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The General Assembly at its 53rd session, allocated 37 agenda items to the Fifth Committee. It held 45 formal meetings; 105 informal meetings and a number of rounds of informal/informal consultations. Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee, the General Assembly adopted 22 resolutions and 23 decisions, including decisions on statements of programme budget implications.
During the main part of the 53rd regular session, the Committee focussed on agenda items/issues on which decisions of the Assembly were required by the end of the year. Those issues were the proposed programme budget outline for the biennium 2000-2001, the contingency fund, the first performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999, the reports of the Board of Auditors, Pattern of Conferences, the UN common system, the UN pension system, Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations, support account, gratis personnel as well as programme budget implications of draft resolutions considered by other Main Committees and the Plenary of the Assembly, such as MINUGUA, Central America, MICIVIH, Afghanistan, Bougainville and revised estimates arising from decisions taken by the Security Council.
As in previous years, and in accordance with resolution 49/233, the Committee will consider the financing of peacekeeping operations at its resumed session in May 1999. However, based on the recommendations of the Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolutions on six peacekeeping operations under agenda items 123: Financing of United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (UNAVEM/MONUA); 125: Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO); 136: Financing of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT); 140: Financing of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP); and 163: Financing of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) were adopted without a vote during the main part of the 53rd session.
Agenda item 111: Financial reports and audited financial statements and reports of the Board of Auditors
Based on the recommendations of the Committee,(A/C.5/53/L.17), the General Assembly, in its resolution 53/204 of 18 December 1999, approved all the recommendations of the Board of Auditors and endorsed the comments thereon by the ACABQ. It also decided to defer the consideration of specific issues to the resumed 53rd session.
Agenda item 112: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations.
The Committee considered a number of questions under this agenda item and recommended a series of actions to the General Assembly, particularly on: the administrative arrangements for the ITC/UNCTAD/WTO, the acceptance of type II gratis personnel, revolving credit fund, net budgeting, among others. Other questions, such as, procurement reform and outsourcing, the thematic reports of Office of Internal Oversight Services were postponed to the resumed 53rd session.
One of the key issues the Committee considered under this agenda item and agenda item 119 (Human resources management) was resolution 53/11 on the question of gratis personnel provided by Governments and other entities. The Assembly reaffirmed its previous resolutions on this question. Similarly, the Assembly took note of the commitment and the assurances by the Secretary-General that the recruitment process for the replacement of type II gratis personnel including those in the two international tribunals would be completed by 28 February 1999, in accordance with GA resolutions 52/234 and 52/248 of 26 June 1998. The same provision was reiterated in resolution 53/12 on the question of the support account.
The General Assembly, also on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee (A/C.5/53/L.35), adopted resolution 53/205 of 18 December 1998 on the question of results based budgeting by which it requested the Secretary-General to submit for its consideration at its 54th session through the ACABQ a comprehensive and analytical report on the proposal on results based budgeting which should reflect the elements outlined in paragraph 8(a) to (c ) of the said resolution.
Another important issue that the Committee had before it was the proposed programme budget outline for the bienium 2000-2001. Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee, the Assembly adopted resolution 53/206 of 18 December 1998 by which it approved, without a vote, a budget outline for the biennium 2000-2001 amounting to 2,545 million dollars at 1998-1999 rates and the contingency fund set at the level of 0.75 per cent of the preliminary estimate, namely at 19.1 million dollars. The Assembly decided that the preliminary estimate of resources for the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001 should include a provision for special political missions, in the amount of U.S.$ 86.2 million at revised 1998-1999 rates, which should be reflected in the proposed programme budget for 2000-2001; and that additional requirements should continue to be treated in accordance with the provisions of resolution 41/213.
Agenda item 113: Programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999
A number of important issues were considered by the Fifth Committee under this agenda item, such as, the first performance report for the biennium 1998-1999, the use of the contingency fund, development account, the utilization of development dividend, the savings resulting from the improved overall cost effectiveness achieved pursuant to the 9th session of UNCTAD, the conditions of service for the Judges of International Court of Justice, International Criminal Tribunal in Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda (ICTR), Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), among others. On the recommendations of the Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/215 of 18 December 1998 dealing with those issues.
Agenda item 114: Programme planning
Based on the recommendations of the Committee (A/C.5/53/L.18), on programme planning, the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/207 of 18 December which contained seven carefully negotiated elements, including the revisions to the medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001, priorities, revisions to Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning, the Programme Aspects of the Budget, the Monitoring of Implementation and the Methods of Evaluation, the programme performance of the United Nations for the biennium 1996-1997 and evaluation. In the same resolution, the Assembly, welcomed the report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on its 38th session and appreciated its improved working methods.
Agenda item 117: Pattern of conferences.
