Mr. Chair,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on the organization of work for the first part of the resumed 75th session of the Fifth Committee.

2. As this is the first time my delegation is addressing this Committee as Chair of the Group of 77 and China, allow me to express appreciation for the commendable stewardship of our group by Guyana through what was undoubtedly a most unprecedented and challenging year. Further, I wish to reiterate to you and your bureau, the commitment of our Group to work in a constructive, transparent and inclusive manner with a view to ensuring a successful session.

3. I would also like to recognize with sincere appreciation, the invaluable work of the Secretariat of the Fifth Committee, which is ably led by Mr. Lionel Berridge, in facilitating the work of the Committee.

4. The Group would also like to recognize Mr. Abdalla Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and to commend the work of that Committee in providing sound technical and impartial advice to the Committee on the important items before us during this part of the session.

Mr. Chair,

5. The Group acknowledges recent efforts to issue reports in a timely manner but underscores that there is still room for further improvement. The Group reiterates that receiving documents in a timely manner is critical to facilitating our deliberations and according these important subjects the time and attention they deserve.

6. On the specific issue of Human Resources Management, the Group wishes to reiterate its position that the Human Resources Management item should be considered holistically as a package, rather than in a piecemeal way, in order to reach concrete outcomes on issues, including gender parity, equitable geographical representation at all levels, refining performance management, and addressing deficiencies in the staff selection process.

Mr. Chair,

7. Accountability is necessary in any entity, including our organisation. This is why our Group traditionally places special emphasis on this issue, as it is the means by which we are able to ascertain whether decisions that we make as the General Assembly are respected and fully implemented. In this regard, the Group will engage constructively in the review of the accountability system, paying particular attention to how reforms should contribute to the enhancement of accountability.

8. Further, the Group will actively participate in the Committee’s deliberations on other agenda items, including the construction and property management: UNON; subvention for the special tribunal of Lebanon; the standards of accommodation of air travel; the UN Common system and the report of the Joint Inspection Unit, among others.

Mr. Chair,

9. In conclusion, let me reaffirm the commitment of the Group of 77 and China to working constructively with you, the bureau and our partners to arrive at a successful outcome for this session.

I thank you.