15 Dec 2014 - The report before you responds to the requests contained in General Assembly resolution. 68/247B, whereby
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UNITED NATIONS
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Agenda item 132 Programme budget for the biennium 2014-2015 Request for a subvention to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (A/69/536) FIFTH COMMITTEE Statement by Mr. Chandramouli Ramanathan Officer-in-Charge Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts 15 December 2014 Mr. Chairman, Distinguished delegates,
The report before you responds to the requests contained in General Assembly resolution 68/247B, whereby the Assembly authorized the Secretary-General, as an exceptional measure, to enter into commitments not exceeding $15.54 million to supplement the voluntary financial resources of the international component of the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2014. The report provides details on the progress achieved by the Extraordinary Chambers since the Secretary-General’s last report to the General Assembly, A/68/532 and describes the Chambers’ completion plan and road map, which have been formulated on the basis of a rigorous forecast of the workload associated with the timely judicial completion of the three remaining cases. The report also addresses mechanisms for the financing of the Chambers beyond 2015 and provides information on the use of the approved commitment authority, which requires the Assembly’s approval of an appropriation. The report seeks the Assembly’s approval for a subvention of up to $28.9 million for the period 1 January to 31 December 2015 for both components of the ECCC.
-2– The report highlights that the approved commitment authority of up to $15.54 million for the international component for 2014 was instrumental in securing staff contracts for one year, and the resultant contractual stability to the staff facilitated the efficient discharge of the judicial mandate of the Chambers.
As of the November 2014 accounts, only $4.6 million out of the maximum approved commitment authority of $15.54 million had been utilized. With the projected requirement of about $1.4 million for December 2014, the maximum expected utilization of the commitment authority would be $6.0 million. On the other hand, we have recently received a firm pledge of $1.3 million expected before 31 December 2014, while a second donor contribution of $4.7 million is currently under consideration, with high expectation that it will be endorsed before the year end. Consequently, it now seems likely that the commitment authority will not be utilized in 2014.
The Secretary-General seeks a subvention for up to $28.98 million for 2015, broken down as $23.9 million for the international component and $5.0 million for the national component, to enable the Extraordinary Chambers to carry out their mandate without the continuous threat of insufficient resources adversely affecting programme delivery, while pledging his continuing efforts to raise funds.
I look forward to the discussions on this report.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
