STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA
BY MR. SEBASTIAN DI LUCA OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF ARGENTINA TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 143: ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY ASPECTS OF THE FINANCING OF THE UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS: CONTINGENT-OWNED EQUIPMENT (COE),
AT THE SECOND RESUMED PART OF THE SIXTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 143, administrative and budgetary aspects of financing United Nations peacekeeping operations, on the report of Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment.

2. We would like to express our appreciation to all Member States that participated in the meeting of the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE) last January. We would also like to thank the Director of the Field Budget and Finance Division in the Department of Field Support, Mr. James Mutiso, for introducing the report of the Secretary-General under this item, and the Chairman of the ACABQ, Mr. Collen Kelapile, for introducing the related report of the Advisory Committee.

Mr. Chairman,

3. The last meeting of the Working Group on COE in January 2011 was preceded with high expectations. The Working Group offered an opportunity to undertake one of the most critical issues related to the United Nations peacekeeping operations: the existing gap between the mandates of the missions and the capabilities available to implement them.

4. Over the past years this issue only grew in importance and gravity - a situation recognized by the Secretariat, the troop contributing countries, and the membership in general, as reflected in last year's report of the C-34, endorsed by the General Assembly, which noted with concern the gap between peacekeeping mandates and the equipment available to missions and recognizes that existing shortages must be overcome in order to properly carry out increasingly complex mandated tasks, and, in this regard, looked forward to the continuation of the discussion within the 2011 Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment.

5. Unfortunately, in the opinion of the Group of 77 and China, the results of the meeting of the Working Group on Contingent-Owned Equipment in 2011 were below our expectations. While we deeply regret that some very important issues were left unresolved, we recognize that the final report was the result of hard negotiations and that consensus was reached at the end.

 

Mr. Chairman,

6. The troop contributing countries of the Group of 77 and China, which provide over 85% of the troops currently deployed to United Nations peacekeeping operations, have unequivocally indicated their conviction that it is not possible to sustain the complex missions of today without a serious re-examination of the resources that are needed for their adequate functioning and, above all, an improvement of the conditions offered to troop contributing countries to put at the disposal of the Organization the necessary human and material resources.

Mr. Chairman,

7. The current situation is serious and demands our urgent attention. It should not be taken lightly. What is at stake here is the viability of our continued participation in the peacekeeping operations.

8. As we enter the final week of negotiations of this second resumed session, we would urge all Member States in this Committee to give serious consideration to this matter.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.