Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. The Group thanks the Controller, Ms. Maria Eugenia Casar, for her briefing.

Mr. Chairman,

3. The Group of 77 and China is deeply concerned by the information presented to us today on the Secretary-General's implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/248, as he prepares the proposed budget for 2014-2015.

4. The Group recalls that, at the time of consideration of the budget outline for the biennium 2014-2015, the General Assembly was seized of a number of revised estimates and PBIs that, after adoption, resulted in a significant impact on the level of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015.

5. The Group further recalls that, in accordance with established practice, the estimate indicated in paragraph 10 of resolution 67/248, which is of preliminary nature, did not include provisions for the implementation of those new/expanded mandated activities that were under discussion by the General Assembly and were adopted only at the same time as the budget outline.

6. It has always been the case that the preliminary estimate discussed during the budget outline negotiations is subsequently updated by the Secretariat to incorporate the delayed impact of all new/expanded mandated activities. However, this time, for some reason unknown to the Group, that did not happen.

Mr. Chairman,

7. There should be no doubt that the proposed programme budget 2014-2015 ought to be over and above the preliminary estimate indicated in paragraph 10 of resolution 67/248, because of the delayed impact of the new/expanded mandated activities approved by the General Assembly last year.

8. It is with deep concern that the Group sees the Secretariat completely reinventing the budgetary process through new readings and creative interpretations of long-standing General Assembly decisions, particularly resolutions 41/213 and 42/211. Regrettably, these changes have been done surreptitiously, in the absence of any justified proposal or adequate discussions on possible implications.

Mr. Chairman,

9. The Group stresses its long standing position that every mandate approved by an intergovernmental body is equally important and politically sensitive and, therefore, shall be adequately funded.

10. It is unacceptable that questionable budgetary rationale is used to curtail mandated activities in blatant disregard of the intergovernmental bodies that approved them in the first place. The Group will not accept a disguised "mandate review" exercise conducted through the budgetary process, as well as any change in the established budgetary procedure, its format and presentation. It must be understood that the General Assembly has not considered and approved any initiatives with regard to streamlining of the biennium budget and the Change Management. The Group would, therefore, not accept any backdoor attempts aimed at disrupting the established procedures and processes.

Mr. Chairman,

11. The Group reiterates its commitment to the work of this Committee and to the good functioning of the Organization. We will be fully engaged with our partners and the Secretariat in the upcoming budget discussion in order to ensure that, once again, the Organization is provided with the necessary resources to implement all mandated activities in accordance with established budgetary procedure.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.