第79回国連総会第5委員会　再開会期第一部閉会にあたっての藤沼参事官のステートメント

Thank you, Madame Chair,  
 
Allow me to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to you, Ambassador, for your leadership in guiding us through this session. Thank you also to the Bureau as well as to all the Facilitators for your commitment and hard work. If it weren’t for your efforts, this session would have been even more difficult. 
 
May I offer our sincere appreciation and respect to the Secretariat, especially the Fifth Committee Secretariat for your tireless dedication in assisting us, whether through responses, technical support, or working together with us throughout the day and even during late hours.  
 
Madame Chair, 
 
Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve much during this session, missing the opportunity to present our collective views to the Secretariat as a Committee. We tell the UN to be more efficient, and yet our working methods are probably the least efficient. We tell the UN to cut costs, and yet, we fail to provide the guidance to do so. We tell the UN to avoid duplications, review old mandates, and mitigate overlaps, and yet we request the Secretary-General to do more. 
 
And then we should ask ourselves in the Fifth Committee, what have we done for the UN? Did we commit ourselves and try to find consensus? Did we devote all our energy to give guidance to the Secretariat? Did we dedicate ourselves and play a responsible role as the Fifth Committee, as the Main Committee in the General Assembly “entrusted, with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters?” 
 
Madame Chair, 
 
We made some accomplishments, so it is never the intention to diminish our successes; we should celebrate those. We were able to make compromises and avoid taking votes this session. And we also have to be realistic. With 193 Member States, all having different interests and priorities, reaching a consensus is always difficult. We also need sufficient time, transparency and data from the Secretariat to make informed decisions. We all know that it is going to take every effort from every single member states and the UN. We all have to do better.  
 
Madame Chair, 
 
I would like to end my statement on a more optimistic note. Let us pledge, that in five weeks time, we will gather here once again in this room, and remind ourselves, that we will engage constructively and in good faith, to provide the necessary guidance to the UN so that it can operate in an efficient away, and as mandated, to ensure peace, promote prosperity, and protect human rights for millions around the world. 
 
I Thank you, Madame Chair.