STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BY MR SYFULNIZAR HAMID, DELEGATE OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 137: SEISMIC MITIGATION RETROFIT AND LIFE-CYCLE REPLACEMENTS PROJECT AT THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC PREMISES IN BANGKOK, AT THE MAIN PART OF THE 80TH SESSION OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK, 8 OCTOBER 2025

Thank you, Mdm Chair

1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Agenda Item 137: Proposed Programme Budget for 2026 in relation to the seismic mitigation retrofit and life-cycle replacements project at the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) premises in Bangkok. ASEAN aligns itself with the Statement made by Iraq on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. 

2 ASEAN thanks the Fifth Committee Secretariat for introducing the report of the Secretary-General on this matter. We also thank the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for its related report. 

Mdm Chair, 

3 ESCAP is the largest UN Regional Commission and plays a key role in the Asia and Pacific region’s development. It provides an inclusive intergovernmental platform for cooperation among its 53 members and nine associate members to overcome common challenges and pursue development goals. ASEAN fully supports ESCAP’s work and expresses its gratitude to the host Government of Thailand for its strong support for this Regional Commission.

4 The continuing seismic mitigation retrofit, and life-cycle replacements project seeks to ensure the safety of staff, delegates, and visitors at the ESCAP premises. ASEAN stresses the importance of good governance, effective oversight, transparency and accountability in the management of the project to ensure its safe completion. In this connection, we welcome the ninth audit report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), and ESCAP’s subsequent implementation of the report’s sole recommendation. We are pleased to note that there are no outstanding recommendations from this report or from previous audits. 

Mdm Chair, 

5 ASEAN commends ESCAP’s commitment to implement robust seismic mitigation measures for its premises. Its retrofit of both structural and non-structural elements across the secretariat and service buildings in compliance with local structural seismic codes and life safety performance objectives allowed the ESCAP buildings to survive the earthquake that struck Myanmar’s Sagaing Region on 28 March 2025. ASEAN welcomes ESCAP’s approach to continue tapping on critical local expertise, including through appointing the Asian Institute of Technology of Bangkok as its seismic designer for phases one and two of its seismic reinforcement work. 

6 ASEAN also welcomes the substantial completion of construction activities and handover of the remaining floors in June 2025. We look forward to the closeout in June 2027 following the 24-month construction defect liability period. ASEAN commends ESCAP’s achievement of its targeted 20 percent increase in space efficiency thanks to its new workspace solution supporting flexible workspace practices which also complies with seismic, fire, and safety codes. In its commitment to space efficiency, ESCAP had also remodelled the ground floor of block A of the secretariat building to serve as a multifunctional public space which now includes bilateral meeting rooms, a technology hub and a supporting lounge area. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Governments of China, Kazakhstan, and Thailand for their generous voluntary contributions of a bilateral meeting room, a technology hub, and the Asia Pacific Lounge, respectively.

Mdm Chair,

7 While acknowledging the six-month delay on the works due to unforeseen circumstances, ASEAN appreciates ESCAP’s commitment to a timely, safe and thorough completion of the project. ASEAN commends ESCAP’s transition strategy of January 2024, which not only ensured the full transfer of knowledge from the contractor and project team to the facilities team but also minimized project management costs and ensured that the project remained within the overall approved budget.

8 Finally, ASEAN continues to support the implementation of the other capital projects of the UN Regional Commissions, including the projects involving the UN Office at Nairobi (UNON), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago. ASEAN stands ready to constructively engage in Fifth Committee deliberations on these projects.

9 Thank you. 

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