FIFTH COMMITTEE TAKES UP SECTION OF PROPOSED PROGRAMME BUDGET ON COMMON SUPPORT SERVICES
Press Release
GA/AB/3340
FIFTH COMMITTEE TAKES UP SECTION OF PROPOSED PROGRAMME BUDGET ON COMMON SUPPORT SERVICES
19991110Also Discusses Part of Budget Related to Public Information
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon discussed common support services as it resumed its part-by-part consideration of the proposed programme budget for 2000-2001.
During that discussion, a number of speakers addressed the subject of staff training. The representative of Finland, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, welcomed the high priority placed by the Secretary-General on training, and emphasized the need for performance indicators to evaluate its impact.
The representative of Japan said that while staff training required continuous feedback and had to be properly evaluated, the number of participants in a programme was only a minor consideration. He stressed that training should constitute an integral part of a strategic plan for the development of human resources.
The representative of the Russian Federation said that training was intended to produce knowledge essential for staff to perform their tasks. However, using resources for general training was not acceptable. The United Nations was not an educational centre, but the largest political organization in the world; it had extremely complicated and diverse tasks to carry out which must be performed by real professionals.
Among other related issues addressed by the Committee were the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). The representative of Canada recalled that there had been a range of cost savings expected from the system's introduction when it was first mooted in 1988. In this budget, however, he was concerned about an apparent increase in costs for the maintenance of IMIS.
The Department of Public Information was very important in creating universal public awareness of the United Nations activities, the representative of Syria told the Committee, when it returned to its discussion of Part VII of the proposed budget, Public Information.
Fifth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/AB/3340 34th Meeting (PM) 10 November 1999
The representative of Iran welcomed efforts by that Department to strengthen its capacity to draw international attention to the dialogue on civilizations. He also welcomed the Committee on Informations decision regarding the establishment of a United Nations Web site dedicated to the issue of dialogue among civilizations.
The representatives of Norway, Cuba, United States, Costa Rica, India, Australia and Uganda also spoke.
The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) C.S.M. Mselle, and the Chairman of the Committee on Programme and Coordination introduced those bodies reports. The Director of the Budget Division, Warren Sach, answered delegates questions.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to continue its part-by- part discussion of the programme budget for 2000-2001.
Committee Work Programme
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to continue its part-by-part consideration of the programme budget for 2000-2001.
(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.)
Part VIII
The Committee had before it Part VIII of the Secretary-General's proposed budget for 2000-2001 (document A/54/6/Rev.1) and a reformulated narrative of a portion of that part (document A/C.5/54/17). That part contains one section, on management and central support services, broken up into subsections on the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Management, the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM), and the Office of Central Support Services. It also had before it the related comments of the Advisory Committee on ACABQ (document A/54/7).
The Secretary-General proposes a total of some $446.3 million for this part of his budget, down some $4.18 million, or 0.9 per cent, from the last biennium. He proposes 17 new posts in addition to the 1,505 regular budget posts currently on the staffing table. An increase of 50 extrabudgetary funded posts is also proposed.
For the Office of the Under Secretary-General for Management, (section 27A), the Secretary-General proposes some $10.97 million for 2000-2001, down $115,500, or 1 per cent, from 1998-1999. One less post is proposed, reducing posts to 57. There is no change proposed to the 15 extrabudgetary posts.
The Secretary-General proposes to redeploy one P-5 post to the Oversight Support Unit from the programme support area and to convert one P-3 post in the Oversight Support Unit to extrabudgetary resources.
Extrabudgetary resources of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General are estimated at some $2.66 million for the biennium compared with about $2.64 million for 1998-1999.
The ACABQ notes a reduction of some $25,400 is requested for consultants and experts for management services.
It states that it has no objection to the redeployment proposed, nor to the transfer of the source of funding of the P-3 post, which it notes is currently vacant.
After examining the status of caseloads of the various internal administration of justice bodies (which are funded through this subsection) and recalling that the Joint Inspection Unit is preparing a report on the administration of justice in the Secretariat, the ACABQ states that the workload of all bodies dealing with the administration of justice in the United Nations should be reviewed to determine whether enough resources are allocated to that area.
For the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts, (section 27B), the Secretary-General proposes some $21.53 million for 2000-2001, an increase of $638,200, or 3.0 per cent, as compared with 1998-1999. No changes in the number of regular budget posts is sought.
The proposed increase in resources for the Office relates essentially to additional general temporary assistance requirements for four positions (one P-5, one P-4, one P-3 and one General Service) for the maintenance and support of Releases 3 and 4 of the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). The Secretary-General proposes that those posts be financed from the regular budget until the pattern of requirements for maintenance and support of IMIS becomes clear.
Extrabudgetary resources of this Office are expected to be $18.72 million, as compared with estimates for 1998-1999 of about $18 million, and two fewer P-3 level extrabudgetary posts, financed from the peacekeeping support account, are anticipated.
Recalling that all posts in the Office's Peacekeeping Financing Division are currently funded from the support account, the ACABQ asks that a review of the financing of those posts, in particular of those relating to management and direction of the Division, be undertaken and reported on in the next budget estimates.
Regarding the IMIS maintenance requirements, it reports that if the four positions are required during the biennium for core maintenance they should be approved as temporary posts rather than financed from general temporary assistance.
