UNITED NATIONS, New York, Oct 13 – Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), in New York today:
I welcome this opportunity to introduce the proposed programme budget for 2022. The context for this presentation remains a world upended by the COVID‑19 pandemic. The pandemic has revealed fractures in our societies, inadequate health care, gaps in social protection, structural inequalities and massive shortcomings in financing and global solidarity.
But times of crisis can also bring out the best — and show what is possible when we work together. Around the world — and thanks to your support and engagement — the United Nations has stayed and delivered.
We helped the world respond to the immediate effects of the pandemic, from the health response to its devastating socioeconomic impacts. We delivered medical, food and humanitarian supplies, provided electoral assistance, undertook mediation efforts and led and supported peace talks.
We called for a global ceasefire, and appealed for action to address the alarming rise in domestic violence that has accompanied the pandemic. We protected and spoke up in defence of the human rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized.
We did all of this complex and wide‑ranging work while navigating a serious liquidity crisis. And throughout, our reforms remained on course. We are well into the third year of implementation and the benefits are visible.
The COVID‑19 pandemic was an early test of our reforms, which enabled us to adjust our business operations and respond quickly to the needs of countries. Unlike in past emergencies, the Secretariat did not need to create new structures to manage the response. The new reform structures in development, peace and security, and management already in place facilitated a unified and agile response to the pandemic, saving time and money.
In a matter of months, United Nations country teams rolled out 121 socioeconomic response plans covering 139 countries and territories. More than $3 billion was repurposed, and an additional $2 billion was mobilized, to prioritize immediate support.
According to independent surveys, over 90 per cent of Governments in developing countries agree that Resident Coordinators helped ensure a coherent United Nations response to the pandemic.
And our ongoing reforms are yielding results. Ninety‑one per cent of host Governments indicated that the United Nations today is more relevant to their country’s development needs when compared to three years ago. Ninety‑two per cent felt that the new cooperation frameworks have enabled them to address effectively and respond to national priorities. And more than 80 per cent of Governments confirmed we were successful in targeting at‑risk groups, those most hurt by this crisis.
The Resident Coordinators are now drawing on assets across the three pillars to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The peace and security reforms have allowed us to begin implementing comprehensive regional strategies, leading to greater harmonization of action with regional and subregional organizations and other stakeholders. There is now a single point of contact for peacekeeping and special political missions operating in the same region, with distinct but complementary mandates. A strengthened Peacebuilding Support Office now serves as a dedicated “hinge” with the development pillar.
Management reform has brought substantial changes in structures, accountability, delegation and internal operations. These have been critical to sustain business continuity during the pandemic.
The reforms enabled us to quickly adjust policies and procedures to accommodate the new realities on the ground; at the same time, we had dedicated capacities that could focus on key areas of concern, such as health and supply chain management.
The new division of labour between strategic and policy functions and operational functions has proven especially useful. Dedicated resources for policy were quickly able to adjust frameworks for new remote working arrangements and other policies, while the Department of Operational Support was able to provide dedicated service to all entities in the United Nations Secretariat.
In human resources, affected policy and guidance were revised and published quickly in consultation with key stakeholders to adjust to the situation on the ground. Additionally, the Department of Operational Support created a dedicated way to respond to urgent COVID‑19 queries in less than one business day.
A system-wide medevac system was established and managed by the Secretariat. And we rolled out a programme to vaccinate personnel in countries where the local health systems could not provide vaccines to our personnel. This ensured that the United Nations system was able to support countries and communities with their response efforts to the pandemic. This unprecedented operational collaboration with the wider system was made possible by our reforms.
The end-to-end supply chain structures enabled the Secretariat to act more nimbly. Emergency procurement procedures were activated. Personal protective equipment and medical equipment were successfully sourced and supplied to duty stations in need. Decentralized procurement authority was raised to allow for more local procurement of critical goods and services. The enhanced delegations of authority have provided critically needed operational responsiveness and flexibility on the ground.
