Fifth Committee

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of the General Assembly, in New York today:

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.22 billion regular budget for 2023, which includes funding for 10,122 posts and would likely swing upward to $3.4 billion after re-costing.

Concerned about the rise in global food insecurity and its humanitarian impact, delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today welcomed the Secretary-General’s efforts to coordinate a comprehensive global response and supported his request for $3.52 million to facilitate implementation of two key initiatives aimed at bringing agricultural commodities from Ukraine and Russian to world markets and countries in need.

The President of the General Assembly urged Fifth Committee delegates today to transcend politics and put aside their differences as they ensure the efficient management of the Organization’s resources and assess the long-term viability of an annual budget cycle.

Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized the need for both timely payments by Member States and budgetary discipline by Secretariat officials if the Organization is to effectively carry out the mandates laid out by the General Assembly.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) elected Philippe Kridelka (Belgium) Chair on 7 June.

The General Assembly, following on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), funded 11 United Nations peacekeeping operations with a budget of $6.45 billion this evening.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today bolstered the daily operations of the Organization’s peacekeeping operations by approving a $6.45 billion budget for 11 peacekeeping missions and breaking a five-year deadlock around the so-called cross-cutting issues.

The United Nations Controller urged delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today to act to avert a looming liquidity crisis that could impact the delivery of the Organization’s mandates and services next year.

Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today threw their support behind the Organization’s peacekeeping activities as Secretariat officials unveiled the details of a $6.5 billion budget earmarked for 11 missions in the upcoming 2022/23 fiscal year and the need to adequately fund peacebuilding activities through the Peacebuilding Fund.