UN Fifth Committee
March 9, 2006
Agenda: Consideration of the proposed UN Human Rights Council program budget implications

Ms. McGrath of Ireland (coordinator of informal consultations):
Thank you.  The Committee has had 2 informal sessions on the latest agenda item.  One delegation needed more time and at this morning’s meeting the Chef de Cabinet of the General Assembly President, Ambassador Wide, advised that more time for consultations was needed and in this light he would inform the Secretariat and the bureau as to when to next schedule informals on this item.

Chef de Cabinet of the General Assembly President, Ambassador Wide: 
Yes, first of all there is a plenary meeting in the General Assembly tomorrow on draft resolution L.48.  I understand from the information I received that delegates are still consulting regarding the Program Budget Implications in connection with that resolution and more time is needed for consultations between member states.  In that view, the President will be in contact with the Chairman of the Fifth Committee and with the coordinator Ms. McGrath on the progress of consultations with a view to schedule the new meeting of the Fifth Committee as soon as possible.  As I said, there is a plenary meeting scheduled for tomorrow on this issue.

United States:
We thank the coordinator for her efforts on this item and we thank Ambassador Wide.  Our delegation needs more time for consultations on this important matter.  We are in touch with the office of the President of the General Assembly and with other delegations and we appreciate the Committee’s consideration.

South Africa, speaking on behalf of the G-77 and China:
Before we start, we would like to thank Ms. McGrath from Ireland for the capable manner in which she has conducted the informals.  And we welcome the Chef de Cabinet of the General Assembly President as well as the director from the budget office.  The G-77 and China have been ready since Monday March 6 to adopt the Program Budget Implications submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly.  By adopting the Program Budget Implications, the Committee will facilitate the adoption of L.48 which will finalize the establishment of a Human Rights Council.  The G-77 and China is ready to endorse the resource levels requested by the Secretary-General--formally $4,503,700 dollars of which $4,328,700 will be charged to contingency fund.  We note that the Committee is unable to take action on the Program Budget Implications today due to lack of instructions from a delegation.  G-77 and China assures you that we are ready to respond with urgency to the request of the President of the General Assembly to take action on the Program Budget Implications and we trust that the bureau will schedule informal consultations as a matter of priority.  We trust that all delegations will be able to join consensus at that time.  The Committee has a large number of items on our agenda and we’re ready to engage in earnest on all of the items and to not waste the resources of the organization.  The G-77 and China supports reform of the United Nations and specifically its human rights machinery.  Actions on the results of the negotiations conducted over several months are necessary to ensure that the Human Rights machinery of the United Nations, which awaits decision on this resolution, carries on its functions without any interruption.  Thank you.

Austria, speaking on behalf of the European Union:
We thank the Chef de Cabinet of the General Assembly President and the coordinator of the informal meetings Ms. McGrath.  The EU stated its formal opinion on March 6, and we now reiterate our support for the program budget implications as proposed by the Secretary-General.  The Fifth Committee works on consensus and we understand that there are still discussions ongoing regarding these program budget implications and the Chef de Cabinet has advised us on behalf of the General Assembly President that we might consider to reschedule the formal meeting on this item and we stand ready to follow the guidance of the General Assembly President and we could agree to this proposal. 

Mexico:
The delegation of Mexico believes that the report of the Secretary-General on the program budget implications for draft resolution L.48 on the Human Rights Council is quite clear.  The ACABQ report is more clear and my delegation favors the adoption of conclusions therein.  In connection with this item, the Fifth Committee was asked to fulfill its mandate and that is to examine the budgetary consequences of L.48.  According to my delegation, the Fifth Committee has already performed that task, fulfilling its mandate, and we have not heard any objections to the technical or financial substance of the proposal of the Secretary-General.  We reassert our support of the draft resolution as submitted by the President of the General Assembly stating that we are ready to see it adopted when possible.

Chairman:
The bureau and I will be in touch with the office of the President of the General Assembly and when we receive information, we will pass it onto you when the next informal consultations on this item will be.