VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0747/01 0971926
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071926Z APR 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8649

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000747 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC KUNR UNGA KPKO
SUBJECT: UN: FIFTH COMMITTEE AGREES TO FINANCING FOR 
PEACEBUILDING SUPPORT OFFICE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 53612 
 
 ¶1. Summary. Following weeks of discussion and deliberation, 
the Fifth Committee broke its deadlock on the funding and 
staffing modalities of the Peacebuilding Support Office 
(PBSO) and agreed on April 5 to a short resolution to provide 
the financing to operationalize the office which, in sum, 
succeeds in obtaining a better outcome than was authorized in 
reftel. The resolution provides for $1,571,300 for post and 
non-post requirements to be utilized from the provision for 
Special Political Missions (SPM) 2006-2007, and requests that 
the SG ensure the efficient use of these resources taking 
into account the provisions of paragraph 23 of resolution 
60/180 (in which the GA mandated the office to be established 
from within existing resources).  It also decides to revert 
to the issues regarding level, staffing and functions of the 
PBSO in the context of the 2008-09 budget, leaving the 
staffing modalities undefined in the current biennium. End 
summary. 
 
¶2. For weeks, the Fifth Committee was divided over how to 
proceed on the establishment of the PBSO. USdel took a firm 
position, calling for resources taken from the SPM account to 
be offset and for establishment of the head of the office at 
the D-2 level.  On the other side was the G-77, which called 
for a new appropriation, establishment of an ASG-level post 
and conditionalities on the recruitment and term of office 
the head of the PBSO (geographic rotation, 5 year 
nonrenewable term limit, and preference to be given to 
candidates from developing countries).  The EU, CANZ and 
Japan held the middle ground in calling for an ASG-level post 
(without conditions) and resources to be used from SPMs (but 
without requiring offsets). 
 
¶3. In the final days, the US position evolved to support of 
an ASG-level post in exchange for language highlighting the 
mandate that the office was to be established from within 
existing resources.  This shift in position enabled a strong 
block to be formed by the US, EU, Japan and CANZ in 
opposition to the G-77 demands for a new appropriation and 
preferential treatment for candidates from developing 
countries. 
 
¶4. In an interesting twist of events, it became increasingly 
apparent that the G-77 was not unified in its support of an 
ASG-level post.  As the US position evolved and the 
discussions moved toward consensus on this element, the 
Egyptian delegate began to block progress through any means 
possible.  For instance, when it became clear that the US 
would not oppose the creation of an ASG post, Egypt -- 
knowing that the US would never agree to a new appropriation 
--  insisted that the post must be funded through a new 
appropriation. When the Secretariat and USdel clarified that 
it was entirely possible to fund the ASG post using existing 
resources from the SPM account, Egypt found other ways to 
stall the discussion.  Later, when the EU attempted to broker 
an agreement on the "human resources" elements (such as 
geographic rotation and 5-year limit), Egypt immediately 
blocked by reintroducing three policy paragraphs that were 
unacceptable to the EU (and had previously been redrafted by 
the Committee to enable a consensus position). 
 
¶5. Following days of this continued deadlock, the G77 took 
the initiative of drafting a short 7-paragraph resolution to 
enable the release of resources for the establishment of the 
PBSO.  The authorization provided for up to $1,571,300 from 
the approved initial provision of SPMs for 2006-07, with 
additional language requesting the SG "to ensure the 
efficient use of resources approved in the provision for 
special political missions for the biennium 2006-07 taking 
into account the provisions of paragraph 23 of its resolution 
60/180."  Interestingly, the amount of $1.57 million was the 
amount proposed by ACABQ for post requirements, however, the 
resolution authorized this amount for post and non-post 
requirements for the biennium (in effect, reducing the 
provision by $1,234,100 from what the SG requested).  The 
resolution also omitted any reference to the human resources 
elements but called for the GA to revert to the issues of 
level, staffing and functions of the PBSO in the context of 
its consideration of the proposed programme budget for 
2008-09. 
 
¶6. Begin text of the resolution: 
 
The General Assembly, 
 
Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General and of 
the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary 
Questions; 
 
Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 
 
Takes note of the report of the ACABQ; 
 
 
 
 
Decides to authorize the Secretary-General to utilize an 
amount of up to US $1,571,300 from the approved initial 
provision for Special Political Missions under Section 3, 
Political Affairs, of the Programme Budget for the biennium 
2006-07 to operationalize a peacebuilding support office; 
 
Stresses that the authorization from the provision for 
Special Political Missions referred to in paragraph 3 above 
is a provisional and exceptional measure, and decides that 
the PBSO shall be financed from the programme budget and 
requests the Secretary-General to include provisions for the 
PBSO in the appropriate section of the programme budget 
commencing from the proposed programme budget for the 
biennium 2008-09 to ensure sustainable and reliable long-term 
financing of the Office; 
 
Decides to revert to the issues regarding level, staffing and 
functions of the Peacebuilding Support Office as contained in 
the report of the Secretary-General (A/60/694) in the context 
of its consideration of the proposed programme budget for the 
biennium 2008-09 and in the light of decisions, if any, that 
may result from the consideration by the General Assembly of 
the report of the Secretary-General to be submitted in 
accordance with paragraph 25 of its resolution 60/180; 
 
Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the PBSO has 
the necessary gender competence to support the PBC in 
implementing its mandate to integrate a gender perspective 
into all of its work taking into account, inter alia, 
Security Council resolution 1325, and drawing on the 
appropriate expertise in the United Nations system; 
 
Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the efficient use of 
the resources approved in the provision for Special Political 
Missions for the biennium 2006-07 taking into account the 
provisions of paragraph 23 of its resolution 60/180. 
 
¶7. End text. 
 
BOLTON