| Date | 20 December 2002 |
|---|
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Agenda items 110, 111, 111 and 112 and 115, 111 and 118, 113, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121 122, 124, 125, 126, 134, 147, and 112
Reports of the Fifth Committee
The President
I now request the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee, Mr. Haile Selassie Getachew of Ethiopia, to introduce the reports of the Fifth Committee in one intervention.
Mr. Getachew (Ethiopia)
I have the honour today to present to the General Assembly the reports of the Fifth Committee containing recommendations on issues that required action during the main part of the fifty-seventh regular session of the General Assembly.
The Fifth Committee met from 25 September to 16 December 2002, and held 38 plenary meetings and 76 informal consultations. The Fifth Committee had held extensive consultations on the issues before it and adopted all its recommendations without a vote. I, therefore, have the honour to present the following brief report on the work of the Fifth Committee.
Under item 110 of the agenda, entitled "Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors", the report of the Committee is contained in document A/57/639. In paragraph 7 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the draft resolution that was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 111, entitled "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", and agenda item 118, entitled "Human resources management", the Committee, in its report contained in document A/57/603, recommends, in paragraph 6, one draft resolution entitled "Gratis personnel provided by Governments and other entities", which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Continuing with agenda item 111, entitled "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", the Committee, in paragraphs 14 and 15 of its report contained in document A/57/648, recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of two draft resolutions and three draft decisions -- namely, draft resolution I, on procurement reform; draft resolution II, on the proposed programme budget outline for the biennium 2004-2005; draft decision I, on common services; draft decision II, on the biennial programme of work of the Fifth Committee for 2003-2004; and draft decision III, on action taken on certain items, which were adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 112, the report of the Fifth Committee, entitled "Programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003", is contained in document A/57/649. In paragraph 79 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of draft resolution I, on questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003; draft resolution II A, on advised budget appropriations for the biennium 2002-2003; draft resolution II B, on revised estimates for the biennium 2002-2003; and draft resolution II C, on financing of the appropriations for 2003. In paragraph 80 of the same report, the Committee also recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the draft decisions I to XXV, which were adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 113, entitled "Programme planning", the Committee recommends to the General Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its report, contained in document A/57/650, the adoption of a draft resolution on programme planning, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 115, entitled "Administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency", the Committee considered the statistical report of the Chief Executives Board on the budgetary and financial situation of the organizations of the United Nations system. In paragraph 6 of its report, contained in document A/57/602, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft decision, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 111, entitled "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", agenda item 112, entitled "Programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003" and agenda item 115, entitled "Administrative and budgetary coordination of the United Nations with the specialized agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency", the Committee considered the question of the activities of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions during the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. In paragraph 4 of its report, contained in document A/57/623, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of one draft decision, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Regarding agenda item 116, entitled "Pattern of conferences", the Committee met extensively but was unable to reach consensus on a comprehensive draft resolution. Accordingly, the Committee decided to recommend, in paragraph 7 of its report, contained in document A/57/651, a draft resolution, by which the Assembly would approve the devised calendar of conferences for 2003 and would decide to continue consideration of those agenda items at the first meeting of the resumed fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. The draft resolution was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Regarding agenda item 117, entitled "Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations", the report of the Committee is contained in document A/57/429/Add.1. In paragraph 6 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 119, the report of the Committee, entitled "Joint Inspection Unit", is contained is document A/57/640. In paragraph 6, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Regarding agenda item 120, entitled "United Nations common system", the Committee recommends to the General Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its report, contained in document A/57/652, the adoption of one draft resolution, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Under agenda item 121, entitled "United Nations Pension System", the Committee recommends to the General Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its report contained in document A/57/653, the adoption of a draft resolution, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Regarding agenda item 124, entitled "Financing of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991", and agenda item 125, entitled "Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994", the reports of the Committee are contained in documents A/57/654 and A/57/655, respectively. In paragraph 6 of each report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of one draft resolution. Both were adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Mr. Getachew (Ethiopia)
The report of the Committee on agenda item 126, entitled "Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations", is contained in document A/57/656. In paragraph 6 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
The report of the Committee on item 134, entitled "Financing of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone" is contained in document A/57/657. In paragraph 6 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
The report of the Committee on agenda item 147, "Financing of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina" is contained in document A/57/643. In paragraph 6 of its report, the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft decision which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
With regard to agenda item 12, "Report of the Economic and Social Council", in paragraph 4 of its report (A/57/624) the Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of a draft decision which was adopted by the Committee without a vote.
Before concluding, I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to the Group of African States for demonstrating their confidence in me by asking me to serve as the Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee at the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. I would also like to convey my deepest appreciation to the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Murari Raj Sharma, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Nepal, for his outstanding leadership and to all other members of the Bureau for their professionalism.
I would be remiss if I failed to express my appreciation to all Member States for their high degree of cooperation, to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Committee for their dedication and hard work and to the other members of the Secretariat staff for their invaluable assistance, which enabled the Committee to complete its heavy workload at an earlier date than in previous years.
The Acting President
If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Fifth Committee which are before the Assembly today.
The Acting President
Statements, if any, will therefore be limited to explanations of vote.
The positions of delegations regarding the recommendations of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records.
May I remind members that under paragraph 7 of decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that
"When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee."
May I further remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.
Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Fifth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that we are going to proceed to take decisions in the same manner as was done in the Fifth Committee, unless notified otherwise in advance. I therefore hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Fifth Committee.
