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Statement by Mr. Jun Yamada
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Item 140: Closed Peacekeeping Missions

Fifth Committee
Second Resumed Part of
Sixty-second Session of the General Assembly
5 May 2008

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to start my statement by thanking the representatives of the Secretariat and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for introducing their respective reports on this agenda item. I wish to make some brief remarks on the closed peacekeeping missions as at 30 June 2007.

According to the Report of the Secretary-General A/62/57, as at 30 June 2007, fifteen of the twenty closed peacekeeping missions reflected cash surpluses totaling $181,776,000 as credits available for Member States, and five closed missions reflected cash deficits totaling $88,036,000.

My delegation wishes to emphasize that the current status of closed peacekeeping missions should be addressed through the following two principles: firstly, payment of assessed contributions is an obligation of Member States under the Charter of the United Nations; secondly, the unencumbered appropriations should be returned to the Member States in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations. Abidance by these established principles of the Organization is essential.

Therefore the ACABQ has every reason when it states in its report A/62/816 that return of credits to Member States does not depend on acceptance of the proposal to consolidate the accounts of peacekeeping operations, and that the credits available in closed peacekeeping mission with cash surpluses should be returned to Member States. Stating otherwise would be tantamount to putting expediency before fundamental rules in the Organization. Furthermore, my delegation wishes to highlight General Assembly resolution A/57/323 which specified the timing and amount of the credits to be returned to Member States. At the same time, my delegation reiterates its view that closed missions with cash deficits should be addressed through timely and full payment of assessments by Member States.

Finally, we hope to seek concrete results, as seen in the aforementioned General Assembly resolution, through the discussions under this agenda item.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Related Information (UN PKO and International Peace Cooperation)
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations Official Web Site