04 Oct 2021
Thank you, Mr Chair.
1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the organisation of work of the Fifth Committee at the main part of its 76th session. ASEAN aligns itself with the statement made by Guinea on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
Mr Chair,
2 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, consultative, and timely manner. ASEAN remains committed to working with you and your Bureau towards the successful conclusion of this session.
3 ASEAN also expresses our appreciation to Ambassador Carlos Amorin of Uruguay, his Bureau members, and the Fifth Committee Secretariat, for their dedication and hard work during the 75th session. Many difficult and exceptional measures had to be taken then, due to the circumstances imposed by COVID-19. Nevertheless, the modalities for the work of the Committee should evolve in line with the prevailing health and safety situation. We are confident that the Bureau for the 76th session will bear this in mind as it continues to adopt the best working practices for the Committee in this session.
Mr Chair,
4 The global challenges that we face today are becoming far more complex and interconnected, and the solutions require a collective global response. As we have heard from many of our Leaders over the past two weeks, this is the time for us to double down on multilateralism and reaffirm our commitment to a rules-based multilateral system.
5 This entails supporting the UN, and ensuring that we set it up for success. For any organisation to succeed, it must be given adequate financial resources to implement its mandates. However, COVID-19 has disrupted not just the UN’s work, but many of our economies. It is understandable that countries whose economies have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 may face difficulties in paying their assessments. It is therefore all the more important for Member States that have the capacity to pay their assessed contributions to do so in full, on time, and without conditions. Otherwise, the UN faces a real risk of not having the resources it needs to carry out its mandates.
Mr Chair,
7 Each year, the Fifth Committee faces a heavy and complex agenda. ASEAN will follow with interest the Committee’s deliberations on the Scales of Assessment, the proposed programme budget for 2022, construction, Special Political Missions, and subvention to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, amongst others. While there is much work to be done, let us continue to build on our common agenda and work together to reach outcomes that will command the widest possible consensus. To this end, ASEAN will continue to work constructively with all delegations towards the timely conclusion of this session, in an open and transparent manner.
8 I thank you, Mr Chair.
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