The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its consideration of the additional $80 million required for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for the year ending 30 June 2015.
Pronouncing the United Nations financial health at the end of 2014 as “generally sound” and its cash position at the end of April of this year as “sound and positive”, the Organization’s senior management official told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that some areas needed to be closely monitored and that Member States must make all efforts to meet their obligations.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today opened the second part of its resumed sixty-ninth session dedicated to the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations, whose budget for 2015/16 would reach $8.5 billion.
Taking action without a vote, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved seven draft texts relating to, among other things, oversight, accountability, procurement, and nine items from the programme budget for the current biennium, as it concluded the first part of its resumed sixty-ninth session.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today rejected a draft decision that would have had the Secretary-General withdraw his bulletin laying out the United Nations current rules for the personal status of staff members used to determine their benefits and entitlements.
Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) delegates today expressed concerns about the costs and efficacy of implementing a flexible workplace environment at United Nations Headquarters and welcomed the development of a long-term capital maintenance programme for the Organization as they scrutinized the Secretary-General’s proposals on both topics.
Speakers stressed the importance of transparency, equal opportunities for vendors, and streamlined processes, among other things, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) examined the United Nations efforts to make its procurement activities more efficient.
As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) took up the topic of “accountability” in its review of the Organization’s efficiency in administrative and financial functioning, delegates welcomed continuing progress and pointed to gaps needing to be addressed.
Applauding the start of construction last month of a new facility for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in the United Republic of Tanzania, Stephen Cutts, Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of Central Support Services, Department of Management, told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) “this is a momentous achievement in the project, and is the result of successfully meeting all planned milestones due to date”.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) opened the first part of its resumed sixty-ninth session today with a review of its 2015 work programme and organization of work, the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015 on programme criticality of safety and security, and of the role of the Joint Inspection Unit.
