General Assembly Adopts $3.59 Billion Budget for 2024, Establishes Funding for Peacebuilding, Concluding Main Part of Seventy-eighth Session

Texts on Communications in Official Languages, Financing Human Rights Mechanisms, Condemning UN Staff Killings among 28 Resolutions, 1 Decision Adopted

Concluding the main part of its seventy-eighth session, the General Assembly today adopted 28 resolutions and 1 decision, including a $3.59 billion budget for 2024, the establishment of a financing mechanism for the Peacebuilding Fund and the strengthening of a Secretariat office meant to curb the presence of racism in the Organization. 

Adopting a wide range of drafts recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly approved resources for 2024 supporting, among other things, the deepening of its global communications work in the four official languages of Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.  It also moved to fund crucial construction projects at UN properties from Nairobi to Geneva and Santiago.

The Assembly adopted nearly $50 million in additional funding for decisions taken by the Human Rights Council and decided to establish the Peacebuilding Account, a dedicated multi-year special account, as a modality to finance the Peacebuilding Fund. 

As part of the Organization’s efforts to communicate and work effectively in all official languages, the Assembly adopted a resolution that includes provisions to expand its coverage of the Organization’s official intergovernmental meetings.  This provision would establish 20 general temporary assistance positions that include editors, press officers and assistants working in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

The Assembly also adopted a resolution condemning the killing of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff and the destruction of buildings under the United Nations flag.  

The representative of Israel proposed two amendments, the first — which would add a sentence to operative paragraph 58, stating “and also decides not to exceed a Secretary-General level originally proposed in 2024-25” to the draft resolution “Questions relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”.  T Assembly rejected it by a vote of 1 in favour (Israel) to 142 against, with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Guatemala, Kiribati, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Togo and United States).

For the budget-related resolution titled “Special subjects relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, the Assembly rejected an oral amendment proposed by Israel’s delegate to add the language “besides not to approve any resources stemming from the adoption of resolution 53/25 of the Human Rights Council” to Section XI of that text — by a vote of 2 in favour (Israel, Papua New Guinea) to 137 against, with 13 abstentions. 

The Assembly adopted a resolution to provide nearly $50 million in additional funding to support mandates of the Human Rights Council.  A resolution proposed by the Russian Federation to reject all funding for revised estimates during the Council’s fifty-second, fifty-third and fifty-fourth regular sessions, and at its thirty-sixth special session, was rejected. 

The Assembly adopted a draft resolution titled “Proposed programme budget for 2024 Section 26, Palestine refugees” by a recorded vote of 136 in favour to 2 against (Australia, Israel), with 22 abstentions.  On a resolution titled “Questions relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, the Assembly rejected the oral amendment proposed by Israel to the draft by a vote of 1 in favour (Israel) to 142 against, with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Guatemala, Kiribati, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Togo and United States). 

Following the defeat of several oral amendments, including one proposed by the Russian Federation on the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes committed in Syria, a number of States notably decried the decision to include financing for the Mechanism.  Speakers from the Russian Federation, Belarus, China, Syria, Cuba and Iran, among others, dissociated themselves from references to the Mechanism. 

At the outset, the Assembly took up several draft resolutions and decisions which had been postponed to allow the Fifth Committee time to review programme budgetary implications.  First, turning to the reports of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), the Assembly adopted by a recorded vote of 111 in favour to 46 against, with 10 abstentions (Armenia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Peru, South Sudan, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates) a resolution on the “Promotion of inclusive and effective international cooperation on tax matters at the United Nations”.

The Assembly also adopted resolutions on the “Follow-up to and implementation of the outcomes of the International Conferences on Financing for Development”; “Follow-up to and implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States”, and “Follow-up to the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries”.   

The Assembly then considered the reports of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), first taking up the report “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, adopting a draft resolution contained therein by a recorded vote of 110 in favour to 16 against, with 39 abstentions.  The Assembly then turned to the report of the Third Committee “Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms” and adopted the draft resolution XXIII, contained therein, without a vote. 

The Assembly then took up the report of its Sixth Committee (Legal) titled “Strengthening and promoting the international treaty framework”, adopting an eponymous draft resolution therein without a vote. 

