GA/AB/3396

FIFTH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS WORKING GROUP EXAMINE STANDARD REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR TROOP-CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES

In a short meeting this morning, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) approved, without a vote, a draft resolution on the review of the rates of reimbursement to governments of troop-contributing States.

By the terms of that text (document A/C.5/55/L.6), the General Assembly would request the post-Phase V Working Group on Reform Procedures for Determining Reimbursement of Contingent-Owned Equipment to consider the current methodology for calculating standard rates of reimbursement, including ways to produce timely and more representative data. It would also request the Working Group to report on the results of the review, through the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), to the resumed fifty-fifth session of the Assembly.

The Committee was also scheduled to take action on requests for exemption under Article 19 of the Charter. [Article 19 establishes that should a Member State fall behind in its payments by an amount equal to its assessments for the two most recent years, it will lose its entitlement to vote in the General Assembly, unless the Assembly decides its failure is a consequence of factors beyond its control.] However, the Committee decided that further consultation was needed on that question.

It also decided to invite the President of the Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA), Mehri Madarshahi, to address delegates on human resources management and the United Nations common system.

Also this morning, the representative of Costa Rica addressed the problem of asbestos at United Nations Headquarters. Referring to work being done on the third and fourth floors of the Secretariat Building, she said that asbestos was exposed in the process. The most serious problem was on the fourth floor close to the Staff Caf�, where a door had been removed to install carpeting. She inquired if experts were used to ensure that asbestos was not being released and asked if samples had been taken and laboratory tests performed.

Joseph Acakpo-Satchivi, the Committee�s Secretary, said that he would transmit her questions to the Assistant Secretary-General for Central Support Services, Toshiyuki Niwa.

Gert Rosenthal (Guatemala), Chairman of the Committee, said that Mr. Niwa would be invited to an upcoming meeting to respond to these queries.

The Committee will meet again at a date to be announced.

* *** *

United Nations