2025 Joint New Zealand-Sweden-UNITAR High-Level Fifth Committee Briefing
UNITAR

23 October 2025 New York, USA - On 11 September 2025, the UNITAR office in New York, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of New Zealand and the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations, hosted the 2025 Joint New Zealand-Sweden-UNITAR High-Level Fifth Committee Briefing.

Briefing co-organized by the Permanent Missions of New Zealand and Sweden and UNITAR
UNITAR

This executive-level session brought together more than 80 Permanent Representatives, Chargés d’Affaires, and senior UN officials to engage in forward-looking dialogue on the Organization’s financing at the opening of the UN’s 80th session.

High-Level Segment Secretariat Panelists
UNITAR

H.E. Ms. Carolyn Schwalger, Permanent Representative of New Zealand, opened the programme with welcoming remarks, setting the stage for a High-Level Segment on the UN Regular Budget 2026. The panel, moderated by Mr. Marco Suazo, Head of the UNITAR office in New York, featured Under-Secretary-General Ms. Catherine Pollard, Mr. Chandramouli Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General and UN Controller; Mr. Lionelito Berridge, Secretary of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee; and Ms. Felista Ondari, Executive Secretary of the ACABQ. Their interventions, followed by a Q&A, allowed ambassadors to directly engage with senior Secretariat officials and gain valuable insights on current budgetary priorities and institutional dynamics.

Dialogue between previous and incoming chairs of the Fifth Committee
UNITAR

H.E. Ms. Nicola Clase, Permanent Representative of Sweden, then moderated a dialogue with the previous, current, and incoming Chairs of the Fifth Committee: H.E. Dr. Zsuzsanna Horváth, Permanent Representative of Hungary (Incoming Chair of the 80th Session), H.E. Mrs. Egriselda Aracely González López, Permanent Representative of El Salvador (Chair of the 79th Session), H.E. Mr. Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud, Permanent Representative of Egypt (Chair of the 78th Session). Their reflections highlighted the essential role of the Fifth Committee in guiding UN budgetary negotiations across successive sessions.

Organizer of the 2025 Joint New Zealand-Sweden-UNITAR High-Level Fifth Committee Briefing
UNITAR

We extend our deep appreciation to all speakers and participants for their contributions, and in particular to H.E. Ms. Carolyn Schwalger and H.E. Ms. Nicola Clase for their leadership and partnership in convening this impactful and timely briefing, which continues to strengthen Member States’ capacity to navigate the UN’s complex budgetary architecture.

Share with