It also reports that it was informed that one of the tasks to be carried out in 2000-2001 would be a review of the United Nations Financial Rules to see how they could be simplified. Should such a review be required, it was told that a proposal would be submitted to the General Assembly.
For the Office of Human Resources Management, (section 27C), the Secretary- General proposes $46.31 million for 2000-2001; an increase of about $1.64 million, or 3.6 per cent, over 1998-1999. The increase is mainly attributable to global staff training and development activities. Three less regular budget post are proposed, bringing the total down to 160. The proposed abolition of three General Service posts is a result of reduced workload.
Extrabudgetary resources of this Office are expected to be $4.62 million, as compared with about $5.15 million for 1998-1999. Two fewer extrabudgetary posts are proposed (one P-4 and one P-3), both previously financed from the peacekeeping support account.
While welcoming the attempt to present shorter and more focused narratives in that subsection, the ACABQ asks that in future the estimates clearly indicate the priorities for which the resources are sought, in the context of the implementation of policies and other guidelines from the General Assembly. The estimates should also highlight progress made in the implementation of decisions of the General Assembly, including what effect those decisions have had, or will have, in the management of United Nations human resources.
It recommends that future budget estimates include workload indicators for the operational services, specialist services and medical services of the programme of work of the Office, as well as for the budget component of the Office under training and staff development programmes. The automation of the Office's operations should help provide that information in a consistent manner.
The request for $281,800 for travel, under executive direction and management, is an increase of $95,000 over 1998-1999, the ACABQ notes. Furthermore, expenditures for 1996-1997 were $26,500. The request is therefore excessive. The increase is attributed to travel to meetings of the Staff- Management Coordination Committee and based on expenditure patterns.
Responding to a request for $42,800 for external printing of forms and stationery, under contractual services, the ACABQ recommends that the forms be printed in-house if feasible.
Some $15.64 million, an increase of about $1.44 million, is sought for training for the biennium, in addition to anticipated increases of $29,600 in extrabudgetary resources, it notes. It recalls that resources for training and staff development activities increased by 30 per cent for the biennium 1998-1999 and by 7.2 per cent for the biennium 1996-1997. Training activities proposed for 2000-2001 are the same as those proposed for 1998-1999.
It recommends that information be provided on Secretariat-wide training programmes for each section of the budget in the next proposed programme budget. It also asks that resource requirements for staff development and training be clearly presented, supported by workload data, such as indicators on the number of staff trained and to be trained, type of training activities undertaken and to be carried out, actual expenditure for those activities during the previous biennium and estimated expenditures for the present biennium.
It asks that weaknesses identified in the evaluation of training carried out in the first few months of 1999 be addressed and reported in the context of the next budget submission. Special attention should be paid to addressing shortcomings related to the decentralization of training programmes to individual departments and offices. On the basis of the evaluation findings, the ACABQ recommends acceptance of the increase in the appropriation for training activities requested.
Noting references to automation, streamlining and simplification of administrative procedures, development of human resources information management systems, and the completion of a global information system on human resources, the ACABQ notes that the narrative of section 27C provides no specific information on plans, projects, implementation schedules and related costs.
It repeats its view that, in spite of the many past stated goals to streamline human resources management, little progress appears to have been achieved so far. It is aware that procedures to effect transfer of staff between units of the Secretariat, to reclassify posts and to manage vacancies are excessively cumbersome, time consuming and very costly. In order to improve efficiency and enhance productivity in United Nations operations, urgent steps must be taken to address those issues.
The ACABQ reports it is strongly convinced that most of the inefficiency could be resolved through a comprehensive and coordinated simplification of procedures, reinforced by the use of modern technology. Rather than this Office attempting to accomplish too many initiatives simultaneously, it should select key priority areas for immediate automation.
It recommends that automation plans and projects be clearly outlined in the next budget proposal, and that information on progress achieved and efficiency and productivity gained as a result of automation in the last biennium be included.
For the Office of Central Support Services (section 27D), the Secretary- General proposes some $221.25 million for 2000-2001, a decrease of $5.64 million, or about 2.4 per cent, over 1998-1999. The decrease is mainly attributable to a reduction in resource requirements for IMIS, resulting from its transition from the development to the operational phase, and economies in facilities management. An additional 26 regular budget posts are requested, up from 596, as a consequence of the proposed conversion of 29 IMIS general temporary assistance posts to the regular budget, the redeployment of one P-4 post to the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services and the proposed abolition of two General Service posts in the Archives and Records Management Section.
Extrabudgetary resources of that Office are expected to be $16.97 million, up from about $16.62 million. Four fewer extrabudgetary posts are proposed - all at the P-3 level and previously funded from the peacekeeping support account.
Resources requested for security and safety of persons and property at United Nations Headquarters remain at the level of $26.76 million.
The ACABQ asks that precise information be included in the next budget submission on results of the implementation of objectives set out for security and safety. It also states that a comprehensive expert survey of security needs of United Nations facilities and the capacity of the Organization to address them, together with an indication of the related resource requirements, should be prepared. It asks that this report be submitted in spring 2000.
It asks for a justification of the cost-effectiveness of the anti-explosive detection services employed by the Organization under that subsection.
In reviewing the requests for resources for information technology services and IMIS under this section, the ACABQ notes the cost of upgrading technology infrastructure is included under section 31. The budget estimates are not transparent enough and it recommends a clear presentation for the next budget, so the General Assembly would be able to assess the appropriate level of resources to be invested in information technology and ascertain the results and benefits to be gained from such investment.
