GA/AB/3391

FIFTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS WELCOME INCREASED USE OF UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE FACILITIES IN NAIROBI

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) concluded its general discussion of the pattern of conferences, several speakers commended the work of the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, noting that, in 1999, the utilization rate of conference facilities had improved, and provision of interpretation for meetings of regional and other groups had increased.

However, there was also concern that many documents were being issued late, despite the efforts of the Secretariat. Several speakers reminded the Committee of cases where the Fifth Committee had been forced to modify its programme of work as a result of such delays. In that connection, quality control and clear incentives should be promoted within the Secretariat, as well as flexibility on the part of the delegations, the Committee was told.

The quality of interpretation and translation was discussed, and the creation of the permanent interpretation service in Nairobi became a focus of attention, drawing praise from everybody concerned. Improved use of conference facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi was also attributed, in part, to improved promotion of the availability of conference services there.

Delegates also emphasized that the use of remote interpretation should not replace established interpretation services, or lead to a reduction of the number of existing language posts. However, several speakers stressed that such a form of interpretation deserved further attention, as it could prove a cost-effective tool, and expressed interest in conducting an experiment in remote interpretation after the permanent interpretation service in Nairobi had been fully established. [Such an experiment was attempted in early 2000, but was cancelled as a result of problems with equipment delivery and staffing.]

On the use of new technology, the efforts of the Department of Public Information to expand outreach efforts and target audiences were noted. Also mentioned was the increased use of United Nations Web sites in all official languages.

Speaking this afternoon were the representatives of Kenya, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Russian Federation, Argentina, Syria, Cuba, Brazil and the United Republic of Tanzania. Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly

Fifth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/AB/3391 10th Meeting (PM) 5 October 2000

Affairs and Conference Services, Jin Yongjian, made a closing statement and answered questions from the floor.

The Committee will resume its work at 10 a.m. tomorrow, when it is scheduled to conclude its general debate on the scale of assessments for the United Nations regular budget.

Fifth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/AB/3391 10th Meeting (PM) 5 October 2000

Committee Work Programme

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this afternoon to conclude its general debate on the pattern of United Nations conferences. Under that agenda item, the Committee addresses issues related to the calendar of conferences and meetings; documentation and publications; translation and interpretation; and information technology. [For background information on pattern of conference, see Press Release GA/AB/3387 of 2 October.]

Statements

FARES M.KUINDWA (Kenya) said that his country had been concerned with the underutilization of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, which in 1996-1997 had recorded a dismal utilization rate of only 4 per cent. During the fifty-third session of the General Assembly, Kenya had highlighted the issue of the imbalance in the use of Nairobi in comparison with the United Nations Offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna. That concern had been reiterated by the Group of 77 and China, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Group, the European Union and members of the Fifth Committee. Those concerns culminated in the adoption of resolution 54/248 B, which mandated the Secretary-General to facilitate the creation of a permanent interpretation service in Nairobi.

During the first half of this year, Nairobi had hosted a series of major conferences, he continued, each of which had been attended by over 1,200 delegates. That was a clear demonstration that it had the requisite competence to host not only large events, but also an increased number of conferences. He wished to highly commend the United Nations Office in Nairobi, the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, for hosting those conferences.

Expressing appreciation for the increase in the use of Nairobi, he called on the Secretary-General to ensure implementation of the project geared towards the expansion and modernization of Nairobi�s conference facilities in order to attract more conferences. It was necessary to modernize and expand the Conference Centre to accommodate meeting room requirements and to provide the desired facilities there. It was also commendable that the filling of the interpreters� posts at Nairobi was going to be implemented within the agreed time-frame. He also wanted to encourage United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Habitat, to increase their use of the conference facilities at Nairobi.

