Administrative and budgetary issues

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning made recommendations to the General Assembly regarding appointments to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Committee on Contributions, the Investments Committee, the Board of Auditors and the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning approved a text that would have the General Assembly reaffirm the role of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) as the main subsidiary organ for planning, programming and coordination.

Concluding a discussion of the proposed budget for 2010-2011, several developing countries on the Fifth Committee insisted that zero growth was not the solution for the Organization’s budget, and called for rectifying imbalances in funding budget priorities.

Presented with the Organization’s 2010-2011 budget that approached $5 billion today, numerous members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) advocated strict financial discipline, close scrutiny of requirements, clear prioritization and redeployment of resources from lower-priority areas, while also insisting on the need to present a full picture of all requirements at the time of the introduction of the budget proposal.

Taking up issues of procurement reform this morning, members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) expressed concern at the lack of progress in that area and the lack of specifics on reform results in the Secretary-General’s report.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning recommended that the General Assembly endorse the recommendations of the Board of Auditors on the financial report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the year ended 31 December 2008, for which the Board had issued a qualified audit opinion this year, with three emphases of matter.

Discussing a variety of questions involving the United Nations common system this morning, the Fifth Committee considered, among other things: proposed introduction of end-of-service severance pay for staff on fixed-term contracts; possible changes to the mandatory retirement age; salary adjustments in New York and other duty stations; job evaluation standards for General Service and related categories; base/floor salary scale and evolution of the margin; and gender balance in staffing.

Reporting on the financial situation of the United Nations to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning, the Organization’s top management official presented, once again, “a mixed picture”, while noting some improvements and stressing the importance of timely and full payment of Member States’ dues to the United Nations.

Member States praised the work of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) this morning, as they took up issues related to programme planning in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).

Speakers in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning stressed the importance of effective oversight for the continued viability and effectiveness of the United Nations, as they considered reports of the Board of Auditors, Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and newly-constituted Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC).