Sixty-first General Assembly

Fifth Committee

1^st Meeting (AM)

fifth committee agrees to consider 40 agenda items as it adopts

 

programme of work for sixty-first session

 

Human Resources Management, United Nations Reform Top List of Key Issues

Adopting its programme of work for the sixty-first session this morning, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) agreed to consider some 40 agenda items, with human resources management and United Nations reform taking centre stage.

The work programme was adopted on the understanding that necessary adjustments would be made during the session, as required.  The Committee’s agenda also includes the scale of assessments for 2007-2009, the Capital Master Plan, the reform of the Organization’s oversight bodies, financing of several peacekeeping and special political missions, and the terms of reference for the Independent Audit Advisory Committee.

South Africa’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, emphasized that the Committee had more than 200 reports -- as many as 8,000 pages, or nearly half of the workload before the General Assembly –- to consider in the next three months.  It was important, therefore, to ensure that Member States received reports in accordance with existing guidelines because late reports undermined negotiations.  The programme of work should be determined by the importance of the issue at hand rather than the date when the report became available.  She cautioned against a preoccupation with “time-bound” items at the expense of non-budgetary items that were nevertheless still important to the effective functioning of the Organization.

Finland’s representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union, highlighted the scale of assessments as an issue that must be tackled by December 2006 to provide the basis for the financing of the United Nations, and noted that efficiency was needed to conclude work on a large number of human resources management reports.  Priority should be given to time-bound items, such as the strategic framework for 2008-2009 and the budget outline, as well as the financing of the International Tribunals, reports on auditing bodies, and after-service health insurance.  Reiterating European Union support for a phased approach to the Capital Master Plan, she also sought agreement on its funding during the main session.

The representative of the United States focused on United Nations reform, saying that meaningful reforms must include measures to improve internal oversight, identify cost savings and ensure that resources were used for their intended purpose.  In order to achieve the goals set by world leaders, it was critical that all delegations demonstrate their ongoing commitment to those objectives, which continued to guide the international community today.  The mission of the United Nations and its credibility were too important to let the current historic opportunity slip away.

He said that, together, Member States could achieve more substantive progress by December on additional reform measures, recognizing that a number of proposals currently on the table involved significant new costs that would require careful consideration.  At the end of the summer, the Committee had lifted the budget cap and adopted some initial reforms –- all with the commitment that more would be done this fall.  “Let us make good on the commitment”, he added.

Youcef Yousfi ( Algeria), the new Committee Chairman, said:  “I have no doubt that, with the spirit of cooperation, we shall together strive to complete the tasks entrusted to us successfully and in a timely manner.”

Also taking the floor was the representative of Guyana, who, on behalf of the Rio Group, said he looked forward to cooperation on achieving shared objectives.

The representative of Slovenia, speaking on behalf of the six successor States of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, insisted that the question of unpaid assessments of the former Yugoslavia should be resolved during the current session.  The Secretary-General’s report on that matter was not acceptable to the successor States, which had initiated intensive expert-level consultations with the Secretariat to determine the exact amount of unpaid dues.  Those consultations had brought the participants close to a solution, which could also be reflected in a new report.  That request had been made by the successor States at the Committee’s first resumed session but, regrettably, the Secretary-General’s report had not been updated and the same document had been submitted for the sixty-first session.  The successor States would present their views on the issue, including a proposed solution, which would be circulated as an official document.

Also this morning, the Committee elected Ram Babu Dhakal ( Nepal) as its Vice-Chairman from the Group of Asian States.

The Committee will hold its next meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, 9 October.

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For information media • not an official record