Summary: April 17, 2003: Intervention by Greece on behalf of the European Union Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 46th session (April 8-17, 2003) (Vienna)
Agenda Item 9: Administrative and Budgetary Questions
1. Thank you Madame Chairperson. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following acceding countries: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia, and the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, associate themselves with this statement.
2. The European Union attaches particular importance to this agenda item, which represents an essential part of the operational segment of the Commission. In this regard, we thank the Executive Director and the Secretariat for preparing and circulating in a timely fashion the budget documentation.
3. The European Union wishes to see the adoption of results-based budgets with clear output indicators for all areas of activity. The UNDCP budget is moving in that direction, but there is a way to go. We share the satisfaction expressed by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for the initiatives taken by the Executive Director with regard to the implementation of operational priorities and guidelines for the medium term, with the view to further improving
governance, funding, operational management, communication and staff management relations. We encourage the Executive Director to explore ways and means to obtain additional funds, including from the private sector and non-governmental organisations, provided that every effort is made by the Programme to safeguard its independence and international character, as recommended by the ACABQ, and taking into account the UN's Global Compact and the experience of other UN bodies in this regard.
4. On the UNDCP Budget for 2002-2003, we note that the overall Budget now stands at 166.4 millions of US dollars and we are pleased to acknowledge that the proposed revised Programme Budget remains unchanged at 130 millions, despite the fact that the proposed revised Support Budget is reduced by 3.2% as compared to the Initial Budget. We note that this reflects both the continued efforts of the Secretariat to increase cost-savings and efficiencies and the freezing of recruitment against
vacant positions funded by general-purpose contributions. As to the structure of the revised Programme Budget, we note that increased emphasis is confirmed both on Africa and on the thematic area of demand reduction, in line with the guidance given by the Commission. We also welcome the UNDCP sustained efforts in Afghanistan to respond to the international call for supporting the Transitional Administration in countering the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and drug trafficking. We hope that
perspectives on future income will allow the UNDCP to further strengthen its role in other important areas in the world.
5. On the proposed Outline for the Biennium 2004-2005, we note that the overall UNDCP Budget is expected to grow by 2.7% (from 166.4 millions to 170.9 millions) which corresponds to an increase of 1.5% in real terms of programme activities, without volume changes in the infrastructure, administration and management. We share the view of the Secretariat that the Outline has to take account of the operational priorities, as guiding principles of the work of the Office on Drugs and Crime.
We also believe that the UNDCP priorities should continue to be based on the established mandates, in particular the strategies and the targets set out by the Political Declaration, Action Plans and measures adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth Special Session.
6. Looking at the funding situation of the UNDCP, the European Union, as an important group of donors, stands ready to continue to work closely and constructively with the Secretariat and the other Members of the Commission. We welcome the current proposal to increase the resources of the UN Regular Budget allocated to the UNDCP for the Biennium 2004-2005. Bearing in mind the importance of the Regular Budget's share allocated to the Programme being sufficient to enable it to fulfill its
mandates, we encourage the Executive Director to continue his efforts on this issue and to brief regularly the Commission. Our objective is to overcome both the cash flow and the structural problem faced by the Programme, taking into account that 10% of its activities are funded through the Regular Budget while 90% of such activities are funded through voluntary contributions. At the same time, the European Union shares the concern of the Executive Director for the impact on staff morale and
motivation caused in the recent past by the decision, imposed by the insufficiency of funds, to limit to six months the extensions of contracts for staff funded through general-purpose contributions. We take note of the view of the Secretariat that this situation can be remedied if contributions to general purpose funds or to the support budget are increased in such a way that the balance of general purpose funds is restored at a level which is sufficient to fund at least one year of the
support costs, not otherwise provided for, which currently amount to 14 million dollars. We feel that this problem can be rectified through a three-fold approach:
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