Mr. Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China is pleased to see you presiding over the third resumed session of the Fifth Committee of the 52nd session of the General Assembly. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China would like to express its continued support to and full cooperation with the Bureau of the Fifth Committee during this session.

The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Bureau and the secretariat of the Fifth Committee for preparing the proposed programme of work and the status of documentation for the third resumed session of the Fifth Committee as contained in document A/C.5/52/L.57. The Group of 77 and China considers that this document will be of great assistance for the orderly conduct of the Committee's deliberations.

The Group of 77 and China takes note of the list of issues that were postponed from the previous sessions and which should be subject to consideration by the Fifth Committee during its current resumed session. However, we also note that the Committee will not be able to consider most of these issues, including some issues of great importance to the Group of 77 and China namely the development account and gratis personnel, at this session. This is due to the fact that the consideration of these issues will also require comments from the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) which will not meet until 1 September 1998. In this context, the Group of 77 and China reiterates that late submission of reports continues to be a perennial problem resulting in deferment of consideration of important issues by the Fifth Committee. Further, the Group expects that it would be possible for the ACABQ to adjust its work programme to accommodate the requirements of the Fifth Committee.

Mr. Chairman,

The Group of 77 and China is conscious of the fact that, due to the short duration of the current session, the Committee may not be in a position to devote its full attention to all agenda items listed in its programme of work. This is also true since the current session of the Fifth Committee has only three meetings and coincides with the second part of the Thirty-eight Session of the Committee for Programme and Coordination. In this regard, we would like to recommend that there be better coordination of the programme of work of the two bodies.

Having said that, we are of the view that the little time available to the Committee should be utilized efficiently. Therefore, the Group of 77 and China is prepared to continue discussions on all issues, including the proposed UN Code of Conduct as contained in documents A/52/488, A/52/488/Add.1 as well as the related report of the International Civil Service Commission.

In concluding, the Group of 77 and China would like to express once again its readiness to engage constructively in the work of the Committee so as to enable the Fifth Committee to conclude its work as scheduled.

Thank you.

*****