It asks for information this Assembly session on progress on a review it recommended on establishing a unit in charge of all information technology at the Secretariat. It notes that its previous recommendation that information be provided on how quality of service and client satisfaction are being managed and monitored in the technology area have not been fully addressed, and recommends that further action be taken and reported on in the next budget submission.
It questions the low number of projected users of IMIS for 2000 and also notes that the system is currently used by only some 2000 users worldwide. In the context of the next budget submission, it seeks information on the extent to which IMIS is used by programme managers in the management of the activities under their purview.
On the optical disk system (ODS), the ACABQ reports that a long-term application of ODS, Internet and Extranet technology would include its establishment in each conference room, where documents are currently held for distribution, with high-speed printers. This would reduce the need to stock large numbers of documents, with attendant personnel costs.
In examining resources requested for common services, the ACABQ notes that the progress achieved so far on the common services projects resulting from the proposals of the Secretary-General on reform, relates mainly to laying the groundwork for further discussion and negotiation. It cautions that the procedures followed should be streamlined to promote timely agreement on what services should be delivered jointly. Priority should be given to services that are good candidates for common delivery. Where it has been determined that those factors have been fulfilled but there is reluctance to proceed, Member States should be informed in order to provide legislative guidance.
It expresses disappointment with the results of the working group on printing services, which have simply agreed to review and coordinate with respect to local printing facilities. That area should be given priority in developing common facilities, and the Advisory Committee recommends that the Secretary- General take immediate steps to prepare a comprehensive report on the matter for the Assemblys fifty-fifth session.
It asked that comments of the Joint Inspection Unit on common services in Geneva be made available to enable it to review them without delay.
In looking at requests for resources for procurement, travel and transportation, the ACABQ reports that it asked the Board of Auditors to conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of procurement reform measures. It also asks that the Travel and Transportation Service continue to pursue the expansion of discount arrangements to include more airlines when feasible and cost-effective.
In examining resources requested for facilities management, the ACABQ says it was informed that the proposed reductions would mainly come from general operating expenses, because of cost-cutting measures. It commends the Secretariat for its efforts here, and encourages their continuation.
Regarding rental of premises, it repeats its request that the Secretary- General survey the terms of agreement under which the press and other entities occupied space in buildings owned and rented by the United Nations free of charge or at less than commercial rates, as there is no evidence that this recommendation has been implemented. A reply should be given to the General Assembly no later than December.
Information supplied to the ACABQ indicates that there is a high risk of computer equipment loss at Headquarters, the report states. And it asks that the circumstances under which those losses are occurring be examined and that a report on remedial measures taken to eliminate or reduce such losses be given in the next budget estimates.
In examining requests for resources for archives and records management, the ACABQ reports no objection to the proposed reclassification of one Professional post and the abolition of two General Service posts.
It urges that effort be made to agree on modalities for sharing the capital and running cost of the new documentation centre to be established after the lease for the Park Avenue South Archives expires.
For Administration, Geneva (Section 27E), the Secretary-General requests some $98.65 million, a decrease of about $1.2 million over 1998-1999, for the Division of Administration of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Three hundred and sixty-seven regular budget staff are sought, down nine posts (one Professional and eight General Service) from the current biennium, largely resulting from increased automation and streamlining of procedures.
Extrabudgetary resources are estimated at $14.87 million, up from $14.06 million for 1998-1999. The reduction is mainly attributed to the reduced post requirements and reductions proposed for grants and contributions. An increase of two General Service extrabudgetary posts over the 73 employed in the current biennium is proposed.
The ACABQ agrees with the proposed reduction of regular budget posts.
It doubts that a Vacancy Management Unit established in the Human Resources Management Service will accomplish much in the long term, it reports, and it is not clear whether the Unit will be needed after the installation of IMIS in 2000, which will track vacancies. The ACABQ believes that there is no need to establish separate units for that task.
It was informed that the large increase, of $272,000, in the provisions under contractual services for staff development and training was to address a persistent deficit in the costs of the teachers. It states, however, that it is not clear why the cost had been consistently underestimated in the past. It also regrets the continued lack of transparency in the presentation of the proposed training estimates and the omission of performance indicators for training activities in Geneva.
The ACABQ has no objection to the abolition of three General Service posts proposed under the requirements for General Services.
Clarification of the reasons for a reduction of $416,400, for temporary assistance for meetings, was not provided, it reports. It also advises that the reply to its request for estimates for medical services is not satisfactory.
For Administration, Vienna (Section 27F), the Secretary-General requests $29.35 million, a decrease of about $1.35 million, or about 4.3 per cent, over 1998-1999 for the Vienna Division of Administration and Common Services. That is the result of a reduction of some $1.66 million for support services, based on past experience, partially offset by an increase of $182,000 in estimates for finance and budget and $126,000 for human resources management.
The number of regular budget posts required is 86, and the reclassifications are sought from P-3 to P-4 for the Chief of the Staff Administration Unit in Human Resources Management Section, and from P-4 to P-5 for the Chief of the Information Technology Section.
Extrabudgetary resources are estimated at $1.86 million, up from $1.84 million for 1998-1999. No extrabudgetary posts are proposed.
