Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov at the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on agenda item 139 “Programme Planning”
Mr Chairman,
The Russian Federation has been always emphasizing the systemic problems identified during programme planning discussions. It is the way the UN Secretariat interprets mandates granted by the General Assembly when preparing programme narratives. On the top of that, some delegations do not find it necessary to follow the agreements the General Assembly managed to reach earlier.
The Russian Federation believes that the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), as the main subsidiary organ of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for planning, programming and coordination, carries out its mandate in a very effective manner. The role of the CPC has always been essential. We should do our best to render support to the CPC right now, when the Secretariat continues to misinterpret requests from the General Assembly.
That is one of the reasons why ten programmes received no recommendations during the 61stsession of the CPC this year. Let us refer to the previous established practice. If the CPC reaches no consensus on a programme, any of the Main Committee continues reviewing this programme within its purview. Paragraph 9 of resolution 75/243 of the General Assembly was intended to make this practice legal. We are encouraged that the improper idea to let the Office of Legal Affairs to interpret paragraph 9 is not going to be implemented. It is clear that Member States would like to have the programmes lacking recommendation by the CPC being review by the Main Committees.
We are also encouraged over the dedication of the majority of Member States, which expressed their readiness to engage on open programmes in the Main Committees.
The attempts taken by some Member States to prevent such discussions in the Main Committees do them no credit. We are deeply concerned over a planned and consistent work to undermine the role of the CPC. At first, the same delegations block the emerging consensus in the CPC to explicitly invite the Main Committees to review the programmes lacking recommendations from the CPC. Then those delegations, referring to the absence of the explicit invitation from the CPC, insist that the Fifth Committee reviews the open programmes.
Mr. Chairman,
In order to implement resolution 75/243 of the General Assembly, an extraordinary meeting of the General Committee to reallocate the open programmes between the Main Committees must be convened. In this regard the Secretariat is supposed to submit the corresponding proposals for the consideration of the General Committee. Unless we deal with the open programmes in accordance with resolution 75/243 of the General Assembly, any discussions in the Fifth Committee related to agenda item 139 “Programme Planning” are premature and prejudging.
Thank you.