Turning to the reports of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and the drafts contained therein, the Assembly took up the report on “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security”, first taking up action on draft resolution I and the draft decision recommended by the Committee in its report.  By a recorded vote of 90 in favour to 51 against, with 8 abstentions (Bhutan, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa), the Assembly first adopted preambular paragraph 3.  The Assembly next adopted draft resolution I as a whole by a recorded vote of 104 in favour to 53 against, with 7 abstentions (Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritius, Serbia, Singapore).

The Assembly then adopted a draft decision titled “Open-ended working group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025 established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/240” without a vote.  The Assembly then turned to the First Committee report “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”, to take action on resolution IV, “Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space” contained therein.  The Assembly took recorded votes on several preambular and operative paragraphs before taking action on resolution IV as a whole, adopting it by a vote of 110 in favour to 49 against, with 8 abstentions (Chile, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Palau, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Switzerland). 

Turning next to the First Committee report “General and complete disarmament”, the Assembly adopted resolution XIX, “Nuclear disarmament verification”, by a recorded vote of 167 in favour to 0 against, with 4 abstentions (Iran, Mali, Russian Federation, Syria).  Next, the Assembly turned to resolution XXXI, “Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons:  providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons”.  The Assembly first took action on several preambular and operative paragraphs before adopting resolution XXXI as a whole by a recorded vote of 161 in favour to 4 against, with 6 abstentions.  The report of the Fifth Committee on programme budget implications of that text is contained in a related report (document A/78/650).

The Assembly then turned to draft resolution XXXIII titled “Lethal autonomous weapons systems”, first voting on several preambular and operative paragraphs before adopting draft resolution XXXIII as a whole, by a recorded vote of 152 in favour to 4 against (Belarus, India, Mali, Russian Federation), with 11 abstentions.

Action on Draft Resolutions and Decisions

The General Assembly first considered proposals on which action was postponed to allow time for the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) to review their programme budget implications. 

The Assembly took up the report of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial) on “Promotion of inclusive and effective international cooperation on tax matters at the United Nations” (document A/78/459/Addendum 8) to act on the draft resolution of the same name.  The Assembly adopted that resolution by a vote of 111 in favour to 46 against, with 10 abstentions (Armenia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Peru, South Sudan, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates).  The text’s budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/657).

By the text, the Assembly stressed that efforts in international tax cooperation should be universal in approach and scope and consider the different needs and capacities of all States, particularly developing countries and countries in special situations. 

The Secretary-General proposes resources of nearly $1.5 million, comprising $753,200 under Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and Conference Management, and $742,300 under Section 9, Economic and social affairs. 

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Second Committee on “Follow-up to and implementation of the outcomes of the International Conferences on Financing for Development” (document A/78/460), adopting without a vote the eponymous draft resolution therein.  The text’s budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/660).   

By the text, the Assembly would recommend the exploration of further voluntary options related to special drawing rights that could serve the needs of developing member countries of the International Monetary Fund and would call for the urgent voluntary rechannelling of special drawing rights to countries most in need.

The Secretariat proposes resources of $1.28 million, comprising $362,800 under Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; $866,900 under Section 9, Economic and Social Affairs; and $54,100 under Section 29C, Office of Information and Communications Technology. 

Turning next to the report of the Second Committee on “Follow-up to and implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States” (document A/78/461/Addendum 2), the Assembly, without a vote, adopted the eponymous draft resolution contained therein.  The report of the Fifth Committee on the programme budget implications of the draft resolution is contained in document A/78/658.

By that text, the Assembly stressed the urgent and immediate need for new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources to help developing countries respond to the economic and non-economic loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change. 

The Secretary-General proposes resources of $129,800, comprising $64,900 under Section 9, Economic and Social Affairs, and $64,900 under Section 10, Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States. 

Taking up the report of the Second Committee on “Follow-up to the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries” (document A/78/463/Addendum 1), it adopted the eponymous draft resolution contained in that report.  The draft’s budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/659).

By terms of that text, the Assembly called upon the least developed countries, with the support of their development partners, to take action to implement the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, including by developing an ambitious national implementation strategy. 

The Secretary-General proposes resources of $24,500 under Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management.