Meanwhile, a unified information technology structure allowed us to jointly utilize corporate tools for communications and remote working arrangements. Our main communication tools are now also accessible system‑wide, allowing us to coordinate our response efforts with the funds, programmes and specialized agencies.
We have also continued to strengthen our internal control framework. I signed the Secretariat’s first Statement of Internal Control earlier this year, marking an important milestone towards achieving greater accountability. The Statement provides assurance to Member States that Secretariat‑wide mandated activities are being implemented effectively and efficiently; that financial reporting is reliable and compliant with International Public Sector Accounting Standards; and that regulations, rules and procedures adhere to the regulatory framework.
More work on our reforms remains, and we will increase our efforts to improve effectiveness and better support Member States. But one year on, I am proud that our reforms have allowed us not only to respond quickly and effectively to the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, but also enabled us to survive one of the worst financial crises in more than a decade.
The programme budget I am presenting today is the third since Member States approved, on a trial basis, the biggest change in our planning and budgeting processes in decades. The move from a biennial programme budget to an annual exercise is a major step towards more realistic budgeting and a greater focus on results.
It has improved the accuracy of our resource estimates, enabled us to adapt more quickly to changes in mandates and allowed us to adjust our planning based on actual programme performance, thereby improving mandate delivery and accountability for results.
The annual cycle also provides Member States with an opportunity to give more frequent direction on resource allocations for the Organization, and to align those decisions with recent or sudden events, such as the global pandemic.
We are now able to adjust our programme planning and incorporate lessons from the response to the pandemic into the budget for 2022. If we still lived with biennial budgets, such steps would have had to wait until 2024‑2025.
Last year, I indicated that this reform would be an ongoing process, and that I looked forward to receiving your guidance on any areas that we can improve further. The document before you reflects that guidance. One such improvement is the inclusion of more than 1,000 examples of the benefits that the United Nations helps to bring about through its global operations.
While change always poses challenges, positive signals continue to be received from all stakeholders. Both of your advisory committees have shifted their attention away from the presentation format of the budgets, hence allowing more focus on resource and programmatic discussions. I am encouraged by the positive reactions and the momentum the annual budget is generating towards a more results‑oriented culture.
As part of this new culture, more than 1,000 programme managers continue to engage in the formulation of planning and budget proposals, assessing their work and performance. In Part A of the document, we are now reporting on the performance of our programmes in 2020. In instances where our performance fell short, we make adjustments to ensure better results in 2022, not 2024‑2025.
The annual programme budget includes a multi‑year account of measurable results. This year’s budget includes measurable planned results for 2021 and 2022, and measurable actual results in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for each of the 350 result frameworks. This offers a comprehensive picture of our programme delivery over the past three years.
The Secretariat’s self‑evaluation policy took effect this year. Every department and office are now required to undertake at least one evaluation a year and report the results through the budget process. The Office of Internal Oversight Services and the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance are collaborating on providing training and support to all programme managers and evaluation focal points. These efforts will instil a culture of learning whereby programme managers will continuously assess performance to improve on programme delivery.
Two years ago, when I introduced the 2020 budget, you requested me to provide greater access to electronic information on the budget. I am happy to report that we have now provided two sets of electronic information.
First, the “results.un.org” portal provides information on the programmatic results. You can filter those results not only by programme and subprogramme, but also by type of result and geographical location, with hyperlinks to the document for more detailed information.
Second, the Umoja Budget Information Pilot provides detailed resource information to the Committee, including monthly updates of expenditures and liquidity ratios.
Working closely with you, we will continue to improve access to information as part of my efforts to increase transparency in the Organization.
Let me turn now to Part B of the proposed programme budget: post and non‑post resource requirements for 2022. The presentation format for this part has taken on board previous recommendations made by the Advisory Committee.
To fully implement the mandates entrusted to us, we will require a total of $3.12 billion before recosting, which represents a net reduction of 2.8 per cent compared to 2021, despite additional activities and mandates. This includes a total of 10,005 posts, or a net increase of 46 posts.
