77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee)
Agenda Item 138. Proposed Programme Budget 2023
Revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human
Rights Council at its forty-ninth, fiftieth and fifty-first regular sessions, and at its thirty-fourth special session, in 2022
 

Statement by H.E. Mohan Pieris
Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
14 December 2022

 
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Delegates,
 
Sri Lanka takes cognizance of the Report of the Secretary-General contained in [1] document A/77/579 entitled ‘Revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council at its forty-ninth, fiftieth and fifty-first regular sessions, and at its thirty-fourth special session, in 2022’, in which resource requirements for Human Rights Council Resolution 51/1 relating to Sri Lanka has been presented to the General Assembly and the related ACABQ report.
 
We are surprised, Mr. Chairman, that in order to implement resolution 51/1, additional resources of a staggering USD 3, 398, 000 have been requested for 2023 with an exaggerated estimate of resource requirement of USD 2, 127, 400 for 2024 and a requirement of 16 General Temporary Assistance positions. There appears to be no respite in sight. Along with Sri Lanka, many member states have already raised serious concerns on the budgetary implications of this resolution, the unprecedented and ad-hoc expansion of the mandate of the Council and the functions of a technical secretariat that was never envisaged when the Council was established.
 
At a time when the global economy has been severely impacted due to various crises and Member States are adopting austerity measures, it is our responsibility to be extra vigilant and be deciplined when engaging in making budgetary provision. This Committee is being asked to approve resources from the limited UN Regular Budget to implement a resolution rejected by the country concerned, demonstrates the divisive and political nature of the Council, and duplicates the work already being carried out by competent domestic procedures.  The budgetary implications of resolution 51/1 are unwarranted and is an unhelpful and misdirected drain on the resources of all Member States, including the donors. The several million dollars requested for will benefit many lucrative Geneva-based secretariat contractual staff in sharp contrast to the dire financial needs of developing countries.   
 
We must ensure that the available resources and contributions from Member States are used in a more effective, impartial and transparent manner for the common good of the people and not to satisfy the various agendas of a few. I invite the distinguished members of this Committee to diligently consider these points when deciding the appropriations relating to resolution 51/1 and to impartially consider such requests vis-à-vis the actual requirements. My delegation stands ready to constructively engage during the informal consultations.

Thank you.

Link to the video : https://youtu.be/vJIlI14j-_s