r

STATBMBNT OF ASG LOUIS F. REUTER TO THE FIFTH COMMITTEE 16 June 2006 UNITED NATIONS CAPITAL MASTBR PLAN REPORT OF THE SECRE,TARY-GENERALN6O/874 delegates, distinguished Mr. Chairman, report on the I am here today to introduce to you the Secretary-General's - document N601874- which containsthe business Capital Master Plan (CMP) analysis for construction of a permanentoffice building on the North Lawn, as of in requested paragraph7 of GeneralAssembly ResolutionA/RES/601256 19 May 2006. that a at A 3-weekinitial analysiswas undertaken, no cost,which indicates with such a building. The in cost advantage the long term is to be accomplished analysiswas limited to the economic aspects,and did not take into accounta analysis of security, architecturaland host city and community comprehensive issues.The cost of a full study is estimatedat some 1 percent of the cost of and construction would take at leastoneyear to complete. However, given the state of the existing UN buildings and the urgent need recommendsthat the matter of a long-term for renovation,the Secretary-General of and be made independently the real estatestrategybe consideredseparately, point that we do not decision on the strategyon the Capital Master Plan. Let me execution office building on the North Lawn for a successful needthis permanent of the CapitalMasterPlan. In this connection, allow me to reiterate, distinguisheddelegates,the originally presented decisionsand approvalson the recommendations outstanding 2005,which are: of to you in report N601550 11 Novernber a. Approval of strategy IV (phasedapproach)for implementationof the CapitalMasterPlan; Approval of a project budget of $1,587.8million of strategyIV, excludingpotentialscopeoptions;

b.

c.

Approval of the funding plan for the Capital Master Plan basedon a The funding approvalis multi-year member statesdirect assessment. now becorningcritical, if we are to allow for the time requiredfor the national legislatures concludetheir respective to budgetcyclesin time to provide the requiredinitial funding for constructiontake-off.

In order to prevent further cost escalation the inevitablerenovationof the for existing buildings, I urge you to act on the recommendations containedin as A1601550 without further delay, and leave consideration the possibility of a of permanentstructure on the North Lawn in the context of a long-term real estate strategy,for a later date. The time has come to take the "Plan" out from "Capital Master Plan" and to replaceit by "Project" - "Capital MasterProject" I thankyou for your consideration.