The Assembly then considered the reports of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), first taking up the report “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (document A/78/478) to take action on draft resolution II recommended in the report. The draft’s budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/655).

The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution by a recorded vote of 110 in favour to 16 against, with 39 abstentions.

By the text, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide resources to fulfil the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards and the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

The Secretary-General proposes resources of $233,800, including $30,800 under Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; and $203,000 under Section 24, Human rights. 

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Third Committee “Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms” (document A/78/481/Add.2) and adopted the draft resolution XXIII, contained therein, without a vote.  The budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/656).

By the text, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen the capacity of the Centre in Yaoundé to achieve greater results on the ground in terms of strengthening national human rights systems and moving more rapidly towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Central Africa. 

The Assembly then took up the report of its Sixth Committee (Legal) titled “Strengthening and promoting the international treaty framework” (document A/78/442), adopting an eponymous draft resolution therein without a vote.  The budget implications, as considered by the Fifth Committee, are contained in a related report (document A/78/654).   

Through this text, the Assembly would call on the Secretary-General to strengthen the Treaty Section’s capacity to perform its responsibilities and undertake a regular thematic debate in the Sixth Committee to foster a technical exchange of views on practices to strengthen the international treaty framework.

In order to implement the resolution, the Secretary-General proposes resources of $106,900 under Section 8, Legal affairs.

The Assembly then turned to the report of its First Committee on “Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security” (document A/78/404) to take action on the draft resolution I and the draft decision recommended by the Committee in its report.

By a recorded vote of 90 in favour to 51 against, with 8 abstentions (Bhutan, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa), the Assembly first adopted preambular paragraph 3. 

The Assembly next adopted draft resolution I as a whole by a recorded vote of 104 in favour to 53 against, with 7 abstentions (Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritius, Serbia, Singapore).

By the text’s terms, the Assembly would support the work of the Open-ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communication technologies 2021-2025.  It would also welcome the establishment of the global intergovernmental points of contact directory as the first universal confidence-building measure and would call on States to develop cooperation through the computer emergency response teams channels. 

The Assembly then adopted a draft decision titled “Open-ended working group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies 2021-2025 established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/240” without a vote.

The Assembly then turned to the First Committee report “Prevention of an arms race in outer space” (document A/78/407), to take action on resolution IV, “Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space” contained therein.  The report of the Fifth Committee on programme budget implications of that text is contained in a related report (document A/78/651.) 

The Assembly first took action on the following preambular and operative paragraphs of the text, adopting each one by recorded vote. 

Preambular paragraph 5 was adopted by vote of 96 in favour to 50 against, with 4 abstentions (Chile, Georgia, South Sudan, Switzerland).

Preambular paragraph 8 was adopted by a vote of 80 in favour to 50 against, with 18 abstentions.

Operative paragraph 9 was adopted by a vote of 81 in favour to 49 against, with 16 abstentions.

Operative paragraph 10 was adopted by a vote of 82 in favour to 50 against, with 15 abstentions. 

Operative paragraph 11 was adopted by a vote of 82 in favour to 50 against, with 15 abstentions.

Next, taking action on resolution IV as a whole, the Assembly adopted it by a vote of 110 in favour to 49 against, with 8 abstentions (Chile, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Palau, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Switzerland).  By the text, the Assembly decided to establish an open-ended working group for the period 2024-2028 to make recommendations on substantial elements of an international legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.  Proposed resources of $136,600 are needed, including $28,800 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; and $107,800 under section 4, Disarmament. 

Turning next to the First Committee report “General and complete disarmament” (document A/78/409), the Assembly adopted resolution XIX, “Nuclear disarmament verification,” by a recorded vote of by 167 in favour to 0 against, with 4 abstentions (Iran, Mali, Russian Federation, Syria).  The report of the Fifth Committee on programme budget implications of that text is contained in a related report (document A/78/649).

By the text, the First Committee welcomed the Group of Governmental Experts’ report to consider nuclear disarmament verification issues and requested the Secretary-General to seek Member States’ views on the report and report back to the Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. 

The Secretary-General proposes resources of $60,400 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management.

Next, the Assembly turned to resolution XXXI, “Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons:  providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons”.  The Assembly first took action on the following preambular and operative paragraphs of the text, adopting each one by recorded vote. 

