Statement by Mr. WAKABAYASHI Daisuke, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, On Agenda item 148: UN Common System, at the Main Part of the 75th Session of the Fifth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
2020/12/9
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Larbi Djacta, Chair of the International Civil Service Commission; Mr. Chandru Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General, Controller, Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget; and Mr. Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, for introducing their respective reports.
Mr. Chair,
I would like to reiterate that my delegation fully supports the purpose of the Common System; namely, applying common standards, methods and arrangements to salaries, allowances and benefits for the staff of the United Nations system in order to avoid serious discrepancies in the terms and conditions of employment and competition in the recruitment of personnel, and to facilitate the interchange of personnel.
In order to maintain confidence in the Common System, it needs to remain fair and sustainable through continuous review, and must reflect changes in economic situations, including the cost of living. In this regard, the International Civil Service Commission plays a key role in reviewing the system and guiding all entities under the Common System in order to ensure its coherence and effective management.
We notice that the recommendations of ICSC on revisions of base salaries and children and secondary dependant’s allowances and its revision of danger pay will require significant resources. While we are aware of the importance of common standards that enable equal treatment for equal work of the UN staff members, we look forward to examining the rationales and justifications of these proposals especially against their impact on the mandate implementation under the current financial situation of UN organizations under the Common System.
Mr. Chair,
Finally, my delegation reiterates our support for the more effective and efficient functioning of the UN Common System. Let me assure you of our commitment to participating in the negotiations constructively in order to reach a consensus in a timely manner.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.
At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Larbi Djacta, Chair of the International Civil Service Commission; Mr. Chandru Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General, Controller, Office of Programme Planning, Finance and Budget; and Mr. Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, for introducing their respective reports.
Mr. Chair,
I would like to reiterate that my delegation fully supports the purpose of the Common System; namely, applying common standards, methods and arrangements to salaries, allowances and benefits for the staff of the United Nations system in order to avoid serious discrepancies in the terms and conditions of employment and competition in the recruitment of personnel, and to facilitate the interchange of personnel.
In order to maintain confidence in the Common System, it needs to remain fair and sustainable through continuous review, and must reflect changes in economic situations, including the cost of living. In this regard, the International Civil Service Commission plays a key role in reviewing the system and guiding all entities under the Common System in order to ensure its coherence and effective management.
We notice that the recommendations of ICSC on revisions of base salaries and children and secondary dependant’s allowances and its revision of danger pay will require significant resources. While we are aware of the importance of common standards that enable equal treatment for equal work of the UN staff members, we look forward to examining the rationales and justifications of these proposals especially against their impact on the mandate implementation under the current financial situation of UN organizations under the Common System.
Mr. Chair,
Finally, my delegation reiterates our support for the more effective and efficient functioning of the UN Common System. Let me assure you of our commitment to participating in the negotiations constructively in order to reach a consensus in a timely manner.
I thank you, Mr. Chair.