FIFTH COMMITTEE CONSIDERS FINANCING FOR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO MISSION, CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT DELAYS, CONDITIONS ON DEPLOYMENT

Press Release
GA/AB/3379

FIFTH COMMITTEE CONSIDERS FINANCING FOR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO MISSION, CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT DELAYS, CONDITIONS ON DEPLOYMENT

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) continued its discussion this morning of the administration and financing of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), several speakers expressed concern about the delay in the deployment of troops and the application of conditions for that deployment.

Uganda’s representative said the delay and conditions confirmed that the international community responded differently to United Nations peacekeeping missions, depending on where they were carried out. The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been waiting. How long would they have to wait?

The representative of the United Republic of Tanzania supported the need to reflect the delays in deployment in any decision on the mission taken in the Committee. Failure to deploy troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was creating problems for the people of that country, who wanted nothing but peace.

The representatives of Australia, speaking also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, and of the Philippines, speaking on behalf of the Association of South East Asian Nations, spoke on the financing and administration of the United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET).

Under other matters, Syria’s representative raised concerns about the Committee’s consideration of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and Committee Chairman, Penny Wensley (Australia), responded.

The Fifth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. Friday, 2 June, when it hopes to approve draft decisions and recommendations on matters being considered at its second resumed session.

Fifth Committee - 2 - Press Release GA/AB/3379 73rd Meeting (AM) 30 May 2000

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to continue discussion of the financing and administration of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA), the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

[For background information on the financing of these missions, see Press Release GA/AB/3378 of 26 May.]

Statements

HENRY FOX (Australia), speaking also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, said that he supported the recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the funding of the East Timor mission for six months, in view of the performance information provided. He understood that the Secretariat would bring forward a revised budget in the autumn, taking into account the outcome of the review of that mission called for by the Security Council.

The Member States he spoke for remained concerned about recruitment of staff for UNTAET, he said, and, given law and order problems, the high vacancy rate for civilian police. He also encouraged the recruitment of as many local staff as possible for that mission.

The recruitment of civilian police was a concern across a number of missions, he said, and he noted ACABQ recommendations on it. The disparity between the requirements for United Nations civilian police and the ability of the international community to meet those requirements was also of note. Efforts by the Secretariat to improve the selection and availability of civilian police had been made and, in light of those, he supported the recommendation of the ACABQ for an examination of the organizational arrangements, capacity and role of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations’ Civilian Police Unit.

He noted that on 30 April 37 per cent of previous assessments for UNTAET had been paid, he said. Australia, New Zealand and Canada had paid their assessments in full, and he urged all others to do so.

FELIPE MABILANGAN (Philippines), speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said that ASEAN wished to reiterate the importance of ensuring adequate funding for UNTAET to enable it to discharge its multifaceted responsibilities. Noting that unpaid assessments amounted to $217.2 million, ASEAN hoped that planned troop reimbursement of $12.6 million to be paid this month would not be delayed.

The proposed budget for UNTAET for 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 had been prepared on the basis of the requirements of the mission for the current financial period and calculated on the basis of 8,604 troops, he said. In that regard, he recalled the earlier ACABQ recommendation that when submitting UNTAET’s requirements for 2000-2001, the results of the review referred to in paragraph 28 of the Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council (S/2000/53) should be taken into account. He also noted that the comprehensive review of the Mission’s requirements, including the size of its military component, began in late April and was expected to be finalized in late June.

Pending the submission of the Secretary-General’s revised budget for UNTAET for the 12-month period, ASEAN concurred with the ACABQ recommendation to grant the Secretary-General $292.1 million as an interim measure, an amount equivalent to the mission’s requirements up to the end of the year. ASEAN also supported the ACABQ’s recommendation that $200 million be assessed among Member States for the effective implementation of UNTAET.

NESTER ODAGA-JALOMAYO (Uganda) said he was pleased at the Secretary- General’s efforts to seek early deployment of a peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda supported the Lusaka peace agreement and the relevant Security Council resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Following the Council’s authorization of the mission, he had hoped immediate steps would be taken to deploy the peacekeeping personnel, including the military observers.

Uganda was perturbed that, to date, the 5000 plus peacekeepers had not been deployed, he said. He was greatly concerned about the international community’s delays in deploying troops and about the conditions they were insisting must be met before that deployment. No conditions had been applied, and all steps had been taken to deploy forces without delay, for similar missions where the situation was even more fluid. The delay and the application of conditions confirmed that peacekeeping missions were treated differently depending on the regions in which they were carried out. He emphasized that all missions, existing or future, must be given equal and non-discriminatory treatment with regard to financial and administrative matters, and deployment.

The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been waiting, he said. How long would they have to wait? Indecisiveness over deployment in Rwanda had led to millions being massacred. The international community admitted it had let the people of Rwanda down. Were Member States prepared to allow the possibility of similarly letting down the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

The recent unfortunate incident in Kisangani could have been avoided if the mission had been deployed, he said. Current events in Sierra Leone showed what a small, well-trained peacekeeping mission could achieve. He congratulated all that were participating in the Sierra Leone mission, and expressed the hope that the people of Sierra Leone would soon be free to live in peace again.

He had hoped that the Secretary-General’s report would not just cover resources expended for the 100 existing support staff and 500 military observers, but also for the 5,000 plus military personnel the Council had authorized for the mission, he said. He would be willing to support the report’s recommendations if language was added to note that only 600, out of the 5,500 personnel authorized by the Council, have been deployed.

MUHAMMAD YUSSUF (United Republic of Tanzania) said that he wanted to put on the record that the failure to deploy troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was creating problems for the people of that country, which wanted nothing but peace. Assurances from the conflicting parties that they were abiding by the provisions of the Lusaka agreement would not be soon forthcoming. No such conditions had been provided for in other peace missions. It was important that the Secretary-General deploy troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as soon as possible. The Congolese people wanted nothing more than peace, and it was high time that the United Nations be serious about deploying troops. The failure to send troops was creating more difficulties and people were being killed unnecessarily.

Other Matters

ABDOU AL-MOULA NAKKARI (Syria) said he noted that no consultations of the Committee on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) had been included in the Committee’s work programme. A decision was required on that mission and it, therefore, should be included.

The Fifth Committee’s second resumed session gave priority to consideration of the administration and financing of peacekeeping operations, he said. Two full consultation sessions had been devoted to discussing one paragraph on contingent- owned equipment, and in those sessions concepts had been discussed that were really beyond the mandate of the Fifth Committee. He had been prepared to hear that discussion, but the Fifth Committee must also hear his concerns. Thursday morning’s planned informal consultation on the work methods of the Fifth Committee should perhaps be replaced by a session on UNDOF.

The Fifth Committee Chairman, PENNY WENSLEY (Australia) said she agreed that UNDOF was important and a decision on it must be taken in this resumed session. It was clear that more time was needed for consideration of the issue.

To date, there had been two full sessions on UNDOF, she noted. The coordinator of informal consultations on it had asked for time to consult with key delegations and suggested that that could be better done outside scheduled Fifth Committee informal consultations. Therefore, on the advice of the coordinator, the Committee’s Bureau had decided not to schedule another informal session. It had also acknowledged that it would need to revisit the matter.

The concerns of Syria were important to the Fifth Committee Bureau, she explained, and at the Bureau meeting tomorrow, following advice from the coordinator of UNDOF consultations, the Bureau may decided to schedule another session, as had been requested.

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