28 July 1983

Situation with regard to the preparation and submission of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered the situation with regard to the preparation and submission of the proposed programme budget, within the context of Council decision 1983/160 of 27 May 1983, and the report of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination thereon,

Noting the statement made before the Council, at its second regular session of 1983, by the representative of the Secretary-General,

1. Deeply regrets that the Council is not in a position to carry out a thorough review of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, in accordance with Council resolution 1982/50 of 28 July 1982, as a result of the serious delays in the preparation and submission of the sections of the budget to the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination;

2. Affirms that this situation is untenable and, in this context, endorses the conclusions of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination that the present grave situation is unrelated to the schedule established for the meetings of the Committee and that therefore no modification of that schedule should be contemplated;

3. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To take the necessary measures to ensure that complete and final texts of all sections of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1984-1985, in particular sections 7, 15 and 25, shall be submitted to the members of the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination in good time prior to its resumed twenty-third session;

(b) To ensure that there shall be no repetition of the present situation in connection with the preparation and submission of future proposed programme budgets;

(c) To this end, to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth session, through the Committee for Programme and Co-ordination at its resumed twenty-third session, an analytical report on the methods, procedures and time-table followed in the preparation of the programme budget, with a view to identifying deficiencies and shortcomings.