Sixty-fourth General Assembly

Plenary

67^th Meeting (PM)

General Assembly Calls for Urgent Implementation of Proposals to Assist Survivors

of 1994 Rwandan Genocide, including Medical Care, Skills Training, Victim Support

Also Adopts 8 Resolutions, 1 Decision Recommended by Budget Committee,

Elects Two Members to Organizational Committee of Peacebuilding Commission

Recognizing the numerous difficulties faced by survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide -- particularly orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence, many of whom had contracted HIV or since died of AIDS -– the General Assembly today adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to encourage relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to provide assistance in the areas of education, medical care, skills training and microcredit programmes aimed at promoting self-sufficiency.

Introducing the text on behalf of the African Group, Benin’s representative said it was imperative that, six years after the adoption of the first resolution on the matter, survivors of the Rwandan genocide were given the support they deserved.

The text -– titled “assistance to survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly orphans, widow and victims of sexual violence” -- had the Assembly calling on Member States and the United Nations to urgently implement the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General’s report of the same name.  The Secretary-General was requested to continue outreach activities aimed at victim remembrance and education, with a view to preventing future acts of genocide.

By other terms, the Assembly noted the importance of residual issues, including witness protection and victim support, the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and capacity-building for the Rwandan judiciary.  Given the critical situation of survivors and need for the International Criminal Tribunal to implement its completion strategy, the Secretary-General was requested to take all necessary and practicable measures to implement the resolution and report to the Assembly’s sixty-sixth session with recommendations on further support to survivors.

Also, acting on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly made a series of decisions on an array of subjects ranging from staff concerns to programme planning, internal oversight, the Capital Master Plan, proper auditing of United Nations agencies, and peacekeeping.  In all, the Assembly acted on eight resolutions and one draft decision submitted by the Committee.

In one decision, the Assembly decided that the new staff rules proposed by the Secretary-General thisyear should remain provisional, pending consideration at its sixty-fifth session.  At its sixty-third session, the Assembly had approved new contractual arrangements comprising three types of appointments -- temporary, fixed-term and continuing.  Those arrangements entered into force on 1 July, but the Assembly had requested the Secretary-General not to appoint any staff to continuing contracts before 1 January 2010, pending a thorough explanation of its financial and management implications.

The Fifth Committee had hoped to recommend some form of action on new contracts this year.  But, dissatisfied with information provided by the Secretariat on continuing contracts, it had felt unable to do so.

In a separate text, the Assembly agreed to approve, as recommended by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), the revised floor scale of salaries for staff in the Professional and higher categories contained in an annex to the Commission’s report.  The decision was to take effect from 1 January 2010.  It decided, as well, to take note of the Commission’s recommendation to introduce end-of-service severance pay in the common system for fixed-term staff with 10 or more years of continuous service, who had been involuntarily separated from the Organization.  It would decide to revert to the question of the proposed end-of-service severance pay at its sixty-fifth session.

On a different note, as part of the continued reform of the United Nations internal justice system, the Assembly decided to request the Secretary-General to report on the status of the judges of the new United Nations Appeals Tribunal and their entitlements, who were installed in March.

Through a text entitled “administration of justice at the United Nations”, the Secretary-General was also asked to analyse the costs associated with an appeal under the new system, and to report on measures to hold officials accountable for causing financial loss to the Organization under the new system.  He was further asked to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different types of remedies available to the different categories of non-staff personnel, such as individual contractors, consultants and daily paid workers, and to analyse their financial implications.

Another Fifth Committee resolution adopted today included a lengthy text on the Capital Master Plan, by which the Assembly decided not to approve the Secretary-General’s recommended “associated costs” at this time.  It noted with concern that a number of those costs did not relate directly to the Capital Master Plan.  The amount put forward as associated costs stood at $42.07 million.

Related to the Capital Master Plan, the Assembly -- through a separate resolution on pattern of conferences -- would note that, while the Headquarters building was being refurbished, conference-servicing staff had been temporarily located to a swing space.  The Secretary-General was asked to provide those staff with adequate support to ensure continued delivery of quality services.

With regard to planning, programming and coordination of work at the United Nations, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, a text reaffirming the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) as the main subsidiary organ of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council devoted to that purpose.  At the same time, however, the Assembly stressed that priorities-setting at the United Nations was the prerogative of Member States.

