Mr Chair,

1. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and also on behalf of H.E. Michael Rudolph Ten-Pow, the Chair of the Group, on the organization of work for the first part of the resumed 74th session of the Fifth Committee. I wish to express the Group’s appreciation for the excellent work done under the chairmanship of the State of Palestine.

2. Since my delegation is addressing the Committee for the first time as Chair of the Group of 77, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the Group to working with you and your bureau in a transparent and inclusive manner towards the successful conclusion of the session.

3. I would also like to express appreciation for 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. I also recognize Mr. Abdalla Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and commend the work of the Advisory Committee in providing technical and impartial advice to the Committee on the important items before us.

Mr. Chair,

5. The Group is committed to a thorough consideration of all the agenda items allocated to the Committee for this session. In this regard, the Group hopes that all delegations can engage constructively during this session, in a spirit of compromise, and with the goal of reaching a common outcome that is in the best interest of the Organization and its member States.

6. The Group acknowledges the recent improvement in the chronic late issuance of reports 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.

7. In the same spirit and turning to 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, with a view to reaching concrete outcomes on issues, including gender parity, equitable geographical representation at all levels, refining performance management, and addressing deficiencies in the staff selection process.

8. However, it is also important to continue to hold all of those who are selected to work at the United Nations accountable in their service to the Organization. That is why the Group will also engage constructively in the review of the accountability system, especially after more than a year of the implementation of reforms and the system of delegation of authority.

Mr. Chair,

9. In conclusion, let me reaffirm the commitment of the Group of 77 and China to consider and conclude the items before us, within the timeframe of the programme of work. We also reiterate our full cooperation and constructive engagement with you, the bureau and our partners to arrive at a successful outcome for this session.

I thank you.