Sixty-second General Assembly

Fifth Committee

14^th Meeting (AM)

BUDGET COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS APPOINTMENTS TO SUBSIDIARY BODIES,

INCLUDING NEW INDEPENDENT AUDIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Paving the way for making operational the newly established Independent Audit Advisory Committee, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning recommended the first five candidates for membership in the new body.  The Committee also made recommendations to the Assembly regarding appointments to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), Board of Auditors, Administrative Tribunal, Committee on Contributions and the United Nations Pensions Funds Investments Committee.

John Muwanga of Uganda, Vijayendra Nath Kaul of India, Vadim V. Dubinkin of the Russian Federation and Adrian Patrick Strachan of Jamaica were recommended by acclamation for a three-year term of office with the Independent Audit Advisory Committee beginning on 1 January 2008.  By terms of resolution 61/275, candidates for the Audit Committee can be elected for a second and final term of three years, with the exception of two of the initial five members of the Committee, who shall be appointed by drawing of lots to serve for four years.

The fifth seat -– with three candidates -– was selected through secret ballot.  The vote on the candidacies of the Western European and Other States was Rafael Munoz of Spain, 59; Moreno Sella of Switzerland, 26; and David M. Walker of the United States, 99.  Thus, Mr. Walker was recommended for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008.  (The number of ballots cast -- 191; invalid ballots -- 4; number of valid ballots -- 187; abstentions -- 3; number of delegations voting -- 184; required majority -— 93.)  By a drawing of lots, Mr. Walker and Mr. Muwanga were designated to serve four-year terms.

The Committee also recommended by acclamation to ACABQ Imtiaz Hussain of Pakistan, Misako Kaji of Japan, Nagesh Singh of India and Jorge Flores Callejas of Honduras, for a three-year term of office, beginning on 1 January 2008.

With three candidates competing for two seats from the Group of Western European and Other States, the Committee took a secret ballot.  The vote on the candidacies of the Western European and Other States was Jerry Kramer of Canada, 127; Peter Maddens of Belgium, 128; and Wasim Mir of the United Kingdom, 106.  Thus, Jerry Kramer of Canada and Peter Maddens of Belgium were recommended for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2008.  (The number of ballots cast -- 191; invalid ballots -- none; number of valid ballots -- 191; abstentions -- 3; number of delegations voting -- 188; required majority —- 95.)

For the Committee on Contributions, the Fifth Committee recommended that the Assembly elect, by acclamation, Joseph Acakpo-Satchivi of Benin, Abdelmalek Bouheddou of Algeria, Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo of Uruguay, Luis Mariano Hermosillo Sosa of Mexico, Gordon Eckersley of Australia and Eduardo Manuel da Fonseca Fernandes Ramos of Portugal for a three-year term of office, effective 1 January 2008.

The Committee also confirmed by acclamation to the Investments Committee, for a three-year term of office beginning 1 January 2008, Achim Kassow of Germany, William McDonough of the United States and Helene Ploix of France.  The Committee also recommended the reappointment of Ivan Pictet of Switzerland as an ad hoc member of the Investments Committee for a one-year term, commencing 1 January 2008.

The Committee recommended –- again by acclamation -- the appointment to the United Nations Board of Auditors the Auditor General of the General Audit Office of China for a six-year term beginning 1 July 2008, noting that the Secretary-General had informed the Assembly on this matter.

For the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, the Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment or reappointment of Augustin Gordillo of Argentina and Dayendra Sena Wijewardane of Sri Lanka for a four-year term, effective 1 January 2008.  In view of the ongoing reform of the administration of justice, the Assembly decided to continue consideration of this item during its sixty-second session as a priority matter -– with the objective of implementing the new justice system no later than January 2009 -- and requested that the Secretary-General ensure that the Joint Appeals Boards, the Joint Disciplinary Committees, the United Nations Administrative Tribunal and other bodies continue to function until the new system is operational, with all cases before them cleared.

The Committee will take up the administration of justice at 10 a.m., Monday, 5 November.

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For information media • not an official record