Fifth Committee

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today debated the Organization’s ongoing efforts to overhaul an outdated information and communications technology system and carry out an enterprise resource planning project called Umoja, so it could deliver its services around the world more quickly and efficiently.

Barely seven weeks away from crucial referendums in Southern Sudan that will determine whether the country will split into two nations, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the Secretary-General’s request for $85.7 million for the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), as it provides assistance in creating a safe, free and secure voting process.

Even though it suffered its first actuarial setback in 14 years during the biennium that closed in December 2009, the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund bounced back from the turmoil in global financial markets to post a 32.2 per cent jump in assets to $38.3 billion by March 2010, Secretariat officials told the Fifth Committee today.

With the adoption of two draft resolutions today, the Fifth Committee gave its approval to the Board of Auditor’s scrutiny of the Organization’s 2009 financial statements and laid down a blueprint of guidelines meant to improve the staging of conferences.

As it moved to fill upcoming vacancies on five bodies that support its work in overseeing the Organization’s human resources and budget, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today recommended six people, whose names it will send to the General Assembly, to fill slots opening up in January on the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the financing needs of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), as the Mission prepared to wind down its operations by year’s end and liquefy millions of dollars in assets.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today wrapped up its debate on proposals to overhaul the management of the Organization’s global staff, as several delegates urged management to boost the ranks of employees from developing countries, while others remained unhappy with the Secretary-General’s plan for issuing continuing appointments.

With opening remarks by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, the Fifth Committee today began debating the latest management reform proposals aimed at boosting the Organization’s efficiency by overhauling how tens of thousands of staff around the world are hired, trained and paid.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today heard Secretariat officials unveil a set of recommendations that would move the United Nations a step closer to unifying the conditions of service for thousands of staff members around the world and carry an initial price tag of tens of millions of dollars.