Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on this agenda item.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Secretariat for the introduction of the relevant reports under this agenda item. The Group of 77 would also like to thank the Chairman of the ACABQ for introducing the related reports of the Committee.

3. The Group of 77 and China would like to reaffirm its strong support to the work of the International Court of Justice as the principal organ of the United Nations. The Group of 77 and China is committed to continue its support to the ICJ. Accordingly, the Group is pleased to note the supplementary agreement between the United Nations and the Carnegie Foundation on the use of the Peace Palace at The Hague. The Group hopes that the clarity on allocation of space occupied by ICJ and in the procedures for modifications of such space would help the Court in further adjustments. The Group agrees with the amendments to the supplementary agreement and would take appropriate action with regard to the additional financial requirement in the context of the programme budget for the biennia 2006-2007 and 2008-2009.  

4. The Group of 77 and China notes the Secretary-General's report on the progress report on the construction of additional office facilities at the ECA. The Group considers the additional resources requested by the Secretary-General are essential to address the additional requirements relating to safety and security, positioning of the elevators and the electrical work, design change and cost escalation. The Group of 77 and China would like to emphasize the need for strict adherence to the project budget as well as the time line of 2010 for the completion of this project. We hope that the ECA would be able to accomplish the essential construction work with the approval of the additional resources as requested by the Secretary-General.

5. The Group of 77 and China notes the progress report on the construction of additional conference facilities at the Vienna International Center. The Group would take into consideration the information provided by the Secretary-General in this report in the context of the budget of section 32.

6. The Group of 77 and China takes note of the Secretary-General's report on the financial situation of the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). The Group of 77 and China would like to express its deep appreciation to the Director and Executive Board for their efforts that have helped the Institute to secure sustainable financing for the Institute. The Group of 77 and China is satisfied that its support to the Institute has been well placed and helped it to achieve financial stability. This is a welcome development both for the Institute as well as for the number of useful projects that it plans to carry out in future. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the countries that extended their voluntary contributions to enable the Institute to reach this stage. The Group would nevertheless request the Institute to redouble its efforts in fund-raising and to ensure that the voluntary pledges are delivered so that it never faces the difficulties that it experienced in the past.

7. The Group of 77 and China notes the request for the subvention to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The Group of 77 and China expresses its appreciation to the useful work carried out by the Institute as well as to the countries that have pledged their voluntary contribution to its activities. The Group supports the approval of the total amount of 485,500 US dollars for UNIDIR from the regular budget of the United Nations for the biennium 2008-2009.

8. Given the clarity of the recommendations from the ACABQ, the Group of 77 and China hopes that the Committee would reach an early agreement on all these issues.

        I thank you.