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Statement by Mr. Sho Ono
Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Agenda Item 131:
Review of efficiency: Budget outline 2016-17
Fifth Committee
Main part of the Sixty-Ninth Session
Of the United Nations General Assembly
19 November 2014
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, my delegation would like to thank H.E. Mr. Yukio Takasu, Under-Secretary-General for Management and Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for introducing their respective reports on the proposed programme budget outline for the biennium 2016-2017. I wish to briefly outline my delegation's views on this issue.
Last December, the Member States agreed on a regular budget for this biennium at a level of $5.530 billion, which is 0.63% less than the previous budget of $5.565 billion. Given the fact that the economic and fiscal situation of most Member States has not significantly improved, we cannot afford to go back to the previous trend of expanding the UN regular budget, which has more than doubled since 2000.
During the twelve years from biennium 2000-2001 to biennium 2010-2011, the regular budget grew at an average rate of around 13% per cycle. On the other hand, from biennium 2010-2011 to biennium 2012-2013 the budget grew less than 3%.
As observed in the BOA report (A/69/5 (vol. I)), "the United Nations has a budget that reinforces existing structures and systems, making it difficult to respond to changing needs without requesting more resources." My delegation concurs with this assessment and would like to request the Secretariat to consider the next proposed biennium budget, not on the basis of just extending the 2014-2015 budget, but on the basis of a true fresh look at needs.
The proposed budget outline, however, appears to be formulated on the basis of just extending the 2014-2015 budget, while the whole picture of the next biennium budget is unclear due to the fact that the amount will be increased after taking into account the initiatives currently under consideration of the General Assembly.
While my delegation welcomes the fact that the benefit realization by Umoja will be reflected in the budget from 2017, my delegation was disappointed to see the lack of any other initiatives to seek efficiencies and savings as we observed in this current biennium budget when the Secretariat has implemented under the concept of "do more with less". As a result, the current estimate of $5.678 billion will set a new record high for the UN regular budget. Furthermore, with the addition of further mandates, the total amount could approach as much as $6 billion.
From the perspective of applying budgetary discipline, my delegation will carefully scrutinize the Secretary-General's proposal. At the same time, my delegation calls on the Secretariat to formulate concrete efficiency measures, including implementing its comprehensive staffing review, streamlining obsolete activities and realizing further benefits from Umoja, as it prepares its budget proposal for the next biennium.
Mr. Chairman,
Given the aforementioned situation, I would like to assure you that my delegation will participate actively in the consultations on this agenda item under your able guidance, so that the Member States can clearly convey our constraints and concerns to the Secretary-General and his senior staff, who in turn then would be able to produce for the seventieth session a well thought-through proposed programme budget for 2016-2017 which reflects more efficient and effective resource deployment for the Organization.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
