FIFTH COMMITTEE APPROVES DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON PROCUREMENT REFORM, TERMS OF UN AUDITORS, AND INVESTIGATIONS OF FEE-SPLITTING AT INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS

Resumed Fifty-fifth General Assembly

Fifth Committee

55^th Meeting (PM)

FIFTH COMMITTEE APPROVES DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON PROCUREMENT REFORM, TERMS OF UN

AUDITORS, AND INVESTIGATIONS OF FEE-SPLITTING AT INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) approved three draft resolutions -- on procurement reform, the terms of office of members of the United Nations Board of Auditors, and on possible fee-splitting arrangements in the International Criminal Tribunals -- this afternoon, all without a vote.  It also approved 11 draft decisions on various items on its agenda by consensus.

In approving a draft resolution on procurement reform (document A/C.5/55/L.50), the Committee recommended the Assembly welcome the progress achieved so far in reforming United Nations procurement processes, and urge the Secretary-General to continue full implementation of its resolution 54/14 on that matter.  The Assembly would also stress the need for procurement to be efficient, transparent and cost-effective, and fully reflective of the international character of the Organization.

If the Assembly acts of the Fifth Committee’s recommendation, the Secretary-General would be asked to ensure proper accountability and training of all involved in procurement.  The Assembly would take note of procurement experiences of several other United Nations system organizations and reaffirm the need to increase procurement opportunities for vendors from developing countries and countries in transition.  The Secretary-General would be asked to expedite information dissemination on procurement in those countries and also to sensitize of the business community and United Nations offices to United Nations procurement opportunities.

By other terms, the draft would see the Assembly also encourage regional procurement by United Nations missions.  The Secretary-General would be asked to develop a comprehensive system to measure the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of procurement, taking into account best practices.  Among other matters, the Assembly would also express concern about delays in payment to vendors.  The Secretary-General would be invited to submit proposals for revision of the financial rules and regulations and to assess the workload and functions of all units in the procurement process.  The text also invites executive heads of funds and programmes to improve their procurement practices by simplifying registration of vendors who already hold registration with other United Nations organizations.

Having reviewed of the question of the terms of office of the Board of Auditors, the Committee approved a draft resolution by which the Assembly would decide that -- starting on 1 July 2002 -- the Board's members would serve six-year

terms of office (document A/C.5/55/L.51).  In the interim, the draft would have the Assembly decide the appointment of the Auditor-General of South Africa would be extended until 30 June 2006.  Members elected under the current procedure would be eligible for re-election.

Speaking on this item,  the representative of the United States said that the Committee had worked on the issue for five years.  He was pleased that agreement had been reached to align the terms of office of the Auditors with the financial reporting of the United Nations.

The representative of Cuba said that proposals to strengthen external monitoring bodies should be considered in a broader context.  She said Cuba would join the consensus on the draft, however, because thorough consideration of the proposal was not possible at this time.

The representative of South Africa congratulated the coordinator of the item for the way in which he had conducted consultations.

In other action this afternoon, the Committee approved a draft resolution on the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on its investigation into possible fee-splitting arrangements between defence counsel and indigent detainees at the two International Tribunals (document A/C.5/55/L.54).  If adopted, the draft would have the Assembly ask the Secretary-General to ensure that the investigation into this matter continued, in consultation with the Registrars of both Tribunals.  He would also be asked to report on the matter to the fifty-sixth session of the Assembly.

By eight draft decisions contained in document A/C.5/55/L.47, the Assembly would note several reports before the Fifth Committee.

By the first, it would note the twelfth progress report of the Secretary-General on the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) project and endorse the related observations and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).

The second would see the Assembly note the Secretary-General’s report on the asbestos problem and welcome his continuing efforts to solve this problem at Headquarters and some other duty stations.

Another decision would note the Secretary-General’s reports on facilities management and on the Overseas Property Management and Information Exchange Network -- a globally collaborative approach to facilities management -- and endorse the recommendations of the ACABQ in that regard.

By another decision, the Assembly would note the ACABQ’s intention to review the report of the Secretary-General on proposed measures to improve the profitability of the Organization’s commercial activities and decide to revert to that question during the main part of its fifty-sixth session.

Yet, another decision would see the Assembly note the Secretary-General’s reports on construction of additional conference facilities at Bangkok and Addis Ababa, and decide to retain the existing balance on the construction-in-progress account pending further consideration.

The Assembly would also decide to note his report on the security arrangements at the United Nations Office at Geneva and request the Secretary-General to keep them under review to ensure full protection of delegates, staff and visitors.

The Assembly would -- by another decision -- endorse the observations and recommendations of the ACABQ on common services and request the Secretary-General to report to its fifty-seventh session on the progress made and decisions taken on the future of the Task Force on Common Services.

Yet, another decision would see the Assembly endorse the comments of the ACABQ on the report of the Secretary-General on internal and external printing practices of the Organization.  It would ask the Secretary-General to continue efforts to improve printing practices, bearing in mind the documentation requirements of Member States.

In approving a draft decision on the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (document A/C.5/55/L.48), the Committee recommended the Assembly note the reports of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships and the related comments and recommendations of the ACABQ.

By two draft decisions on the reports of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the audit and investigation of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (document A/C.5/55/L.52) and on the follow-up to the 1997 audit and investigation of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (document A/C.5/55/L.53), the Assembly would note those reports.

Action on one text -– a draft decision on strengthening the international civil service -- was deferred pending the outcome of further consultations.

The texts were introduced by:  Michiel Crom (Netherlands); Ayman Elgammal (Egypt); the Committee’s Acting Chairman, Collen Vixen Kelapile (Botswana); Ramesh Chandra (India) and Anne Merchant (Norway).

Several speakers addressed typographical errors and discrepancies in drafts, and made comments on procedural matters, including the representatives of Syria, Canada, Croatia and Sweden.

At the conclusion of the meeting, as the Committee turned to other matters, the representative of Egypt raised a question about whether reports from the Office of Internal Oversight Services should be discussed under the agenda items relevant to the particular substance of the report, or under a general broad agenda item titled Reports of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.  He also suggested electronically distributing preliminary versions of draft resolutions to

Committee members, which would facilitate work on the texts.  Upon consultation with the Information Technology Services Division, he had been told that the Secretariat would be able to send the copies of the drafts to delegates.

The representative of Syria also spoke on the procedure for dealing with Oversight Office reports and supported the idea of electronic distribution of drafts, saying that it would help to avoid debate on the accuracy of texts.  He repeated his request -- made in previous meetings -- for the Committee to receive a legal opinion from the Office of Legal Affairs on the precise legal meaning of “takes note” in draft resolutions and decisions.

The representative of Sweden said that he appreciated the idea of sending drafts electronically.

The Committee will resume its work on Monday, 2 April, at a time to be announced.

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