The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) discussed today the proposed 2016 budget for the Office of the Special Adviser for Burundi, amid delegates’ concerns that aspects of it lacked “clarity and justification” over how to fully involve regional and subregional actors that were integral to achieving peace in the East African country, among other essential areas.
Alarmed at the sharp and disgraceful rise of xenophobia, anti-Muslim bigotry as well as attacks and violence targeting refugees, the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the General Assembly were among many speakers calling today for unity to ensure dignity, justice and development for all, as the Assembly held a special meeting to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was presented today with the revised 2016-2017 budgetary estimates for the United Nations Monitoring Mechanism for Syria, whose mandate was recently extended for one year.
As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) discussed the use of more flexible and open workplace at the United Nations, delegates raised concerns about upwardly revised cost estimates for the now $65.7 million project, and that an assessment of its impact on productivity and staff well-being had not been finalized.
Concluding its 2016 session, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations adopted without a vote today the draft report of the session, laying out the proposals, recommendations and conclusions submitted by its Working Group of the Whole on a wide range of peacekeeping issues.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a draft resolution supporting the Board of Auditors’ recommendations concerning the renovation of the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and the Organization’s handling of information and communications technology affairs.
As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) considered the topic of accountability today in its review of the Organization’s efficiency in administrative and financial functioning, speakers welcomed achievements and acknowledged areas where further progress was needed.
The United Nations must uphold the very international labour practices it supported by ensuring that those working within the system were fairly treated and compensated during and after their service, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today during its consideration of a range of human resources issues.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) opened the first part of its resumed seventieth session today with a review of its 2016 provisional work programme, the 2016-2017 programme budget for the United Nations resilience management system and the role of the Joint Inspection Unit, among other matters.
A decade after world leaders agreed on the responsibility to protect at a Headquarters world summit, the principle remained a worthy yet elusive concept, with success seen in some places, but with Syria standing out as a glaring example of the international community’s failure to put it into practice, delegates said during a General Assembly thematic panel discussion today.
