Fifth Committee Recommends 10 Candidates for Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Approves Nominees to Four Other Subsidiary Bodies

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) sent the General Assembly 10 nominations for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions today, also delivering the names of 15 additional candidates for three other bodies and recommending that the Chair of the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil fill an upcoming vacancy in the Board of Auditors.

For the 21-member Advisory Committee, which plays a crucial role in helping the Fifth Committee examine the Organization’s budget and manage its employees, the Fifth Committee sent the Assembly eight nominations by acclamation and two through balloting.

Those nominated by acclamation were Abdallah Bachar Bong (Chad), Ali Ben Said (Tunisia) and Caroline Nalwanga (Uganda), from the Group of African States; Surendra Kumar Adhana (India), from the Group of Asia-Pacific States; Feliksas Bakanauskas (Lithuania) and Evgeny Kalugin (Russian Federation), from the Group of Eastern European States; and Simon Horner (United Kingdom) and Stephani Laura Scheer (United States), from the Group of Western European and other States.

Then, in the first round of balloting, Julia Maciel (Paraguay) and Juliana Gaspar Ruas (Brazil) drew 106 and 100 votes, respectively, to secure two seats representing the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

All 10 candidates are to begin three-year terms of office with the Advisory Committee beginning on 1 January 2024.

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 the appointment of six candidates by acclamation and one through balloting.

The Fifth Committee first recommended by acclamation Suzuki Yoriko (Japan) to fill the vacancy arising from the resignation of Kitano Mitsuru (Japan) –  effective 1 January 2024 – for the remaining period of that office, which expires on 31 December 2024.

The Fifth Committee then turned to five three-year terms that begin on 1 January 2024.  It recommended by acclamation Lin Shan (China) and Hae-yun Park (Republic of Korea), from the Group of Asia-Pacific States; Henrique da Silveira Sardinha Pinto (Brazil), from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Michael Holtsch (Germany) and Cihan Terzi (Türkiye), from the Group of Western European and other States.

In the first round of balloting, Vadim Laputin (Russian Federation), having drawn 107 votes, was recommended to the Assembly to represent the Group of Eastern European States.

Investments Committee

For the nine‑member Investments Committee, which advises the Secretary‑General on investment strategy and reviews the investments of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, the Fifth Committee sent the Assembly, by acclamation, the names of six candidates. 

They included Yasir O. al-Rumayyan (Saudi Arabia), Sarah Omotunde Alade (Nigeria), Natalia Khanjenkova (Russian Federation), Shan Li (China) and Patricia Parise (Argentina) as regular members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2024.  The Committee also sent the Assembly the name of Macky Tall (Mali) to be reappointed as an ad hoc member for a one-year term beginning on 1 January 2024.

Board of Auditors

For the three-member Board, the Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation that the Assembly name the Chair of the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil to fill a six-year term of office, beginning on 1 July 2024.  

Established by the Assembly in 1946 to provide external audit for the Organization, each of the Board’s three members is the Auditor-General (or officer holding the equivalent title) of a Member State.  

Independent Audit Advisory Committee

For the five-member Independent Audit Advisory Committee, which serves in an expert advisory capacity and helps the Assembly fulfil its oversight responsibilities, the Committee sent the Assembly two names for three-year terms starting on 1 January 2024: Imran Vanker (South Africa), from the Group of African States); and Jeanette Franzel (United States), from the Group of Western European and other States.

Before voting on their recommendations, delegates considered the Secretary-General’s notes on appointments to the Advisory Committee  (documents A/78/101/Rev.1 and A/C.5/78/6); the Committee on Contributions (documents A/78/102/Rev.1, A/C.5/78/7/Rev.1 and A/78/102/Rev.1/Add.1); the Investments Committee (documents A/78/103 and A/C.5/78/8); the Board of Auditors (documents A/78/104 and A/C.5/78/9); and the Independent Audit Advisory Committee (documents A/78/105 and A/C.5/78/10).