I would like to highlight four key drivers:
First, strengthening the development pillar. The proposals include an increase of $2.8 million for development, including for our programmes in support of Africa’s development and landlocked countries and small island developing States. I am again seeking an increase in the level of the Regular Programme for Technical Cooperation to support capacity development in Member States. This will be the third increase during my tenure.
Second, strengthening support for human rights. The proposal includes the conversion of 16 general temporary positions into professional posts, and $4.4 million to implement resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council.
Third, supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the face of its chronic funding gap. We are proposing an increase of $6.1 million, including 43 additional posts to support education, health care and general assistance to Palestine refugees.
Fourth, investing in infrastructure and resilience. The budget proposal includes $6.3 million for upgrading the ageing security infrastructure of our premises, as well as adapting our security posture to emerging threats and improving accessibility.
While further new legislative mandates may emerge in the coming months, at this stage estimates amounting to approximately $37 million in response to new resolutions from the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council are expected.
Another $22 million may be needed for recently expanded Security Council mandates of special political missions in Colombia and Sudan, followed by yet to be determined additional requirements for the mission in Libya.
Approximately $95 million is required for construction, including $69 million for the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva. Subvention requests for the courts of Cambodia, Sierra Leone and Lebanon are expected to amount to approximately $19 million.
The budget proposals were constructed on the assumption that the trajectory of the pandemic response, and the development and deployment of vaccines, would allow a return to normalcy, albeit a new normal, in 2022. Recent surges in COVID‑19 cases and multiple waves of differing intensity around the world suggest a need to remain flexible with our plans and delivery modalities. I am confident in our ability to continue to adapt to the changes that we may face.
Indeed, the Organization responded quickly and well to the sudden onset of the pandemic, even as we reached – hopefully – the peak of a financial liquidity crisis, with yet another record for arrears in contributions, exacerbated by increasing fluctuations in payment patterns.
Only through exercising careful control over our fiscal expenditure were we able to minimize the inevitable negative impact on programme delivery. Our cash management efforts also allowed us to adjust our expenditure to undertake life‑saving medical evacuations and procure and distribute core medical supplies and equipment. This allowed United Nations personnel to stay and deliver across the world.
The year 2021 started poorly, with collections in the first quarter trailing estimates by nearly $199 million, added to the $808 million in arrears with which we started the year. We responded to this emerging crisis less drastically than last year, primarily due to assurances from many Member States about their plans to pay their contributions. We saw indeed a record collection in April of $1 billion, bringing the total for the year to 76 per cent of the year’s assessment. This is also a record for early collection.
However, this should not lull us into complacency. The overall total masks numerous fluctuations in collections each month, pointing to the challenges of planning budget implementation with such uncertainties.
Our fair-weather regulatory framework leaves much to be desired, and it is my hope that Member States will see the need for full and predictable funding so that we can focus on the delivery of our mandates guided by the budgets and not by cash on hand.
The recent more positive indications have allowed us to lift most of the temporary cash‑management measures. I have asked senior managers to ensure that they advance gender parity and strive for more equitable geographical representation when they fill vacant posts. While we have reached gender parity in senior management two years ahead of our target, we have to increase efforts across the rest of the Secretariat.
Similarly, we have to increase efforts to recruit more from unrepresented and underrepresented countries for geographical posts, and from a wider geographical base for the rest of the posts. Our staff have to better reflect the international character, I would say the universal character, of our Organization.
I look forward to your support for my budget proposals for 2022, as we prepare to better serve the world in its new year of need.
I am available to answer your questions, and my senior managers will continue their interactions with you as you deliberate on these proposals.
