Questions Relating to the Programme Budget for the Biennium 2008-2009

A/RES/63/263View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 118 Programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009, published in 2009.

What else is in this group?

29 documents · 1977–2015

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2015).

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2015	A/RES/69/262	Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015	6,604	–
2013	A/RES/67/246	Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013	8,403	–
2011	A/RES/65/259	Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011	7,116	–
2009	A/RES/63/263	Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009	3,221	–
2007	A/RES/61/252	Questions relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2006-2007	3,117	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

8 reports · 2009–2015

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2015	A/70/363	Progress in the construction of new office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, and update on the renovation of conference facilities, including Africa Hall report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/63/263
2013	A/68/517	Progress in the construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/63/263
2012	A/67/216	Progress in the construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/63/263
2011	A/66/351	Progress in the construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/63/263
2011	A/66/336	Construction of additional office facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/63/263

What’s in this document?

58 operative paragraphs

I.Construction of additional conference facilities at the Vienna International Centre and additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, and improvement and modernization of the conference facilities and construction of additional office facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi

Takes note with appreciation of the efforts of the Governments of Ethiopia and Kenya, as host countries, in facilitating the construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the improvement and modernization of the conference facilities and the construction of additional office facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, and of the efforts of the Government of Austria, as host country, in completing the construction of new conference facilities at the Vienna International Centre, as well as in achieving good progress in the asbestos removal project;

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General;⁵

⁵A/62/794 and A/63/303.

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,3 subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Underlines the risks inherent in the execution of construction projects, and stresses the importance of adequate planning, coordination and project supervision to avoid going over budget;

Expresses concern about the delays and procedural difficulties in the execution of the projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi, which are contributing to project cost escalation;

Requests the Secretary-General to undertake management reviews of the projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi with a view to expediting implementation, to ensure that a dedicated project management capacity is in place at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi and to report to the General Assembly thereon in the context of his next annual progress reports;

Emphasizes the importance of guidance, interaction and coordination between the Secretariat in New York, on the one hand, and the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi, on the other hand, with clear reporting lines;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure full accountability for the delays, lack of responsiveness of management to the needs of the construction projects in Addis Ababa and Nairobi and other factors that have contributed to delays in the implementation of the projects and project cost escalation and to include that information in his next annual progress reports;

Stresses the importance of the leadership and guidance of the Secretary-General and senior management as well as a commitment to the construction projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi by all parties concerned during the execution and completion of the projects;

Requests the Secretary-General to update the Member States through regular informal briefings on the construction projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi;

Also requests the Secretary-General to complete the construction projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi as planned, without any further delays or additional requirements from the regular budget, and to ensure that progress is monitored by the Under-Secretary-General for Management, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session;

Further requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the construction regulations and rules of the Organization, including the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,⁶ are abided by and fully upheld in all phases of the construction projects at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi;

⁶Resolution 61/106, annex I.

Approves the revised estimated cost of 25,252,200 United States dollars for the construction of additional office facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi;

Also approves the use of interest income of 798,200 dollars as at 31 December 2007, and further approves the use of future interest income generated by accumulated rental income for the construction of additional office facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi;

Further approves the revised estimated cost of 3,479,000 dollars for improving and modernizing the conference facilities at the United Nations Office at Nairobi;

Requests the Secretary-General to entrust the Office of Internal Oversight Services with ensuring continuing effective audit coverage as well as regular, thorough management reviews of the construction of additional office facilities at the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Office at Nairobi, to be reported on in the annual report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services to the General Assembly;

Recalls paragraphs 24, 25, 35 and 44 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,3 and requests the Secretary-General to submit, in the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2010–2011, information that outlines clearly the interaction between the Secretariat in New York and other duty stations for construction and long-term renovation projects, and that specifies all aspects of the division of responsibility and accountability;

II.Revised estimates relating to the Rule of Law Unit

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the revised estimates under the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009 for the Rule of Law Unit⁷ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,⁸

⁷A/63/154.

⁸A/63/594.

