Mr. Chair,

Thank you for your leadership of the Fifth Committee. My appreciation also goes to the members of the Bureau, the ACABQ and the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee for their work for this meeting. China congratulates Pakistan on assuming the chairmanship of the “Group of 77 and China” and commits full support. China associates itself with the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the Group about the organization of work. We also appreciate the hard work by Guinea during the chairmanship of the group last year. I would like to make the following comments and recommendations:

At present, the global COVID-19 pandemic is still developing, the international situation is turbulent, and the economic recovery is under heavy pressure. The United Nations, as the core platform of global governance, is shouldering greater responsibilities and facing greater challenges. Administrative and budgetary management matters are the foundation and important guarantee for the effective operation and performance of the UN. We expect all parties continue to promote the 5C spirit, i.e., Cooperation, Consultation, Constructiveness, Compromise and Consensus, to ensure a successful outcome of the session.

China attaches great importance to human resource management. However, no resolution has been adopted in the past 3 years, to some extent depriving the opportunity for the Secretariat to receive due guidance from Member States. Geographical representation is the longstanding issue on the table, and the number of unrepresented and under-represented Member States waits to be lowered. The Secretariat should take effective, tailored and result-based measures to address the issue of geographical representation, especially the under-representation of vast developing countries, and measures should not deviate from addressing the core issues. At the same time, it is important not only to focus on the number of under-represented Member States, but also to address the specific issues of under-representation.

Regarding the agenda item of improving the financial situation of the UN, we are of the view that finance serves as the foundation of and an important element underpinning the UN governance. A sound financial situation is not only the material basis for the UN to perform its duties and functions, but also an important guarantee for the implementation of the UN reform initiatives. The main problem facing the UN budget is the lack of liquidity. If member states, especially those significantly in arrears, don’t pay their dues on time, no reform measures, however well-designed they may be, can solve the liquidity problem. The largest contributor has not well-fulfilled its financial obligations to the UN over the years, which is unfair to other countries. Unilateral sanctions affect the payment of assessed contributions by Member States, and there should be institutional guarantees to solve this problem. Reform initiatives aimed at improving the financial situation of the United Nations should be strictly in line with the spirit of the UN Charter and adhere to the principle of leadership by Member States. These initiatives should not impose any additional burden on Member States and should help strengthen financial discipline and improve comprehensive budget performance.

Regarding the agenda item of managing after-service health insurance (ASHI), China values the welfare of the international staff of the UN, and also pays attention to its long-term impact on the future budget of the UN. The Chinese delegation hopes to conduct an in-depth study of this issue with other parties to find a reasonable solution. Regarding accountability system, China supports the Secretariat to further enhance accountability, continuously strengthen the comprehensive budget performance management and improve internal control, with the aim of better supporting the management reform. Regarding supply chain activities, China appreciates the efforts of the Secretariat to strengthen management, and hopes to accommodate the concerns of developing countries in procurement and other activities and explore the market potential of developing countries. 

Mr. Chair,

We will constructively participate in the discussion and consultation of various agenda items. We believe that under your leadership, this session will achieve great success.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.