SEABED COUNCIL ENDS SESSION AFTER AGREEING TO TAP NONBUDGET FUNDS FOR TRAVEL OF SOME MEMBERS OF ITS EXPERT BODIES

SEABED COUNCIL ENDS SESSION AFTER AGREEING TO TAP NONBUDGET FUNDS

FOR TRAVEL OF SOME MEMBERS OF ITS EXPERT BODIES

(Reissued as received.)

KINGSTON, 5 August -- The Council of the International Seabed Authority, meeting this morning in Kingston, agreed without a vote that up to $75,000 in non-budgetary funds of the Authority could be used, as an exception, to supplement for one year a recently established voluntary fund that helps defray the costs incurred by members from developing countries attending sessions of two expert bodies.  The supplement would be in the form of an advance, pending a decision to be taken next year by the International Seabed Authority Assembly on a definitive form of financing.

The action came as the Council approved a proposal by its Finance Committee on ways to ensure the participation of expert members from developing countries in that Committee and the Legal and Technical Commission.  The voluntary fund authorized by the Council for this purpose last August has, so far, received only $10,500 in donations.

Today’s was the Council’s final meeting of the Authority’s ninth session, which continues today with meetings of the Assembly on the Secretary-General’s annual report on the work of the Authority.

Aside from its general fund, used to finance expenditures under the regular budget from the assessed contributions of member States, the Authority holds an interest-bearing extrabudgetary fund derived from fees paid by certain countries when they registered in the 1980s as pioneer seabed investors.  As part of its action on this topic, the Committee decided to define next year the purpose and limit of this fund.

Supporters of this measure welcomed its adoption as a means –- at least on an interim basis -- of ensuring broad participation in Authority meetings of bodies whose members serve in their individual capacity.  Introducing the proposal yesterday afternoon, 4 August, the Finance Committee Chairman, Hasjim Djalal (Indonesia), characterized it as “a very difficult compromise”.

Today’s decision specifies that the authorization “is made on an exceptional, one-time basis”, without prejudice to any future recourse to the general budget fund that might arise when the Authority decides on a definitive source of financing.   The Secretary-General was asked to report next year on the advances made, “for eventual appropriation”.

The Committee set out provisional terms and conditions for the use of the fund.  The government that had nominated a member must explain, at least three months in advance of a session of the expert body, why it could not cover costs of participation, and the Secretary-General should respond at least two months before the start of the session.  In decisions on payments, consideration should be given to “the expertise of the member”, taking account of “qualifications, continuity and attendance”.  Where possible, members from least developed countries should receive priority.  As a general rule, economy (air) fare would be covered, while a daily subsistence allowance (for lodging and other living expenses) would be provided only exceptionally.

The Council thus completed action on the report of the Finance Committee (ISBA/9/A/5-ISBA/9/C/5), after approving its other recommendations yesterday afternoon.  Also at yesterday’s meeting, the Council completed its slate of officers by electing Poland as a Vice-President, on the nomination of the Group of Eastern European States.  The three other vice-presidents, elected yesterday morning, are Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Taking the floor this morning to indicate their support for the financial measure, a number of delegations, including those of Egypt, Senegal, Sudan and Uganda, expressed reservations about a paragraph calling for governments of nationals serving on the expert bodies to explain their inability to fund their nationals and requiring that consideration be given to the expertise and qualifications of the member.  Characterizing the language as inappropriate, they looked forward to revisiting the issue next year, to draft wording more in keeping with United Nations standards.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea endorsed the clause, stating that members from least developed countries should be given priority where possible.  They drew similarities between these countries and those categorized as small island States.

Trinidad and Tobago, stressing the significance of the work done by the two expert bodies, thought it inconceivable that the Authority should be perennially in a state of uncertainty about members’ participation at meetings of those bodies.  It urged efforts to find pragmatic and sustainable arrangements to ensure wide participation.

On another matter dealt with by the Finance Committee, Argentina informed the Council today that it had requested an adjustment in its rate of assessed contribution to the Authority, to reflect a reduction made in the United Nations scale.  The Committee had said in its report that there was no reason to adjust the Authority scale now in the absence of a request from the State concerned.  (In December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly lowered Argentina’s assessed rate for 2003 to 0.969 per cent, from 1.149 per cent.)

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