EU Presidency Statement - Lebanon and Sierra Leone

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia), Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, also associated countries, and an EFTA country belonging to the European Economic Area (Norway), align themselves with this statement.

The European Union would first of all like to thank Mr. Bok Yeo, Director for the financing of peacekeeping operations, for his presentation of the Secretary-General's reports, and Ambassador Mselle for his presentation of the ACABQ reports. It takes this opportunity to highlight the importance, which it attaches to budget documents being submitted within the prescribed deadlines to enable preparation in full knowledge of the facts, which was not the case for these agenda items.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union has noted the Secretary-General's proposal on the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon from 1 July 2001 until 30 June 2002, which represents a decrease of 31% in relation to the budget for the operation in the previous financial year. The European Union welcomes the proposal. Furthermore, it approves the ACABQ recommendations set out in report A/56/510.

Mr. Chairman,

UNAMSIL is the largest and most complex of the peacekeeping operations undertaken to date. The European Union notes that the financing proposal presented by the Secretary-General, amounting to $722,1 million gross, represents a 31,3% increase in relation to the budget for the previous financial year. The European Union shares the ACABQ's doubts, expressed in report A/56/621, as to this Mission's ability to commit and use all of the resources required during the 2001-2002 financial year. These doubts are borne out by the observation that on 16 October 2001, the amount of expenditure actually committed for the period from 1 July to 31 December 2001 was $233,6 million, i.e. $41,3 million less than the $275 million of expenditure authorized by Resolution 55/251B. In this respect, it is necessary for the Secretariat to explain the grounds justifying an increase of $86 million in addition to the $275 million already granted for the last six months of 2001.

Furthermore, it is also necessary for the Secretary-General to re-examine the ways of bringing the mandates for peacekeeping operations in line with the budgetary cycle. While the European Union is aware of the terms of Resolution 49/233, the policy followed in this respect greatly complicates the budgetary process and makes it difficult to give the expenditure estimates expected by the capitals of the Member States, with all the ensuing consequences for collecting contributions.

At the resumption of the 56th session of the General Assembly, the European Union had already expressed its concerns with regard to certain operational aspects of UNAMSIL, including its structure and management.

We note that the ability to recruit and deploy staff seems to be deteriorating further. The European Union is concerned about the vacancy rates, which are 14,7% for international civilian staff and 17,1% for local civilian staff. Consequently, we are dubious about the additional requests for posts.

Furthermore, the Secretariat is undoubtedly aware of the European Union's reluctance concerning the upgradings, a reluctance broadly shared within the General Assembly. We will examine the requested upgradings carefully and judiciously.

The European Union is concerned about the policy of parity between men and women both within the Mission and in UNAMSIL actions on the ground. It would be useful for the Secretariat to give information in this respect.

We also observe that the Mission still has difficulties in the field of wet leasing and self-sustainment. We note the fact that the handling of requests for reimbursement for contingent-owned equipment is slow. This delay is undoubtedly partly due to the insufficient means deployed for monitoring on the ground. It is worth considering whether or not this problem is also linked to the vacancy rates.

We also note the very long time taken to conclude the Memoranda of Understanding. In this respect, we understand that the amount of $86,3 million under the heading "Contingent-owned equipment" does not cover the reimbursements to troop-contributing countries which are already present on the ground but with which negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding have not yet even begun.

Lastly, we note that the UN is, without any prior revision of the Memoranda of Understanding, assuming responsibility for tasks for which the contingents themselves are supposed to be responsible, which runs the risk of double counting. That being so, like the ACABQ, the European Union congratulates the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and UNAMSIL for the solutions they have brought to a range of problems encountered by the contingents, particularly thanks to support from a number of Member States.

The European Union was relieved to learn that the logistical support service contract mentioned in paragraph 39 of the Secretary-General's report has been ended. In this respect, it refers to paragraphs 49 and 50 of ACABQ report A/56/621. It draws attention to the fact that this type of situation conflicts with the efforts of the Secretary-General and General Assembly to reform the organization's budgetary and administrative management. This situation clearly demonstrates how important it is that all those involved in the United Nations system comply with Resolutions 55/232 and 55/247. It congratulates UNAMSIL on its decision regarding this matter, but supports the ACABQ's recommendation that lessons be learned from this case so that it does not occur again.

The European Union has taken note of the fact that the Mission has recently acquired an eight-seater executive aircraft and that this aircraft is used only by UNAMSIL. We point to ACABQ report A/55/839 in which the Committee requested that thought be given to solutions other than leasing an executive aircraft, in particular the possibility of using the services of commercial aircraft. A private mode of transport does not seem to be a priority.

The European Union would be pleased if the Secretariat could report on the progress achieved by UNAMSIL in implementing the recommendations of the Board of Auditors set out in supplement No 5 to report A/55/5, particularly with regard to the planning and conclusion of purchase contracts, the training of staff for these purchases, inventory management and deadlines for the delivery of goods and services.

The European Union would also be pleased to receive further information on the measures taken by the Mission to follow up the conclusions of the audit carried out by auditors within UNAMSIL, and reported on briefly by the Office of Internal Oversight Services in report A/56/381, particularly with regard to weaknesses in the management of service leasing contracts and the internal monitoring of purchases, financial management, travel, leave, calculation of attendance and management of assets and transport.

The European Union points out that the OIOS conducted a study on rates of subsistence allowances and concluded that the allowances paid in seven missions, including UNAMSIL, were excessive and should be reduced in order to make savings. We hope that these rates were revised and applied in the drawing up of UNAMSIL's draft budget submitted to us today.

Lastly, the European Union points out the need to consider the question of an exit strategy for UNAMSIL, given developments on the ground and the country's return to a political process.

Mr. Chairman,

Allow me to stress that this rigorous examination of UNAMSIL's management difficulties does not in any way diminish the importance, which we attach to this operation and to its central role in the country's stabilization and restoration of peace. We would also like to emphasize how much we appreciate the civilian and military staff's commitment in carrying out their daily duties under difficult circumstances. Lastly, we wish to emphasize the progress achieved by this operation since its inception. The management problems encountered by UNAMSIL, which are moreover not confined to this Mission, in any case demonstrate the urgency of the reform of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations proposed for our examination during this session. This reform must be both quantitative and qualitative. It should make it possible to remedy the most glaring shortcomings in the staff structure of the DPKO and its operations. It must also bring about a change in the management culture, a change which the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and the Deputy Secretary-General, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, desire and are prepared to achieve with the support of the General Assembly.

Thank you.

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