Debate Focuses on 2018 Work Programme, Reports of Joint Inspection Unit, as Fifth Committee Resumes Seventy-Second Session
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) opened the first part of its resumed seventy‑second session today, reviewing its provisional work programme and hearing the introduction of reports pertaining to the work of the Joint Inspection Unit.
Fifth Committee Chair Michel Tommo Monthe (Cameroon) opened the resumed session, stressing that there was no doubt that the Committee had its work cut out for it, and in that context, he counted on delegates to exercise the same necessary discipline and pragmatism that had been demonstrated in the past.
Several delegates highlighted the importance of the Committee’s consideration of the rationalized use of air travel resources, with Japan’s representative saying that current trends in the airline industry and the rapid development of information and communications technology were strong drivers for better utilizing those resources. “It matters whether or not we can show the world that the United Nations is able to deliver necessary changes in its working culture,” he emphasized, adding that with larger reform agendas pending, it was the responsibility of the Member States to achieve concrete outcomes on that matter as a first step toward reform.
Mexico’s representative said that in line with austerity measures taken by Member States and to ensure accountability, first‑class travel should be eliminated for all United Nations staff, except the Secretary‑General and his spouse. On the restructuring of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) — another item in the Committee’ work programme — he said the reassignment of staff from Geneva to regional offices would bring that entity closer to the field and able to respond better to Member State demands in a cost‑neutral way. Mexico supported the proposal to establish an OHCHR regional office for Latin American and the Caribbean in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The speaker for the Russian Federation said that there were no objective reasons for reviewing the Secretary‑General’s report on restructuring OHCHR during the current session. Nevertheless, her delegation was ready to continue the discussion on the item, but was convinced that any future decision on the restructuring proposal should only be adopted by consensus; otherwise an undesirable precedent could be set that could have far‑reaching consequences.
The European Union’s representative said the bloc was concerned by the increasing politicization of the Committee’s work. Every proposal put forward by the Secretary‑General should be considered without distinction or political consideration, he stressed. The work programme should not reflect the political priorities of one subsection of members to the detriment of others.
Regarding the Committee’s consideration of the new facility for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Arusha, which was largely completed in December 2016, the representative of Egypt, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said it was important for the Secretariat to closely monitor progress in the post‑occupancy defects liability phase and ensure that outstanding issues were rectified without delay, with a final progress report to the General Assembly to follow.
Angola’s representative, speaking on behalf of the African Group, echoed that sentiment, indicating that the Group would seek to better understand the implementation of the defects liability phase at the new facility and would ask the Committee to consider the Mechanism’s budget during its second resumed session in May, as any further deferment could halt its operations.
The Committee also heard the introduction of reports related to the Joint Inspection Unit, with Jorge Flores Callejas, Committee Vice‑Chair and Inspector of the Unit, introducing its annual report for 2017 and its programme of work for 2018. He also presented the Unit’s report on the review of the follow‑up of its reports and recommendations by the United Nations system organizations.
The Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, Simona Petrova, also introduced the Secretary‑General’s notes on the Unit’s 2017 report, as well as on the review of the follow‑up on the Unit’s reports and recommendations.
Egypt’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77, said the Group was particularly concerned with the low rate of acceptance and implementation of the Unit’s recommendations by some organizations and underscored the importance of achieving maximum benefit realization of the Unit’s valuable work.
The delegate of the United States said that with the United Nations implementing the Secretary‑General’s reform proposals, the Unit should play a key role in helping ensure that the Organization incorporated lessons learned from past reform endeavours. Looking forward to the Unit’s reports in 2018, including its review of oversight bodies and whistle‑blower protection policies, she said her country would continue to press for better measures to protect staff members against retaliation when they reported misconduct.
Also speaking today were the representatives of El Salvador (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), China, Morocco and Belarus.
The Fifth Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 15 March to take up its agenda item on standards of air travel.
Organization of Work
MOHAMED FATHI AHMED EDREES (Egypt), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the United Nations was passing through a critical juncture, with decisions soon to be taken on important institutional changes to make the Organization more efficient, effective in mandate delivery and fit for purpose. On specific issues to be addressed by the Fifth Committee, he said the Group of 77 would be interested in examining why some entities were not fully implementing the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit. On standards of accommodation of air travel, the Committee must thoroughly reflect on proposals from the Secretary‑General and recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and to ensure benefit realization vis‑à‑vis implementation of Umoja in travel administration.
Turning to the Committee’s consideration of the new facility for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Arusha, which was largely completed in December 2016, he said it was important for the Secretariat to closely monitor progress in the post‑occupancy defects liability phase and ensure that outstanding issues were rectified without delay, with a final progress report to the General Assembly to follow. He said the Group of 77 looked forward to timely issuance of reports by the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee in all official languages, and underscored the need to manage the work of both the Fifth Committee and the Advisory Committee, with priority given to time‑sensitive and budget‑related issues.
