42/233 GA

Financing of the united Nations Iran-Iraq Today I have the honour to inform the General Assembly that the Fifth Committee has discharged its duties responsibly and in as timely a manner as possible, while giving the matter thorough consideration, as is always expected of it. I have genuine pleasure in this afternoon presenting the report of the Fifth Committee (A/42/963), which recommends that the General Assembly adopt a draft resolution on the financing of the United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG). In the draft resolution the General Assembly decides to appropriate $35.7 million for the operation of the Group for an initial period of approximately three months of the six-month period authorized by the Security Council, beginning 9 August 1988. Paragraph 2 of the draft resolution sets out the special arrangements decided upon by the General Assembly for the way in which the cost should be apportioned among Member States. In the draft resolution the General Assembly also invites voluntary contributions to the Military Qbserver Group both in cash and in the form of services and supplies acceptable to the Secretary-General. Finally, the General Assembly requests the Secretary-General to submit by 1 October 1988 an updated report on the financing of the Group, including the status of voluntary contributions, so that it may consider the financing of the Group beyond the initial period of about three months for which, as I have already said, an appropriation of $35.7 million is requested. It is my duty to emphasize one point of clarification in connection with paragraph 2 of the draft resolution, concerning the composition of a group of Member States. It is based on the principle for the allocation of expenses followed so far by the General Assembly when financing peace-keeping operations, (Mr. Aboly-Bi-Kouassi, Rappor teur, Fi fth ·Committee) since the first financing of the United Nations Inter im Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), going back to 1978-79. In any event, the Fifth Committee will in. due course consider in more detail that matter, among others, particularly in the context of the updated report requested of the Secretary-General in paragraph 7. I have pleasure in recommending on behalf of the Fifth Committee that the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution contained in the report that I have just in troduced • The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian): If there is no proposal under rUle 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall consider that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the report of the Fifth Committee. It was so decided. The PRESIDENT (interpretation from Russian): Statements will therefore be Umi ted to explana Hons 0 f vo te • The positions of delegations regarding the var ious recommendations of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that in paragraph 7 of its decision 34/401, the General Assembly decided that when the same draft resolution is considered in a ma in Committee and in plenary meeting a delegation should, as far as jXlssible, explain its vote only once - that is, either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation