United Nations A/C.5/65/12 Distr.: General 13 December 2010 Original: English General Assembly Sixty-fifth session Fifth Committee Agenda items 66 (b) and 129 Elimination of racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action Programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia 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 A/C.3/65/L.60, as revised Statement submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly I. Introduction 1. At its 52nd meeting, on 23 November 2010, the Third Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised, by a recorded vote of 121 in favour to 19 against, with 35 abstentions. The Secretariat informed the Third Committee, at the time of adoption of the draft resolution, that in view of the multiple revisions to the draft resolution, the programme budget implications of its terms were being determined and the related statement of programme budget implications, if any, would be provided as soon as full consultation with relevant substantive offices were complete. 2. The attention of the Fifth Committee is drawn to the fact that rule 153 of the rules and procedures of the General Assembly could not be followed, as the Third Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised, without being informed of the programme budget implications associated with the implementation of the terms of the draft resolution. 10-68988 (E) 141210 *1068988* A/C.5/65/12 3. Accordingly, the attention of the Fifth Committee is drawn to the fact that this statement of programme budget implications associated with the implementation of the terms of the draft resolution is made in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and is being submitted directly to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee for action which it considers appropriate. II. Requests contained in the draft resolution 4. Under the terms of paragraphs 30, 31, 50, 51, 53, 57, 63, 71 and 73 of draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised, the General Assembly would: (a) Request the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide States, at their request, with advisory services and technical assistance to enable them to implement fully the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur; (b) Request the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the human and financial assistance necessary to carry out his mandate efficiently, effectively and expeditiously and to enable him to submit a report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session; (c) Decide to hold a one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, at the level of Heads of States and Governments, on the second day of the general debate of the sixty-sixth session, under the theme "Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: recognition, justice and development", consisting of an opening plenary meeting, consecutive round tables/thematic panels and a closing plenary meeting; and call on the President of the General Assembly to appoint co-facilitators to conduct consultations on the scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting; (d) Also decide that the meeting would adopt a short and concise political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up processes; (e) Request the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach, with the involvement of Member States and United Nations funds and programmes as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to appropriately commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (f) Request the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat to launch a public information campaign for the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, including the wide distribution of user-friendly information materials through the United Nations system, inter alia, through United Nations information centres; (g) Request the Secretary-General to provide the resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the 2 10-68988 A/C.5/65/12 Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the group of independent eminent experts on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards; (h) Request the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner to continue to provide the Human Rights Council with all the necessary support for it to achieve its objectives in this regard; (i) Request the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, with recommendations. III. Relationship of the requests to the biennial programme plan and priorities for the period 2010-2011 and the programme of work for the biennium 2010-2011 5. The activities to be carried out relate to: (a) programme 1, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; (b) programme 19, Human rights; (c) programme 23, Public information; and (d) programme 24, Management and support services, of the strategic framework for the period 2010-2011. They also fall under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; section 23, Human rights; section 27, Public information; and section 28D, Office of Central Support Services, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011. IV. Activities by which the proposals would be implemented and additional requirements by programme budget section 6. With respect to paragraph 30 of draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will continue, as part of its core activities, to provide States, at their request, with technical assistance, through use of resources provided under section 22, Regular programme of technical cooperation of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011, as well as voluntary contributions (including the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights). 7. With respect to paragraph 31, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance falls under the category of activities considered to be of a "perennial nature". Provision for such activities has been included under section 23, Human rights, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011. 8. Pursuant to paragraphs 50 and 51, it is the understanding of the Secretariat that the opening and closing plenary of the high-level meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., respectively, and will require interpretation service and verbatim record service from and into all six official languages of the United Nations. Furthermore, a round table or thematic panel will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and another from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., which will require interpretation service 10-68988 3 A/C.5/65/12 from and into all six official languages. It is also estimated that a concise political declaration of 10,700 words will be translated into all six official languages. The total estimated additional requirements of $231,800 are initially estimated to respond to paragraphs 50 and 51 of the draft resolution, which are detailed below: (a) Resources estimated at $194,700 would be required under the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 to provide conference services to the four meetings mentioned in paragraph 8 above, as follows: (i) $181,700 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management, comprising requirements for meeting services ($45,000), verbatim record service ($70,700) and documentation services ($66,000); and (ii) $13,000 under section 28D, Office of Central Support Services, for other conference support services; (b) The first of the two consecutive round-table discussions is expected to include the Special Rapporteur on racism, the Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Chair of the Inter-Governmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Additional requirements for the travel and daily subsistence allowance expenses of the aforementioned experts to participate in the high-level meeting and round-table discussions are estimated at $32,600, to be provided under section 23, Human rights. The second round-table discussion is expected to be attended by Heads of State and Government, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; (c) It is estimated that an amount of $4,500 would be required under section 27, Public information, to provide media coverage in response to paragraph 50 of the draft resolution. 