Budget Committee Backs Proposed Funding to Implement International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined how the budget of the United Nations would be affected should the General Assembly adopt a draft resolution on the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024.
The draft would have the Assembly adopt the programme of activities for the implementation of the Decade, and appoint the High Commissioner for Human Rights as the programme’s coordinator. The Secretary-General would be requested to submit annual progress reports, and the Assembly President would be asked to convene a midterm review. The activities programme recognized the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action as a comprehensive, United Nations framework, and a solid foundation for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
Johannes Huisman, Director of the Department of Management’s Programme Planning and Budget Division, said the adoption of the text would require $1.08 million in additional resources for 2015. The Assembly would also be asked to approve the establishment of three posts for 10 years, starting on 1 January 2015: a P-4, P-3 and one General Service (Other level) under section 24, Human rights, of the 2014-2015 programme budget.
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), said his body recommended approval of the requested resources, and trusted that the Secretary-General would ensure that the programme’s activities complimented other programmes carried out by the Organization, in order to avoid duplication.
Togo’s representative, speaking on behalf of the African Group, urged the Secretary-General to implement the envisaged activities fully and effectively. While strongly supporting the additional requirement for the biennium 2014-2015, he also encouraged Member States to make extra-budgetary contributions to supplement implementation. The Group also expected that resources for a mid-term review would be provided in due course.
Brazil’s delegate, noting that his country had 100 million people of African descent as of 2013, the largest in the world, with the number set to exceed 150 million by 2042, expressed his Government’s commitment to support the International Decade.
Bolivia’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, supported the additional resource requirement for 2015. So did Costa Rica’s delegate, who spoke on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), noting that the Decade of Latin American and Caribbean Afro-descendants started 1 January 2014.
In other business today, the Committee approved an oral draft decision, by which the General Assembly would take note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Office for Partnerships.
The Committee also drew attention to the letter dated 29 October 2014 (document A/C.5/69/10) under the agenda item “Administration of justice at the United Nations.”
The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 6 November to discuss the 2014-2015 programme budget for Umoja, the Organization’s enterprise resource planning system.
Programme budget implications: Draft Resolution on African Descent Decade
JOHANNES HUISMAN, Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division of the Department of Management, introduced the statement on the Programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent (document A/C.5/69/4), submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly. The statement detailed the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/69/L.3.
If the Assembly were to adopt draft resolution A/69/L.3, additional resources of nearly $1.08 million would be required for 2015 under the 2014-2015 programme budget, Mr. Huisman said. That would include $191,800 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; $796,100 under section 24, Human rights; and $88,500 under section 28, Public information; as well as $70,300 under section 36, Staff assessment, to be offset by a corresponding amount under income section 1, Income from staff assessment. The $1.08 million would be charged against the contingency fund for the biennium 2014-2015.
The Secretary-General also asked the Assembly to approve the establishment of three temporary posts: a P-4, P-3 and one General Service (Other level) under section 24, Human rights, effective 1 January 2015. Those posts were requested for 10 years, aligning with the duration of the related activities called for in the draft resolution.
According to the statement, the additional requirements would tally $9 million between 2015 and 2025. The statement is a response to Assembly resolution 68/237, which established the International Decade for the People of African Descent, starting 1 January 2015 and ending on 31 December 2024.
CARLOS RUIZ MASSIEU, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), introduced the Advisory Committee’s related report (document A/69/551). The Committee noted that, of the $9.03 million required to carry out the Programme’s activities, the Secretary-General was requesting resources of $1.08 million for the 2014-2015 biennium.
The Advisory Committee recommended approval of the requested resources and trusted that the Secretary-General would ensure that the Programme’s activities complimented other programmes carried out by the Organization, in order to avoid duplication. The Advisory Committee recommended that the Fifth Committee inform the Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/69/L.3, additional requirements of $1.08 million under sections 2, 24 and 28 would arise under the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015. That would represent a charge against the contingency fund and require appropriation for the biennium.
In its report, the Advisory Committee stated that proper monitoring and evaluation of the Programme should be carried out and reported to the Assembly on a regular basis, in order to assess whether the intended objectives were achieved.
DAYANA ANGELA RIOS REQUENA (Bolivia), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, expressed full support for providing the resources requested by the Secretary-General, which were endorsed by ACABQ, should the Assembly adopt draft resolution A/69/L.3. The Group called for all mandates approved by intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations to be provided with adequate resources from the regular budget so they could be implemented.
PAULA COTO-RAMÍREZ (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said that earlier this year the Community had adopted a communiqué proclaiming the Decade of Latin American and Caribbean Afro-descendants, starting 1 January 2014. It also held a meeting to discuss the region’s engagement on the programme of activities to implement the International Decade. Those initiatives were a testimony to the commitment of Latin American and Caribbean nations. The Community concurred with the statement on budget implications submitted by the Secretary-General and endorsed by ACABQ.
KODJOVI DOSSEH (Togo), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said that the theme of the International Decade “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development” was evocative of the history of the continent. He urged the Secretary-General to ensure the full, effective implementation of the envisaged programme of activities. He strongly supported the Secretary-General’s resource proposal for the biennium 2014-2015, also encouraging Member States to provide additional, extra-budgetary resources to supplement the implementation of the planned activities. The Group also expected that resources for a mid-term review would be provided in due course.
SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (Brazil) said his country had 100 million people of African descent as of 2013, the largest in the world, with the number set to exceed 150 million by 2042. Noting that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action had inspired the adoption of legislation, national plans, and affirmative action policies, as well as the creation of specialized state bodies and mechanisms in Brazil, he highlighted his country’s commitment to the success of the International Decade.