From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Mar 17 2009 - 18:32:57 EST
17 March 2009
United Nations General Assembly
GA/AB/3894
Sixty-third General Assembly
Fifth Committee
34th Meeting (AM)
BUDGET COMMITTEE TAKES UP PROPOSAL FOR DONATION OF ASSETS OF UNITED
NATIONS MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning
considered a proposal relating to the donation of the assets of the
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) to the
Governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the African Union.
Introducing the Secretary-General's report on the matter (document
A/63/728), the United Nations Controller, Jun Yamazaki, recalled that
the Mission's mandate had been terminated as of 31 July 2008, and its
administrative liquidation had started on 1 August 2008.
He went on to detail the proposed donation of the Mission's assets to
the Government of Ethiopia, with an inventory value of about $1.4
million and a residual value of $421,800; and assets to the Government
of Eritrea, with an inventory value of about $6.08 million and a
residual value of $2.3 million. It also included the proposed donation
to the African Union of assets with inventory value of some $6.91
million and a residual value of $1.97 million, which would enable that
organization to enhance the operational capabilities of its Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM).
He further explained that the Government of Eritrea had signed a
certificate of temporary possession to receive and secure in safe
custody the Mission's assets, pending the approval by the General
Assembly of the request for their donation. Subsequently, however, the
Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations had informed the
Secretariat that the donation had not been accepted by respective
communities in Eritrea and advised the Organization of the need to make
arrangements for shipping out the assets remaining in Eritrea.
Presenting a related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative
and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) (document A/63/728), its Vice-Chairman,
Collen V. Kelapile, said that, under the circumstances, ACABQ did not
object to the proposed donation to the Government of Ethiopia and the
African Union.
In connection with the fact that the donation had not been accepted by
the communities in Eritrea, he said that the Advisory Committee had been
informed that since UNMEE had already finalized the field liquidation
process, terminated the service contracts and repatriated its staff, the
Mission would not be in a position to recover the remaining assets. The
Advisory Committee recommended that clarification on any potential
liability of the Organization be provided to the Assembly during its
consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the financing of
UNMEE. Despite the changed circumstances, it trusted that the
liquidation process would be concluded as efficiently as possible.
ACABQ had also noted that, since UNMEE had already placed the assets
proposed for donation in temporary custody, the Secretary-General was
seeking the ex-post facto approval for the transfer of the Mission's
assets. In that connection, he pointed out that there was no provision
in the Financial Regulations and Rules on the placement of assets in
temporary custody, pending approval of the Assembly. ACABQ believed that
the matter needed to be addressed.
The date and time of the Committee's next meeting will be announced.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/gaab3894.doc.htm
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