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;6

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,7 subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Decides to establish one P-5, two P-4 and one P-3 posts for the Rule of Law Unit, effective 1 January 2009;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Director of the Unit continues to be provided, for 2009, through secondment;

Decides to revert to this issue in the context of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2010–2011;

III.Administrative and financial implications of the decisions and recommendations contained in the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2008

Recalling its resolution 63/251 of 24 December 2008, entitled “United Nations common system: report of the International Civil Service Commission”,

Takes note of the statement submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly⁹ on the administrative and financial implications of the decisions and recommendations contained in the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2008¹⁰ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;¹¹

⁹A/63/360.

¹⁰Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 30 (A/63/30).

¹¹A/63/501.

IV.Revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008,¹² and endorses the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;¹³

¹²A/63/371.

¹³A/63/567.

V.Revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council at its seventh, eighth and ninth sessions, proposals to improve the procedure for presenting to the General Assembly the financial requirements arising from the resolutions and decisions of the Council, and a consolidated statement on resolutions and decisions adopted by the Council arising from its continuing review of its subsidiary machinery and related programme budget implications

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General¹⁴ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,¹⁵

¹⁴A/63/541 and Add.1 and A/63/587.

¹⁵A/63/629.

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General;13

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;14

VI.Revised estimates resulting from the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General¹⁶ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,¹⁷

¹⁶A/63/583.

¹⁷A/63/628.

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;Error: Reference source not found

VII.Review of the lump-sum arrangement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General¹⁸ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,¹⁹

¹⁸A/63/537.

¹⁹A/63/616.

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions;Error: Reference source not found

VIII.Human resources management

Recalling section II of its resolution 63/250 of 24 December 2008,

Decides to approve, in connection with the harmonization of contractual arrangements, an additional appropriation in the amount of 13,165,400 dollars under section 3, Political affairs, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

Requests the Secretary-General to include a total amount of 80,900,900 dollars in the respective budgets of the affected peacekeeping missions for the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010;

IX.Administrative and financial implications arising from the report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General²⁰ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,²¹

²⁰A/63/363.

²¹A/63/556.

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;Error: Reference source not found

Requests the Secretary-General to report on any additional requirements arising from the recommendations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board in the context of the second performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

X.Revised estimates under section 32, Construction, alteration, improvement and major maintenance, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, relating to the provision of an integrated headquarters facility for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, in Baghdad

Recalling its resolutions 62/237 A and 62/238 of 22 December 2007,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the revised estimates under section 3, Political affairs, and section 32, Construction, alteration, improvement and major maintenance, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, relating to the provision of an integrated headquarters facility for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, in Baghdad,²² the relevant parts of the report of the Secretary-General on the estimates in respect of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq²³ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,²⁴

²²A/62/828.

²³A/63/346 and Corr.1 and Add.5.

²⁴A/63/601.

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the revised estimates under section 3, Political affairs, and section 32, Construction, alteration, improvement and major maintenance, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, relating to the provision of an integrated headquarters facility for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, in Baghdad;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Welcomes the contribution of the Government of Iraq, and recognizes the importance of the proposal for the construction of a purpose-built integrated headquarters for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq;

Approves commitment authority for 2009 for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq in the amount of 5 million dollars under section 32 of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009 to undertake design work in connection with the construction of the United Nations integrated compound in Baghdad;

Emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the project is based on accurate assumptions and that its planning phase takes into account the experience of the execution of other construction projects in the United Nations and also of ensuring proper accountability with regard to the implementation of the project;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit a new, complete and detailed proposal for the construction of the United Nations integrated compound in Baghdad, under section 32 of the programme budget, for its consideration early in the second part of its resumed sixty-third session, with detailed comprehensive financial requirements and clear timelines for the different phases of its implementation;

XI.Estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council

Recalling its resolutions 62/237 A and 62/238 of 22 December 2007 and 62/245 of 3 April 2008,

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General on estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council²⁵ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,²⁶

²⁵A/63/346 and Corr.1 and Add.1 and Corr.1 and 2 and Add.2–5.

²⁶A/63/593.