The Committee considered this item extensively. Based on its recommendations (A/C.5/53/L.24), the Assembly adopted resolution 53/208 of 18 December 1998 by which it approved the draft revised calendar of conferences and meetings of the United Nations for 1999, as submitted by the Committee on Conferences; it decided that UN bodies should avoid holding meetings on 9 April 1999; it requested the Committee on Conferences to consider, at its next session, the proposal to avoid holding meetings by UN bodies on lunar New Year's Day; it requested the Secretary-General to explore the possibility of establishing a permanent interpretation service at the UN office at Nairobi; it also requested the Secretary-General to examine provisions of interpretation services, to other location from New York, Geneva or Vienna; it stressed that the quality of interpretation in the six official languages should be improved in accordance with its resolution 52/214 and decided that the standards that govern the staffing of the interpretation booths should continue to be observed; it expressed deep concern about deficiencies in the quality of some reports and documents originating in the Secretariat and requested the Secretariat to take all necessary measures to redress the situation and to develop measurements to evaluate improvements made in the quality of reports and documents; and it requested the Secretariat to carry out a study on the possible relationship between the late issuance of documentation and the low utilization of conference services by some bodies.
Agenda item 118: Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations.
Under this agenda item, the Committee, during the earlier part of its session, considered requests for exemption from application of Article 19 of the Charter from the Governments of the Comoros, Tajikistan, Guinea Bissau and Georgia. Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/36A of 30 November 1998 by which it decided to grant a temporary waiver to those countries.
Consequently, three more requests were submitted to the General Assembly by the Governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Iraq. After intensive negotiations on the procedural aspects, the Assembly, based on the recommendations of the the Committee (A/C.5/53/L.13), adopted resolution 53/37 B to E by which it requested the Committee on Contributions to hold a special session at the early part of 1999 in order to consider the three requests and other Member States' requests falling under Article 19.
Based on the recommendations of the Committee (A/C.5/53/L.21), the General Assembly also adopted resolution 53/36, whereby it requested the Committee on Contributions to make recommendations to the General Assembly at its 54th session on the possibilities of tightening the application of Article 19, and to review the procedural aspects of the consideration of requests for exemption under Article 19, in particular modalities for dealing with such requests received when the Committee is not in session, and to make its recommendations to the General Assembly before the end of its 53rd session. It further requested that the Committee consider possible recommendations on measures to encourage the timely, full and unconditional payment of assessed contributions, pursuant to its general mandate under paragraph 3 of GA resolution 14A(I) of 13 February 1946.
Agenda item 119: Human resources management
Owing to the lack of time, and given the importance it attached to this item which dealt, inter alia, with the reform in the management and administration of human resources of the Organization, the General Assembly adopted decision 53/460 of 18 December 1998 by which it decided to defer the consideration of the item on human resources management to its first resumed 53rd session. In the meantime, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to maintain the current procedures relating to the consideration of candidates for internal vacancies in the Secretariat temporarily and also to postpone promulgation of the amendments to the Staff Rules, until it adopts a resolution on human resources management.
Agenda item 120: United Nations common system.
Based on the recommendations of the Committee (A/C.5/53/L.20, the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/209 of 18 December 1998 by which it requested the International Civil Service Commission to undertake the next study to identify the highest paid national civil service in 2001; it approved, with effect from 1 March 1999, the revised base scale of salaries for staff in the Professional and Higher categories; it approved, with effect from 1 January 1999, an increase of 14.6 per cent in the children's allowance (including that for disabled children) and in the secondary dependent's allowance. It noted also that dependency allowances payable to eligible common system staff should be reduced by the amount of any direct payments received from a Government in respect of dependents. The Assembly also urged the Commission to address speedily the Assembly's request regarding studies in the area of human resources management, and to submit a report thereon to its 54th session. It requested the Board of Auditors to conduct audits of the Secretariat of the Commission on a periodic basis in accordance with financial regulation 12.5 of the Financial Regulations and Rules and the Statute of the Commission. The General Assembly also decided to revert at its resumed 53rd session to the issues relating to the working methods, the selection and appointment of the members of the Commission and the role of the Commission in the review process in the context of its consideration of the Secretary-General's recommendations for the review of the ICSC at its resumed 53rd session.
Agenda item 121: United Nations pension system.
Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee (A/C.5/53/L.15), the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/210 of 18 December 1998, by which it, inter alia, approved the amendment to Article 45, to provide for a payment facility to former spouses, and the inclusion with effect from 1 April 1999, of a new article to provide for a divorced surviving spouse's benefits. The Assembly also decided to terminate the membership of the Interim Commission for the International Trade Organization in the Fund as at 31 December 1998 upon receipt of a written notification from the Director General of the World Trade Organization.
Items 135 and 137: Financing of the International Criminal Tribunals in the Former Yugoslavia(ICTY) and Rwanda.(ICTR)
Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee (A/C.5/53/L.22) on the financing of the International Criminal Tribunal in Former Yugoslavia and and (A/C.5/53/L.23) on the financing of the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda, the General Assembly adopted resolutions 53/212 and 53/213 of 18 December 1998 respectively, by which it expressed concern at the late submission of the budget proposals, at the format presentation of the 1999 budget proposals which were not succinct, lacked justification and at times inconsistent, and at the high vacancy rate in the Professional and General Service categories of staff. The Assembly requested the Secretary-General to improve the presentation of future budget propsals and to include in them information on those items in the current inventory for which proposals for replacement and/or additions are made. The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General, with a view to evaluating the effective operation and functioning of both Tribunals, to conduct, in full cooperation with their Presidents, a review as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, without prejudice to the provisions of the Statutes of the Tribunals and their independence character, and to report to the relevant organs of the United Nations. In conection with the International Criminal Tribunal in Former Yugoslavia, the Assembly decided to revise the appropriations for 1998 to $68,314,500 gross for 1998 and to appropriate $103,437,600 gross for 1999. In connection with the financing of the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda, the Assembly decided to revise the appropriation to $52,297,900 gross for 1998 and $75,260,600 gross for 1999.