The ACABQ reports it has no objection to the post level or the proposed reclassifications.
It notes that Vienna is more advanced in the provision of common services than either New York or Geneva, including in developing workload performance indicators for determining billing rates for common or joint services.
The results of the application of a new methodology for accounting for common services, developed on the basis of recommendations from the Board of Auditors, should be reflected in the next proposed programme budget, it states.
It recommends that consultations be held among all the parties, including the host Government, to identify options for a solution to problems with building maintenance, caused by the downsizing of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which had been responsible for upkeep of the Vienna buildings.
On a resolution to the asbestos problem in the Vienna International Centre complex, the ACABQ reports it was advised that the host Government had said it would meet the direct costs of dealing with the asbestos, on the understanding that the offer excluded responsibility for costs of temporary relocation of the organizations. Negotiations with the Austrian authorities will continue, and the ACABQ trusts that a satisfactory agreement will be reached.
Under Administration, Nairobi (Section 27G), the Secretary-General points out that unlike the administrations in Geneva and Vienna, the administration in Nairobi is funded largely from extrabudgetary resources. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), which are predominately funded from extrabudgetary resources, reimburse the United Nations Office at Nairobi for services provided.
Following a General Assembly request, in resolution 52/220, the Secretary- General has committed to gradually increasing the regular budget component of Nairobi to bring its financial arrangements into line with those of similar United Nations administrative offices.
He requests $14.04 million, an increase of about $1.85 million, or 15.1 per cent, over 1998-1999 for the Nairobi Division of Administration and Common Services.
He proposes 4 additional regular budget posts for 2000-2001, to administer areas which were previously the responsibility of extrabudgetary staff. One P-5 and one P-3 post are for the Financial Resources Management Service and another P- 4 and a P-3 are for the Human Resources Management Service.
Extrabudgetary resources are estimated at $23.26 million, compared with about $19.09 million for 1998-1999. Two hundred seventy-five extrabudgetary posts are proposed; an increase of 56 posts (six Professional and 50 General Service) over 1998-1999.
The ACABQ suggests that extrabudgetary resources have been overestimated and that there may be a risk of establishing more posts and recruiting more staff than could be funded from those resources.
It asks the United Nations, UNEP and Habitat to establish a mechanism for determining the costs of the United Nations Office at Nairobi and how they should be apportioned, prior to the submission of the 2002-2003 proposed programme budget and the related budgets of UNEP and Habitat.
The Secretary-General requests $1.7 million under that subsection for conference services - unchanged from 1998-1999, and he reports that extrabudgetary resources are projected at $8.65 million from $8.57 million from 1998-1999.
The UNEP conference services have been transferred to the purview of the United Nations Office at the Nairobi Division of Administrative Services, and therefore the Nairobi Office is responsible for the planning, coordination and servicing of meetings and the translation, reproduction and distribution of documents. Those services are provided on a charge-back basis to substantive users.
Twenty regular budget posts are proposed, and 2 additional extrabudgetary posts are expected, making a total of 81 extrabudgetary posts.
The ACABQ states that the information provided does not explain or justify those estimates.
The ACABQ reports it was advised that, because of the charge-back procedure, the Nairobi Office could not be certain of the exact level of conference services it would be asked to deliver. That uncertainty would affect the level of funding required, and there is a risk that the Office might establish a conference infrastructure in anticipation of a workload that might not be realized. The ACABQ asked the Board of Auditors to pay particular attention to the efficiency of the charge-back arrangements at Nairobi in its examination of the 1998-1999 programme budget.
Statements
The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), C.S.M. MSELLE, introduced that bodys comments on part VIII of the proposed budget on common support services.
The Chairman of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), TOMMO MONTHE, then introduced his Committees comments on the relevant narrative of the budget proposal. He noted the new narrative formation of section 27C.
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 that while he welcomed the aggregate savings of $4.182 million under part VIII, there were cases where further progress could be made. He asked for more information on the specific objectives of the Oversight Support Unit, particularly the reference to ad hoc assignments.
An issue of particular concern to the Union was the backlog in the Joint Appeals Board, he said, as staff should be entitled to the timely resolution of appeals cases. He also agreed with the Advisory Committees proposal that the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts should review the mode of financing of posts in the Peacekeeping Financing Division currently funded from the support account.
The Union remained concerned at the slow implementation of the delegation of authority within the OHRM and believed that this should be streamlined to the fullest extent. Simplification of procedures reinforced by the use of modern technology could resolve the bulk of inefficiency. The travel budget was also an area where further savings could be made.
He welcomed the high priority placed by the Secretary-General on training, and emphasized the need for performance indicators to evaluate the impact of such training. He hoped that the transition to operational status of the IMIS would help the streamlining of administrative procedures and lead to further costs savings. He added that the costs and benefits of information technology should be presented in the form of a detailed breakdown under each section of the budget.
The ODS needed to be upgraded into a database system, he said, and he looked forward to the outcome of a feasibility study on this. The General Assembly needed to take an active and positive approach to encouraging the United Nations system to engage fully in common services operation, he said. It could do that by strengthening the existing services and expanding new ones. Areas should include procurement, information technology, personnel, security and printing.
