STATEMENT BY AMB. LAZARUS AMAYO, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF KENYA TO THE UNITED NATIONS DURING THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORK OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE AT ITS SECOND RESUMED SESSION OF 72ND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
(5th July 2018, New York)
Chairman
Excellencies
Distinguished delegates
At the outset I wish to thank you Mr. Chairman, and members of your bureau, the Secretary General and his team, the fifth committee Secretariat, and the delegates of the 5th committee for the combined worthy efforts that have led to negotiations that produced the draft resolutions which the committee just adopted.
Mr. Chairman
My delegation aligns itself to the statement delivered by the representative of Egypt on behalf of Group of 77 and China as well as representative of Angola on behalf of the African Group and will wish to add a few points in our national capacity.
We note that the work of the Committee took two months to conclude since it started in early May 2018. It is understood that this was partly due to the additional agenda items on reforms which were before the committee. It is our hope that, in future the committee and relevant bodies will work together to find innovative ways to expedite negotiations and deliver a budget early enough to enable the necessary preparatory arrangements for the operations of the peacekeeping missions before the start of financial year which if 1st July.
Mr. Chairman,
Although United Nations has faced some challenges in peace keeping operations over the years, a lot of progress has been made and many lives have been saved.
We note that the fifth committee, through intense negotiations, has recommended a total budget of US$6.6896b to cover the expenses of the peacekeeping missions for the year stating 1st July 2018 until 30th June 2019. Kenya believes that the organization will be able to utilize these resources once approved by the General Assembly to effectively implement the Security Council mandates.
Mr. Chairman,
Kenya’s attaches great importance to maintenance of internal peace and security and has participated in many United Nations and Regional peace keeping operations. We note that the committee recommended an increase in the rate of troop and police reimbursement from $1410 to $1428 per personnel and an increase in the case of death and disability compensation by 10 per cent. This is considered a step in the right direction and trust that review of such rates will be made more regular in the future.
The committee also considered and made recommendations on the Secretary-General’s reform proposals aimed at improving the functioning of the Secretariat and field offices as well as restructuring of the peace and security areas, with the objective of making the United Nations fit for purpose. The implementation of the said reforms through the reorganization of existing departments, delegation of authority and streamlining of functions among others we believe will be useful in enhancing the contribution of United Nations in improving the welfare of the humanity. As stated in our previous statements we trust that the reforms will uphold the intergovernmental nature of the organization, the legislative role of the General Assembly and as promised by the Secretary-General will not lead to job losses.
Mr. Chairman
With regard to the Secretary-General’s proposed consolidation of administrative services into shared services, the committee has recommended that a new proposal be submitted to the General Assembly at the latest March 2019 after consultation with the member states. We consider the proposed consolidation of administrative functions to be complementary to the other reforms initiatives. Kenya therefore wishes the Secretary-General well and hopes that all efforts will be made to expedite the submission of the requested report.
Mr. Chairman,
In conclusion I wish to reiterate Kenya’s commitment to support the United Nations in this process and should Nairobi be selected to host one the global shared services center the Government is willing to collaborate with the United Nations to ensure smooth establishment and opetrationalisation of the Center.
I thank you.