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STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY MR WALEED AL-SHAHARI OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF YEMEN TO THE UNITED NATIONS ON AGENDA ITEM 133: SCALE OF ASSESSMENTS FOR THE APPORTIONMENT OF THE EXPENSES OF THE UNITED NATIONS - ARTICLE 19, AT THE MAIN PART OF THE SIXTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York, 6 October 2010) |
Mr. Chairman,
1. Thank you for giving me the floor. The Group of 77 and China thanks all delegations for ensuring that we promptly acted on the matter of the application of article 19 of the Charter. The Group expresses its gratitude for the unanimous consent to allow the six concerned Member States the right to vote until the end of the 65th session.
2. As regards multi-year payment plans, the Group appreciates the efforts made by those Member States that have submitted multi-year payment plans and that have honoured their commitments under those plans. At the same time, we reiterate that multi-year payment plans should remain voluntary in nature and should take into account the financial situation of the concerned Member State. It should not be used as a way of exerting pressure on Member States that are already in difficult circumstances, and should definitely not be included as a factor when considering exemption under Article 19 of the Charter.
3. We continue to invite all Member States with significant arrears to consider submitting multi-year payment plans if they are in a position to do so. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China, would like to distance itself from the unfortunate remarks made by one of the Groups in this room on Monday. The Committee will recall that a Member State was singled out and rebuked with regard to the multi-year payment plans. We call on the said Group to refrain from utterances that infringe on the sovereignty of Member States. The Group trusts that there shall be no recurrence of such an act by the concerned Group.
I thank you, Mr. Chairman.