Fifth Committee
13 December 2006
Item 116: Budget Outline for 2008-09
Statement delivered by Phillip Taula, First Secretary,
Permanent Mission of New Zealand,
on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Mr Chairman
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the delegations of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We thank the Controller, Mr Warren Sach, for introducing the report of the Secretary General on the Budget Outline for 2008-09, and the ACABQ Chairman, Mr Rajat Saha, for introducing the ACABQ report.
CANZ supports the concept of a Budget Outline, as set out in resolution 41/213, and believe that it strengthens the budget process by increasing its predictability. We acknowledge that the Outline is a preliminary estimate. The Outline for 2008-09 presents a relatively modest picture of growth compared with the current biennium.
However, we believe that this picture masks important factors. Firstly, growth is calculated on the basis of revised estimates for 2006-07, and not from the level at the starting point of the biennium. We note for example that the current Outline figure is 25% higher than the Outline figure presented 2 years ago.
Secondly, taking into account inflation and other factors which are not included in the Outline calculation, the final budget figures for 2008-09 are likely to be significantly higher than those presented in the Outline.
Mr Chairman
CANZ is concerned about the scale of growth in the regular budget over recent years. The organisation has had to deal with important new challenges and responsibilities. But as the demands on limited overall resources continue to grow, the importance of budget discipline and of strengthening results based budgeting and management processes, have become even greater.
We as Member States, together with the Secretary General, must do our best to ensure that decisions about the resourcing of the organisation promote overall effectiveness and efficiency.
As a final point, we note that CANZ will want to examine carefully the Secretary General’s request to increase the level of the Contingency Fund. We are not convinced at this stage that such an increase is justified.
Thank you Mr Chairman.