STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP OF 77 AND CHINA BY AMBASSADOR MOHAMED YOUSIF IBRAHIM ABDELMANNAN OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF SUDAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS, ON AGENDA ITEM 118: CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND COMPENSATION FOR OFFICIALS, OTHER THAN SECRETARIAT OFFICIALS, SERVING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: FULL-TIME MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY QUESTIONS, IN THE FIFTH COMMITTEE DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE RESUMED 63RD SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (New York, 12 March 2009)

Mr. Chairman,

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda item 118: Revised estimates relating to the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009 under section related to conditions of service.

2. The Group of 77 and China would like to thank Ms. Marianne Brzak-Metzler, Chief of the Conditions of Service Section, Office of Human Resources Management, for introducing the Secretary-General's report (A/63/354).  We also wish to thank the Chairperson of ACABQ, Ms. Susan McLurg, for introducing the report of the Advisory Committee (A/63/726).

3. This issue has been drawn to the attention of the Committee as required by resolution 58/266, by which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to do so when the annual compensation of the Chairman of the ACABQ and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) falls below the level of compensations of Assistant Secretaries-General, but no sooner than at its sixty-third session.

4. The report therefore, provides useful information about the salary adjustments made between 2004 and 2008, every January, taking into account the consumer price index (CPI).

5. According to the Secretariat's previsions, and taking into account the CPI for 2008, the Secretary-General noted that it was possible that the total annual net compensation of the Chairman of ICSC and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee would drop slightly below the level of the compensation of Assistant Secretaries-General (by some 1.5 per cent) in January 2009.
 
6. The Secretary-General is proposing to apply an increase of 4 per cent, which would mean additional funds would be required and presented to the Assembly at its sixth-fourth session. Taking into account the time elapsed since the publication of the report, the Group would like to request for an update of the situation.

Mr. Chairman,

7. In regard to the ACABQ report, the Group would like to seek further information about the issue of the remuneration of its Vice-Chairman.

Mr. Chairman,

8. You can be assured that the Group is ready to work constructively on this agenda item.