Sixtieth session Agenda item 123 Programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 Financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women Programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1 Twenty-first report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions 1. The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions has considered the report of the Secretary-General on the financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) (A/60/366) and the statement submitted by the Secretary-General (A/C.5/60/16) in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly on the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1, concerning the future operation of INSTRAW. During its consideration of these reports, the Committee met with the Director of INSTRAW and representatives of the Secretary-General, who provided clarifications. I. Future operation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women 2. The report of the Secretary-General on the financial situation of INSTRAW was submitted in response to the recommendation of the Fifth Committee to the General Assembly that the Secretary-General report to the Assembly on the overall financial situation of the Institute early during the main part of its sixtieth session (see A/59/641). The Fifth Committee also informed the Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/C.3/59/L.26, additional requirements of $1,092,400 would arise under section 9, Economic and social affairs, of the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005 and that the Assembly would be requested to appropriate that amount against the contingency fund, to be used should there be a shortage of voluntary contributions for the functioning of the Institute in 2005. In paragraph 8 of its resolution 59/260, the Assembly decided “to provide its full support to the current efforts to revitalize the Institute and, in this regard, to ensure that the Institute will be able to continue functioning for a period of at least one year”. 3. From the report of the Secretary-General, the Advisory Committee notes that the total income available to INSTRAW during 2005 amounts to $1,655,860 including: (a) a net balance of 2004 operations of $413,475 due to reduced expenditures and additional voluntary contributions; (b) 50 per cent of the subvention of $1,092,400 approved by the General Assembly for 2005; (c) voluntary contributions from Governments in the amount of $691,295 as at 31 August 2005; and (d) miscellaneous income of $4,890. Total expenditure for 2005 is projected at $1,183,700, with a closing balance of $472,160 in the INSTRAW trust fund at the end of 2005. 4. The Advisory Committee notes that the financial situation of INSTRAW has improved considerably during 2005. From the additional information provided to it, the Committee notes that paid voluntary contributions increased from $135,845 in 2004 to $768,573 as of 30 November 2005, representing the largest amount contributed since 1997. In addition, the Institute raised $716,025 in extrabudgetary funds earmarked for projects. Project-related funding had dwindled considerably since 1990, reduced to zero during several years, including 2004. A table of the flow of voluntary contributions to INSTRAW between 1987 and 2003 is provided in the annex. 5. The Advisory Committee discussed the INSTRAW strategy for ensuring its viability and financial sustainability with the Director of the Institute. The Committee was provided with detailed additional information on a variety of subjects, such as the Institute’s strategic framework for the 2004-2007 period, its cooperation with related agencies such as the United Nations Development Fund for Women, a list of its project proposals and its fund-raising strategy. 6. The Advisory Committee was informed that the Institute had selected four strategic areas on which to focus its efforts and resources, namely, applied research, sharing and dissemination of information, capacity-building and its own institutional development. The priority areas of its research programme concerned migration-related issues such as remittances, information and communication technologies and women’s empowerment, gender, peace and security issues and women’s political participation. With respect to information-sharing, the Committee was informed that the number of resources available online had been considerably expanded and developed in a number of areas, including gender mainstreaming, and that visits to the INSTRAW website had more than doubled. 7. The Advisory Committee was informed that an audit of INSTRAW had been conducted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services in December 2004 and that the outcome of the audit exercise (A/60/281) was received by the Institute in August 2005. The Committee was further informed that an audit of the Institute’s operations, including programme management, financial management, use of consultants and follow-up actions on previous audit recommendations, had been conducted by the Board of Auditors during the period from 29 August to 9 September 2005 and the findings of that audit had not yet been received. 8. The Advisory Committee fully recognizes the difficulties faced by INSTRAW in past years as indicated in its previous report (see A/59/579, para. 3). It commends the Director of INSTRAW for the actions undertaken to revitalize the Institute and the results obtained. However, the Committee notes that INSTRAW continues to rely on United Nations regular budget funding for most of its core requirements. Furthermore, the Committee was informed that contributions made to the INSTRAW trust fund in 2005 amounted to $768,573 as at 30 November 2005. The Committee stresses the importance of further intensifying fund-raising activities with a view to achieving the widest possible donor base to ensure financial sustainability. The Committee urges INSTRAW to continue to carefully examine its role within the United Nations family, especially as concerns the work of other entities specializing in the promotion of gender equality. In addition, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and others should consider how they may best benefit from the involvement of INSTRAW. In this connection, the Committee draws attention to the role of the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, who chairs the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality. INSTRAW should continue to develop and refine its strategic objectives and programme of work in close cooperation with these entities and others in order to avoid any duplication with regard to research on and training in gender issues. II. Programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1 9. Draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1, on the future operation of INSTRAW, by which the General Assembly would decide to provide its full support to the current efforts to revitalize INSTRAW and to provide it with the requisite funds to enable it to carry out its core functions for the 2006-2007 biennium, was adopted by the Third Committee at its 43rd meeting, on 18 November 2005. The Advisory Committee notes that the Third Committee had before it a letter dated 7 November 2005 from the Permanent Representative of Spain to the President of the General Assembly (A/C.3/60/11) in connection with its consideration of the draft resolution. 10. The statement of the Secretary-General on the programme budget implications of draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1 indicates in paragraphs 8 to 11 that the resource requirements for 2006 and 2007 are estimated at $1,314,352 per annum. According to current estimates, taking into account the projected fund balance at the end of 2005 and reserves to be set aside, the estimated shortfall of resources required would amount to approximately $1,042,200 for 2006. The Advisory Committee was informed that as at 30 November 2005 additional pledges to the INSTRAW trust fund for 2006 amount to $17,100. At this stage, it is not possible to determine precisely the resources the Institute will receive from voluntary contributions to finance its 2007 requirements and to estimate the level of the regular budget subvention. The Committee understands that, should additional voluntary funds become available, they would be used to offset the amount of the regular budgetary requirement. 11. The Advisory Committee recommends that the Fifth Committee inform the General Assembly that, should it adopt draft resolution A/C.3/60/L.15/Rev.1, additional requirements of up to $1,042,200 for the biennium 2006-2007 would arise under section 9, Economic and social affairs, of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007 in order to finance the requirements of the Institute. The appropriation of this amount would be considered by the General Assembly in accordance with the procedures for the use and operations of the contingency fund. 12. The Advisory Committee notes the indication in paragraph 18 of the Secretary-General’s statement that “the provision of additional funds to finance operations of the Institute in 2007 would imply an annual subvention to the Institute, which is subject to the express decision of the General Assembly in this regard and to the amendment of article VIII of the statute of the Institute”. Annex Flow of voluntary contributions to INSTRAW (1987-2003) Year Core (Trust fund) (United States dollars) Percentage difference Projects (Earmarked) (United States dollars) Percentage difference 1987 697 685 509 774 1988 1 592 040 128 91 500 -82 1989 1 105 151 -31 330 800 262 1990 48 492 -96 941 773 185 1991 1 845 489 3 706 265 073 -72 1992 1 920 185 4 1993 1 570 201 -18 1994 1 501 886 -4 226 839 -14 1995 1 323 093 -12 1996 1 118 265 -15 1997 718 009 -36 1998 804 143 12 1999 540 188 -33 15 000 -93 2000 523 980 -3 2001 347 396 -34 50 000 233 2002 107 689 -69 2003 377 657 251 6 154 -88   \* MERGEFORMAT 4 \* MERGEFORMAT 5 United Nations A/60/7/Add.20 General Assembly Distr.: General 12 December 2005 Original: English 05-63827 (E) 131205 *0563827* A/60/7/Add.20 A/60/7/Add.20