SUN MINQIN (China) said that the success of the Millennium Summit was inseparable from the outstanding work of the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services. The general utilization factor for 1999 had improved, and interpretation services for regional and other meetings had increased during the reporting period. She appreciated the great efforts made in that regard. In the past year, the Secretariat had made efforts to improve the situation with documentation. However, mistakes could still be found in documents. The relevant department should take steps to prevent that from happening again. Quality control and clear incentives and disincentives were needed in that connection.

Interpretation and translation were an issue of concern, she continued. Their quality should be improved. There were times when the poor quality of translation and interpretation hindered the work in meetings. Steps should be taken to improve the existing pool of interpreters and to provide adequate training. Regarding the late issuance of documents, she hoped the recommendations of the Secretariat could be implemented soon. Both the Secretariat and Member States should take measures to shorten documents. Also, reports should include only the latest information. Equal treatment of the six languages should be implemented, including the maintenance and improvement of Web sites. Temporary support staff for different language sites should be converted to permanent posts, and she wanted to receive information in that regard. Nairobi should enjoy equal status with other United Nations offices. She welcomed the establishment of the permanent interpretation service in Nairobi and introduction of the new technology.

SOTIRIOS ZACKHEOS (Cyprus) said that concise and timely documentation, effective interpretation, good coordination and sound planning were some of the salient factors contributing to successful meetings. He supported the genuine and ongoing efforts of the Secretariat to improve the quality of conference services. He also endorsed the recommendations outlined in the report of the Committee on Conferences and highlighted the increasing application of new technologies which were essential for cost-effectiveness.

Cyprus commended the efforts of the Department of Public Information (DPI) in using new technology to expand outreach efforts and effectively target audiences, while at the same time improving its use of traditional media, he continued. Cyprus welcomed the �explosive growth� of the United Nations Web site. Increasing demand for multilingual Web pages required additional resources. Cyprus would like to see further improvements, particularly in the system�s search capability and the availability of documents. The Committee must further strengthen existing mechanisms in DPI to further enhance the United Nations Web site.

He said that he shared the concerns of small delegations arising from the scheduling of meetings in related sectors that were close to each other. Cyprus supported further efforts to reduce the length of documents. In his capacity as Chairman of the Fourth Committee during the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly, he had made a special effort to efficiently use the allocated conference resources by starting meetings on time when there was a quorum. He also cancelled meetings when he knew in advance that there would not be enough speakers. Despite his best efforts, however, that Committee had not managed to achieve the 80 per cent coefficient for use of services. The reason was that either speakers were not in the room on time, or there were not enough delegations in the room. Some statements were shorter than expected and the meeting was concluded much sooner than the allocated time. The solution lay with the punctuality of members and inscription on a list of speakers ahead of time, for the sake of sound planning. Prior accurate indication of the length of statements would also be beneficial.

In a previous intervention, his delegation had raised an issue of particular concern, he said. He was referring to the abuse, on the part of Turkey, of the circulation process of official United Nations documents. Turkey, under cover of its own insignia, systematically circulated letters from the self-declared �Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus�. That was a tactical manoeuvre aimed at promoting the entity�s statehood. Such a practice was unacceptable and created a dangerous precedent. It was contrary to United Nations resolutions on Cyprus, notably the 1983 Security Council resolution that called that entity �legally invalid�. Moreover, it resulted in additional costs to the Organization. Cyprus asked for immediate action to be taken so that letters submitted by the Turkish Mission, and bearing the name of that legally invalid entity, were not accepted for publication as official United Nations documents.

HAILE SELASSIE GETACHEW (Ethiopia) said that a significant step was taken this year to improve the use of the United Nations conference facilities. That was the creation of a permanent interpretation service at the United Nations Office at Nairobi. He hoped that the remaining activities to make the unit functional would be completed before the end of the current budget biennium. At its fifty-fourth session, the Committee had expressed concern over the underutilization of the conference centres at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and invited the Secretary-General to develop and implement strategies for increasing their use. It was his view that the conference centres had not been adequately used for the purpose of the two regional Commissions. Only four out of the total of 260 meetings were allocated to those centres. That clearly illustrated the need for increasing use through effective integration of regional conference centres into the annual planning of conferences and meetings. He recognized, however, the steps that had been taken to staff and manage the centres more adequately and to provide resources for promotional activities.

