UN: EU Statement on the Financing of the UN Peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

UN 61st Session; V Committee, Agenda Item 144(b): Financing of the UN Peacekeeping forces in the Middle East: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

Statement by Mr. Mikael Raivio, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, on behalf of the European Union

New York, 13 December 2006

 

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset let me thank the UN Controller, Mr. Warren Sach for introducing the report of the Secretary-General on the Financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon for the period from 1 July 2006 to 31 March 2007 (A/61/588). We also thank the ACABQ for its related report.

Mr. Chairman,

The European Union gives its full support to UNIFIL and looks forward to the completion of its deployment early next year. We express our strong appreciation to Member states who have contributed to UNIFIL in the past and since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and welcome the establishment of the Strategic Military Cell dedicated to UNIFIL at UN Headquarters as an important step to facilitate the fulfilment of UNIFIL’s mandate.

The European Union wishes to highlight the need to give the Secretary General all necessary means to fulfill the mission's expanded mandate. We have carefully considered the Secretary General's proposal regarding the commitment authority and the report of the ACABQ. We have noted the differences between the two and we are looking forward to getting more detailed information and clarifications on those and other issues in the informal consultations.

We understand, of course, that we are only considering a commitment authority at this stage, and we look forward to seeing more detailed information in the full 2006/7 budget proposal. One important element in that budget will be the requirements related to the Maritime Task Force, and we hope that agreement between the United Nations and those countries contributing maritime resources will be possible before our consideration of the budget.

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, the European Union wishes to reiterate that we are ready to grant all necessary financial means to the Secretary-General to implement all the provisions of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

 

*) Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.