to the rules, which required that the linkages be made between the funds requested and the programmes of activity.

He was struck by the absence of comment on the needs of the news media, he said. The United Nations needed a coordinated media plan. He asked to be informed as to how the needs of audiences and the effectiveness of various communications were identified.

He recalled that the Canadian Permanent Mission had received copies of the annual compendium of resolutions of the Assembly and the Security Council in English last year at about the same time as it received the official United Nations documents containing the same material in all six official languages. The production of this compendium seemed to be a case of unnecessary duplication, given that the Media Division was unable to make its documents available before General Assembly and Conference Affairs was able to make the same information available. He noted that all resolutions were available in all six languages before they were adopted.

He was puzzled by a table in the proposal that provided information on activities for special meetings and conferences, he said. He would have expected that the majority of costs related to this would have been absorbed into other budget areas, and that no additional expenditure would be required, given that these meetings largely took place at United Nations headquarters locations. In addition, to request this amount of funding with just three short paragraphs of justification was inadequate.

The resources requested for travel also seemed inappropriate, given that the meetings were mostly held in headquarters locations, he added. There was a reference to coverage of preparatory meetings, and he asked where these were held and what staff were required to service them.

THOMAS AMOLO (Kenya) said that public information activities were a critical element in achieving the objectives of all organizations, including the United Nations. Information was particularly important given that the United Nations was frequently under attack from opinion leaders in some countries.

He supported the integration of United Nations information centres into UNDP regional offices, but only on a case-by-case basis, he said. He also supported the continuation of traditional means of dissemination, and felt that to pay for Web sites under the regular budget while traditional dissemination was paid for under extrabudgetary resources was not appropriate.

He hoped Swahili would one day be an official language of the United Nations, he said.To achieve any of the objectives of the Organization, adequate resources must be given to the Department of Public Information, he said. As things stood, the marginal increase proposed might not be adequate. For the Department to be effective in bringing out what the United Nations was doing today, it needed more resources.

ZIYAD MONAYAIR (Kuwait) said he supported the statement of the representative of Guyana, made on behalf of the "Group of 77" and China. He emphasized the importance of radio broadcasting to different parts of the world, especially developing countries. He encouraged the development of the Web sites and hoped that there would be equality between the six official languages. He supported an increase in the budget for Palestine-related activities. He also asked for information on the integration of United Nations information centres.

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