Statement by Ms Yunei Kim, First Secretary, Australian Mission to the United Nations on behalf of Canada, New Zealand and Australia (CANZ)
As delivered

Mr Chair,

I deliver this statement on behalf of Canada, New Zealand and my own country Australia.

We support the Chair of this committee communicating the outcomes of today's discussion, to the chair of Fifth Committee at the earliest opportunity, for their timely consideration.

CANZ welcomes this discussion, in application of UNGA resolution 76/236 and 77/254, but note the Committee's already busy workload and risks shifting the focus away from the situation of human rights and refugees in the world, which was the core of the Committee's work.

This informal discussion should not duplicate discussions in the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), nor should it aim to replace it. Otherwise, it will undermine the important role of the CPC in the future.

The substantive mandates agreed by Member States guide the programme plans and therefore, the CPC should strive to reach consensus on all 28 programme plans. We regret that consensus within the CPC could not be found on programmes as important as UNODC, OHCHR and UNHCR for a few limited sets of reasons. This situation should not arise again.

CANZ recalls that planning is a consensus-based exercise and that the Fifth Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of mandates and as such has the final responsibility to adopt the programme plan and the programme budget.

The three programme plans 13, 20 and 21 without consensus recommendations from the CPC faithfully transcribe the relevant mandates from Member States and we oppose any alteration of these plans. We ask the Chair on behalf of the Third Committee, to recommend to the Fifth Committee, that the General Assembly approve the programme plans as proposed by the Secretary-General.

On programme 20 – human rights more specifically – in light of the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 30th anniversary of the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, CANZ expresses full support for programme plan 20 and reiterate the critical work by OHCHR in advancing human rights around the globe, including through the treaty bodies, the Human Rights Council and its special procedures, and the universal periodic review process. We oppose any amendments aimed at weakening references to human rights, both in the Third, the Fifth Committees and all the UN committees.

It is crucially important to give the necessary means to OHCHR to allow the full implementation of the Secretary-General's call to action for human rights.  In particular, we believe programme 20 accurately transcribes relevant mandates and call for their adoption by the Fifth Committee without modification.

Thank you Mr Chair.