On the use of the United Nations Conference Centre at Addis Ababa, although the use rate had increased, it still faced a lack of financial resources for marketing and an inadequate staff structure. While the appointment of a new Chief of the Conference Centre was a positive step, without addressing the problems he had mentioned it would difficult to expect improvements in the Centre�s utilization. The biggest challenge faced was the lack of guidelines. While the Organization had spent considerable amounts of resources to build the Centre, there was still uncertainty and an absence of well-defined and clearly articulate vision over its use for United Nations and non-United Nations events. The invitation from the Assembly to the Secretary-General to develop new income- generating measures, and also the Committee on Conferences� request for a set of proposals on the utilization of the conference facilities including by non-United Nations entities at Nairobi, were applicable for this Conference Centre. He welcomed efforts by the new Chief to encourage other entities to make greater use of the facilities.

He concluded by saying that he wanted to clarify a point contained in the Secretary-General�s report on the use of the conference facilities at Addis Ababa. As stated in paragraph 30 of that report, the cancellation of various events, and in particular the annual meeting of the African Development Bank this year, which were scheduled to take place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa were not related to �hostilities in the region�, but rather due to the unilateral actions of certain individual countries. His delegation regretted that the report did not give the full picture of the situation, and he urged the Secretariat to provide objective accounts in future reports. He appreciated, however, the report in general and endorsed its conclusion.

MICHELLE MARSTON (Jamaica)said that, last year, her delegation had expressed concern about the low utilization of conference services, the impact of economy measures on the provision of adequate conference services, and the need to increase the use of conference services in Nairobi. This year, she was pleased that there had been improvement in many areas, including the ones mentioned. She applauded the staff of the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services for their hard work. She also noted that the overall utilization factor for 1999 had exceeded the benchmark of 80 per cent. It was necessary to continue to seek ways to improve effectiveness, constantly aspiring to higher goals. It was also important to remain vigilant in order to ensure the best possible use of the facilities and to prevent financial waste.

She made an appeal for the provision of full interpretation services for meetings of regional and other major groupings of Member States. There had been a small improvement in the provision of those services, with 269 out of 321 requests being met. She looked forward to further improvements in that area so that no request for full interpretation was denied. Her delegation was also pleased that there was progress towards the provision of full interpretation at the United Nations Office in Nairobi by 2001. With greater effort and less pessimism, it would be possible to overcome all obstacles and attract more meetings to Nairobi.

The timely issuance of documentation was an issue with which the Organization continued to grapple, she said. Compliance with the six-week rule for the distribution of documents was continuously advocated, but often not achieved. A number of proposals had been put forward to address that problem, and she fully supported those initiatives. Important steps forward had been made to further the overall efficiency of the Organization. That had resulted, in part, from closer cooperation between Member States and the Secretariat. Clear directives had been provided by the General Assembly. Care must be taken not to compromise the work and standards of the Organization, and further improvements should be made.

NIKOLAI V.LOZINSKI (Russian Federation) supported the balanced conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on Conferences and underlined the need for optimal use of conference facilities. Such complex efforts should be carried out on an agreed and balanced basis. Coordination of conference activities should be developed, and, in that respect, he welcomed the coordinating role of the Committee on Conferences.

Optimum distribution of resources, and their efficient use, should be pursued, he continued. The utilization rate of conference services had improved in 1999, and he hoped that this year there would be further improvements. He welcomed the fact that this year, 84 per cent of requirements of the meetings of regional and other groups had been met. At the same time, meetings of mandated bodies must be serviced as a priority.

