Fifth Committee

The use of temporary property management posts came under the scrutiny of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today, as delegates discussed ways to strengthen assets control at the United Nations Secretariat.

Eight years after they gave the go-ahead for the massive, $2.21 billion-dollar renovation of the United Nations historic Headquarters building, delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) aired their concerns about financing nearly $155 million in additional costs, plans to make the Library and South Annex buildings secure, and the dismantling of the temporary North Lawn Building.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today recomended personnel apppointments to fill upcoming vacancies in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and four other bodies that help manage the United Nations vast human resources and its finances.

Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today urged the Secretariat to detail and clarify the benefits — financial and operational — of a costly major enterprise planning project that would streamline administrative practices and boost efficiency throughout the Organization.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined how the budget of the United Nations would be affected should the General Assembly adopt a draft resolution on the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024.

The International Civil Service Commission’s ongoing efforts to shape a more modern, flexible compensation package for thousands of workers in the United Nations common system while bringing escalating salary costs under control was discussed at today’s meeting of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved the United Nations priorities for biennium 2016-2017 and began its examination of conference services, including the late issuance of documents and the status of equal treatment of the six official languages.

Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today voiced their concerns about the cash flow problems of the Organization’s regular budget and the need for effective management of existing resources as they discussed the world body’s financial situation.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined the status of construction projects at the Economic Commission for Africa, as well as oversight issues across the United Nations system, including its exposure to fraud risks.

While the Organization’s financial indicators for 2014 were generally sound, the United Nations senior management official told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that the regular budget’s cash position was low and under extra pressure from the emergency financing needs of the Capital Master Plan and emergency funding for the United Nations operations to control the Ebola outbreak.