UN, May 2 (RIA Novosti) -- UN reform is far from complete despite a draft resolution suspending management reform initiatives the secretary-general laid out in a March report, a Russian representative in the organization said Tuesday.
After several days of debate, the United Nations General Assembly's Administrative and Budgetary (Fifth) Committee failed to reach agreement on Kofi Annan's document - Investing in the United Nations: For a Stronger Organization Worldwide - that aimed to cut expenses, including by outsourcing translation services outside the organization's U.S. base, and expanding the powers of the secretary-general.
"We regret that the committee failed to reach a consensus draft resolution on the secretary-general's report, Investing in the UN, due to differences in positions," Andrei Kovalenko said. "The Russian delegation did its best to continue the negotiations and search for a compromise. We think member countries had the opportunity to find mutually acceptable solutions."
The draft resolution on the reform, which has been a contentious issue within the organization, was approved by 108 countries, including Russia, with 50 against and 3 abstentions. There are 191 countries in the General Assembly.
Kovalenko said the draft resolution, however, still left room for member states of the General Assembly to continue discussion of the new management initiatives within the set framework.
The draft resolution will now have to be adopted by the General Assembly plenary, which has the same membership as the committee.
"We consider and will continue to consider all proposals from the secretary-general on the management reform in terms of how specific and effective they will be for the work of the secretariat as it is described in the final document of the 2006 Summit," Kovalenko said.
