UN - FIFTH COMMITTEE CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000261 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC PREL UNGA SUBJECT: UN - FIFTH COMMITTEE CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF BAN'S PROPOSAL TO STRENGTHEN DPA REF: A. USUN 000246 ¶B. USUN 000226 ¶C. STATE 029449 ¶D. 07 STATE 001013 ¶1. The Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, following formal introduction on March 17th of Secretary-General Ban's proposal to strengthen the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) (A/62/521 and Corr.1) and the related report of the ACABQ (A/62/7/Add.32),continued its consideration of the proposal, in informal consultations on March 18th and 20th, with extensive Q and A. The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, attended the March 18th meeting and responded to delegations' questions. ¶2. As previewed in the statements made by delegations during the committee's formal meetings (REFTEL A),questions and comments addressed: the lack of a clear division of labor between DPA, DFS, DPKO and the Peacebuilding Support Office and of an official Secretariat document explaining their respective mandates; the possible creation of a special political missions (SPM) support account similar to the peacekeeping support account; the nature of "political advice" conveyed by DPA; the linkage of efforts to achieve economic development and peace and security; the proposed structure of DPA's regional divisions; DPA's interaction with regional organizations; the approval process for creation of DPA regional offices; and management of SPMs by DPKO and DPA. The committee also engaged in Q and A on the proposals relating to specific regional divisions; focusing first on the Asia and Pacific Division, with delegations concentrating on the possible impact of the proposals on their individual countries. The committee is scheduled to address the African divisions on March 24th. ¶3. Questions and comments by G-77 members also focused on their objections to the inclusion of certain "political elements" or what were described as "inappropriate references and judgments," in the report - on the Latin America and Caribbean region and other regions. (See REFTEL B for reporting on the letter sent to U-SYG Pascoe (A/C.5/62/24), by the G-77 and NAM which called for issuance of a corrigendum to the report to reflect these and other concerns. In his response to the letter (A/C.5/62/25),U-SYG Pascoe addressed the concerns of the G-77 and NAM but not in the form of a corrigendum.) ¶3. At the request of Member States, numerous questions were answered in writing. DPA also circulated responses to the questions and concerns raised by the ACABQ and OIOS (A/61/357, E/AC.51/2006/4, E/AC.51/2007/s and Adds. 1-5). (These handouts have been sent to IO/MPR via email.) The committee is scheduled to continue its informals on March 24th and 25th during the final week of this first resumed session of the 62nd GA. KHALILZAD