Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee)
Overview of the programme of work of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly during the main part of the fifty-seventh session Week of 30 September to 24 October 2002
Fifth Committee began its substantive discussion on 30 September and considered during its first week of work the following issues: (1) Four notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the report of the Internal Oversight Services on the inspection of programme management and administrative practices in the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (A/56/83), on the post implementation review of the Integrated Management Information System (A/56/879); on the inspection of the programme and administrative practices in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (A/56/930); and on the audit of the policies and procedures for recruiting staff for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (A/56/224); (2) the recommendations of the Committee on Contributions regarding the requests for exemption under Article 19 of the Charter submitted by Burundi, the Comoros, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Moldova, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia and Tajikistan, and the various reports under agenda item 122: Joint Inspection Unit.
On the recommendations of the Committee, the General Assembly adopted resolution 57/4 on 27 September 2002, whereby it would decide that Comoros, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Moldova, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia and Tajikistan would be permitted to vote in the Assembly until 30 June 2003, and that Burundi would be permitted to vote in the Assembly until the next substantive session of the Committee on Contributions, scheduled to be held from 2 June 2003.
During the week 14 to 18 October, the Committee considered the Annual report of the Committee on Contributions under agenda item 122: Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations. It also dealt with some questions relating to the Programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003, in particular the report of the Secretary-General on the construction of Addis Ababa, A/56/322); the use of video conferencing A/57/339); delivery of advisory services to Member States (A/57/363); Trends in extra-budgetary resources at ECLAC (A/56/364); Decentralized budgetary arrangements for central services (A/57/348), strengthening of DPI website (A/57/355), and the related report of ACABQ thereon (A/57/7/Add.2 and 3). The Committee also considered the report on the procurement reform under agenda item 111: Review of efficiency of the Administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, and the sixteen reports of the Board of Auditors under the agenda item Financial Reports and audited financial statements and reports of the Board of Auditors.
For the week 22 to 25 October, the Committee dealt with agenda item 116: Pattern of Conferences. The Under-Secretary-General for Management also presented the financial situation of the Organization, under the agenda item 114: Improving the financial situation of the United Nations. In accordance with the practice established for the consideration of the item on Improving the financial situation of the Organization, the Committee and held its general debate on Friday, 25 October, based on the information provided by the Under-Secretary-General.
To date, the Committee has so far concluded this stage of its consideration on the following items/issues, by recommending, without a vote, to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolutions and draft decisions.
- Draft resolution A/C.5/57/L.9 on Financial reports and audited financial statements and reports of the Board of Auditors.
- Draft resolution A/C.5/57/L.5 on the question of Gratis Personnel provided by Governments and other entities under agenda item 111: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and fin5ancial functioning of the United Nations and 118: Human Resources Management.
- Draft resolution A/C.5/57/L.7 on agenda item 119: Joint Inspection Unit - Draft resolution A/C.5/57/L.4 on agenda item 122: Reports of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services
- Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.14 on the question of Common Services under agenda item 111: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations.
- Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.8 on Construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa; - Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.10 on Video conferencing at United Nations;
- Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.11 on Decentralized budgetary and financial arrangements for Central Services; - Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.12 on delivery of advisory services to Member States;
- Draft decision A/C.5/57/L.13 on trends in extra budgetary resources at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the impact on its capacity to carry out the programme of work.
- Draft decision A/C.5/57/L. 6 on the note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the statistical report of the 缅北禁地system Chief Executives Board for Coordination on the budgetary and financial situation of the organizations of the 缅北禁地system.
- Informal consultations on agenda items 116: Pattern of Conferences, 117: Scale of Assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations; and on procurement reform under the agenda item 111: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations are continuing.
