Global Policy Forum

Before concluding consideration of several Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) reports on its agenda this morning, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) welcomed the recently appointed Under-Secretary-General for Management, Catherine Bertini, as she made her first statement to the Committee since joining the United Nations Secretariat in its top management position. Ms. Bertini, formerly the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), assumed her new functions on 1 January 2003.

Welcoming her to the Fifth Committee, its Chairman, Murari Raj Sharma of Nepal, said that as WFP Executive Director for 10 years, Ms. Bertini had been credited for efforts to modernize the Programme's administration and assist hundreds of millions of victims of war and natural disasters all over the world. She was one of the few women leaders in the United Nations system to have made such a distinctive mark. In appointing her, the Secretary-General had recognized her distinct qualifications for the job, as well as her eminent experience. Her stellar performance at WFP was an indication of what to expect in her new duties. Mr. Sharma added that Ms. Bertini brought an exceptional blend of management skills, personal integrity and unwavering commitment to the United Nations.

The new Under-Secretary-General for Management, Ms. Bertini, said that while she was not new to the system, she was new to several bodies, including the Fifth Committee. The Committee dealt with a vast array of issues with direct impact on the day-to-day operations of the Organization, as well as its longer-term strategies. She especially looked forward to working on the implementation the Secretary-General's reform agenda, and hoped to engage in frequent and open dialogue with Committee members. As the Committee was faced with many significant items this year, including the financing of over 20 peacekeeping operations and the 2004-2005 proposed programme budget, working together would be critical. She pledged her assistance, as well as that of her staff, in helping the Committee address its many agenda items.

As the Committee joined in welcoming Ms. Bertini, members pledged their assistance to the new Under-Secretary-General, saying that the assumption of her new post came at a critical time in the Organization's history. Among those commending Ms. Bertini were the representatives of Morocco (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), Canada (on behalf of Australia and New Zealand), Botswana (on behalf of the African States), Lao People's Democratic Republic (on behalf of the Asian States), Bosnia and Herzegovina (on behalf of the Eastern European States), Bahamas (on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean States) and Japan, as well as the representative of the United States, who noted that welcoming Ms. Bertini to the Fifth Committee might be the equivalent of "welcoming Daniel to the lion's den".

Greece's representative, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said the Union would support Ms. Bertini in her duties with a view to creating a modern organization that was fully able to meet the world's needs today. He noted the Union's support for the Secretary-General's reform process, including the reform of human resources management, which would result in a more efficient Organization. The United Nations must rely on a financially sound basis and budgetary discipline was critical in that regard. He looked forward to Ms. Bertini's presentation on the Organization's financial situation in the near future.

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