Financed activities – UNCTAD – SecGen report (excerpts)

Implementation by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

of the activities financed from the unspent balance from the regular budget for the

biennium 1996-1997 and how the accomplishments have contributed to strengthening

the capacity of the Conference, in particular, in priority areas and

Analysis of savings resulting from the improved overall cost-effectiveness achieved

pursuant to the ninth session of the Conference, including the restructuring of

the intergovernmental machinery and the reform of the secretariat, as requested

by the General Assembly in its resolutions 51/167 of 16 December 1996,

52/220 of 22 December 1997 and 53/3 of 12 October 1998

Report of the Secretary-General

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to the request of the General Assembly in its resolution 53/3 of 12 October 1998. The report provides the status of implementation by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) of the activities financed from the unspent balance ($5,526,600) from the regular budget for the biennium 1996-1997 and of the extent to which those activities and the related resources have contributed to strengthening UNCTAD in a number of priority areas.

The report also provides an analysis of the savings achieved during the biennium 1996-1997 as a result of the restructuring of the programme of work and of the intergovernmental machinery of UNCTAD pursuant to the ninth session of the Conference.

I. Introduction

1. The General Assembly, by its decision 52/462 of 31 March 1998, decided to retain an amount of $5,526,600 from the unspent balance from the regular budget for the biennium 1996-1997 with a view to financing the activities of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as requested by the Assembly in its resolution 52/220 of 22 December 1997, taking into account the recommendations of the Secretary-General in that regard, as contained in his report of 13 May 1998 (A/52/898 and Corr.1).

2. On 12 October 1998, the General Assembly, in its resolution 53/3, endorsed the proposals contained in the Secretary-General=s report and requested him to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-fourth session: (a) a report on the implementation by UNCTAD of the activities financed from the unspent balance of $5,526,600 and on how the accomplishments had contributed to strengthening the capacity of the Conference, and (b) comprehensive information on the savings resulting from the improved overall cost-effectiveness achieved pursuant to the ninth session of UNCTAD, including the restructuring of the intergovernmental machinery and the reform of the secretariat, as initially requested by the Assembly in its resolutions 51/167 of 16 December 1996 and 52/220 of 22 December 1997.

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Annex

Accomplishments and expenditure report for activities of UNCTAD

financed from the unspent balance from the regular budget

for the biennium 1996-1997

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C. Programme of work: $2,987,600

Subprogramme 1. Globalization and development: $630,000

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(d) South-South Conference on Trade, Investments and Finance

Allocation: $60,000

Expenditure as of 30 September 1999: $10,000

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30. Support is being provided to the preparatory process for the South Summit, including a study on the potential for increasing South-South trade, investment and economic cooperation including interregional cooperation and a study on globalization and liberalization and their ramifications for economic cooperation and integration among developing countries. These studies are to be completed by February 2000 in time for consideration at the South Summit in April 2000.

31. Within the framework of the above-mentioned studies, the expenditures relate to a study being undertaken of regional and subregional economic cooperation in the context of promoting cooperation between the Palestinian economy and Egypt and Jordan, the objective of which is to improve subregional trade-related services and the development of guidelines and principles for sustainable economic development of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is particularly important in the context of the resumption of multilateral and bilateral negotiations which are expected to generate new requests for advisory services on trade and related policy services as well as finance and investment.