Vienna Chapter
First of all, the Group wishes to pay tribute to H.E. Ambassador
Alfred T. Moleah, Permanent Representative of South Africa who passed away
on Saturday, 28th May, and expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy
to his family and friends.
Allow me, Madam Chair, to express the Group of 77 and China's
satisfaction to see you chairing this session of Working Group A. We are
confident that under your guidance and leadership, which we had the
occasion of witnessing many times before, we will achieve excellent
results in our deliberations.
The Group would also like to take this opportunity to thank
Ambassador Tibor Tóth for his able stewardship as Chairman of
Working Group A during the past seven years, from the early days of CTBTO
to the present, and we wish him every success in the new challenges he
will be facing shortly as Executive Secretary of this Organization.
The Group of 77 and China would like to thank the Executive Secretary
for his reports on Major Programmes 6 and 7, as well as his informative
oral report.
Madam Chair,
We would also like to thank the Secretariat for elaborating the
budget proposal for 2006.
In this regard, the Group would like to make the following comments:
a) First of all, the Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate
its position that the budget proposal should reflect zero real growth. The
Group also maintains the position that there should be no overall
programmatic increases in the budget proposals.
b) However, given the importance it attaches to Major Programme 4
(OSI), including the FEO7 exercise, the Group notes with appreciation the
substantive increase proposed for this Major Programme and holds the view
that this increase should be ensured by means of reallocations and
adjustments in the other Major Programmes.
c) Concerning budget implications of possible tsunami alert
activities, the Group will express its opinion after careful examination
of the Report to be presented by the PTS to the 25th session of WGB in
September 2005 and after adoption of a decision on the activities to be
implemented.
d) Concerning Security Enhancements, before the Group states its
position on the budget proposal, we would like to request further
clarification from the Secretariat on what measures are being envisaged in
Phase II and their detailed financial implications.
The Group of 77 and China notes with appreciation the slight increase
in the number of staff members from the Asia-Pacific as well the African
region in the Secretariat. Nevertheless, Madam Chair, the overall
representation of developing countries remains unbalanced. In this regard,
the Group would like to reiterate the need to increase the presence of
staff members from developing countries in the PTS, and calls upon the
Secretariat to give due attention to this criterion in the recruitment
process of new staff members.
Equal Employment Opportunities - Women in the PTS report contained in
CTBT/PTS/INF.737
The Group of 77 and China thanks the Secretariat for its ongoing
efforts in promoting a more equitable representation of women in the
Secretariat and encourages further action in this regard.
In reference to the Report of the External Evaluation Team, the Group
of 77 and China would like to thank the participants of the Team who,
under the leadership of Ambassadors Rimdap and Starr, produced a sound
document that is considered a good basis for our deliberations. The report
is being carefully examined by member-States of the Group of 77 and China,
and the Group will present its comments in future occasions.
At this stage we would like to reiterate the position expressed by
the Group at the inception of this exercise, to the effect that all
recommendations of the External Evaluation Team's report must be
thoroughly examined in WGA and WGB, and adopted by the PrepCom, before
they can be implemented. In this regard, the Group sees merit in the
suggestion to convene joint WGA/WGB meetings to discuss the
recommendations of the Report, since both WGA and WGB mandated the
External Evaluation Team.
Madam Chair,
The Group of 77 and China notes with appreciation the work that has
been carried out by both Working Groups A and B. Considering inputs for
improvement, the Group would like to suggest that ways and means be
considered to finance the participation of representatives from developing
countries to WGB meetings. Concerning the Chairmanship of both WGA and
WGB, the Group suggests in principle a tenure of three years, taking into
consideration geographical rotation. The Group expresses its view that the
next Chairman of WGA should be a member of the G-77 and China and we are
in the process of internal consultations to present a candidate.
Madam Chair,
The Group welcomes the mainstreaming of the discussions on Status of
On-Site Inspectors and Inspector Assistants and looks forward to further
progress in this issue. In this regard, the G-77 and China agrees that the
creation of an open-ended group of interested Signatories States to
follow-up on these discussions, as proposed during the joint WGA/WGB
meeting last February, would be an appropriate way to move forward. It is
important to observe geographical balance in the composition of this
Group.
Thank you Madam Chair.
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