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At the Second
Resumed Session New York, 13 May 2003
Since this is the first time my delegation takes the floor at the second resumed session of the Fifth Committee, I wish to express my delegation’s pleasure in seeing you again chairing this important committee. I would also like to welcome the other members of the bureau to this resumed session. Let me reiterate my delegation’s assurance of giving you full support so that the deliberations of the Committee will yield fruitful results. In the same vein, my delegation would like to extend our heartfelt congratulation to Mr. Movses Abelian for assuming a position as the new Secretary of the Fifth Committee. We are confident that with his skill and comprehensive knowledge of the administrative and budgetary issues, the Committee will benefit from his expertise. We also would like to express appreciation to Miss Nora Benary, whose diligence has helped the committee to finish its work during the interim period. My delegation would like to associate itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished delegate of Morocco on behalf of the Group 77 and China, but we would like, however, to touch upon other important administrative and budgetary issues pertaining to UN Peacekeeping Operations. Mr. Chairman, Peacekeeping operations remain crucial instruments at the disposal of the international community to advance international peace and security. Therefore, as a fundamental pillar of the Organization, adequate financing of the UN peacekeeping operations as well as efficient management of missions are imperative. In this respect, the Government of Indonesia continues to support the work of the Organization in contributing to the international efforts to uphold peace and security. My delegation takes note of the efforts made by the Secretariat to present a streamlined results-based budget format for peacekeeping operations, beginning in the 2003/2004 cycle. We would like to reiterate the Advisory Committee’s recommendation for further improvements. In this regard, the Advisory Committee also recommended that since the system is new, training programmes for mission personnel should remain a priority to enable them to accurately implement the results-based budgeting procedures at all missions. With regard to the matters relating to memoranda of understanding, my delegation wishes to emphasize the importance of signing of the memoranda of understanding before the deployment of contingent-owned equipment and troops. We share the views of the Advisory Committee that the approval and signing of memoranda of understanding and status-of-forces agreements are essential instruments before a mission starts operation. These instruments lay down the legal framework of the relationships between the Organization and troop-contributing countries in terms of personnel, equipment and services. However, we learn that in the year 2002, 96.5% percent of the 230 memoranda of understanding were signed after the deployment of troops and COE. In this regard, we concur with the opinion of the ACABQ that efforts needs to be made to correct this situation. In relation to the issue of feasibility of consolidating accounts of the various peacekeeping operations as contained in the document A/57/746, my delegation has read the report carefully and we understand the likely advantage to be gained by the proposal, especially in relation to the streamlined administrative aspect of peacekeeping accounts. However, as stated in the report, the proposal runs counter to current financial procedures required under the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations. Furthermore, there are many elements of the proposals that need greater clarification. Just to cite an example, we would like to know the full implications of the proposal for Member States, in particular when article 19 is applied. It is also not clear how the Secretariat will integrate monitoring mechanisms in peacekeeping budgets. Since more information is required, we are therefore of the view that the Committee should consider this issue very carefully and not take hasty decisions on such a particularly sensitive issue as this. We look forward to gaining more clarification from the Secretariat during informal meetings. I thank you.
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