On section 27E, Administration, Geneva, he agreed that the establishment of
a vacancy management unit was not necessary, given the advent of IMIS. On the
next section, Administration, Vienna, he asked whether the Secretariat had drawn
lessons that could be used at other duty stations from the effective measures
taken by the Vienna Office in the provision of common services. And on the next
section, Administration, Nairobi, he welcomed the commitment of the Secretary-
General to increase the regular budget component of the Nairobi Office with a view
to easing the administrative costs levied on the UNEP and the Habitat.
ANNE MERCHANT (Norway) said she too was concerned about the backlog of cases at the Joint Appeals Board, and agreed that there was a need to examine the situation of all such bodies to see whether they were being given adequate resources. She believed staff training was an essential element in increasing the effectiveness of the Organization, and felt United Nations entities should cooperate more closely with one another in the area of common services.
Norway had long supported the arguments for strengthening the Nairobi Office and now supported the proposed increase for it which would hopefully reduce the burden on UNEP and Habitat.
EVA SILOT BRAVO (Cuba) said she would welcome the Secretariats assessment of changes in experience and practice following the establishment of the Under Secretary-Generals office as part of the reform of the Organization. She also sought clarification about whether the Oversight Unit in that Office would support the work of the Joint Inspection Unit.
She was concerned about the backlog of cases in the internal justice system, she said. She sought additional information about the status of the impending cases and steps that had been taken to improve the administration of justice within the Secretariat.
THOMAS REPASCH (United States), speaking on section 27A, said that he would like to know whether expected accomplishments would be applied under this section or whether some other means of measuring achievement would be used. He noted that $91,000 had been allocated for travel for this Office and he wondered how much had been spent so far. He asked what types of administrative support were provided to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
JUICHI TAKAHARA (Japan), speaking also on section 27A, said that he attached
particular importance to the work of this Office. He asked for some clarification
on the policy for the use of consultants and experts. He recognized the
importance of the three main oversight bodies, but felt the proposed inward
redeployment of a P-5 level post should be explained. He also asked for
clarification on the use of investment management software licenses.
JOHN ORR (Canada) said he noticed the Management Department was the largest in the United Nations and its resourcing deserved serious consideration by the Committee. He asked about the difference in the functions of the immediate office of the Under Secretary-General and the Executive Office of the Department.
He also sought a breakdown of the posts by their functions in the administration of justice programme under that item, he said.
GARFIELD BARNWELL (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, asked that consideration of this budget part not be closed until the Group had a chance to make its statement tomorrow.
The Fifth Committee Chairman, PENNY WENSLEY (Australia), said she would, of course, keep the item open, but that the part-by-part consideration would proceed in the interim.
WARREN SACH, Director of the Budget Division, then answered questions. He said that workload statistics on the administration of justice had been given under several categories. Regarding a breakdown of posts in the administration of justice unit, he said that with only three Professional posts it was not possible to identify single functions that attached to single posts.
The Oversight Unit was not there to support the work of the various internal and external oversight units, he explained, but to ensure that the recommendations of those bodies were fully followed through within the Secretariat. To the extent that recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit were approved by the Assembly, they would be tracked just as others would. The idea of the Unit was to ensure that oversight bodies reports actually resulted in changes in operations.
The additional resources requested for investment management software licenses would be a recurrent expenditure, he explained, as software licenses ran for a limited period of time. A lot had been requested, but the expenditure was well worth it, as would be revealed later in the budget proposal where a significant increase in bank interest was expected as a result of that use of software.
On the functions of the immediate office of the Under Secretary-General, he explained that this was a small office directly supporting the Under Secretary- General himself, while the Executive Office of the Department provided human resources and financial management for the Department as a whole.
Mr. REPASCH (United States) said he had asked a question about the work of the Oversight Unit in providing administrative support to the Rwanda Tribunal, and he would appreciate more information on that.
Mr. ORR (Canada) said he was still unsure about the services provided by the staff of the Oversight Unit. Given the nature of tasks described, he thought there should be separation of duties to avoid conflicts of interest.
Mr. SACH, explained that some services, funded from extrabudgetary resources, were indeed provided by the Under Secretary-Generals office to the Rwanda Tribunal. That arrangement had arisen as a consequence of early difficulties in Arusha. It had been determined that one step towards solutions would be to provide an immediate contact point for the Tribunal at United Nations Headquarters that would allow the Tribunal access to the various administrative bodies it must deal with. That assistance had been provided as requested.
Regarding conflict of interest within the Oversight Unit, he said this Unit
was not located in the Office of Human Resources Management to avoid conflicts of
interest. However, he would provide a fuller explanation of the Units role and
tasks in informal consultations.
The Committee then turned its attention to section 27B of part VIII.
The Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts and United Nations Controller, JEAN-PIERRE HALBWACHS, explained, in response to ACABQ comments on that subsection suggesting that the funding of certain posts should come from the peacekeeping support account, that arrangements had been made to shift the posts from the regular budget to the peacekeeping support account previously, but the proposal to do this had been rejected by the Assembly. If the Fifth Committee was supportive of such a shift, then he would take the matter under advisement.
Mr. REPASCH (United States) said that there was an item for $20,900 for outside ad hoc expertise in that section and he wondered exactly what that was and what the level of spending for this was for the current biennium. There was also a series of workload indicators and he asked what these were used for internally.
Mr. HALBWACHS said there was always a provision for outside expertise, such
as handwriting experts in cases of alleged fraud, but this money had not yet been
used. The workload indicators were designed to measure the increase or decrease
in the actual workload.