A similar sentiment was expressed in its resolution on activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), through which the Assembly expressed concern with its recommendations concerning the merging the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.  As reiterated by the Assembly in its text, the OIOS was not to propose changes to legislative decisions and mandates already approved by intergovernmental bodies.

The remaining resolutions adopted by the Assembly were on the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and on the finances of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  UNOMIG’s mandate had ended on 15 June, and its appropriations for 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 would be reduced by around half a million dollars.  The appropriation for the period from 1 July to 31 December 2009, for administrative liquidation of the Mission, was to be reduced from $15 million to $10.94 million.

With regards the refugee agency, the Assembly noted concerns raised by auditors regarding finances administered by the UNHCR, which had not received third-party audit certificates from several implementing partners.  The amount not certified totalled $252 million.

In other action, the Assembly took note of appointments, made by the General Assembly President on the recommendation of the African States Group, Eastern European States Group and Western European and Other States Group, respectively, of Czech Republic, Egypt and Sweden to the Consultative Committee of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which considers policy matters related to the Fund.  Those countries will serve for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2010, to fill three remaining vacancies.

Further, the General Assembly elected by acclamation Czech Republic as a member of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission for two-year term beginning on 1 January 2010.  It also elected by secret ballot Peru to a term of the same duration.

In final action, the Assembly decided to extend the work of its Fifth Committee until Wednesday, 23 December.

The General Assembly will reconvene at a time to be announced on Wednesday, 23 December, to take up the remaining reports of its Fifth Committee.

Background

The General Assembly met today to take up the first group of reports from the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), containing eight draft resolutions and one draft decision.  Also slated for action was a plenary text on assistance to survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence (document A/64/L.40).

The first, on financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors (document A/64/547), contains a draft resolution by the same name, which the Committee approved without a vote on 23 October (see Press Release GA/AB/3923).

By its terms, the General Assembly would accept the financial report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the year ended 31 December 2008, as well as a related audit opinion of the Board of Auditors and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).

Endorsing the recommendations of the Board, the Assembly would note its concerns as contained in the qualified audit opinion on the financial statements of the voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which followed a Board of Auditors modified audit report in 2008.  It would further note measures taken by the Office to address the seriousness of its financial problems, and encourage the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to implement all the recommendations of the Board and to report to the relevant governing bodies on progress made in that regard.  The Assembly would further commend the Board of Auditors for its identification of common reasons for the lack of full implementation, as well as good practices in relation to the implementation and follow-up of its reports.

By further provisions, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General and executive heads of funds and programmes to ensure full and prompt implementation of the recommendations and to hold programme managers accountable for it.  In the future, an explanation for delays would be requested, as well as information on the time frame and priorities for the implementation and office holders to be held accountable.

A second report, on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 (document A/64/548), contains a draft resolution on the Capital Master Plan, approved without a vote on 3 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3933).

The draft comprises three parts:  a section relating to items touched on in the seventh annual progress report, one on risk mitigation measures to protect data and the information and communications systems of the Secretariat, and one on associated costs.

By the terms of that draft, the Assembly would endorse the ACABQ’s conclusions and recommendations regarding the Capital Master Plan and accept the report of the Board of Auditors for the year ended 31 December 2008.  It would note with concern the findings of the Board of Auditors and would request the Secretary-General to provide, in his eighth annual progress report, steps taken and progress achieved for the full implementation of those recommendations.

The Assembly would, further by the text, request the Secretary-General to make every effort to avoid budget increases.  It would express concern about the merging of the provision for contingencies and that for forward pricing escalation contrary to the outline of the budget, as approved by the Assembly at its sixty-first session.  The Secretary-General would be requested to distinguish between the provision for contingencies and that for forward pricing escalation as was done in the previous presentation of the cost estimate for the project.

The text would also have the Assembly encourage the Secretary-General to pursue value engineering, and request him, in his next progress report, to provide a breakdown of the estimated cost savings to be realized through each value engineering initiative.

By other terms, the Assembly would express concern that the completion of the Capital Master Plan had slipped from mid-2013 to late in 2013, as a consequence of the delay in the construction of the temporary North Lawn building.  It would take note, in that regard, of the accelerated schedule developed by the Secretary-General, which would allow for the completion of the Capital Master Plan on time.  In future progress reports, it would request more information on the cost implications with respect to project delays, and would also express its regret that security concerns and space requirements were not duly considered much earlier.  It would also express regret that the decision to maintain the Security Council within the main complex of buildings had not been part of initial planning, thus resulting in delays, significant changes in project design and additional costs.