9. The Secretariat has determined that of the total amount of $194,700 required for conference services (referred to in para. 8 (a) above), an amount of $66,000 can be absorbed for documentation services within the resources available under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011. To the extent possible, the Secretariat also intends to accommodate the amount of $13,000 required for other conference support services, within the appropriation approved under section 28D, Office of Central Support Services, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011, and will report on the expenditures incurred in the second performance report for the biennium 2010-2011. Of the remainder of the conference-related costs amounting to $115,700 that would be required, under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management, for meeting services ($45,000) and verbatim record services ($70,700), it is proposed to meet the requirements under the provisions of the contingency fund for the biennium 2010-2011. 10. As concerns the requirements under paragraph 8 (b) above, it is proposed to absorb the requirements of $32,600 required under section 23, Human rights, within available resources approved under section 23, Human rights, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011, in response to paragraph 50 of the draft resolution. Requirements of $4,500 (referred to in para. 8 (c) above) are also proposed to be absorbed within available resources approved for the biennium 20102011, under section 27, Public information. 4 10-68988 A/C.5/65/12 11. The attention of the Fifth Committee is also drawn to the terms of paragraph 50, in which the President of the General Assembly is called on to appoint co-facilitators to conduct consultations on the scope, modalities, format and organization of the high-level meeting. Should the scope, modalities, format and organization to be decided by the General Assembly differ from the modality understood by the Secretariat as indicated in paragraph 8 above, the SecretaryGeneral will report to the General Assembly through established procedures revised estimates and additional resource requirements, if any. 12. With respect to paragraph 53, it is estimated that an amount of $49,000 would be required under section 27, Public information, to carry out outreach activities, such as briefing on the theme of the Durban commemoration, student conference and exhibits. It is proposed to meet the additional requirements of $49,000 for section 27, Public information, under the provisions of the contingency fund for the biennium 2010-2011. 13. With respect to paragraph 57, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in collaboration with the Department of Public Information, estimates that a total amount of $41,700 would be required under section 27, Public information, for promotional activities and products ($33,000); and web design/development and maintenance ($8,700). It is proposed to meet the additional requirements of $41,700 for section 27, Public information, under the provisions of the contingency fund for the biennium 2010-2011. 14. The terms of paragraph 64 relate to the mandates of the various special procedures that fall under the category of activities considered to be of a "perennial nature". Provisions for such activities have been included under section 23, Human rights, of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011. 15. OHCHR would continue to provide the Human Rights Council with all the necessary support in the implementation of the terms of paragraph 71 of the draft resolution. 16. The report on the implementation of the present resolution requested in paragraph 73 will be submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. V. Potential for absorption and the contingency fund 17. In response to the terms of paragraphs 50, 51, 53 and 57, the table below summarizes the additional requirements arising under the terms of draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised. Although total additional requirements of $322,500 will arise under the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011, it is proposed to accommodate an amount of $116,100 under the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 as reflected in the table below. Accordingly, it is proposed to meet the remaining amount of $206,400 under the provisions of the contingency fund. 10-68988 5 A/C.5/65/12 Summary of overall resource requirements (United States dollars) 2011 Total additional requirements proposed to be met under the terms of the 2010-2011 contingency fund (iii)=(i)-(ii) Total additional requirements (i) Total additional requirements proposed for absorption (ii) Section 2: General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management Section 23: Human rights Section 27: Public information Section 28D: Office of Central Support Services Total 181 700 32 600 95 200 13 000 322 500 66 000 32 600 4 500 13 000 116 100 115 700 -- 90 700 -- 206 400 18. It is not possible at this stage to identify activities within sections 2 and 27 of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011 that could be terminated, deferred, curtailed or modified during the biennium in order to meet the additional requirements. 19. It is recalled that, under the procedures established by the General Assembly in its resolutions 41/213 and 42/211, a contingency fund is established for each biennium to accommodate additional expenditure derived from legislative mandates not provided for in the programme budget. Under this procedure, if additional expenditures were proposed that exceeded the resources available from the contingency fund, the activities concerned would be implemented only through the redeployment of resources from low-priority areas or the modification of existing activities. Otherwise, such additional activities would have to be deferred to a later biennium. 20. The Secretariat has reviewed the programme of work under sections 2, 23, 27 and 28D of the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011. It is considered that the requirements, in response to the draft resolution, for sections 2 and 27 extend beyond the absorptive capacities of provisions to be made under the aforementioned sections. VI. Conclusion 21. Accordingly, should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution A/C.3/65/L.60, as orally revised, it is requested to approve the proposals of the Secretary-General in a total additional amount of $206,400 as a charge against the contingency fund for the biennium 2010-2011. The requirements by section would be as follows: (a) $115,700 under section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management; (b) $90,700 under section 27, Public information. 6 10-68988