Mr. SAREVA (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, drew attention to his question on the accounts division, and asked whether further efficiencies could be identified here.
Mr. HALBWACHS said there could always be more efficiency, although up to
eight posts had been abolished in recent budgets. The Accounts Division
maintained the books of the Organization and had a very wide variety of functions.
He offered to elaborate in writing.
Mr. ORR (Canada), on section 27C, said that some investment in new technology had gone merely to automating existing functions. He endorsed the view that the Secretariat and the OHRM in particular should review its procedures before doing that.
Ms. SILOT BRAVO (Cuba) said she regretted that the revised narrative on the delegation of authority fell short of what had been mandated by the General Assembly. She also drew the attention of the bureau to the inclusion in section 27C of certain works of the task force on the reform of the OHRM; but there was no legislative reference for the work of OHRM for the biennium. Also, there was no carte blanche for the proposed reform of the office; rather the General Assembly had called for an effective system of accountability.
She welcomed the increase in training activities, she said. However, while resources were again being requested, there was no accountability on what the Organizations real needs were. There had to be a clear picture on how resources devoted to training were used.
GENNADY GATILOV (Russian Federation) said that training was intended to produce knowledge essential for staff to directly perform their specified tasks. In accordance with Article 101 of the Charter, the United Nations must recruit extremely well-qualified staff. Budgetary resources could be used as necessary for Professional and advanced training of staff to ensure they were up to date on new methods of work directly related to their tasks.
Using resources for general training was not acceptable, he said. The United Nations was not an educational centre. It was the largest political organization in the world and had extremely complicated and diverse tasks to carry out, which must be performed by real professionals.
COLEMAN NEE (United States) said he was concerned that there was an insufficiently clear idea of how funds devoted to training needs would be spent. He asked whether efficiency advantages could be made through the use of the International Labour Organization (ILO) centre in Italy. He also asked about an item for twice-yearly meetings of the staff/management committee and proposed that it be deleted. On OHRM salary surveys, he asked whether that would not be more properly done by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).
TETSUO KONDO (Japan) said staff training required a continuous feedback loop and had to be properly evaluated, but the number of participants in the training programme was only a minor consideration. Training should constitute an integral part of a strategic plan for the development of human resources, and he encouraged the composition of such a plan.
Japan also appreciated the efforts of the OHRM to rectify imbalances in geographical distribution within the Secretariat. As Japan was seriously under- represented in the Organization, it would welcome comparable data for the current and previous bienniums. He asked why the Secretariat had requested an increase in temporary assistance rather than posts, and he asked about progress on career resource centres.
Mr. SACH, Director of the Budget Division, then answered questions on this subsection.
On the question of delegation of authority in the narrative, only very minimal changes had been proposed, in keeping with the Assemblys decision on that in the spring. The tasks to be done were very much the same as those undertaken before. He said a representative of the OHRM would be present during the Committees informal consultations to answer Member States questions on that and related matters in more detail.
Training within the Organization had always been diverse, he said. Technology training was a recent emphasis, as were financial resources and human resources training. The part of the training programme that related to substantive skills was handled on a departmental basis, he explained.
The Secretariat had historically been light on training compared to other organizations with similar staff and payroll levels, he said, and the Secretary- General aimed to improve its situation.
A review of training had been undertaken early this year and a report had been given to the ACABQ to enlighten its consideration of that request. He would make that available to Member States.
He had no information on the use of the ILO training centre and would provide it later.
Regarding the request for travel and hospitality funds for the Staff- Management Consultative Committee, he said meetings of that Committee had been held for about 10 years and had proved their worth in many ways. It was felt that this Committee should meet more often, hence the request for additional funds.
Regarding the request for some $5,100 for hospitality funds under that subsection, those related to a number of events, one of which was the Staff- Management Consultative Committee. Money spent on hospitality for that Committee could be portrayed as staff entertaining staff, but anyone who had attended the meetings of that Committee could testify that there were definitely two groups of people present. Sometimes it was necessary to relax the atmosphere to assist negotiations. In that exceptional case, funds were sought for entertainment. The Consultative Committee, like the Fifth Committee, had a reputation for working late into the night, and the situations in which it found itself were seldom easy.
Regarding the request for general temporary assistance funds, rather than posts, for the establishment of ongoing IMIS operations, he stressed that IMIS had a large impact on human resources management, which was the subject of the first two IMIS releases. Because the correct size and shape of the unit that would be required to service IMIS was not known, it had been decided to ask for funds that would allow some staffing flexibility in the short term, with a view to requesting posts in the longer term once needs were established.
The request to purchase a bio-chemical analyzer for the clinic had been examined in terms of cost-saving, he said. The amount of fees that would be saved as a result of owning that piece of equipment more than outweighed the cost of the equipment.
Regarding the figure requested for stationary for the Office of the Assistant Secretary-General, that figure actually related to the whole Office of the Human Resources Management, not just to the Assistant Secretary-Generals small office.
NAZARETH INCERA (Costa Rica) said, under section 27D, that she had asked last month for the contract for the cafeteria services and had still not received a copy. She said that while she was in favour of security, she felt it was in general costing too much. In that context, she asked about certain spending, such as on security dogs. She asked for further information on where economies could be affected, and said she doubted whether any were currently being made. She asked about a meeting involving the New York police and wondered what the connection with the United Nations might have been.
