M. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 129 Programme Budget for the Biennium 2010-2011.

Mr. Chairman,

2. With regard to the issue of the standards of accommodation for air travel, the Group would like to thank the Chief of the Policy and Oversight Coordination Service, OUSG/DM, Mr. Mario Baez. for introducing the relevant report and note of the Secretary-General, as well as Mr. Mohamed Mounir Zahran and Mr. Collen Kelapile for presenting the reports of the Joint Inspection Unit and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) respectively and the Senior Adviser on Information management Policy Coordination of the Secretariat of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, Mr. Kenneth Herman, for his introduction as well.

3. The Group of 77 and China takes note of the Secretary-General's report A/65/632 on the standards of accommodation for air travel. That said, the Group recognises that the air travel requirements of the United Nations are complex, but stresses the need for continued and enhanced accountability, and for further efforts to be made to harmonise practices across the system wherever possible, given the high volume and cost of air travel.

4. In addition, the Group believes that there could be greater clarity and completeness in the information provided by the Secretariat, and would seek further clarification during the informal consultations on this issue. We look forward to participating constructively in the coming deliberations on this important agenda item.

Mr. Chairman,

5. With regard to the revised estimates resulting from the entry into force of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the Group wishes to thank the Director of the Programme Planning and Budget Division, Ms. Sharon Van Buerle, for introducing the report of the Secretary-General A/65/628 and the Chair of the ACABQ, Mr. Collen Kelapile, for introducing the related report of the Advisory Committee A/65/739.

6. As you are aware, the initiative for a Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, including its Committee, was born from the very heart of several member States of our Group.

7. In this regard, it is needless to stress that the Group of 77 and China attaches great importance to provide all necessary resources for the proper discharge of functions and activities related to the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, including those related to the establishment of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.

8. While the Group sees merit in the recommendations of the ACABQ, it will seek further clarification from the Secretariat with regard to the absorption level that the ACABQ is advocating for.

9. In addition, the Group of 77 and China would like to draw the attention of the Committee on operative paragraph 3 of Resolution 65/204 whereby the Third Committee of the General Assembly, I quote "requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session concrete proposals on the human rights treaty bodies, building on the work of the Secretary-General pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 9/8 of 24 September 2008 and of the treaty bodies in this regard, to improve their effectiveness and to identify efficiencies in their working methods and costs in order to better manage their workloads and programmes of work, bearing in mind budgetary constraints and taking account of the varying burdens on each treaty body" end of quote.

10. For obvious reasons and because the Fifth Committee is the Main Committee of the General Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters, we request that the report mentioned above be brought to the attention of the Fifth Committee one it has been issued.

Thank you very much.