Late issuance of documents continued to be a matter of concern, he said. Delegates were made familiar with the situation when the Committee had had to adjust its schedule in view of the late issuance of documents. It was time to take concrete measures to address this chronic problem. The six-week rule should not be broken. Member States should be flexible and reasonable in their use of United Nations documentation. However, any steps aimed at reducing the number of documents should be non-discriminatory, either to States or in the use of all official languages.

His delegation also noted with satisfaction that the Secretariat had taken into consideration paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 54/248 regarding Orthodox Good Friday, which would take place on 13 April 2001, by reflecting it in the schedule of conferences.

GUILLERMO KENDALL (Argentina) said that Argentina agreed with the conclusions contained in the report, bearing in mind the need to make optimal use of resources for conference servicing. He was pleased with the increase in the overall utilization factor. As regards the Nairobi Office, it was important to have a permanent interpretation service there. He hoped that the Secretary- General�s report on its start-up would be submitted in due time. Regarding improvement in the coordination of conference services, efforts towards that end must be further strengthened. Concerning documentation, he reiterated the need to be able to count on the issuance of documents sufficiently early. Introducing new technologies in conference services would benefit all Member States of the Organization. Efforts must continue, with a view to exploring the improvements that advanced technology offered.

ABDOU AL-MOULA NAKKARI (Syria) said that he attached importance to the exceptional nature of the United Nations, and its multilingual nature. That characteristic demonstrated the international nature of the Organization and the different cultures which converged together in one civilizing context, within which the principles of the Charter were conceived. In that regard, he recalled the Assembly resolution which emphasized that priority should be given to regional and other groups of Member States in interpretation services. Despite the fact that he noted improvements in provision of interpretation service for regional meetings, the Secretariat had failed to anticipate the necessary level of resources, despite being requested to in several resolutions. The Secretariat, in that respect, should improve its performance.

As for remote interpretation, he reaffirmed the need to keep that matter under regular review, and underscored the additional difficulties that arose through use of that type of interpretation. The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) report (document A/55/430) had emphasized the technical difficulties and time differentials, and echoed what he had said earlier -- that remote interpretation could be applied in a limited framework but should not constitute any kind of new system for provision of conference services.

On information technology, he welcomed that the Committee on Conferences had recommended calling for improved Web sites in all official languages, and also for the necessary funds to be allocated in the Internet site for the Arabic, Russian and Chinese languages be filled. He also attached importance to follow up on the establishment of an interpretation service in Nairobi, as it was a major United Nations Centre in the developing world. He expected that the resolution on that would be implemented, and hoped that the Committee would be informed, in an ongoing fashion, as to its implementation.

He did not agree with the Secretariat�s reply to the question from the Committee on Contributions on the use of interpretation in Nairobi. One option would be to use remote interpretation, but that contradicted the Assembly resolution which asked the Secretary-General to keep the introduction of any new technology under review. In paragraph 4 of the ACABQ report, the need to analyse proposed reductions for temporary assistance for meetings was underscored. In light of chronic problems with interpretation, translation and the issuance of documents, it was important to address that issue.

The documents for the Ninth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee for Crime Prevention and the Convention on Organized Transborder Crime in Vienna in July should be posted on the Internet, he said. He attached great importance to the literal translation of certain documents in Arabic. He also drew the attention of the Secretary-General to the need to quickly complete the translation of the Register of Rules of the Security Council.

DULCE MARIA BUERGO RODRIGUEZ (Cuba) said it was necessary to point out the importance of conference services for the work of the Organization. Daily efforts by the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services should be noted. Better use of conference services in Nairobi had been discussed in the Fifth Committee for a few years, and she was satisfied with the resolution which mandated increased use of that centre and established the permanent interpretation service in Nairobi. She hoped that some additional information regarding the status of the contracting of staff there would be provided in informal consultations.