10月26日波士顿报道，现年82岁的民主党前总统拜登今天晚间突然现身波士顿出席肯尼迪研究所举办的终身成就奖颁奖仪式，他在接受颁奖后公开讲话时称，美国现在这些日子是“黑暗的日子”。不久之前，他完成了针对他身患侵袭性前列腺癌的放射和激素治疗。 拜登在讲话结束时呼吁美国人“重新站起来”。他在讲话中还敦促美国人保持乐观，并称不要因为特朗普总统对言论自由的攻击和对行政权力界限的试探而放弃。 拜登称：“自建国以来，美国一直是世界历史上政府最强大理念的灯塔，这个理念比任何军队都强大。我们比独裁者更强大。” 拜登说，美国依赖于一个权力有限的总统、一个运转良好的国会和一个自主的司法机构。在联邦政府面临有史以来第二长停摆之际，特朗普总统利用资金缺口来对政府施加新的控制。 拜登还说：“朋友们，我无法粉饰这一切。这是黑暗的日子。重新找到我们真正的指南针，只要我们保持信念，我们就会一如既往地变得更加强大、更加智慧、更加坚韧、更加公正。” 拜登列举了一些坚守立场、抵制现任政府威胁的人士，例如抗议辞职的联邦雇员，以及被特朗普总统盯上的大学和喜剧演员。 拜登说：“深夜节目主持人明知自己的职业生涯岌岌可危，却依然坚持捍卫言论自由。” 拜登还对那些投票或公开反对特朗普政府的共和党民选官员发出了批评，他说：“美国不是童话，250年来，它一直在不断拉锯，在危险与可能性之间进行着一场关乎生存的斗争。” 民主党人拜登在他的白宫任职一届后于今年1月卸任。他在2024年美国总统大选期间与特朗普总统的辩论惨败后，拜登面临极大压力，加之对其年龄、健康和精神健康状况的担忧，最终被迫放弃了竞选连任。副总统哈里斯随后立即开始竞选连任，但于去年11月惨败给了共和党总统候选人特朗普。 今年5月，拜登卸任后的办公室宣布，他被诊断出患有恶性前列腺癌，且癌细胞已扩散至骨骼。前列腺癌的侵袭性使用格里森评分进行分级。评分范围为6至10分，8、9和10分的前列腺癌侵袭性更强。拜登办公室表示，他的评分为9分。
10月26日吉隆坡报道，美国财政部长贝森特（Scott Bessent）今天表示，在特朗普总统与中国国家主席习近平10月30日会晤之前，他已就中美贸易谈判达成了“实质性框架”，这有可能避免对中国进口商品征收高额关税。 贝森特表示：“我认为我们已经为下周四在韩国会晤的两位领导人达成了实质性框架。总统威胁说，如果中国实施稀土全球出口管制，将征收100%的关税，这给了我最大的筹码，所以我认为我们已经避免了这种情况。”他还补充说，如果协议得以实施，对中国商品征收关税将可避免。 关于中国威胁对贵重稀土矿物实施出口管制，贝森特表示，他认为“他们会将这一举措推迟一年，以便重新审查”。 贝森特还暗示，在持续的贸易战中，中国停止从美国购买大豆后，两国可能就美国大豆达成协议。他说：“我相信，当与中国达成的协议公布后，我们的大豆种植户会对本季以及未来几年的大豆种植情况感到非常满意。” 据美国大豆协会称，中国是美国大豆的最大买家，2023年和2024年购买了美国大豆出口量的50%以上。