MÁRCIO SANDRO ALEIXO PEREIRA BURITY (Angola), speaking on behalf of the African Group and associating himself with the Group of 77, noting that the Committee had roughly two weeks to conclude its first resumed session, said all delegations must strictly abide by the principles of inclusiveness, openness and transparency in engaging in negotiations. The programme of work must be well balanced, he said, urging the Secretariat, the Advisory Committee and the Bureau of the Fifth Committee to find synergies that would permit the quick submission of reports.
Turning to the agenda items before the Committee, he said the African Group would seek to better understand the implementation of the defects liability phase at the newly constructed International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals facility in Arusha. It also requested that the Committee include consideration of the Mechanism’s budget in the agenda of the second resumed session in May, as any further deferment could halt the Mechanism’s operations. He thanked the Secretary‑General for his efforts vis‑à‑vis standards of accommodation for air travel, adding that the African Group would keenly participate in negotiations on the Joint Inspection Unit’s report and work programme.
RUBÉN ARMANDO ESCALANTE HASBÚN (El Salvador), speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said the Committee must agree on a programme of work in a timely manner, given that its current session was only supposed to last two weeks. The proposed programme of work included several issues of great importance to CELAC, including — among other things — utilization of the contingency fund, standards of accommodation for air travel, and financing of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Arusha. He emphasized the importance of respecting the session’s date of completion, saying Member States had proven that no matter how complex the issue, with political will, the Committee could finish its work on time.
JAN DE PRETER, European Union, said that the Secretary‑General had clearly detailed his ambition to make the United Nations more efficient and more responsive through his specific proposals. The common objective of all Committee members should be to make the Organization more effective, and in that regard, pragmatism would be of critical importance, including the presentation of reports as soon as they were ready. The European Union was concerned by the increasing politicization of the Committee’s programme of work and believed that every proposal put forward by the Secretary‑General should be considered without distinction or political consideration, and in that connection, the programme of work should not reflect the political priorities of on subsection of members, to the detriment of others. The prompt publication of all documents in all official languages was of great importance, as was the issue of time management, and in that regard, the European Union stressed the importance of the Committee reaching its decisions during regular working hours to avoid late night or weekend sessions.
JUAN SANDOVAL MENDIOLEA (Mexico) said his country was interested in several items in the programme of work. On air travel, he said that, in line with austerity measures undertaken by Governments of Member States, and to ensure accountability, first‑class travel should be eliminated for all United Nations staff, with the exception of the Secretary‑General and his spouse. On the restructuring of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), he said the reassignment of staff from Geneva to regional offices would bring that entity closer to the field and able to respond better to Member State demands in a cost‑neutral way. Mexico supported the proposal to establish a UNHCR regional office for Latin American and the Caribbean in Bridgetown, Barbados. Looking ahead to the Committee’s discussion on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Arusha, he said his country would focus on rational spending, good use of resources and transparency.
CHERITH NORMAN‑CHALET (United States) noted that many important issues would be considered during the session, including those that would advance reform of the Organization, such as the standards of accommodation of air travel and the restructuring of OHCHR. Regarding air travel, informed Member State decisions could help spur the culture change needed to transform the Organization. Many Member States had travel policies that reflected modern‑day travel alternatives and budgetary realities, she said, adding that the session offered the Committee another opportunity to help the United Nations adapt and focus its resources toward where they could have the most positive impact on mandate delivery.
FU DAOPENG (China), associating himself with the Group of 77, said that while the items to be considered during the session were few in number, they were all very important. On the standards of accommodation for air travel, China hoped that the Secretariat would come up with effective measures on strengthening travel management so as to strictly control travel expenses and enhance the efficiency of fund utilization. Despite having doubts regarding the procedural legitimacy of the Secretariat submitting a new report on the reorganization of OHCHR, his delegation was willing to be flexible and accept the inclusion of that item on the agenda. On the report and programme of the Joint Inspection Unit, China was concerned about the low implementation rate of its recommendations. Regarding the Arusha construction project, China hoped that the Secretariat would, within the approved budget, appropriately deal with the leftover issues and complete the acceptance settlement as soon as possible. He called on Member States with the ability to pay their assessed contributions on time to do so in full and without conditions.
MARIA V. FROLOVA (Russian Federation), noting that the Secretary‑General’s report on the restructuring of OHCHR had been in the programme of work, emphasized that there were no objective reasons for the review of that document during the current session. Nevertheless, her delegation was ready to continue the discussion on that item, but was convinced that any future decision on the restructuring proposal should only be adopted by consensus; otherwise an undesirable precedent could be set that could have far‑reaching consequences. Her delegation was prepared to continue the discussion on the standards for the accommodation of air travel, but was concerned that the presentation of the Secretary‑General’s report on the creation of a system of accountability in the United Nations system had been deferred to the May session.
KATSUHIKO IMADA (Japan) stressed that each agenda item to be considered during the session was important for the United Nations to be able to conduct its work in an effective and efficient manner. The rationalization of the utilization of air travel resources was a matter that any organization should continuously seek, he said, highlighting that current trends in the airline industry and the rapid development of information and communications technology were strong drivers for making the structure of travel resources more rational. “It matters whether or not we can show the world that the United Nations is able to deliver necessary changes in its working culture,” he emphasized, adding that with larger reform agendas pending, it was the responsibility of the Member States to achieve concrete outcomes on that matter as a first step toward reform.
