REPRESENTATIVE OF UGANDA TO COORDINATE FIFTH COMMITTEE CONSULTATIONS ON UNITED NATIONS 2000-2001 PROGRAMME BUDGET

Press Release
GA/AB/3344

REPRESENTATIVE OF UGANDA TO COORDINATE FIFTH COMMITTEE CONSULTATIONS ON UNITED NATIONS 2000-2001 PROGRAMME BUDGET

The representative of Uganda, NESTOR ODAGA-JALOMAYO, had agreed to coordinate the very important informal consultations of Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on the United Nations 2000-2001 programme budget, Committee Chairman PENNY WENSLEY (Australia) said this afternoon when that Committee met to consider certain organizational matters, including those related to its consideration of the programme budget for 2000-2001.

The representative of Uganda thanked the Bureau of the Committee for trusting him with this responsibility. He said he would not be able to do much without confidence and flexibility from all Member States. He was looking forward to maximum cooperation from them, and from the Fifth Committee Bureau. He understood the difficulty of the task, but he also understood the capabilities of the Committee.

The representative of Algeria congratulated the representative of Uganda. He thanked the Committee’s Bureau for the wise decision it had taken.

This session, the Committee’s programme of work had not been formally adopted by the Committee, he noted. As a matter of principle, in future he would welcome the opportunity to discuss and then formally approve that programme of work.

The representative of Syria congratulated the representative of Uganda on his new responsibilities, and said he was very pleased that the representative of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China had been entrusted with the task.

He drew the Committee’s attention to its consideration last session of a review of the mandate and activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, which it had planned to consider prior to discussion of the budget of that office. He would find it difficult to discuss the budget prior to an outcome on the question of the Oversight Office review, he added.

The representative of Canada also congratulated the representative of Uganda for accepting the responsibility of coordinating negotiations on the programme budget.

Fifth Committee - 2 - Press Release GA/AB/3344 38th Meeting (PM) 15 November 1999

Regarding the representative of Syria’s comment about the review of the Oversight Office, he said Canada’s understanding was that this was not linked to the budget negotiations. Canada hoped there would be movement on another outstanding question -- the introduction of results-based budgeting -- which had also been deferred from the last Assembly session, but he would not expect discussion of the budget to be held up pending an outcome.

The representatives of Finland, speaking on behalf of the European Union, and Guyana, on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, also conveyed their support to Uganda’s representative.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on 19 November, when it will commence consideration of human resources management, of gratis personnel (under its agenda item on the review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations), of the programme budget implications of the recommendations of the International Civil Service Commission, and of revised estimates resulting from decisions and recommendations of the Economic and Social Council.

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