Preambular paragraph 2 was adopted by a vote of 134 in favour to 4 against (France, India, United Kingdom, United States), with 21 abstentions.

Preambular paragraph 3 was adopted by a vote of 143 in favour to 4 against (France, United Kingdom, United States), with 10 abstentions (China, Croatia, Greece, India, Israel, Netherlands, Pakistan, Slovenia, South Sudan, Sweden).

Preambular paragraph 4 was adopted by a vote of 144 in favour to 3 against (France, United Kingdom, United States), with 9 abstentions (Belgium, China, Greece, India, Israel, Pakistan, Poland, Slovenia, South Sudan).

Preambular paragraph 5 was adopted by a vote of 137 in favour to 3 against (France, United Kingdom, United States), with 18 abstentions. 

Preambular paragraph 8 was adopted by a vote of 146 in favour to 1 against (France), with 10 abstentions (China, Croatia, Greece, India, Israel, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Sudan, United Kingdom, United States).

Preambular paragraph 16 was adopted by a vote of 120 in favour to 4 against (France, Poland, United Kingdom, United States), with 32 abstentions.

Operative paragraph 1 was adopted by a vote of 146 in favour to 3 against (France, United Kingdom, United States), with 8 abstentions (China, Greece, India, Israel, Pakistan, Poland, South Sudan, Sweden).

Operative paragraph 3 was adopted by a vote of 121 in favour to 4 against (France, India, United Kingdom, United States), with 33 abstentions.

Next the Assembly adopted resolution XXXI as a whole by a recorded vote of 161 in favour to 4 against, with 6 abstentions.  The report of the Fifth Committee on programme budget implications of that text is contained in a related report (document A/78/650).  By the text, the Assembly welcomed the Group of Governmental Experts’ report to consider nuclear disarmament verification issues and requested the Secretary-General to seek Member States’ views on the report and report back to the Assembly at its seventy-ninth session.  The Secretary-General proposes resources of $60,400 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management.

The Assembly then turned to draft resolution XXXIII titled “Lethal autonomous weapons systems”, first voting on several preambular and operative paragraphs.

Preambular paragraph 1 was adopted by a recorded vote of 139 in favour to 1 against (India), with 12 abstentions. 

Turning to preambular paragraph 3, the Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 139 in favour to 0 against, with 12 abstentions. Voting on Preambular paragraph 4, the Assembly adopted it with a recorded vote of 137 in favour to 1 against (India), with 14 abstentions. 

The Assembly then adopted preambular paragraph 6 by a recorded vote of 137 in favour to 5 against (Belarus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Mali, Russian Federation), with 9 abstentions (China, Iran, Israel, Nicaragua, Niger, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Syria, Türkiye).

Voting on preambular paragraph 7 of the draft resolution, the Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 136 in favour to 4 against (Belarus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mali, Russian Federation), with 12 abstentions. 

Turning to preambular paragraph 8, the Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 140 in favour to 0 against, with 13 abstentions.  The Assembly also by a recorded vote of 138 in favour to 0 against, with 14 abstentions, adopted the ninth preambular paragraph. 

Voting on operative paragraph 1, the Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 140 in favour to 0 against, with 13 abstentions.  Operative paragraph 2 was adopted by a recorded vote of 139 in favour to 0 against, with 14 abstentions. 

The Assembly then adopted operative paragraph 3 by a recorded vote of 139 in favour to 3 against (Belarus, Mali, Russian Federation), with 10 abstentions (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Iran, Israel, Niger, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Syria, Türkiye). Finally, the Assembly adopted operative paragraph 4 by a recorded vote of 140 in favour to 3 against (Belarus, Mali, Russian Federation), with 10 abstentions (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Iran, Israel, Niger, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Syria, Türkiye). 

Then, the Assembly voted on draft resolution XXXIII as a whole, adopting it by a recorded vote of 152 in favour to 4 against (Belarus, India, Mali, Russian Federation), with 11 abstentions.

LAURENS THOMAS DEN HARTOG (Netherlands), Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, introduced its reports to the Assembly and provided an overview of its work.  During the main part of the seventy-eighth session, the Committee met from 2 October to 22 December, holding 25 plenary meetings and numerous informal consultations in person and virtually.  (For background and summaries of resolutions, see Press Release GA/AB/4450 of 22 December).  He also noted that the Committee’s reports on several items were already considered by the Assembly at its earlier plenary meetings.