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General;Error: Reference source not found

Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Regrets that the timing of the presentation of the report of the Secretary-General to the Fifth Committee was delayed until the last week of the main part of the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, and requests the Secretary-General to present future budget proposals for the special political missions no later than the last week of October;

Requests the Secretary-General to revise the narrative and the logical framework of the budget for the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1559 (2004), taking into account recent developments and the concerns raised by Member States, and to submit a report thereon to the General Assembly before the first part of its resumed sixty-third session;

Takes note of paragraph 94 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found and decides to establish one Political Affairs Officer position at the P-3 level and five Local level positions;

Also takes note of paragraph 158 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found and decides to reclassify the Chief Technical Adviser position from the D-1 to the D-2 level;

Decides to establish a position at the P-5 level, instead of one at the P-4 level, in the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus;

Approves budgets totalling 429,497,600 dollars for the twenty-seven special political missions authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council presented in table 1 of the report of the Secretary-General;²⁷

²⁷A/63/346 and Corr.1.

Takes note of the estimated unencumbered balance of 15,850,800 dollars;

Decides to appropriate, after taking into account the estimated unencumbered balance of 15,850,800 dollars, under the procedures provided for in paragraph 11 of annex I to resolution 41/213 of 19 December 1986, an amount of 413,646,800 dollars under section 3, Political affairs, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

Also decides to appropriate an amount of 26,432,000 dollars under section 35, Staff assessment, to be offset by a corresponding amount under income section 1, Income from staff assessment, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

XII.First performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009

Having considered the first performance report of the Secretary-General on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009²⁸ and the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,²⁹

²⁸A/63/573.

²⁹A/63/620.

Recalling its resolutions 62/237 A and B of 22 December 2007 and 62/245 of 3 April 2008,

Taking note of the current challenges caused by the global financial crisis,

Reaffirms the budgetary process as approved in its resolution 41/213 and reaffirmed in subsequent resolutions;

Takes note of the first performance report of the Secretary-General on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009,Error: Reference source not found and endorses the observations and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions contained in its report,Error: Reference source not found subject to the provisions of the present resolution;

Also takes note of paragraph 5 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found and emphasizes that the content of the first performance report should be limited, in principle, to a description of parameter changes endorsed by the General Assembly;

Endorses paragraph 11 of the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,Error: Reference source not found and requests the Secretary-General to explore the recosting methodologies used by other international organizations with that used by the Secretariat, taking into account the unique nature of the United Nations, and to report thereon to the General Assembly in the context of the second performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

Recalls section III, paragraph 6, of its resolution 60/283 of 7 July 2006, and requests the Secretary-General to implement the provisions of that paragraph and to report to the General Assembly thereon in the context of the second performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

Approves a net increase of 174 million dollars in the appropriation approved for the biennium 2008–2009 and a net increase of 6.8 million dollars in the estimates of income for the biennium, to be apportioned among expenditure and income sections as indicated in the report of the Secretary-General;Error: Reference source not found

Decides to apportion among Member States 129 million dollars for expenses related to the first performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009;

Approves up to 45 million dollars for expenses relating to the first performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, upon the receipt by the President of the General Assembly of a letter from the Secretary-General, to be apportioned among Member States, as an exception to regulation 3.3 of the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations;³⁰

³⁰ST/SGB/2003/7.

Stresses, bearing in mind the third preambular paragraph of the present section, that the provisions of paragraph 8 constitute an exceptional measure;

XIII.Contingency fund

Notes that a balance of 5,122,000 dollars remains in the contingency fund.³¹

³¹A/C.5/63/20.

Questions Relating to the Programme Budget for the Biennium 2008-2009

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What else is in this group?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

II.Revised estimates relating to the Rule of Law Unit

III.Administrative and financial implications of the decisions and recommendations contained in the report of the International Civil Service Commission for 2008

IV.Revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008

VI.Revised estimates resulting from the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto

VII.Review of the lump-sum arrangement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

VIII.Human resources management

IX.Administrative and financial implications arising from the report of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board

X.Revised estimates under section 32, Construction, alteration, improvement and major maintenance, of the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009, relating to the provision of an integrated headquarters facility for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, in Baghdad

XI.Estimates in respect of special political missions, good offices and other political initiatives authorized by the General Assembly and/or the Security Council

XII.First performance report on the programme budget for the biennium 2008–2009

XIII.Contingency fund

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