On gifts made to the Secretary-General, held on his behalf by the Organization, she asked for a list of those gifts, where they were and what their value was. Reverting to the subject of security dogs, she asked if the Organization could recruit more guards instead.
On the question of the building itself and concerns over asbestos and the smoking policy, she asked whether there might be asbestos particles in the ventilation system. It was a health concern for all members. Had anyone from the local authorities checked the ambient air? she asked.
Mr. REPASCH (United States) said that a report of the OIOS (document A/54/393) indicated that the Board of Auditors had found that the United Nations administration had been overcharging for long-distance telephone calls to other departments and individuals. In 1996-1997, that had come to some $8.5 million, which was essentially an unbudgeted surplus. According to the report, it had been used to purchase telephone and related equipment. What steps had been taken by management and what was the status of the $8.5 million? he asked.
Ms. SILOT BRAVO (Cuba) asked for information regarding the composition and output of the special common services task force. Also, she asked for clarification about a reduction of resource estimates through economy measures related to buildings management. What measures were contemplated?
On the security system, she said the idea had been repeated that more rigorous security was needed, but the Secretary-General was proposing maintaining the same level of resources. She therefore questioned how resources in the safety and security system related to Member States real needs. She then asked what institution was responsible for providing training in security, and how it was chosen.
Regarding the closed circuit television security system at Headquarters, what criteria was used to determine camera location? she asked. How did the system protect confidentiality when, for example, cameras were located in the Delegates Lounge? Also, information was needed on the bidding process through which the security dog had been obtained, what the contract involved, and whether the United Nations had the capacity to defuse any explosives detected by the dog.
Further information was also needed on the practical utility of the ODS, she went on. On IMIS, the Committee had been told that this was the implementation phase. But would budgetary requirements continue to increase? On the matter of the cafeteria services, she asked why the cafeterias remodeling had led to an increase in prices, when it had not resulted in an improvement in the quality of food or service. She then stressed that reconstruction must take into account health requirements.
Mr. TAKAHARA (Japan), speaking on IMIS and related projects, said that he was concerned that the budget estimates were not transparent enough. It would be useful if those requirements were broken down into recurring and non-recurring elements. He asked whether there were guidelines on the replacement of information equipment in the Secretariat and what those might be.
Mr. ORR (Canada) recalled that there had been a range of cost savings expected from the introduction of IMIS when it was first mooted in 1988 - including a radical alteration in the way the Organization carried out the full range of its tasks. In this budget, however, there seemed to be an increase in costs for the maintenance of IMIS. He asked whether there were also reductions in costs of the maintenance of the old system and the elimination of overlap. What precisely were the savings achieved through the implementation of IMIS? he asked.
With $92 million due to be spent on information technology for the next biennium, he wondered if that could be broken down to provide greater insight into IMIS.
Mr. SACH said that on the maintenance costs for IMIS, there was a table in the ACABQ report with information that had been provided by the Secretariat. Maintenance costs for maintaining the system were essentially centralized. The system would not be fully installed throughout the United Nations until the end of next year, though parts were in place.
There were guidelines for information technology equipment in-house and those would be made available, he said. Replacement was done on a standardized basis.
On the questions to do with the cafeteria, he said the contract that had been signed had foreseen that at certain periods of time, price adjustments would be made. At the beginning of September, a price increase had occurred as the second of three such increases foreseen over many years. That had no direct connection with requirements for refurbishing the cafeteria.
To comments on security arrangements and the use of an explosive-sniffing dog, he said the ACABQ, in its report, indicated that it had received information on the value of the contracts, the cost of the dog and other related issues. Further information could be provided in informal consultations. It was a lease arrangement, which had been found to be cheaper than employing staff for such an operation.
On all queries concerning security, he pointed out that the ACABQ, after reviewing the matter, had recommended that a comprehensive expert survey be prepared and submitted by spring 2000.
There were regular air and water quality and electromagnetic checks throughout the building and the results were published, he said. On telephone services and follow-up to an Oversight Office report, he said a study was being made on replacing arrangements for the current system, which was based on antiquated software and resulted in overcharges internally relative to the cost of long-distance services provided by outside vendors. The rates had become outdated and were excessive. While steps were being taken to remedy this, it must be borne in mind that there were also indirect costs that had to be met in dealing with telecommunications costs. With regard to questions about the cafeteria contract, the Office of Common Services was checking the appropriateness of publishing contracts with vendors.
Mr. ORR (Canada) asked about the regional commissions requirements for IMIS development and maintenance and said there were related costs that had not been identified by the Budget Director.
Mr. TAKAHARA (Japan) said under section 27E, that he welcomed the proposed resource reduction and that similar reductions would be welcome in other duty stations. On staff development and training and contractual service requirements, he was not persuaded that there was a need for a resource increase. He asked how the Secretariat justified 15 full-time language teachers in Geneva against fewer elsewhere. He asked for information to determine whether there was an integrated policy on this question.
Mr. REPASCH (United States) welcomed the absence of an increase in this section of the budget, but believed there was substantial scope for efficiencies and savings.
Mr. TAKAHARA (Japan), turning then to section 27F on Administration, Vienna, noted with satisfaction that Vienna was more advanced in the provision of some services than New York or Geneva, including in the development of workload indicators. Lessons should be learned and applied by other duty stations. The proposed consultancy services in connection with the bidding exercise for the group medical insurance plan, administered by the UNIDO, appeared to be unnecessary.
