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Statement by H. E. Wang Min, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nation, under Item 131: Improving the Financial Situation of the United Nations at the Fifth Committee During the Main Part of the Sixty-Fifth Session of the General Assembly

2010-10-21 02:03
 

Mr. Chairman,

I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you and other members of the bureau on your election. My delegation is convinced that under your able leadership and with the joint efforts of the Member States, the work of this Committee during the current session of the GA will be crowned with success.

The Chinese delegation thanks Ms. Angela Kane, Under-Secretary-General for Management and Mr. Jun Yamazaki, the Controller, for their respective presentations on the financial situation of the United Nations in 2010. The Chinese delegation endorses the statement delivered by the representative of Yemen on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and I wish to make the following points on the financial situation of the United Nations.

As the most important inter-governmental organization of the world, the United Nations has an irreplaceable role to play in international affairs. With the evolvement of the international situation, the tasks of the UN have been increasing and there should be a corresponding increase in its resources. We believe that a sound and stable financial foundation is a basic condition for the UN to implement its Charter responsibilities and fulfill its missions. Member States should honor their due financial obligations to the Organization. Failing that, the UN would not be able to receive the assessed contributions in a timely manner; its financial revenue and expenditure would be distorted; the budget of the UN would become a mere piece of paper without any binding power; and there would be no reliable financial resources to support the implementation of the various tasks of the UN.

According to the briefing of the Secretariat, by the 5th of October, 119 Member States have paid their assessments to the UN regular budget in full; 113 Member States have paid their assessments for the CMP; 88 Member States have paid their full share in the assessment for the two international tribunals and 12 Member States have made full payments for their assessments under the peacekeeping budget. Compared with last year, there is a decrease in the amount of arrears for all assessments except that for the peacekeeping budget. Meanwhile, by the 5th of October, the arrears for the regular budget was $787 million, $50 million for the two tribunals, $84 million for the CMP; and for the peace keeping budget, the arrears reached $3.191 billion.

We have taken note of the fact that a small number of developed countries are responsible for the bulk of the arrears, especially for the peace keeping budget. It should be pointed out that many Member States, developing countries in particular, have exerted themselves to honor their financial obligations to the United Nations in spite of a myriad of financial constraints they face in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and major natural disasters. Such laudable efforts deserve our appreciation. All Member States should follow their example, faithfully honor their financial obligations to the UN by paying all UN assessments on time, in full and without conditions, thus taking practical actions to improve the financial situation of the UN and support the work of the Organization.

Mr. Chairman, as the international community is currently working together in an active effort to address the challenges of the global financial and economic crises, the United Nations should also improve the efficiency of its resource utilization through management reform and other measures. In formulating its budgets, the UN should base itself on its actual capacity and take into full consideration the capacity to pay of Member States, particularly the developing countries. Resources of the regular budget should be evenly allocated to all priority areas, including that of the development. The Secretariat should strengthen budget management, enforce accountability, strictly comply with all financial rules and regulations, take cost saving measures wherever possible, make the best use of existing resources and increase output and efficiency to the maximum. Management reform should promote the effective management and implementation by the UN of its ever increasing programs and activities and take particular care to avoid the actual increase of personnel and resources in the name of the reform, which, on top of hampering the efforts to enhance efficiency, will end up in an even more bloated bureaucracy.

Mr. Chairman,

As a developing country with a low per capita income, China is also facing financial difficulties as a result of the global economic and financial crises and various natural disasters. In spite of that, it has taken practical actions to honor its financial obligations to the United Nations. As of today, China has paid in full its contribution to the regular budget, its assessment for the two international tribunals and its assessment for the CMP. China has also paid most of its peacekeeping assessment. In total, China has paid $303 million and will, by overcoming difficulties, strive to pay up the balance of its peacekeeping budget assessment before the end of the year.

Mr. Chairman,

In the current complex international situation, the international community is looking more and more to the United Nations for maintaining peace and promoting development. We are ready to join others in a common endeavor to ensure a solid and sound financial foundation for the United Nations and strengthen its role in international affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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