Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 132: Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations - Civilian Capacity in the Aftermath of Conflict.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank Ms. Sarah Cliffe, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor for Civilian Capacity, for introducing the Secretary-General's report, as well as Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chair of the Advisory Committee and Administrative Questions (ACABQ), for introducing their respective reports on this subject.

Mr. Chairman,

3. The Group of 77 and China supports the initiative to strengthen civilian capacity in the aftermath of conflict and stresses the importance of improving United Nations' support to capacity development and institution building in countries emerging from conflict. The Group recalls the fundamental principle of national ownership as an essential condition for the sustainable peace.

Mr. Chairman,

4. The Group concurs with the view of the ACABQ that more clarity is needed on what would be the specific administrative and budgetary implications of the conclusions and proposals contained on the present report. The Advisory Committee has raised important questions and we look forward to receiving more information. We stress that any changes to the current budget procedures, rules and format are subject to review and prior approval by the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly.

5. For the G77 and China more clarity is needed regarding the usage of joint delivery mechanisms and the concept of comparative advantage. The Group will seek further clarification on the proposal of aligning mission formulation and implementation with national decision-making cycles. In the same vein, the Group would have welcomed concrete proposals to implement robust financing frameworks for institution building.

6. The G77 commends the intention of the Secretary-General in broadening the pool of civilian expertise for peacebuilding as well and as well as enhancing regional, South-South and triangular cooperation. It is of utmost importance that the civilian capacity initiative benefits from experiences of the global South in the fields of capacity building and post conflict transition.

7. In this regard, the Group believes it is high time for the General Assembly to have an in-depth discussion on the use of Government-provided personnel by the United Nations. Among other issues, it is of utmost importance to ensure transparency in the selection process of GPPs, and to avoid issues faced in the past by the use of gratis personnel.

8. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I assure you of our continued readiness to engage constructively on this important agenda item.

I thank you.