Advisory Body Recommends Secretariat Absorb Preparation Costs for Entry into Force of Marine Biodiversity Accord, as Fifth Committee Considers Budget Implications

The United Nations Secretariat should seek to absorb the envisaged costs of preparations for the entry into force of the agreement on the sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas and for the first meeting of signatories, the Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today.

The Fifth Committee had before it the statement of the Secretary-General on programme budget implications of General Assembly draft resolution A/78/L.41 (document A/C.5/78/29) and the ACABQ’s related report (document A/78/7/Add.45).

By the terms of “L.41”, the Assembly would decide to establish a preparatory commission to prepare for the entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and for the convening of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

Maria Costa, UN Deputy Controller and Director of the Finance Division of the Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, said that should the Assembly adopt “L.41”, the organizational meeting of the preparatory commission would be conducted over three working days in the first half of 2024 with full conference services, requiring $88,300 to be charged against the contingency fund.

However, ACABQ — an Assembly subsidiary organ that examines and advises on administrative and budgetary matters — is of the view that “the Secretariat will make further efforts to optimize the use of the combined global documentation process capacity, to increase absorptive capacity, whenever feasible,” said its Vice Chair, Sharon Brennen-Haylock. 

She, therefore, recommended that the Fifth Committee have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to make every effort to absorb additional costs of $79,600 for interpretation and documentation services and $8,700 for information technology services.