While relieved that the United Nations liquidity crisis has eased for now, delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today voiced their concerns for the long-term financial health of the Organization and its ability to keep delivering on the mandates set forth by the General Assembly, as the United Nations Controller provided an update on the financial situation.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) wrapped up the main part of its seventy-sixth session on 23 December by approving resources of $3.12 billion for the 2022 regular budget, the Organization’s third annual budget in 50 years.
Recognizing employees as the United Nations most valuable asset, delegates today urged the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) to ensure working conditions are fair and equitable and the Organization can retain a competent, dynamic and motivated workforce, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) considered the Commission’s proposals for the coming year.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today sent the General Assembly six nominations for the International Civil Service Commission, an independent body that regulates service conditions for thousands of staff throughout the United Nations Common system, while delivering 13 additional recommendations for four other bodies, including the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ).
Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) voiced their alarm over an ongoing cash crunch that could threaten the Organization’s effectiveness as a multilateral institution determined to help the developing world rebound from the global pandemic.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today took up the Secretary‑General’s request for $730.7 million to fund 38 special political missions in 2022, with several delegations renewing calls for a separate budget to be established to address their requirements.
The United Nations senior management official told members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that the Organization’s budget process is locked in a vicious circle of annual liquidity shortages that are hampering the delivery of mandates.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.12 billion regular budget for the United Nations in 2022, before recosting, which puts an accent on development and human rights in the final decade of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while also drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Organization’s work.
United Nations humanitarian personnel in Yemen report escalating clashes in recent weeks, with more than 10,000 people displaced in Marib Governorate in September. They warned of devastating impacts on civilians and expressed particular concern over the situation in Al Abdiyah district, home to an estimated 35,000 people.
Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), in New York today:
