Fifth Committee Recommends Delegates to Fill Vacancies in Five General Assembly Subsidiary Bodies, International Civil Service Commission

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today recommended delegates to fill dozens of vacancies in six United Nations bodies – including the essential Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions – that help the 193 delegates manage the Organization’s vast human resources and its finances.

The nominations will be forwarded to the General Assembly for approval during the current seventieth-first session.  The other bodies considered today were the Committee on Contributions, Investments Committee, International Civil Service Commission, Independent Audit Advisory Committee and the United Nations Staff Pension Committee. 

Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)

Delegates first turned their attention to eight three‑year slots on the 16‑member ACABQ, which plays a crucial role in helping the Fifth Committee examine the Organization’s budget and numerous management initiatives.

The Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment of Takeshi Akamatsu (Japan), Mahesh Kumar (India), and Ye Xuenong (China), from the Asia-Pacific States, to three-year terms starting 1 January 2017.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico) from the Latin American and Caribbean States was selected by a secret ballot, during which he received the majority of votes, 97, out of a total of 192 ballots cast.  He was then recommended for appointment to the Advisory Committee.  Marcel Jullier (Switzerland) and Catherine Vendat (France) from the Western European and Other States also were selected by secret ballot.  Mr. Jullier received 168 votes and Ms. Vendat 105 votes, out of a total of 191 valid ballots, for three-year terms beginning 1 January 2017.

Committee on Contributions

For the 18‑member Committee on Contributions, which advises the Assembly on the distribution of the Organization’s expenses among Member States, delegates recommended by acclamation the appointment or reappointment of five people for three-year terms starting 1 January 2017.  They included: Cheikh Tidiane Deme (Senegal) from the African States; Bernardo Greiver (Uruguay) and Alejandro Torres Lepori (Argentina) from the Latin American and Caribbean States; and Gordon Eckersley (Australia) and Ugo Sessi (Italy) from the Western European and other States.

The nomination of an additional member, to fill a remaining vacancy from the Group of African States, would take place at a later date.

Investments Committee

For the nine‑member United Nations Investments Committee, which advises the Secretary‑General on investment strategy and reviews the investments of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund at its quarterly meetings, the Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation eight members for reappointment as well as one appointment.

The reappointments for regular members for three-year terms beginning 1 January 2017 were: Masakazu Arikawa (Japan); Madhav Dhar (India); Simon Jiang (China); Achim Kassow (Germany); Nemir Kirdar (Iraq); Michael Klein (United States); Linah K. Mohohlo (Botswana); and Gumersindo Oliveroso (Spain).

The appointment of Luciane Ribeiro (Brazil), as a regular member to a three-year term beginning on 1 January, was then recommended by acclamation.

International Civil Service Commission

The Fifth Committee then turned its attention to the five pending vacancies on the 15‑member International Civil Service Commission, an independent expert body established by the Assembly to regulate and coordinate service conditions for thousands of staff throughout the United Nations common system.  The full Commission meets twice a year.

The Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation five members for appointment or reappointment to the Commission: Larbi Djacta (Algeria) and El Hassane Zahid (Morocco) from the African States; Mohammed Farashuddin (Bangladesh) and Wang Xiaochu (China) from the Asia-Pacific States; and Sergei V. Garmonin (Russian Federation) from the Eastern European States.

Independent Audit Advisory Committee

The Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation two persons to the Independent Audit Advisory Committee, a subsidiary body of the Assembly that uses its expertise to help the Assembly meet its oversight responsibilities.  Its members are independent of the Governments that nominate them and the Committee is independent of the Board of Auditors, the Joint Inspection Unit and the Secretariat.

Patricia Arriagada Villouta (Chile), from the Latin American and Caribbean States, and Natalia A. Bocharova (Russian Federation), from the Eastern European States, were recommended for reappointment to three‑year terms beginning on 1 January 2017.

The nomination of another member to fill the remaining vacancy from the Asia‑Pacific States would take place at a later date.

United Nations Staff Pension Committee

Finally, the Fifth Committee considered the eight slots, for four members and four alternative members, open with the United Nations Staff Pension Committee.  Among its functions guided by the Pension Board Standing Committee, the Staff Pension Committee in each member organization works to determine incapacity when awarding disability benefits.

Both pension committees work with the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund Board to help keep the Fund running smoothly and successfully.  The Fund is administered by the Pension Board, a staff pension committee for each member organization, and a secretariat to the Pension Board and to each staff pension committee.

The Fifth Committee appointed Dmitry S. Chumakov (Russian Federation); Hitoshi Kozaki (Japan); Lovemore Mazemo (Zimbabwe); Philip Richard Okanda Owade (Kenya); Pia Poroli (Argentina); Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh); Thomas Repasch (United States); and Jörg Stosberg (Germany) to four‑year terms to the United Nations Staff Pension Committee beginning 1 January 2017.

For additional detail on the appointments, the delegates had before them the Secretary-General’s notes on the appointment of members of the ACABQ (documents A/71/101/Rev.1 and A/C.5/71/4); Committee on Contributions (documents A/71/102/Rev.1 and A/C.5/71/5); Investments Committee (documents A/71/103 and A/C.5/71/6); International Civil Service Commission (documents A/71/104 and A/C.5/71/7); Independent Audit Advisory Committee (documents A/71/105 and A/C.5/71/8); and the United Nations Staff Pension Committee (documents A/71/106 and A/C.5/71/9).

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m., on Tuesday, 15 November to discuss administrative and budgetary coordination of United Nations specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); the administrative and budgetary aspects of financing peacekeeping operations as it relates to sexual exploitation and abuse; and revised estimates of the 2016-2017 programme budget resulting from resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

Voting Results for Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions

Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat)
Number of ballot papers:	192
Number of invalid ballots:	0
Number of valid ballots:	192
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	192
Required majority:	97
Number of votes obtained:
Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico)	99
Olivio Fermin (Dominican Republic)	93

Having received the required majority, the following member from Latin American and Caribbean States was elected to the ACABQ:  Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico).

Western European and other States (2 seats)
Number of ballot papers:	192
Number of invalid ballots:	1
Number of valid ballots:	191
Abstentions:	0
Number of Members present and voting:	191
Required majority:	96
Number of votes obtained:
Marcel Jullier (Switzerland)	168
Catherine Vendat (France)	105
Ron Adam (Israel)	99

Having received the required majority, the following members were elected to the ACABQ:  Marcel Jullier (Switzerland) and Catherine Vendat (France).