Regarding the status of documentation, she expressed concern over their late distribution. Efforts were being made to rectify the situation, but she had to point out that delays of Fifth Committee documents had affected the work of the Committee. She insisted that documents must be duly submitted on time. As to the question of remote interpretation, she reiterated the importance of the General Assembly decisions on that question. It was necessary to ensure that remote interpretation did not replace regular interpretation services, and would not lead to a reduction of language posts or compromise the equal treatment of the six official languages.

The General Assembly had mandated the Secretariat to make provision in its requests for resources for the servicing of regional and other groupings of States, she continued, for they deserved careful attention. However, the amount of resources for those meetings had not been stated in paragraph 3 of the report of the ACABQ. She also called attention to problems regarding a proposed reduction of funds for temporary staff, saying that there had been certain criticism in that respect. She requested further information on that issue.

ALEXANDRE KOTZIAS PEIXOTO (Brazil) said that his delegation had examined the reports before the Committee and agreed that the creation of the permanent interpretation service for the United Nations Office in Nairobi would have a dramatic impact on the activities of both United Nations bodies and other entities. Before the adoption of General Assembly resolution 54/248, there had been a rather pessimistic view of the future of Nairobi. He was glad that the general mood in the Committee had changed. The United Nations Office in Nairobi should be promoted as it was the only United Nations Office in a developing country. It had already hosted a number of important conferences. The interpretation service should be established no later than January 2001.

Turning to remote interpretation, he said that Member States had opted for a rather cautious approach to that proposal. It should not constitute an alternative to regular interpretation services. However, his delegation believed that it could be an efficient and cost-effective tool and he regretted that the

experiment on remote interpretation between Vienna and Nairobi had not taken place. There were many benefits associated with such services, and technical issues should be clarified as soon as possible. Brazil shared the view that it was important to make best possible use of all United Nations facilities, including those in Bangkok and Addis Ababa, and to design a comprehensive marketing plan for those centres, promoting their availability. He was interested in examining ways to better use conference space. Experience gained in other conference centres could be used to better solve the problems.

MUHAMMAD YUSSUF (United Republic of Tanzania) said that he took the floor to associate his delegation, in a spirit of East African cooperation, with the statement made by the delegate of Kenya.

JIN YONGJIAN, Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services, said in his closing remarks that he was impressed by the understanding and support the Committee had shown to the Department. His staff were doing an indispensable and yet invisible job. They did not expect to be noticed, but they were gratified when they were appreciated. The Committee�s appreciation was a great source of satisfaction and encouragement. He had taken note, and would also take action, on a number of the issues that had been mentioned. The Department was in the process of devising a Secretariat-wide strategy for technological innovation in conference services, and was developing a new rationale for the servicing of meetings held away from Headquarters.

The Department would work with the United Nations Office at Nairobi to ensure that the permanent interpretation service would be set up on time, he said. The Department would also work with the Office of Human Resources Management on managed assignments for language staff, and with DPI on the development of United Nations Web sites. Although those issues required team efforts in which his Department often played a supporting part, it would do its best and make its due contributions.

Mr. NAKKARI (Syria) said that he thanked Mr. Jin for answering the Committee�s questions. He appreciated all the efforts both he and his Department had made. While he had already raised a great number of questions, he sought two further clarifications. First, he wanted to know the status of some questions that had been deferred from the last session of the Committee. He wanted to reaffirm that General Assembly resolutions would be published accompanied by a list of votes, and who voted in accordance with the relevant resolution. The second question, also raised at the last resumed session, was the question on the distribution of documents. Delegations had been asked to go to the Internet to obtain documents. He was worried about that practice of receiving documentation. It meant that the customary method would not longer apply. He asked for a clear answer on that issue.

Under-Secretary-General JIN YONGJIAN answered that the resolutions would be published in the form requested. As for distribution of documents, delegations were encouraged to use the Internet to get them, but the traditional way would not be abandoned. A questionnaire had been distributed to missions asking how many copies would be required, and plans were being made to satisfy their requests.

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