United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee)
Rapporteur: Mr. Mohammad Wali Naeemi (Afghanistan)
I. Introduction
1. The previous recommendations made by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) to the General Assembly under agenda item 51 appear in the report of the Committee contained in document A/65/422.
2. At its 23rd meeting, on 11 November 2010, the Fourth Committee decided to defer until 2011 its consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the management capacity of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), requested in resolution 64/89.
3. The Committee resumed its consideration of the item at its 25th meeting, on 24 March 2011, and held a debate on the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the management capacity of UNRWA (A/65/705) (see A/C.4/65/SR.25).
4. At its 25th meeting, the Committee heard a statement by the Acting Director of the UNRWA Representative Office in New York, who introduced the report of the Secretary-General (see A/C.4/65/SR.25).
5. At the same meeting, the representative of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations made a statement (see A/C.4/65/SR.25).
II. Consideration of draft resolution A/C.4/65/L.17
6. At the 25th meeting, on 24 March, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Senegal, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled “Report of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the management capacity of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East” (A/C.4/65/L.17). Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Republic of Tanzania joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
7. At the same meeting, the Secretary of the Committee read out a statement of the programme budget implications of the draft resolution.
8. Also at the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/65/L.17 by a recorded vote of 134 to 2 (see para. 9). The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against:
Israel, Marshall Islands.
Abstaining:
None.
III. Recommendation of the Special Political and Decolonization
Committee (Fourth Committee)
9. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:
Report of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the management capacity of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949, by which it established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and all subsequent related resolutions, including its resolution 65/100 of 10 December 2010,
Having considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2009,1
Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East2 and the efforts of the Working Group to assist in ensuring the financial security of the Agency,
Reiterating its deep concern about the critical financial situation of the Agency, caused in part by the structural underfunding of the Agency, as well as its rising expenditures resulting from the deterioration of the socio-economic and humanitarian conditions in the region and their significant negative impact on the provision of necessary Agency services to the Palestine refugees, including its emergency-related and development programmes,
Reiterating that the effective functioning of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East remains essential in all fields of operation,
Recognizing the need to maintain and extend the Agency’s management reform process in order to enable the Agency to effectively deliver services to the Palestine refugees, most efficiently utilize donor resources and reduce operational and administrative costs, and encouraging in this regard the Agency’s efforts to sustain change,
Recalling its resolution 3331 B (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, in which it decided that expenses for salaries of international staff in the service of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East which would otherwise be a charge on voluntary contributions should be financed by the regular budget of the United Nations for the duration of the Agency’s mandate,
Recalling the recommendation of the Working Group at its extraordinary meeting in June 2009 that the General Assembly review, at its next session, the basis for its decision in resolution 3331 B (XXIX) to provide funding to the Agency for international posts so as to enable the Agency to meet contemporary demands from stakeholders and the Assembly itself,3
Stressing the need to continue supporting the institutional strengthening of the Agency, including the need to reinforce the Agency’s resource mobilization and advocacy capacities as well as the need for more predictable funding, through the provision of financial resources from the regular budget of the United Nations, in accordance with the requests made in its resolutions 64/89 of 10 December 2009 and 65/100,
1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the management capacity of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East;4
2. Takes note of the grave financial situation faced by the Agency, including recurrent budgetary shortfalls due to underfunding and rising costs;
3. Calls upon the Agency to continue its management reform process in order to enhance its ability to raise and efficiently utilize resources, reduce operational and administrative costs, and implement change for more effective delivery of services to its beneficiaries;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to support the institutional strengthening of the Agency through the provision of financial resources from the regular budget of the United Nations;
5. Stresses that approval of funding for the biennium 2012-2013 and for future bienniums, taking into consideration the recommendations in the report of the Secretary-General,4 is subject to justification in the context of the proposed programme budget for the relevant bienniums and consideration thereof by the General Assembly;
6. Reiterates its appeal to all States, the specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to continue and to increase their contributions to the Agency in order to address the serious financial constraints and underfunding, especially with respect to the deficit in the Agency’s General Fund, and to support the Agency’s valuable and necessary work in assisting the Palestine refugees in all fields of operation;
7. Urges the Commissioner-General to continue the efforts to sustain and increase the support of traditional donors and to enhance income from non-traditional donors, including through partnerships with public and private entities;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session on the progress made with regard to the implementation of the present resolution.
Endnotes
1Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/65/13).
2A/65/551.
4A/65/705.
Document Type: Draft resolution, General Assembly draft resolution, Report, Voting record
Document Sources: General Assembly Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)
Subject: Absentee property, Agenda Item, Assistance, Internally displaced persons, Land, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 30/03/2011