DENNIS FRANCIS (Trinidad and Tobago), President of the General Assembly, noted that the reports are only available in English since the Fifth Committee just finished its work.  They will be issued in all languages as soon as possible, he shared, thanking the Assembly for its understanding.

The Assembly, on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee, first considered the draft resolution contained in the report of that Committee titled “Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors” (document A/78/644) and adopted it without a vote.

It then considered the Fifth Committee’s report titled “Programme budget for 2023” (document A/78/643) and a draft resolution contained therein, titled “Information and communications technology strategy”.  The Assembly adopted the draft resolution without a vote.

Turning to the report on “Programme planning” (document A/78/641), the Assembly considered the draft resolution contained therein.

Addressing that text, the representative of the Russian Federation, on behalf a group of States, spoke to submit an oral amendment, whose terms would delete the paragraph relating to the financing of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

By a recorded vote of 18 in favour to 79 against, with 49 abstentions, the Assembly rejected that oral amendment.

The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution on “Programme planning” without a vote.

Speaking in explanation of position after adoption, the representative of the Russian Federation dissociated himself from this decision and from any references in the text of the so-called Independent Mechanism in Syria.

The representative of Syria, also dissociating himself, said that his country does not want to finance this instrument in 2024.

The representative of Belarus, expressing support for the Russian Federation’s amendment, disassociated himself from financing the Investigative Instrument in Syria. 

The representatives of Cuba, Bolivia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Iran, Venezuela and China also spoke in explanation of position to dissociate themselves from references to the Mechanism.

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Pattern of conferences” (document A/78/642), adopting the draft resolution contained therein without a vote.

Next, the Assembly turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Report on the activities of the Ethics Office” (document A/78/646), adopting the draft resolution contained therein without a vote 

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations” and “Report on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services” both contained in (document A/78/645), adopting the draft resolution therein without a vote.

Next, the Assembly turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Administration of Justice at the United Nations” (document A/78/663), adopting the draft resolution contained therein by consensus.

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Financing of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals” (document A/78/661), adopting the draft resolution contained therein by consensus.

Next, the Assembly turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Mali” (documentA/78/647), adopting the draft resolution contained therein by consensus.

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Fifth Committee on the “Proposed programme budget for 2024” (document A/78/662), containing six draft resolutions. 

Taking the floor in explanation of vote before the vote and to propose oral amendments, the representative of Israel said the first amendment would add a sentence to operative paragraph 58, stating “and also decides not to exceed a Secretary-General level originally proposed in 2024-25”.  Israel will vote in favour, she said.  She then introduced an amendment regarding resources to implement Human Rights Council resolution 53/25 (document A/HRC/53/25), proposing to add the following language — “besides not to approve any resources stemming from the adoption of resolution 53/25 of the human rights council”, stating she will vote in favour.  For the budget-related resolution including a condemnation of Israel, she requested a vote on the whole and said she will vote against it.  The representative of the Russian Federation submitted two oral amendments to the resolution on the proposed programme budget.  Instead of the paragraph on financing of the Syrian mechanism, the amendment would insert a paragraph deleting the programme budget provisions or any mention thereof and take note of several other paragraphs in the Advisory Committee report, in addition to deciding not to approve any resources for the investigative mechanism for Syria.  The second oral amendment would refuse to finance a number of Human Rights Council resolutions from the regular budget, he said.

The representative of Sudan next proposed an oral amendment to the resolution of the Human Rights Council on the situation of the armed conflict in Sudan, calling for a vote.

The representative of Cuba proposed an oral amendment to the resolution on special issues in relation to the budget, reading them out. He called for the Assembly to support the amendments, recalling his previous statements in the Fifth Committee.

The Assembly first adopted draft resolution I titled “Proposed programme budget for 2024 Section 26, Palestine refugees” by a recorded vote of 136 in favour to 2 against (Australia, Israel), with 22 abstentions.

The Assembly then turned to resolution II, “Questions relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”. 

