Group of 77 Dissatisfies With UN ACABQ Budget for UNPKF

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United Nations

New York (ABC Live):The UN Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on Tuesday  considered the financing requirements of two special political missions, as well as revisions to the way in which Member States contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations were reimbursed for their equipment.

While the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) recommended approval of the proposals by the 2011 Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment, the “Group of 77” developing countries and China said the Working Group’s results did not meet its expectations.

Argentina’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Group, said it was not possible to sustain today’s complex missions without seriously re-examining their resources and improving the conditions offered to troop-contributing countries.  “What is at stake here is the viability of our continued participation in the peacekeeping operations,” he said, pointing out that the Group provided more than 85 per cent of the Organization’s troops.

James Mutiso, Director of the Field Budget and Finance Division in the Department of Field Support, introduced the related report of the Secretary-General, noting that the Working Group recommended a net average increase of 1.3 per cent in reimbursement rates for major equipment, and 2.1 per cent for self-sustainment, a change that would tally $15.6 million annually, based on equipment deployment levels as of 1 March 2011.  The Working Group had also recommended linking the review of special-case reimbursement rates to the average revision in major equipment rates recommended during respective triennial meetings of the Working Group, he said.

In presenting the ACABQ report, Chairman Collen Kelapile said that, if the General Assembly approved the recommendations with effect from 1 July 2011, additional resource requirements of about $16.3 million would be reported in the performance reports for individual peacekeeping operations for the 2011/12 financial period.

Turning to the programme budget for biennium 2010-2011, the Committee then considered the financing of two special political missions:  the Panel of Experts on Libya and the United Nations Representative to the Geneva International Discussions.

Assistant Secretary-General and Controller Jun Yamazaki presented the Secretary-General’s report, saying it proposed resource requirements of $2.13 million net for the Panel, in the period 1 April to 31 December 2011, and $1.47 million net for the United Nations Representative, in the period 1 May to 3 December 2011.

Mr. Kelapile then introduced the Advisory Committee’s report, which recommended the inclusion of those resource requirements in the overall appropriation for special political missions in the 2010/2011 biennium.

Background

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) had before it:  a letter dated 25 February 2011 from the Chair of the 2011 Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment to the Chair of the Fifth Committee (document A/C.5/65/16), transmitting the report of the Secretary-General on Reformed procedures for determining reimbursement to Member States for contingent-owned equipment (document A/65/800), issued on 28 March 2011; and the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) on the same subject (document A/65/830), which recommends approval of the Working Group’s recommendations.

Also before the Committee was the report of the Secretary-General on Estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council (document A/65/328/Add.7); the ACABQ report on that subject (document A/65/602/Add.2), which recommends acceptance of one P-3 position and one General Service position, requested to support the Panel’s work, as well as approval of the revised operational cost requirements of $1.67 million net ($1.69 million gross), for the period 1 June to 31 December 2011.

It also recommends that the Assembly approve $1.47 million net ($1.59 million gross) for the United Nations Representative for the 1 May to 31 December 2011 period.  The report also recommends that resources for the activities of both entities be absorbed within the overall appropriation approved for special political missions for the 2010-2011 biennium.