STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BY AMBASSADOR BURHAN GAFOOR, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON THE ORGANISATION OF WORK OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE AT THE MAIN PART OF THE 78TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK, 2 OCTOBER 2023

Mr Chair,

1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the organisation of work of the Fifth Committee at the main part of its 78^th session.  ASEAN aligns itself with the statement delivered by Cuba on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2 Mr Chair, ASEAN takes the opportunity to congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on your election. We are confident that under your leadership, the Committee will be able to engage in discussions that are constructive and transparent, with an aim to conclude our work in a timely fashion.  ASEAN also expresses our appreciation to Ambassador Phillipe Kridelka of Belgium, his Bureau members, and the Fifth Committee Secretariat for their tireless efforts during the 77^th session.

Mr Chair,

3 The world is recovering from the pandemic which has derailed development plans for many countries.  On top of that, the world is confronting new challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.  It was therefore heartening to hear the strong commitment made by many of our Leaders over the past two weeks on the need to uphold multilateralism and the rules-based international order, and turbo-charge our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.  This entails supporting the UN, and ensuring that it gets the necessary resources to successfully implement the mandates we have given it. 

4 ASEAN will be paying attention to the deployment of resources for the UN, particularly to the development pillar, which sorely needs funding.  Additionally, we call on Member States that have the capacity to pay for their assessed contributions to do so in full, on time, and without conditions.  The UN should not be forced into a situation of not having the resources it needs to carry out the mandates that we ourselves have set for it.  We look forward to receiving updates from the Secretariat this session on the financial situation of the Organisation.

5 ASEAN will be closely following upcoming discussions on other agenda items in this Committee.  In particular, the proposed programme budget for 2024, programme planning, construction and property management especially the Seismic mitigation retrofit and life-cycle project at UN ESCAP, Special Political Missions, and subvention to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.  ASEAN’s position and views on these items have not changed, and we look forward to securing good outcomes and ensuring that that the UN has adequate financial resources to fulfil its mandates for these and other important items.

6 On the issue of investing in prevention and peacebuilding, ASEAN recognises the strong links between peacebuilding and peace operations for which mandates come from the Security Council, and continues to believe that any assessed contributions for the Peacebuilding Fund should be based on the scale of assessments for peacekeeping operations.  From our point of view, the Peacebuilding Fund should not be assessed through the regular budget scale of assessment, given that decisions on the maintenance of international peace and security are made by the Members of the Security Council. ASEAN will continue to engage constructively, while stressing that any conclusion on this agenda item should take into account the views of all countries and groups of countries, including the views of ASEAN.

7 Additionally, ASEAN looks forward to the Secretary-General’s assessment on a flexible workplace at the UN Headquarters, and will be contributing to the discussion on how the UN can better implement flexible working arrangements without compromising the quality of work and presence of UN staff in office, taking into consideration also the recommendations made by the Office of Internal Oversight Services.  We further look forward to the Secretary-General’s report on the improved service delivery concept, and will be contributing to deliberations on how this can contribute to increased efficiency and effectiveness of the UN in fulfilling its mandates and in supporting Member States.

8 In closing, Mr Chair, I wish to assure you that ASEAN will continue to work constructively with all delegations towards the successful conclusion of this session. 

9 I would also like to add in my capacity as Permanent Representative of Singapore that the Fifth Committee is lucky to have you, Mr Chair. Singapore endorses the family friendly Fifth Committee that you have mentioned. We also support your request for the Fifth Committee to finish its work by mid-December. You have Singapore’s support.

Thank you.

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