07 Oct 2019
Thank you, Mr Chair.
1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the organisation of work of the Fifth Committee at the main part of its 74th session. ASEAN aligns itself with the statement made by the State of Palestine on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
2 Mr Chair, ASEAN takes this opportunity to congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on your election. We are confident that under your leadership, the Committee will engage in constructive deliberations in a fully transparent and consultative manner, and complete its work in a timely fashion. ASEAN also expresses our appreciation to Ambassador Gillian Bird of Australia, her Bureau members, and the Fifth Committee Secretariat for their hard work during the 73rd session.
3 In particular, we would like to pay tribute to the outstanding work of the former Secretary of the Fifth Committee, Ms Sharon van Buerle, whose work ethic exemplified the best of the United Nations. We also welcome and congratulate Mr Lionel Berridge in his new appointment as Acting Secretary of the Committee.
Mr Chair,
4 In the coming months, ASEAN will continue to pay close attention to the discussions in this Committee. We reiterate that the Secretary-General and his team must be given sufficient resources to effectively and efficiently implement the mandates approved by the General Assembly.
5 In particular, ASEAN will follow with interest the Committee's deliberations on the proposed programme budget for 2020, construction, Special Political Missions, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and human resources management. On the last subject, ASEAN welcomes the progress made in achieving gender parity, but reiterates our call for gender parity to be implemented hand in hand with equitable geographical representation. ASEAN also looks forward to receiving updates on the financial situation of the Organisation, following the General Assembly’s approval of measures to alleviate the situation at the Second Resumed Session of the 73rd General Assembly.
Mr Chair,
6 Each year, the Fifth Committee faces a heavy and complex agenda. We have repeatedly called for all stakeholders to take steps to improve the timely issuance of documents. We hope that there will be more progress on this under your leadership.
7 Finally, Mr Chair, let me reassure you that ASEAN will continue to work constructively with all delegations towards the timely conclusion of this session, in an open and transparent manner.
I thank you, Mr Chair.
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