10月26日加州萨克拉门托报道，民主党人加州州长纽森（Gavin Newsom）今天对外宣称，他将在2026年中期选举后考虑是否竞选美国总统。纽森的州长任期将于2027年1月结束，由于任期限制，他无法再次参选州长。 58岁的纽森今天在回复明年中期选举结束后是否会“认真考虑”竞选总统的问题时表示：“是的，否则我就是在撒谎，我就是撒谎。而且我不会——我不能那样做。” 纽森曾多次前往关键的摇摆州，包括今年7月访问南卡罗来纳州。目前，该州计划在2028年总统大选中举办首场民主党初选，但情况可能会有所改变。纽森当时的行程包含多个地点，他会见了该州民主党领导人，并在一家咖啡店驻足，号召活动人士，并帮助店员提供浓缩咖啡。 纽森在谈及在南卡罗来纳州与民主党人会面时说道：“我碰巧，感谢上帝，我做对了这行，我爱人。我真的爱人。” 纽森表示，在经历了包括阅读障碍在内的诸多挑战之后，他可能竞选美国总统的消息提醒他，人生可能会朝着意想不到的方向发展。 纽森还表示：“我不知道，一个SAT成绩只有960分，却仍然读不懂讲稿，总是待在教室后排的人，竟然会把这些都扔掉，这本身就很不可思议。谁知道呢？我期待着2028年谁能参选，谁能实现那个目标。而这正是美国人民应该思考的问题。” 纽森认为，他目前的重点是通过加州第50号提案。这项他一直倡导的投票措施将允许州民主党人暂时改变美国众议院选区的边界，使其更有利于民主党。 纽森说，他的努力将在下周的特别选举中决定结果，这是对特朗普总统推动共和党控制的州，如德克萨斯州修改国会选区划分的回应，以便共和党明年有更大的机会保住其在众议院的微弱多数席位。 纽森还说：“我认为这关乎我们的民主。这关乎这个共和国的未来。我认为这关乎开国元勋们为之奋斗乃至牺牲的事业，关乎法治，而非特朗普的统治。” 投票前紧张局势加剧，两党都认为重新划分选区的努力对于实现明年赢得众议院多数席位的目标至关重要。无论哪个党控制着众议院，都拥有对行政部门的传票和监督权。 纽森在10月23日的一场劳工活动上对50号提案的支持者说：“我们有成百上千的移民和海关执法局（ICE）和边境巡逻队。”他指的是该州的联邦特工。纽森预测，在11月4日的特别选举之前，他们的人数可能会增加。 纽森还说：“别以为选举日那天我们不会再看到更多这样的事，这些人可不是闹着玩的。” 纽森谴责美国司法部表示将派遣自己的监督员监督加州的补选和新泽西州的州长选举，称这是特朗普政府恐吓民主党人的举动。美国司法部表示，此举的目的是“确保透明度、选票安全以及遵守联邦法律”。 虽然纽森长期以来一直是加州的常客，但他去年涉足总统政治时引起了人们的强烈关注，当时他是民主党人拜登总统的坚定捍卫者，尤其是在拜登与特朗普的辩论表现之后，这促使许多民主党人呼吁拜登退出2024年的竞选。…
10月26日吉隆坡报道，美国总统特朗普今天在马来西亚首都吉隆坡见证了柬埔寨和泰国签署扩大停火协议仪式，该协议由特朗普总统在今年夏天协助促成，成功结束了柬泰两国的边境冲突。扩大停火协议签署后，特朗普总统又与柬埔寨和泰国达成了单独的经济协议。 此次仪式是特朗普抵达马来西亚吉隆坡东盟（ASEAN）年度峰会后参加的首项活动，也是他亚洲之行的一部分，他此次亚洲之行还包括将对日本和韩国的访问。 特朗普总统在见证了柬埔寨首相洪玛奈（Hun Manet）和泰国总理阿努廷（Anutin Charnvirakul）签署扩大停火协议时表示：“我们做了一件很多人认为不可能的事情。” 该协议要求泰国释放18名被俘柬埔寨士兵，并要求两国开始从边境撤走重型武器。柬埔寨总理称这是“历史性的一天”，泰国总理则表示，该协议奠定了“持久和平的基石”。 特朗普总统此前威胁对柬泰两国征收更高关税，以迫使它们同意结束这场已造成数十人死亡、数十万人流离失所的边境冲突。 此前，特朗普总统今天搭乘空军一号专机抵达马来西亚首都吉隆坡时，在走过红毯时与当地演员一起表演了他标志性的竞选舞蹈。