Agenda item 143: Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the UN peacekeeping operations.
Based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/12 of 26 October 1998, on the question of the support account for peacekeeping operations whereby it decided to establish within the level of the 400 support account funded temporary posts approved for the period 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999, two civilian posts at the p-4 level (one Humanitarian Affairs Officer and (one Civilian Police Officer) for a rapidly deployable mission headquarters; and one P-4 post for the Office of Internal Oversight Services. The Assembly noted with concern that the extension of the deadline for the submission for the applications for the replacement of type II gratis personnel has resulted in cases of differential treatment among Member States. The Assembly took note of the commitment and assurances by the Secretary-General that the recruitment process for the replacement of type II gratis personnel, including those in the two international tribunals, would be completed by 28 February 1999,in accordance with resolutions 52/234 and 52/248.
Agenda item 145: Implementation of General Assembly resolution 48/218B
Due to the highly political nature of the issue involved in the review, the Committee recognized that the adoption of a draft resolution on this item would facilitate a consensus decision on three other itmes: namely, items 144: Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of Internal Oversight Services; the thematic reports of the OIOS under item 112: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations and item 165: Joint Inspection Unit. The General Assembly, based on the recommendations of the Fifth Committee (A/C.5/53/L.28) adopted decision 53/458 of 18 December, by which it decided to defer the consideration of the item to the resumed 53rd session.
Agenda item 17 (a) to (f) and (k): Appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments
On 6 November and 17 December 1998, the Committee considered the following appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments and based on its recommendations, the Assembly adopted decisions 53/312 to 319 of 18 December 1998 by which it endorsed the appointments of the following:
17(a) Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee for Administrative and Budgetary Questions (three year term beginning 1 January 1999)
Mrs. Nazareth A. Incera (Costa Rica) was recommended for appointment by acclamation. Mr. Fumiaki Toya (Japan), Mr. Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), Mr. Rajat Saha (India), Mr. Nicholas Thorne (United Kingdom) and Mr. Luigi Valenza (Italy) were recommended for appointment by secret ballot.
17(b) Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions (three year term beginning 1 January 1999)
Mr. Paul Ekorong a Ndong (Cameroon), Mr. Henry Hanson Hall (Ghana), Mr. Pieter J. Bierma (the Netherlands) and Mr. Neil Francis (Australia) were appointed by acclamation.
On the recommendations of the Committee, three independent experts from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay were appointed to serve for two years and to share, in rotation, the two vacancies in the Group of Latin American and Caribbean state's
:Mr. Sergio Chaparro Ruiz (Chile), from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2000
Mr. Eduardo Iglesia (Argentina), from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001;
Mr. Bernardo Greiver (Uruguay), from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001
17 ( c) Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors (three year term beginning 1 July 1999 ).
The Chairman of the Commission of Audit of the Philippines was recommended for appointment by secret ballot.
17(d) Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee (three-year term beginning 1 January 1999)
Mr. Yves Oltramare (Switzerland), Mr. E.N. Omaboe (Ghana) and Mr. Jurgen Reimnitz (Germany) were recommended for confirmation or reappointment by acclamation.
17(e) Appointment of members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal (three year term beginning 1 January 1999)
Mr. Kevin Haugh, (Ireland), and Ms. Deborah Taylor Ashford (United States) were recommended for appointment by secret ballot.
17(f) Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission (four year-term beginning 1 January 1999)
Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia), Mrs. Turkia Daddah (Mauritania), Mr. Eugeniusz Wyzner (Poland), Mr. Carlos Vegega (Argentina) and Mr. Wolfgang Stockl (Germany) were recommended for appointment by acclamation.
Designation of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Commission.
Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor (Tunisia) was recommended by acclamation to fill the post of Chairman of ICSC and Mr. Carlos Vegega (Argentina) was recommended by acclamation to fill the post of Vice-Chairman of ICSC.
Appointment of a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee.
Mr. Kenshiro Akimoto (Japan) was recommended by acclamation to fill the unexpired portion of the term of office of Mr. Tadanori Inomata who resigned from that Committee for a period beginning on 18 December 1998 until 31 December 2000.
Future sessions of the Fifth Committee.
The Committee will hold two resumed sessions during 1999. The first part from 8 to 26 March 1999. During this period, the Committee will consider issues on human resources management, gratis personnel, review of OIOS, JIU, development account, procurement reform and outsourcing, IMIS etc., The second part of the resumed session will take place from 10 to 28 May 1999 and will consider the items on the Financing of peacekeeping operations and other outstanding issues on the agenda of the Fifth Committee.