HICHAM OUSSIHAMOU (Morocco) said he had listened carefully to the Chair’s remarks concerning the restructuring of OHCHR and thanked him for taking the time to consult Member States on that matter. The clear road map drawn up by the Chair would make it possible to make an enlightened decision. He expressed full support for the Chair’s approach and the proposed consensus, adding that his delegation would work with all concerned on the various items before the Committee.
RUSLAN VARANKOV (Belarus) said, with regard to the restructuring of OHCHR, that several delegations had advocated for that matter to be considered by the Committee at a later session. Doing so would, among other things, enable the opinions of the incoming High Commissioner to be taken into account.
Joint Inspection Unit
JORGE FLORES CALLEJAS, Vice‑Chair and Inspector of the Joint Inspection Unit, introducing the report of the Unit for 2017 and programme of work for 2018 (document A/72/34), said that the work undertaken in the past year was aimed at strengthening the framework for integrity and accountability in the United Nations system, contributing to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and coordination within the system. The envisaged review of the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction in the work of United Nations system entities had been deferred and replaced with the review of internship policies and practices. A system‑wide review of whistle‑blower protection policies was also added.
The programme of work for 2018 described nine new projects, he said, pointing out that the long‑vacant position of Executive Secretary had been filled, enabling stronger and forward‑looking leadership of the Unit’s secretariat. The impact and added value of the work of the Unit was dependent on the consideration of its findings and the implementation of its recommendations, he said, adding that Member States made a substantial investment in the Unit’s work. In this regard, the arrangements in the Fifth Committee under which the Unit’s reports were considered in the context of related items had the unintended effect of significantly constraining the ability of the General Assembly to consider and act on the outcome of the Unit’s work. Submitting the Unit’s reports under the Joint Inspection Unit agenda item could provide a simple solution to that problem.
Introducing the report titled “Outcome of the review of the follow‑up to the Joint Inspection Unit reports and recommendations by the United Nations system organizations” (document A/72/704), he said the review concluded that the main factors affecting the effectiveness of the Unit’s follow‑up processes were the lack of or inadequate decisions on the reports or recommendations by the legislative bodies of some organizations and the need to enhance the verification, monitoring and reporting process on the implementation of recommendations.
SIMONA PETROVA, Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), then presented the Secretary‑General’s note on the report of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2017 (document A/72/733). She noted that, throughout 2017, the secretariats of CEB and the Unit had collaborated to ensure the timely preparation of notes from the Secretary‑General that responded to reports which addressed system‑wide concerns. Going forward, the Secretary‑General was committed to maintaining a close working relationship with the Joint Inspection Unit and encouraged all organizations to respond to its requests in a timely manner and a spirit of cooperation.
She also introduced the Secretary‑General’s note transmitting his comments, and those of CEB, on the Unit’s report titled “Outcome of the review of the follow-up to the Joint Inspection Unit reports and recommendations by the United Nations system organizations” (document A/72/704/Add.1). Organizations had welcomed the Unit’s report and supported its general findings and best practices. However, she added, they were keen to stress the distinction between the role and authority of executive heads and that of legislative bodies, particularly with reference to agenda‑setting and documentation. She went on to say that organizations had raised questions about the process used for addressing recommendations in management letters, which fell outside the categories of reports, notes and confidential letters as defined in the Unit’s statute.
MOHAMED FOUAD AHMED (Egypt), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77, noted the importance of enhancing coordination, especially with respect to the programme of work, and avoiding overlap among the Unit, Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Board of Auditors. The Group was interested in seeking more clarifications regarding efforts exerted to achieve that objective. Further, the Group would like to examine the review of the acceptance and implementation of the Joint Inspection Unit’s recommendations by organizations and underscored the importance of achieving maximum benefit realization of the Unit’s valuable work. The Group was particularly concerned with the low rate of acceptance and implementation of recommendations by some organizations. Regarding the Unit’s programme of work for 2018, the Group emphasized the need to enhance the capacity of the United Nations system in managing change, particularly given the various reforms and restructuring proposals under consideration.
Ms. NORMAN-CHALET (United States) said that with the United Nations implementing the Secretary‑General’s reform proposals, the Joint Inspection Unit should play a key role in helping ensure that the Organization incorporates lessons learned from past reform endeavours. Looking forward to the Unit’s reports in 2018, including its review of oversight bodies and whistle‑blower protection policies, she said her country would continue to press for better measures to protect staff members against retaliation when they reported misconduct. She expressed her delegation’s appreciation of the Unit’s efforts to improve its working methods, and challenged organizations and governing bodies to endorse the Unit’s recommendations as they sought to increase their own operational effectiveness and cohesion within the United Nations system. Concluding, she encouraged the Unit to keep collaborating with CEB, executive heads of organizations and Member States through the governing body processes throughout the United Nations system.