他还一手挥舞着美国国旗，一手挥舞着马来西亚国旗。 马来西亚总理安瓦尔（Anwar Ibrahim）赞扬了泰国和柬埔寨之间的协议，并在峰会开幕致辞中表示：“它提醒我们，和解不是让步，而是一种勇气。” 特朗普总统今天还与马来西亚签署了涉及贸易和关键矿产的协议。由于中国限制了关键技术制造零部件的出口，美国一直在努力扩大其供应链，以减少对中国的依赖。 美国和马来西亚发表的联合声明称，双方达成协议“旨在加强双边经济关系，这将为两国出口商提供前所未有的进入对方市场的机会”。 该声明宣称：“该协议将以我们长期的经济关系为基础，包括2004年签署的《美国-马来西亚贸易投资框架协议》。
10月26日吉隆坡报道，美国总统特朗普总统于当地时间周日上午10点后不久抵达马来西亚首都吉隆坡，在亚洲之旅的首站与马来西亚总理安瓦尔举行了双边会谈，并与东盟 (ASEAN) 柬埔寨和泰国领导人举行会谈。 特朗普总统在为期一周的亚洲之旅里，还将与日本、韩国及中国领导人会晤，其重要目标是与中国国家主席习近平达成贸易协议，以期结束持续数月的贸易战。 特朗普总统在飞行途中发帖表示，他将在抵达后与泰国总理会面，并签署泰柬和平协议，并提及泰国太后诗丽吉最近去世的消息。 预计特朗普总统将于此次海外之行的最后一天10月30日，在韩国与中国国家主席习近平举行会谈。 今年夏天，随着美中关税和贸易谈判继续进行，两国关系有所缓和，但最近，在美中两国领导人会晤前几周，中国宣布加强对稀土矿物的出口管制，紧张局势进一步加剧。特朗普政府认为，这些扩大的限制措施适用于世界各国，将对全球制造业产生重大影响。特朗普总统的高级经济顾问称中国的出口管制是“经济胁迫”和“敲诈勒索”。 作为回应，特朗普总统威胁称，如果与习近平的谈判失败，美国将从11月1日起对中国进口产品加征100%的关税。 即便如此，特朗普总统仍显得乐观，表示期待与习近平会晤时“能够达成一项好协议”。他表示，预计双方还将就中国购买美国大豆，甚至核问题进行磋商。 访问马来西亚后，特朗普将前往日本，预计将与日本新任首相高市早苗举行会谈。高市早苗是一位政治保守派，也是日本首位女性领导人。尽管美日两国已经达成贸易协议，但此次会谈仍将重点关注美日关系的这一方面。 预计特朗普10月29日还将访问韩国参加亚太经合组织（APEC）峰会。届时，特朗普总统将与韩国总统举行双边会晤，并在亚太经合组织（APEC）工商领导人午餐会上发表主旨演讲，并参加亚太经合组织工作晚宴。
10月25日第比利斯报道，格鲁吉亚国家安全局（SSG）今天表示，三名中国公民在格鲁吉亚首都第比利斯被捕，他们试图非法购买2公斤（4.4磅）铀。 格鲁吉亚国家安全局在一份声明中表示，嫌疑人计划经俄罗斯将核材料运往中国，并公布了扣押行动的视频片段。 该机构表示：“三名中国公民在第比利斯被拘留，他们试图非法购买2公斤核材料—铀。” 并补充说，该犯罪集团成员计划支付40万美元（34.4万欧元）购买这些放射性物质。 据当局称，一名已在格鲁吉亚的中国公民违反格鲁吉亚签证规定，带领专家前往格鲁吉亚，在该国各地搜寻铀矿。 声明称，该犯罪集团的其他成员在中国协调了此次行动。肇事者在“商讨非法交易细节”时被确认身份并被拘留。 该机构没有具体说明逮捕的具体时间，也没有提供嫌疑人的身份。 今年1月，据称是日本犯罪集团头目的日本人海老泽武（Takeshi Ebisawa）承认了一项指控，他被控密谋从缅甸贩运铀和钚，因为他相信伊朗会将其用于制造核武器。