Additional provisions of the text would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to discuss in his next progress report steps taken to ensure that all previous and future amendments to contracts relating to the procurement were in line with the United Nations Procurement Manual.  He would also be asked to report on efforts to involve the Headquarters Committee on Contracts in the adjudication process prior to the signing or amending of contracts, done within the scope of that Committee’s authority and in a manner which would not impede expeditious progress.  It would express concern at the risk posed by the absence of a review of contractual amendments, and would note that some measures taken to avoid delays in the procurement process, in particular the ex post facto review of contracts, risked having a negative impact.  It would reiterate its request to the Secretary-General to ensure that the construction manager, in consultation with the Procurement Division of the Department of Management of the Secretariat, prepare and implement an action plan to promote procurement opportunities for contractors and vendors from developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

As regards measures to protect data and the information and communications systems of the Secretariat, the Assembly would note with concern that the Secretary-General did not move forward with the International Computing Centre to lease services for the transfer of the secondary data centre.  It would urge the Secretary-General to ensure that activities related to the migration and running of the secondary data centre were completed within the specified time frame.  It would request the Secretary-General to continue to negotiate the most cost-effective lease and services possible, and to report on it to the Assembly in his next progress report.

The text would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to absorb $11.64 million needed for data protection within the approved budget of the Capital Master Plan for the 2010-2011 biennium.  It would also decide that the Secretary-General should include $1.25 million, to go towards that project, in the proposed requirements for the support account for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011, and $941,640 for the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.

Regarding associated costs, the Assembly would decide not to approve the overall level at this time, bearing in mind opportunities for further cost reductions posed by the present economic circumstances, as well as savings realized by the Secretary-General.  It would note with concern that a number of the requirements set out under associated costs required did not relate directly to the Capital Master Plan, but rather to ongoing capital improvements, investment costs and long-term commitments.

Of the associated costs recommended by the Secretary-General for approval, the text would request the Secretary-General to absorb $42.07 million of that amount within the overall budget approved for the Capital Master Plan, broken down as follows:

-- $645,600 for the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management;

-- $27.03 million for the Department of Public Information;

-- $6.01 million for the Office of Central Support Services;

-- $2.17 million for construction, alteration, improvement and major maintenance activities at Headquarters;

-- $5.60 million for the Department of Safety and Security; and

-- $611,800 for the Office of Information and Communications Technology.

The Assembly also had a report on programme planning (document A/64/549), containing a draft resolution of the same name that was approved without a vote on 5 November (see Press Release GA/AB/3928).

By its terms, the General Assembly would reaffirm the role of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) as the main subsidiary organ of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for planning, programming and coordination.  At the same time, the Assembly would re-emphasize the role of its plenary and Main Committees in reviewing and taking action on the recommendations of the CPC relevant to their work and stress that setting the priorities of the United Nations is the prerogative of Member States.

Stressing the need for Member States to participate fully in the budget preparation process, the Assembly would further endorse the conclusions and recommendations of the CPC on:  the annual overview report of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination for 2008/09; the United Nations system support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); and improving the working methods and procedures of the CPC within the framework of its mandate.

The next report, on pattern of conferences (document A/64/580), contains a draft resolution of the same name, approved without a vote on 18 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3938).

In Part I of the draft, the Assembly would approve the draft biennial calendar of conferences and meetings of the United Nations for 2010 and 2011, as submitted by the Committee on Conferences.  It would request the Secretary-General to examine the feasibility and implications of all proposals to adjust the calendar of conferences and meetings, aimed at addressing the problem of timely availability and consideration of documentation of the Fifth Committee.  It would authorize the Committee on Conferences to make any adjustments to the calendar of conferences and meetings for 2010 and 2011 that might become necessary as a result of actions and decisions taken by the Assembly at its sixty-fourth session.

Under Part II, the Assembly would note that the “utilization factor” at the four main duty stations in 2008 was at 85 per cent, as compared with 83 per cent in 2007 and 2006.  It would welcome steps taken by the duty stations to achieve optimum use of conference-servicing resources, and invite the secretariats and bureaux of bodies to avoid late starts and unplanned early endings that could affect utilization.  It would note that bodies entitled to meet “as required” were provided with interpretation services in New York about 90 per cent of the time in 2008, as compared with 88 per cent in 2007.  It would express regret that, in 2007, the percentage of meetings held by regional and other major States groupings were provided with interpretation services 77 per cent of the time at the four main duty stations, compared with 84 per cent in 2007.  It would request the Secretary-General to continue to employ innovative means to address the difficulties experienced by Member States owing to lack of conference services.

Still under Part II, the Assembly would urge intergovernmental bodies to make provision for meetings of regional groups and other major groupings in their programmes of work, and to notify conference services well in advance of any cancellations so that unused conference-servicing resources might be reassigned to meetings of regional groups and other major groupings.  It would note with satisfaction that all meetings of Nairobi-based United Nations bodies were held in Nairobi in 2008.  It would note with appreciation initiatives undertaken by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), which led to a continued upward trend in the use of premises in 2008.  It would request the Secretary-General to continue to explore means to increase the use of the ECA conference centre.

As regards the impact of the Capital Master Plan on meetings, the draft would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary relocation of conference-servicing staff to a swing space would not compromise the quality of conference services provided to Member States in the six official languages.  It would note that, during the implementation of the Capital Master Plan, a part of the conference-servicing staff and information technology resources of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management had been temporarily located to a swing space, and would request the Secretary-General to continue to provide adequate support to ensure continued delivery of quality conference services.

Under Part III, the draft would have the Assembly note the progress achieved in the implementation of the global information technology project, aimed at integrating information technology into meetings management and documentation-processing systems.  It would request the Secretary-General to ensure that all language services were given equal treatment and were provided with equally favourable working conditions and resources, with full respect for the specificities of the six official languages and taking account of their respective workloads.  It would reiterate the need for the Secretary-General to ensure that technology used in all duty stations were user-friendly in all official languages.

By further provisions, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to complete the task of uploading all important older United Nations documents onto the United Nations website in all six official languages so that they were available to Member States through that medium.  It would request the Secretary-General to continue to ensure that measures were taken by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management to seek the evaluation by Member States of the quality of conference services, and welcome efforts by the Department to do so.  It would request the Secretary-General to continue to explore ways to systematically capture and analyse feedback from States and committee chairpersons and secretaries on the quality of conference services.  It would note with concern that the Secretary-General did not include in his report on the pattern of conferences information about financial savings achieved through integrated global management projects.

Under Part IV, on documentation and publication-related matters, the Assembly would decide that all reports adopted by the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council, and information submitted by States under review, should be issued as documents in all official languages.  It would recognize the work done by the task force chaired by the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in addressing the problem of issuance of documents for the Fifth Committee.  It would welcome continued efforts of the task force to shepherd the submissions of documents, while expressing deep concern at the unprecedented high level of late submission of documentation.  It would decide to review the work of the task force and to consider additional measures to ensure compliance of submission deadlines by author departments, while acknowledging that a multi-pronged approach was required to solve the perennial difficulties of late issuances of Fifth Committee documents.  It would encourage the Chairpersons of the Fifth Committee and the ACABQ to promote cooperation between the two bodies in the sphere of documentation.

Under Part V, on translation and interpretation-related matters, it would reaffirm its request that the Secretary-General, when recruiting temporary assistance in the language services, ensure that all language services be given equal treatment and were provided with equally favourable working conditions.  It would acknowledge measures undertaken by the Secretary-General to address the issue of the replacement of retiring staff in the language services.  The Secretary-General would be requested to hold competitive examinations for the recruitment of language staff sufficiently in advance, in order to fill current and future vacancies in language services in a timely manner.  It would also request the Secretary-General to continue to improve the accuracy of translated documents and further request that steps be taken to enhance the translation quality, in particular for contractual translation.

A report on the United Nations common system (document A/64/581) contains a draft resolution on the report of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) for 2009, approved without a vote on 18 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3938).

By terms of the resolution, the Assembly would take note of the Commission’s report.  In section A of the draft, on conditions of service of staff in the Professional and higher categories, the text would have the Assembly reaffirm that the range of 110 to 120 for the margin between the remuneration of officials in the Professional and higher categories and that of the comparator civil service (the United States federal civil service) should continue to apply, on the understanding that the margin would be maintained at a level around the midpoint of 115 over time.  For the period from 1 January to 31 December, it is estimated at 113.8.

