STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MRS. AICHA AFIFI, MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY, PERMANENT MISSION OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON THE ORGANIZATION OF WORK OF THE SECOND PART OF THE RESUMED FIFTY-SEVENTH SESSION OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York, 5 May 2003)

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the organization of work of the second part of the resumed 57th session of the General Assembly.

1. Let me begin by expressing our sincere appreciation to you for the excellent leadership at the first resumed session of the 57th Session of the General Assembly, for bringing it to a successful conclusion. We would like to continue the same positive and constructive attitude in negotiating with our partners in this Committee in pursuit of our common objectives.

2. The Group 77 and China would like to thank the Secretariat for their efforts to ensure timely issuance of the preliminary list of items and documents to be considered during this session. At the same time, we would like to express our concern about the late issuance of ACABQ documents and other pertinent reports.

3. The late issuance of documentation affects all delegations and has proven to be a serious impediment to the proper functioning of our Committee. In this context, we emphasize implementation of the relevant provisions of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and General Assembly resolution 57/283B, especially the need for strict compliance with the six-week rule on issuance of documents.

4. We would also like to recall the request by the General Assembly that if a report is issued late, the reasons for the delayed issuance should be incorporated in the footnote of the concerned report.

5. The Group notes that the comments and observations of the ACABQ on several issues have been consolidated into one report (A/57/772). We are of the understanding that the attempt to consolidate reports should facilitate the work of the relevant legislative bodies. We therefore regret the fact that consolidation, in this instance, has delayed our proper consideration of the various reports of the Secretary-General and hindered our preparation for this session.

Mr. Chairman,

6. We appreciate the efforts of the Bureau in suggesting a programme of work for our consideration and approval. In this regard, the Group would like to observe that the proposed programme of work could be amended to reflect a more balanced allocation of time with due priority accorded to those items that are time-bound. The work programme should allocate sufficient time for exhaustive consideration of those items of priority, particularly those that traditionally require more time for their consideration and disposal.

7. The Group would also like to see adequate discussion on two items deferred from the first resumed session, namely the report of the Joint Inspection Unit on support costs related to extra-budgetary activities in the organizations of the UN system (A/57/442 & Add.1) and the report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the management review of the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/57/488).

8. In conclusion, although the General Assembly has requested the Secretariat to submit to it at this resumed session two reports regarding the modernization and expansion of conference facilities and the filling of the vacancies in the Interpretation Service at UNON, we note that these reports are not reflected in the proposed programme of work of the Committee. In this regard, the Group wishes to request that these reports be included in the current programme in order to enable the Committee to consider them within the envisaged time frame.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.