First, the Assembly rejected the oral amendment proposed by Israel to the draft by a vote of 1 in favour (Israel) to 142 against, with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Georgia, Guatemala, Kiribati, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Togo and United States).

The Assembly then voted on an oral amendment tabled by the Russian Federation to draft resolution II titled “Questions relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”.  By a recorded vote of 78 against to 19 in favour, with 49 abstentions, the oral amendment was not adopted. 

The Committee then adopted draft resolution II as a whole without a vote. 

Turning to draft resolution III titled “Special subjects relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, the Assembly first voted on the oral amendment proposed by the representative of Israel to Section XI of that text, rejecting it by a vote of 2 in favour (Israel, Papua New Guinea) to 137 against, with 13 abstentions. 

Next, the Assembly voted on an oral amendment to Section XI of draft resolution III, “Special subjects relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, submitted by the representative of the Russian Federation.  The Assembly rejected that amendment by a vote of 16 in favour to 76 against, with 50 abstentions. 

The Assembly then proceeded with a vote on an oral amendment to section XI of draft resolution III, introduced by Sudan.

The amendment was rejected by a recorded vote of 73 against to 38 in favour, with 33 abstentions.

Next, the Assembly proceeded with a vote on an oral amendment to section XVII of draft resolution III, introduced by Cuba.

The amendment was rejected by a recorded vote of 75 against to 20 in favour, with 49 abstentions.

The Assembly then took updraft resolution III entitled “Special subjects relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, as orally revised in the Committee. 

Draft resolution III was adopted by consensus. 

The Assembly then took up draft resolution IV entitled “Special subjects relating to the proposed programme budget for 2024”, as orally revised in the Committee.

Draft resolution IV was adopted by consensus. 

The Assembly then took up the draft resolution V entitled “Unforeseen and extraordinary expenses for 2024”, adopting it by consensus.

Next, the Assembly took up draft resolution VI entitled “Working Capital Fund for 2024”, which it adopted without a vote.

The Assembly then turned to the report of the Fifth Committee entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations” (document A/78/664), containing a draft resolution and draft decision.

The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution entitled “Investing in prevention and peacebuilding”, adopting it without a vote.  Next, it adopted the draft decision entitled “Questions deferred for future consideration” without a vote.

The President of the General Assembly then thanked Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud (Egypt), Chair of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), members of the Bureau, delegates and the Committee Secretary for a job well done. 

The representative of Honduras introduced the draft resolution titled “Fight against corruption and impunity in Honduras” (document A/78/L.33), noting that the country’s first female president, Xiomara Castro, is seeking to rebuild the country on a humanist footing, coloured by dignity and sovereignty. That President “emerged from resistance in the streets” against the coup d’état of 2009, following which, for 13 years of narco-dictatorship, the State was infiltrated by public-private corruption networks which became institutionalized and were permeated by drug-trafficking.  The President has been given an overwhelming mandate to dismantle the narco-State and fight for the rule of law, she noted.  The International Commission Against Public-Private Corruption and Impunity must be impartial and independent, able to investigate and prosecute corruption networks — the only way to clean up a State in which swindlers among the political class have been infiltrated by organized crime.  The resolution reflects the lofty ambitions of the Honduran people, she stated.

The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution without a vote.  By its terms, the Assembly took note of the ongoing efforts of the Government of Honduras to combat corruption, including its initiative to establish an international, impartial, independent and autonomous mechanism against corruption and impunity in Honduras.  It further requested the Secretary-General, on an exceptional basis and without creating a precedent, to support the initiative of the Government of Honduras in its fight against corruption and impunity with a view to its prompt implementation.

The representative of the Russian Federation, speaking in explanation of position, disassociated his delegation from consensus, which is not a departure from his country’s traditional support of technical assistance to the interested State.  It remains important for international assistance to be provided to States in respect of their sovereignty, the sphere of combating corruption being no exception.  However, he stressed that, absent a solid legal framework, accusations of corruption become a purely politicized instrument of interference in internal affairs. He further cited the mechanism in Guatemala, which was surrounded by scandal until its closure.  Given the resolution concerns only Honduras and cannot be seen as future precedent, his delegation limited itself to disassociating from consensus, understanding that the entity created cannot be considered a subsidiary body of the United Nations.