Next, the Committee reverted to Part VII, Public Information.
RAMESH CHANDRA (India) said he wished to associate his delegation with the statements made previously under this section by the representative of Guyana, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and the representative of Uganda. He said 2001 had been designated as the year of dialogue among civilizations, and India believed that in an increasingly interdependent world any expenditure which promoted that was welcome.
HENRY FOX (Australia) said the public information function should promote the priority activities of the Organization; it took up a huge amount of resources, and it seemed odd to him that this should be so. The increase requested by the Department of Public Information (DPI) was modest, yet that was precisely why he had trouble supporting it. It ought to be possible to meet any increased needs from savings and efficiency. He felt this budget section was archaic.
He noted continuing concern about the exploitation of electronic publications. The United Nations Web site had been implemented without additional resources and he congratulated DPI on that, but there was a lack of coordination between various United Nations sites.
He was determined that efficiencies and saving resulting from information technology were clearly identified within the budget. There was a lack of a long- term strategy on information called for by the Advisory Committee.
ABDOU AL-MOULA NAKKARI (Syria) supported the statement made for the Group of 77 and China. He affirmed the importance of the Department of Public Information in creating universal public awareness of United Nations activities. His delegation attached great importance to the relationship between this part and the medium-term plan.
There was need for equality among the forms of mass media used by the United Nations in broadcasting and publishing, he said. At the same time, due attention must be paid to traditional mass media. Conventional mass media should be funded from the regular budget, as the means of using new technology was not available to all. The report of the CPC had highlighted conventional means of mass communication, including radio, television and print, to reach a wider audience in developing countries.
There must be equality among the Web sites in all six languages, he continued. He called for the establishment of a permanent post for coordination of the Arabic language Web site, to be funded from the regular budget. He expressed concern that the functions involved in coordinating the Arabic Web site were implemented through the use of temporary assistance funds and using staff on a short-term and temporary basis. His delegation attached special importance to equality among the Organizations six official languages.
MOHAMMAD REZA SALAMAT (Iran) agreed with the statement made for the Group of 77 and China and concurred with the statement made by Indias representative regarding dialogue among civilizations. The Assembly had designated the year 2001 as the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations, based on the proposal of his countrys leader last year. The issue was particularly important on the threshold of the new millennium, and the Secretariat should address it.
His delegation agreed with the report of the CPC welcoming the efforts of the DPI to strengthen its capacity to draw international attention to the dialogue on civilizations, he said. Preparatory work would be needed for that year. His delegation also welcomed the Committee on Informations decision regarding the establishment of a United Nations Web site dedicated to the issue of dialogue among civilizations.
Mr. SACH said under section 26 that DPI had a geographical spread unlike any
other department, as well as a different programme spread. Given that, it was
inevitable that some of the programmes would be implemented by more than one
organizational unit, and there was a need to reflect that in the presentation of
the budget.
There had been only slight changes in the organizational structure in the current budget compared to the last one; no mandate was required for that, unlike any changes in the programme structure.
On technological innovations, the biggest issue was the Web and the use of the Internet, as well as things like digital technology in the photographic area. There would also be an investment in digital television technology to enable to the Organization to keep pace with broadcasters. Development of on-line services would continue involving all official languages of the United Nations.
On staffing arrangements for the online language services, the concerned department had said that short-term staff were used in order to provide flexibility. But staffing arrangements for online services would eventually be formalized.
On the pilot project on international radio broadcasting, extrabudgetary resources had been sought and further movement would depend on those being forthcoming.
On the absence of a reference to the restrictive business practices conference, there would be DPI support available for that conference, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) information service. On the question of travel costs for the Spokesman of the Secretary-General, he said these were going up at a fast rate and it was only prudent to provide adequate resources.
On media participation in the Main Committees of the General Assembly, he said all open meetings were open to accredited journalists and they were free to cover them. They did not have access to closed meetings.
There were indeed two issuances of the compilation of General Assembly resolutions, he said. One compilation was issued quickly in the press release format, so that it was available shortly after the Assembly concluded its main session. The other was issued only after translation and corrections were made.
To questions on policy regarding media participation in the Assembly and its Main Committees, he said journalists could not participate but they did cover these meetings. All open meetings were open to United Nations accredited journalists. They were free to observe and report on them, but did not have access to closed meetings.
Regarding the proposed reduction of resources for information activities on the question of Palestine, he said it was a purely technical adjustment and did not reflect any change in priority.
To questions on apparent overlap of functions between different components of the United Nations and the Department of Public Information, such as the Office of External Relations in the Office of the Secretary-General, he stressed that there was close coordination to ensure strategic management in the Organization to avoid overlap.
NESTER ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said his delegation would reserve specific questions for informal consultations. It was important that the Committee, when discussing the Department of Public Information, be cognizant of the gap that existed between Member States regarding information technology. Also, when it considered communications, the Committee must not emphasize only electronic bulletins. Some delegations had the luxury of being able to leave the conference room to post electronic bulletins or check computer information with other members of their delegation filling in. But other delegations had to remain in the conference room from morning until night. That was why traditional media methods were crucial. He was able to pick up a copy of the press release or a document and read it on the way home. Member States must be aware of the difficulties some delegations faced.
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