STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS BY H.E. 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 75TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NEW YORK, 5 OCTOBER 2020

Thank you, Mr Chair.
  

1 I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 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 75th session.  ASEAN aligns itself with the statement made by Guyana on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
 

2 Mr Chair, ASEAN takes this opportunity to congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on your election.  While the UN is operating under challenging circumstances, we are confident that under your leadership, the Committee will engage in constructive deliberations in a fully transparent, consultative and timely manner. 

3 ASEAN also expresses our appreciation to Ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis of Cyprus, his Bureau members, and the Fifth Committee Secretariat for their tireless dedication and hard work during the 74th session.  In many aspects, the outgoing Bureau had blazed a trail for the successful conduct of remote negotiations.  That said, the modalities for the work of the Committee are not static.  The fact that we are physically here today is proof of this.  I am confident that the Bureau for the 75th session will continue to adopt the best working practices for the Committee in line with the evolving health and safety situation.

Mr Chair,

4 The UN is commemorating its 75th anniversary in difficult circumstances. Global pandemics such as COVID-19 could potentially tempt member states to become more insular and inward-looking. It is therefore heartening to hear the strong commitment of many of our Leaders over the past two weeks to uphold multilateralism. Our challenges are more global and interconnected than ever. This is the time for us to double down on multilateralism and reaffirm our commitment to a rules-based international system.

5 This entails supporting the UN and ensuring that we set it up for success. For any organisation to succeed, it must be given adequate financial resources to implement its mandates.  However, COVID-19 has disrupted not just the UN’s work, but many of our economies. It is understandable that countries whose economies have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 may face difficulties in paying their assessments. It is therefore all the more important for Member States that have the capacity to pay their assessed contributions to do so in full, on time, and without conditions. Otherwise, the UN faces a real risk of not having the resources it needs to carry out its mandates.

Mr Chair,

6 There is no better time for reflection than an anniversary or milestone year, or during a crisis. We happen to now be in both. As we reflect on how to improve the effectiveness of the UN, it is disconcerting to note that certain Member States continue to withhold their contributions despite having the capacity to pay. This has led to consecutive years of liquidity challenges. ASEAN reiterates that the organisation must find a way to address the root causes of this issue, without unfairly shifting the burden to developing states. We look forward to receiving updates on the financial situation of the Organisation, including the immediate and longer-term financial implications of the pandemic on the Organisation’s financial health.

Mr Chair,

7 ASEAN will pay close attention to the upcoming discussions in this Committee. In particular, ASEAN will follow with interest the Committee's deliberations on the proposed programme budget for 2021, the review of progress in the implementation of management reform, construction, Special Political Missions, and subvention to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

8 Finally, Mr Chair, let me reassure you that ASEAN will continue to work constructively with all delegations towards the timely conclusion of this session, in an open and transparent manner.

9 I thank you, Mr Chair.

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