UnitedNations

Arcsrcztzt
Distr.:Limited l4 December 200'7 Original: English

GeneralAssemblv

Sixty-second session

Fifth Committee
Agenda items 128 and 68 (b) Proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 Elimination of racism and racial discrimination: comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discriminationoxenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
Programme budget implications of draft resolution Al C.3/621L.65/Rev.l, as orally revised Statementsubmitted by the Secretary-Generalin accordancewith rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly

I.

Introduction
1. At its 54th meeting, on 28 November 2007, the Third Committee adopteddraft resolution AlC.3l62lL.65/Rev. as orally revised, by a recorded vote. The l, Committee had before it a statement of programme budget implications (AlC.3/62/L.90) and also heard an oral statement of programme budget implications, in which the Secretariatinformed the Cornmittee that the prograrnme budget implications of drafl resolution AlC.3l62lL.65/Rev. were similar to those of l draft resolution A/C.3162lL.65,as set out in document AlC.3/621L.90. 2. In his report on the revised estirnates resulting from resolutionsand decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council at its resumed second session, its third session and its third special session in 2006 (A/6ll530l\dd.l), the SecretaryGeneral informed the General Assembly that under the terms of Human Rights Council resolution 3/2, the Council wor"rldact as Preparatory Committee fbr the Durban Review Conference.that it was estimated that the requirementsto sltpport the preparatory process would be absorbed in the provisions of the programme

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Atc.5t62t2l budget for the biennium 2006-2007 and that the estimated requirements for the biennium 2008-2009 would be consideredin the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009.

II.

Requestscontained in the draft resolution
3. Under the terms of operative paragraphs38, 46,50 and 53 of draft resolutton 1, AlC.3l62lL.6SlRev. as orally revised,the GeneralAssembly,would: (a) Request the Secretary-General to provide the necessaryresources for the effective fulfilment of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the group of independent eminent experts on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programmeof Action; (b) Request the Secretary-Generalto provide the Special Rapporteur with all the necessary human and financial assistance to carry out his mandate efficiently, effectively and expeditiously and to enable him to submit a report to the Assembly at its sixty-third session; (c) Welcome the report of the Preparatory Committee for the Durban Review Conference on its organizational session and underline that the Preparatory Committee should, at its first substantive session, in accordance with its decision PC.1/14, discuss, inter alia, the organization of the work of the Durban Review Conference and other matters, including the allocation of funding from the regular budget of the United Nations for the convening of the Conferencein 2009; (d) Request the Secretary-General to allocate adequate funding from the regular budget of the United Nations for expenses not covered in Preparatory Committee decision PC.l/12, to facilitate the participation of all the relevant special procedures and mechanisms of the Human Rights Council in the meetings of the Preparatory Committee and regional preparatory conferences.

ilI.

Overall estimated additional requirements
4. The overall estimated additional requirements and potential for absorption, by section,are detailed in the table below:
( United States dollars) Estimqled requtremenls 2008-2009

Budget seclion

Polentialfor obsorption

Preliminarynel requiremenl

Assemblyand Economicand Social 2. General Council aft'airsand conferencemanasement 23. Humanrights 288. Administration, Geneva Total

s 149 00 0 I 898800 t3 800
7 061 600

(253r00) ( 1 38 0 0 ) (266,900)

4 895900 I 898800

6794700

0?-64380

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IV. Activities by which the proposed requestswould be carried out and additional requirements by programme budget section
The requirements relating to operative paragraphs 38 and 46 of the draft 5. resolution would be met within the provisions in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 to support the bodies mentioned therein and the Special Rapporteur. However, with regard to operative paragraphs 50 and 53 of the draft 6. resolution, it is estimated that additional resources would arise for the following: (a) Conference services for the open-ended intergovernmental working group to follow up the work of the Preparatory Committee, review additional written contributions and report thereon to the Preparatory Committee, in line with its decision PC.l/10, which would be endorsedby the GeneralAssembly through the adoption of draft resolution AlC.3162/L.66($1,632,500); (b) Additional support staff to service the intersessional working group ($837,000); (c) Conference services for the regional preparatory conferences, including interpretation and documentation, travel and daily subsistence allowance of interpreters and Secretariat support staff ($3,270,300); (d) Travel requirements for the participation of all relevant special proceduresand mechanisms of the Human Rights Council in the meetings of the Preparatory Committee and regional preparatory conferences ($825, 100); (e) The holding of the first substantive session of the Preparatory Committee in April and May 2008, in line with its decision PC.l/15, as this represents a deviation from the terms of paragraph2 of Human Rights Council resolution 3/2,by which the Council decided that the Preparatory Committee would hold two substantive sessions of l0 working days each during 2007 and 2008 in Geneva ($260,000); (0 Travel requirements for staff to service the meetings of the regional preparatory conferences ($236,700). '7. It should be noted that the Preparatory Committee intends to elaborate further on the date, duration and level of participation to ensure a smooth and successful Conference. It should also be noted that the issue of regional preparatory meetings and other aspects of the preparatory process for the Durban Review Conference remain under discussionand negotiation among the Member States. 8. In the statement of programme budget implications contained in document AlC.3l62/L.90 and the oral statementof programme budget implications in relation to draft resolution AlC.3/62/L.65/Rev. as orally revised, the Third Committee was l, informed that in accordance with established practice a full review would be carried out and recommendations would be made on the level of the additional appropriations to be sought or the absorptive capacity in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009. As reflected in the table in paragraph 4 above, it is currently estimated that additional requirements of $7.1 million would arise, while the preliminary estimate presented in document AlC.3/62/L.90 was

