Delegates in Fifth Committee Examine Programme Budget Implications of Draft Resolutions on Monitoring Outer Space Activity, Managing Surplus Conventional Arms Stockpile
Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the programme budget implications for 2023 of three draft resolutions of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) that — if adopted by the General Assembly — would deliver $633,200 for preventing an arms race and implementing transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space, and $118,600 to address problems due to the accumulation of surplus conventional ammunition stockpiles.
During his presentation, Chandramouli Ramanathan, United Nations Controller and Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, also gave delegates an update on the 2023 financial requirements for the strategic heritage plan of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Mr. Ramanathan first presented the Secretary-General’s statement (document A/C.5/77/13) on the programme budget implications of draft decision A/C.1/77/51, “Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus”, approved at the First Committee’s 28 November meeting. It asked the Assembly to allow the open-ended working group on conventional ammunition to convene for an additional five-day session in New York in 2023 to complete its work.
To implement the draft decision’s requests, Mr. Ramanathan said the Secretary-General proposes resources of $118,600 for 2023 [comprising $107,300 under section 2 (General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management); $3,000 under section 28 (Global communications); and $8,300 under section 29C (Office of Information and Communications Technology)]. The $118,600 appropriation would be charged against the contingency fund as well as $16,100 under section 36 (Staff assessment), to be offset by an equivalent increase under income section 1 (Income from staff assessment).
Patrick Chuasoto, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), introducing that body’s related report (document A/77/7/Add.28) and acknowledging the absence of specific provisions to cover related costs for 2023, voiced the Advisory Committee’s opinion that the Secretariat could absorb the additional requirements within the resources of the proposed 2023 programme budget. It therefore recommended against the proposed requirement of $3,000 for webcasting services and $8,300 for information technology servicing of meetings.
Mr. Ramanathan also presented the Secretary-General’s statement (document A/C.5/77/14) on the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.1/77/L.70, “Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space”, approved by the First Committee on 1 November. It asked the Secretary-General to establish a United Nations Group of Governmental Experts comprising up to 25 Member States, that would aim to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space. It would hold two two-week sessions in Geneva: one in 2023 and the other in 2024.
Mr. Ramanathan said the Secretary-General’s proposed resources include $568,900 for 2023 [comprising $323,500 under section 2 (General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management); $234,700 under section 4 (Disarmament); and $10,700 under section 29E (Administration, Geneva)]. The appropriation would be charged against the contingency fund, as well as $50,000 under section 36 (Staff assessment), to be offset by an equivalent increase under income section 1 (Income from staff assessment).
Introducing the Advisory Committee’s eponymous report (document A/77/7/Add.29), Mr. Chuasoto emphasized that the Advisory Committee encourages the Secretariat to absorb additional requirements within the 2023 programme budget. He recommended a 25 per cent reduction ($2,700) for the $10,700 in resources under other staff costs for sound technician/recording services and Webex support for remote participation under section 29E (Administration, Geneva).
Mr. Ramanathan also introduced the Secretary-General’s statement (document A/C.5/77/15) on the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.1/77/L.71/Rev.1, “Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities”, approved at the First Committee’s 1 November meeting. By its terms, the Secretary-General would seek input from Member States about the practical implementation of transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space. These measures are contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts on “Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures in Outer Space Activities” of 2013. He would then submit a substantive report to the Assembly at its seventy-eighth session.
Mr. Ramanathan said the Secretary-General’s proposed resources amount to $64,300 [under section 2 (General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management) for 2023]. If approved by the Assembly, the appropriation would be charged against the contingency fund as well as $9,600 under section 36 (Staff assessment), to be offset by an equivalent increase under income section 1 (Income from staff assessment).
Mr. Chuasoto, introducing the Advisory Committee’s related report (document A/77/7/Add.30), trusted that the Secretariat will optimize its use of combined global documentation processing capacity to increase absorptive capacity wherever feasible.
Mr. Ramanathan, turning to the United Nations Office at Geneva, referred to his 15 November introduction of the Secretary-General’s ninth report on the strategic heritage plan of that office (document A/77/492) and the slower-than-projected progress in the renovation works. Unfortunately, the contract for the E building, expected to be executed in the beginning of this year’s third quarter, is still under a lengthy financial-due-diligence review process.
Both developments have significantly reduced projected expenditures for 2022 and estimated financial requirements for 2023 and beyond. Some of the project’s financial requirements have shifted from 2023 to 2024 and 2025, he said. As a result, the project’s financial requirements for 2023 have been revised downwards to 24.4 million Swiss francs (equivalent to $26.3 million), compared with the estimate of 82.3 million Swiss francs in the Secretary-General’s report.
At the close of the meeting, Mr. Chuasoto thanked the Fifth Committee for the opportunity and privilege to serve, as today was his last appearance as an ACABQ member. “My three years in ACABQ can be viewed as another type of engagement with the Fifth Committee, since I have been a delegate like you before, as well as Rapporteur, Bureau member and Chair of the Committee on Conferences fifteen years ago,” he said. “Indeed, a person can contribute to the important work of the United Nations in varied roles, but always with the objective of helping all Member States attain the purposes and principles of the Organization.”
The Fifth Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 14 December, to discuss revised estimates stemming from Human Rights Council resolutions and decisions, and the programme budget implications of Israeli practices.