Fifth Committee: UN medium-term plan, budget, documentation addressed.

• Position: UN General Assembly Fifth Committee - General Assembly 51

A medium - term plan, which spells out the strategic objectives of the United Nations for 1998-2001 was endorsed by the General Assembly on 18 December, on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). By adopting resolution 51/219, the Assembly also agreed that the Organization, in implementing the plan, would give priority to the following areas of work: maintenance of international peace and security; promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development; development of Africa; promotion of human rights; effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts; promotion of justice and international law; disarmament; drug control and crime prevention, as well as combating international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

To convert those priorities into concrete programmes and activities, the Secretary-General was invited to prepare a programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 on the basis of $2512 billion at initial 1996-1997 rates, recosted to $2.480 billion at revised 1996-1997 rates (51/220).

Detailed deliberations on the budget began in March 1997 when it was examined by the Fifth Committee and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ). For the first time in its history, ACABQ convened in 1997 without the United States as one of its members. France and New Zealand were elected in secret ballot to the two seats available to the Western European and Other States group.

With regard to human resources, the Assembly approved a 0.4-per cent increase in base/floor salary for United Nations staff in the Professional and higher category (51/216). It also noted the Secretary-General's assurances that he would "not take any decision on the involuntary separation of staff members, including those on the redeployment list, to achieve savings" in the context of resolution 50/214 (51/221). In addition, the Secretary-General was asked to limit short-term appointments against regular budget posts to temporary replacements in cases of mission service and leave, and limit exceptions to regular rules and procedures for recruiting, appointing or promoting under-secretaries-general and assistant secretaries-general, special envoys and staff of his Executive Office.

Action on the issue of gratis personnel or loaned officers was deferred until the resumed session. The existence of such personnel was given higher prominence by a statement made in the Committee in October by...