Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the G77 and China on this important agenda item.

2. We thank Ms. Ruth de Miranda, Chief Human resources policy service at the Office of the Human Resources Management, for introducing the Reports of the Secretary-General related to this agenda item, and the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, for introducing the Committee's report on the conditions of services of the judges.

Mr. Chairman

3. The Group of 77 and China attaches high importance to the work of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The Group favours the improvement of the conditions of service commensurate with the responsibilities of staff members and judges of the Tribunals. It is thus important that the General Assembly endeavours to achieve these goals in an impartial and decisive manner.

4. The Group of 77 and China supports the key principles enshrined in the statues of the ICJ and the Tribunals that salary and allowances of the judges shall be fixed by the General Assembly and may not be decreased during the term of office. We also are of the view that equality among judges is a basic principle of the system of international adjudication of disputes among States.

5. In this regard, the Group will analyze the conditions of services of the judges of the International Residual Mechanism for criminals for Rwanda and for the former Yugoslavia. The Group will also scrutinize the difference in pension rights between ad litem judges and permanent judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. All these matters should be resolved as a matter of priority by the General Assembly during the current session.

Mr. Chairman

6. Regarding the conditions of services of the full-time members of the International Civil Service Commission and the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, the Group notes that no change was proposed by the Secretary General both for the compensation and other conditions of services of the concerned officials. However, the Group would like during the informals to receive more detailed information on the current level of the cost-of-living adjustment of these three officials.

7. We look forward to having constructive deliberations on this agenda item during the informal meetings.

I thank you Mr. Chairman.