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Alc.s/62t2r approximately 57.2 million. The Secretariatwishes to inform the General Assembly that the estimatesare preliminary, as consultations with all relevant implementing ofllces are still ongoing, including those rel'erredto in paragraph7 above. 9. In addition to the estimated requirements from the regular budget, it is estirnated that travel requirements of approxrmately $804,100 for representatives from the least developed countries and representativesof national human rights institutions and non-governmentalorganizations,especially those from developing couutries of the region where a regional conference is being held, in accordance with Preparatory Committee decision PC.lll2, wrll be funded from available extrabudgetary resources. 10. With regard to operative paragraph 46 of the draft resolution, the Third Committee's attention was drawn to the provisions of section VI of General Assernbly resolution 451248 B, in which the Assembly reaffirmed that the Fifth Committee was the appropriate Main Committee of the Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters, and also reaffirrned the role of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and BudgetaryQuestions.

v.

Contingency fund
I l. It will be recalled that, under the procedures established by the General A s s e m b l yi n i t s r e s o l u t i o n s l 1 2 1 3 a n d 4 2 / 2 11 , a c o n t i n g e n c y u n d i s e s t a b l i s h e do r 4 f f each biennium to accommodate additional expenditure derived from legislative mandates not provided for in the programme budget. Under this procedure, if additional expenditureswere proposed that exceededthe resourcesavailable from the contingency fund, the activities concernedwould be implemented only through the redeployment of resources from low-priority areas or the modification of existing activities. Otherwise, such additional activities would hal'e to be deferred to a later biennium. 12.. The Secretariathas reviewed the proposed programrneof work under sections 2,23 and 28E of the proposedprogramme budget for the biennium 2008-2009. It is considered that estimated requirements of $266,900 under the terms of the draft resolution relating to (a) conferenceservices for the open-endedintergovernmental working group, as indicated in paragraph6 (a) above, under section 28E ($6,900), and (b) the holding of the first substantivesessionof the PreparatoryCommittee in April and May 2008, as indicated in paragraph 6 (e) above, under section 2 ($2-s3,100) nd section 28E ($6,900), can be met within the provisions of the a proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009. The balance of the additional requirements ($6,794,700) is considered to be beyond the absorptive capacitiesofthe provisions proposedunder sections2 and23. 13. The adoption by the General Assembly of the draft resolution would therefore entail additional resources of up to $6,794,700 under the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009, including $4,895,900 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management, and $1,898,800 under section 23, Human rights. It is proposed that the additional requirementsrepresenta charge against the contingency fund and, as such, would require additional appropriations under the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 to be approvedby the GeneralAssembly.

Atc.5/62t21 14. It is not possible at this stage to identify activities within sections2 and 23 of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 that could be terminated,deferred, curtailed or modified durins the biennium in order to meet the additional requirements.

VI.

Actions required of the General Assembly
15. Accordingly, should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution AlC.3l62lL.65/Rev.l, preliminary additional resources of up to $6,794,700 for the biennium 2008-2009 would be required, over and above the level of resources in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 under sections 2 and 23, representing a charge against the contingency fund. The requirements by budget section would be as follows: (a) An increase of $4,895,900 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; (b) An increase of $1,898,800under section 23, Human rights.

16. The General Assembly is requested at this time to take note of the preliminary estimates above. Upon the conclusion of discussions and negotiations and the determination of the structure of the Durban Review Conference, including the regional preparatory meetings, detailed information on financial implications will be submitted.

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