Matters requiring action by the Board in the follow-up to the thirteenth session of the Conference

GROUP OF 77
GENEVA

STATEMENT DELIVERED BY THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA AT THE 59TH SESSION OF THE TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD ON AGENDA ITEM 12: MATTERS REQUIRING ACTION BY THE BOARD IN THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE
(Geneva, 21 September 2012)

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I would like at the outset to thank the secretariat for the work plan prepared as requested by member states at the 26th special session of the Trade and Development Board in order to implement those recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit that can be implemented. Our ultimate objective is to strengthen UNCTAD so that it can continue to deliver for developing countries.

2. Allow me to underscore, Mr. President, that as the principal beneficiaries, and as the key demandeurs in UNCTAD, we are very conscious and indeed insistent on an UNCTAD that works. Perhaps therefore it should not surprise anyone that the Group of 77 and China is perhaps more interested than other partners in a strong UNCTAD, one that delivers according to its mandate, and in response to our needs.

3. We therefore appreciate the commitment of our partners to their declared objective of strengthening UNCTAD. We have assured them, and reassured them, of our shared commitment. Yet we have also underscored that while we are committed to constructive engagement, our engagement must be constructive, and it must be positive.

4. One key message we would like to underline is our continuing concern that an excessive focus on the JIU report and the process it has launched could be to the detriment of the organization. We expressed our concern previously, for example, that an excessive focus on the JIU report could paralyze our substantive work. Sadly, this appears to have happened.

5. We therefore emphasize to our partners that while we are committed to a positive and constructive engagement to the consideration of the work program, our priority is to focus on the substantive agenda of this session of the TDB.

Mr. President.

6. Allow me now to address some specific points in the draft work program prepared by the secretariat, for which we thank them.

7. Before I address specific points, however, I must once again emphasize that the implementation of the work plan once approved should have no adverse or negative impact on the implementation of the Doha Mandate, and that current resources are not diverted to the work plan's implementation.

8. First we emphasize that while we share the view that RBM should be fully implemented in the UNCTAD secretariat, this must be fully consistent with its implementation in the rest of the UN system, and consistent with whatever intergovernmental agreements may have been reached in this regard in the relevant bodies of the United Nations.

9. Second, we support the efforts of the secretariat to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation capacity. Yet we also underline that UNCTAD's evaluation and monitoring architecture must ensure that qualitative factors are taken into account, in addition to more qualitative measures.

10. While we appreciate the narrative dealing with enhancing outreach and communications with Geneva-based delegations, we believe that the secretariat can do more. For example, more efforts are needed to keep delegations briefed on the secretariat's contact with capitals, as well as direct contacts and arrangements by the secretariat with capital-based officials invited to participate in UNCTAD meetings, sometimes without the corresponding mission being informed.

11. We also encourage the UNCTAD secretariat to enhance its coordination with UNOG to ensure the timely translation of documents relevant to intergovernmental meetings. It is unfortunate, for example that the draft work plan we are discussing is not available in all languages, notwithstanding that there is no ambiguity on how important this document is, and how clear member state interest in the document and the process is.

12. We also express the need for the secretariat to exert more efforts in addressing the issue of equitable geographic representation. While we appreciate the secretariat's reminder that the broader UN view should be taken into account, we likewise stress that in an organization dedicated to development, it is inconceivable that half of the staff belong to one regional group, and a regional group with no developing countries. We therefore strongly encourage the secretariat to propose ways and means of addressing this including by ensuring that notices of vacancies are better disseminated to developing countries, including to the permanent missions.

13. We also welcome the recommendations on a strengthened and enhanced fundraising strategy. The availability of resources for UNCTAD's activities, including technical cooperation, has been a long-standing priority for the group. Placing UNCTAD's work on a more stable and predictable footing is a key priority for the Group, including through the establishment of a non-earmarked trust-fund. However, there is a need for greater detail on how these objectives will be accomplished, including more information on a concrete time table.

Thank you Mr. President.