Administrative and budgetary issues

Humanitarian officials warn that, without sustained funding, millions of people in in north-eastern Nigeria’s Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states will struggle to feed themselves during the lean season due to conflict, COVID-19, high food prices and the effects of climate change.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ introduction to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of the proposed programme budget for 2021, in New York today:

The General Assembly elected Vice-Presidents for its seventy-fifth session and adopted a basket of resolutions and decisions from 23 to 30 June, including 21 on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) authorizing the United Nations peacekeeping budget for the 2020/21 fiscal year, taking action under its temporary silence procedure due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), continuing its first resumed session, put a spotlight on human resources management today, with delegates hailing progress towards gender parity among the Secretariat’s more than 37,000 staff members worldwide while also pressing for greater efforts to recruit personnel on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Committee) on the proposed programme budget for 2020, in New York today:

The General Assembly adopted 25 resolutions and 1 decision from its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today, agreeing to significant management reforms — including the creation of two new departments focused on peacebuilding and four stand-alone divisions for Africa — aimed at streamlining the Organization’s operations.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today sent 25 draft resolutions and 1 draft decision to the General Assembly, asking it to adopt significant management reforms — including the creation of two new departments focused on political and peacebuilding affairs and four stand-alone divisions for Africa — aimed at streamlining the Organization’s operations.

An effective accountability system was critical to the successful management of the United Nations Secretariat, delegates told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today, as they called for continued refinement of policies and practices regardless of decisions taken on overall reform of the Organization’s executive branch.

Speakers in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today urged all Member States with unpaid assessments to make their payments — whether for the regular budget or crucial peacekeeping operations — as soon as possible to ensure the Organization can carry out its mandates.