Regarding the base/floor salary scale, the text would recall the Assembly’s resolution 44/198 by which it had established a floor net salary level of officials in comparable positions serving at the base city of the comparator civil service.  It would approve, with effect from 1 January 2010, as recommended by the ICSC, the revised base/floor scale of gross and net salaries for staff in the Professional and higher categories contained in an annex to the Commission’s report.

On gender balance and geographical distribution, the text would have the Assembly note with disappointment the insufficient progress made with regard to women’s representation, particularly at the senior level.  It would welcome a decision by the Commission to implement outreach initiatives to attract, develop and retain the most talented men and women, and encourage the Commission to consider further issues relating to female staff retention.

Concerning conditions of service for both categories of staff, the text would have the Assembly take note of the Commission’s recommendation to introduce end-of-service severance pay in common system organization for fixed-term staff involuntarily separating from the organization upon the expiration of their contract after 10 or more years of continuous service.  It would decide to revert to the question of the proposed end-of-service severance pay at its sixty-fifth session.

Further to the text, the Assembly would take note of the recommendation of governing bodies of the United Nations common system organizations to harmonize their termination indemnity schedule with that of the United Nations, and also request the Commission to review the application of the termination indemnity.  It would reiterate that the death grant should not be payable to secondary dependants and reiterate its call to the governing bodies of the common system organization to align their provisions regarding death grants with those of the United Nations.

On the mandatory age of separation, the text would have the Assembly request the Commission to report, at its sixty-sixth session, on the possibility of changing the mandatory age of separation, including the implications in the areas of human resources policies and pensions.  As for the senior management network, it would note the decision of the Chief Executives Board to discontinue work on the senior management network, and request the Commission to monitor the adequacy of measures aimed at improving management capacity and performance within the United Nations common system.

The Committee’s report on human resources management (document A/64/550) contains a draft decision on the provisional staff rules, approved without a vote on 3 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3933).  By its terms, the Assembly would decide that the Staff Rules, as referred to in the report of the Secretary-General, should remain provisional pending their further consideration at its sixty-fifth session.

The report on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) (document A/64/551) contains a draft resolution of the same name, approved without a vote also on 3 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3933).  It would have the Assembly recall that the OIOS should exercise operational independence under the authority of the Secretary-General relating to the performance of its internal oversight functions.  But, it would also express deep concern with the recommendations of the OIOS in paragraph 37 of its report (concerning the potential efficiency of combining the administrative and advocacy functions of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, and would reiterate that the OIOS should not propose to the Assembly any change to the legislative decisions and mandates approved by intergovernmental legislative bodies.  It would urge the Secretary-General to ensure that the Oversight Office conduct its activities in accordance with its mandates.

A report on the administration of justice at the United Nations (document A/64/582) contains a draft resolution of the same name, approved without a vote on 18 December (see Press Release GA/AB/3938).

By the draft, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its sixty-fifth session on the status of the judges of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal and their entitlements, including travel and daily subsistence allowance.  The Secretary-General would be further requested to provide information on:  the exact terms of reference of the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services concerning access by non-staff personnel; the exact number of persons other than staff working for the United Nations system under different types of contracts, including individual contractors, consultants, personnel under service contracts, personnel under special service agreements and daily paid workers; and a compilation of the standard contracts and rules, including dispute settlement clauses, that govern the relations between the Organization and the various categories of non-staff personnel.

By other terms, further information would be requested on:  an analysis of monetary compensation awarded, as well as indirect costs associated with an appeal, such as staff time, including identification of those aspects of staff administration which give rise to large numbers of appeals, as well as comparative data from the old and the new system; and measures in place to provide for accountability of officials for causing financial loss to the Organization under the new system for administration of justice.

Other provisions of the draft would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General, with regard to remedies available to the different categories of non-staff personnel, to analyse and compare the respective advantages and disadvantages, including the financial implications, of the following options:

-- Establishment of an expedited special arbitration procedure, conducted under the auspices of local, national or regional arbitration associations, for claims under $25,000 submitted by personal service contractors;

-- Establishment of an internal standing body that would make binding decisions on disputes submitted by non-staff personnel, not subject to appeal and using streamlined procedures, as proposed by the Secretary-General in his report on administration of justice;

-- Establishment of a simplified procedure for non-staff personnel before the United Nations Dispute Tribunal, which would make binding decisions not subject to appeal and using streamlined procedures; and

-- Granting of access to the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal, under their current rules of procedure, to non-staff personnel.

A report on financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) (document A/64/552) contains a draft resolution of the same name, approved without a vote on 24 November (see Press Release GA/AB/3932).

UNOMIG’s mandate was not extended beyond 15 June 2009.

By the terms of the text, the General Assembly would reduce the Mission’s initial appropriation for the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 from $36.08 million to $35.58 million.  The Assembly would further reduce the appropriation of $15 million previously approved for the administrative liquidation of the Mission for the period from 1 July to 31 December 2009 to some $10.94 million.

In addition to taking action on those texts, the Assembly was also scheduled to appoint members to the Consultative Committee of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and to elect two members of the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission.

Introduction of Draft

Introducing the draft resolution, on assistance to survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence (A/64/L.40), the representative of Benin, on behalf of the African Group and other co-sponsors, said the text welcomed the Secretary-General’s report of the same name (A/64/313).  It commended efforts of the Rwandan Government and people, as well as the global community, for providing support to restore the dignity of survivors.

Moreover, the resolution called on Member States and the United Nations to urgently implement the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report, he said.  The Secretary-General was requested to take all necessary measures to implement the present resolution and report to the Assembly’s sixty-sixth session with recommendations for further support.  It was imperative that, six years after the adoption of the first resolution on the matter, survivors of the Rwandan genocide be given the support they deserved.  He hoped that the text would be adopted by consensus.

The Assembly then adopted, by consensus, the resolution on “Assistance to survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence”.

Appointment of Members to Consultative Committee

The Assembly then turned its attention to the appointment of members of the Consultative Committee of UNIFEM, which considers policy matters related to the Fund.

The Assembly took note of appointments, made by the General Assembly President on the recommendation of the African States Group, Eastern European States Group and Western European and Other States Group, respectively, of Czech Republic, Egypt and Sweden to the Consultative Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2010, to fill three remaining vacancies.

Action on Fifth Committee Texts

The Assembly took up nine reports of the Fifth Committee, each containing texts that were adopted without a vote.  In order of adoption, they were a resolution on financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors, contained in paragraph 7 in a report of the same name (document A/64/547); a resolution on the Capital Master Plan, contained in paragraph 6 of the report on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 (document A/64/548); a resolution on programme planning, contained in paragraph 7 in a report of the same name (document A/64/549); and a resolution on pattern of conferences, contained in paragraph 6 of a report by the same name (document A/64/580).

Other texts adopted without a vote were a resolution on the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2009, contained in paragraph 8 of the report on the United Nations common system (document A/64/581); a decision on the provisional staff rules, in paragraph 8 of the report on human resources management (document A/64/550); a resolution on the report on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, contained in paragraph 6 of a report of the same name (document A/64/551); a resolution on the administration of justice at the United Nations (document A/64/582), contained in paragraph 6 of a report of the same name; and a resolution on financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia, contained in paragraph 6, also in a report of the same name.

Election of Members of Peacebuilding Commission Organizational Committee

The Assembly then moved to fill vacancies on the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission, the three-year old body to which it has been mandated to appoint seven members.  Last year, the Assembly decided that the term of office of two of the members it had appointed to the Organizational Committee due to expire on 22 June 2009, Georgia and Jamaica, would be extended through the end of December 2009.  At that time, the Assembly also decided that the terms of office of the members of the Assembly on the Organizational Committee would begin from 1 January, rather than 23 June (the day that marked the official inauguration of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2006).  Finally, the Assembly had decided that its members on that body were eligible for immediate re-election.

Regarding candidatures for the two seats under consideration today, the Assembly President informed Member States that the Group of Eastern European States had endorsed Czech Republic, and that the Latin American and Caribbean Group had nominated both Jamaica and Peru.  The Assembly then elected by acclamation Czech Republic to a two-year term on the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission beginning 1 January 2010.  As the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States had put two candidates forward, the Assembly then held a secret ballot to elect a member from that Group.

Voting Results

Latin American and Caribbean States:

Number of Ballot Papers:      175

Number of Invalid Ballots:      0

Number of valid ballots:      175

Abstentions:                    4

Required Majority:            86

Number of Votes Obtained:

Peru:                         97

Jamaica:                      74

Having obtained the required majority, Peru was elected to the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2010.

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For information media • not an official record