UNITAR NYO Concludes Course for New Delegates on the Fifth Committee
8 September 2017 New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) New York Office concluded the capacity building course in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations (UN) titled “Orientation Course for new delegates on the 5th Committee”. The course was comprised of several sessions across four days and introduced delegates to the players, topics, and rules and procedures of the UN General Assembly (GA) 5th Committee.
The fourth and final day of the course focused on GA resolutions, and the pertinent rules, procedures and drafting processes. The session was led by Mr. Hesham Afifi, Chief of the Reimbursement Policy and Liaison Section, Field Budget and Finance Division. He opened with an introduction of the resolution as the reflection and codification of the collective agreement of the member states, which includes statements on policy, mandates and budgets. This was followed by a brief review of the GA Rules of Procedure, and the various phases of resolution drafting, from the skeletal format, to the compilation of proposals, to the agreed “ad referendum”, and finally the creation of a provisional draft.
Mr. Afifi continued with a detailed discussion of the breakdown of a GA resolution, discussing the format and functions of the preambular paragraphs and the operative paragraphs. He illustrated the nuances of the language and phrases used in resolution clauses to convey intentions and sentiments. He also underlined the importance of defining the resolution’s purpose, basis and context, and the various positions of member states prior to drafting in order to facilitate the process of defending, negotiating and compromising.
The day’s proceedings and the course as a whole were concluded and closed by Mr. Marco A. Suazo, Acting-Head of Office, UNITAR New York, who highlighted the value of these UN-based, knowledge-sharing fora. He also thanked Mr. Afifi and all preceding panelists for their time and expertise, and extended his gratitude to the delegates for their participation, insightful questions and responses, and overall engagement on issues of budget, finance, and management throughout the four-day course.
Photos: Participants and speakers