the 45th General Assembly to study the draft articles and the question of how to deal further with them, with a view to facilitating the reaching of a "generally acceptable decision" on the latter issue. In an explanation of vote in the Sixth Committee, Mr. Rosenstock had stated that while the United States would join consensus on the resolution, it considered the resolution to be inappropriate, because it attempted to make a decision for the 45th General Assembly and, in any event, there was little purpose in holding consultations until it was decided what, if any, would be the next step on the topic.

UN DECADE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

On November 17 the General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution (44/23) declaring the period 1990-1999 as the UN Decade of International Law. The resolution expresses the views of the General Assembly that the main purposes of the decade should be, inter alia, to promote the acceptance and respect of international law; to promote means and methods for the peaceful settlement of disputes and to encourage the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law. The resolution also requested the Secretary General to seek the views of member states and appropriate international bodies as well as nongovernmental organizations working in the field on the program for the decade and on appropriate action to be taken during the decade and to report to the Assembly at its 45th session. The Assembly decided to consider this question at its 45th session in a working group of the Sixth Committee with a view to preparing acceptable recommendations for the decade and to include the item in the provisional agenda of the 45th session.

The Permanent Representative of the United States, Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, made a statement in plenary session of the General Assembly supporting the initiative but urging the Assembly not to lose sight of the fact that the proliferation of decades devoted to worthy causes must be kept within bound. Ambassador Pickering also emphasized the importance of consensus, generally in the work of the United Nations, and particularly, in the field of international law.

Budget, Administration and
Institutional Management

INTRODUCTION

U.S. efforts in 1989 regarding UN budget, administration and institutional management issues were capped by the December 21 decision of the UN General Assembly to approve the UN Program Budget for the 1990-1991 biennium. (Resolution 44/202.) This consensus approval, as explained below, marked the successful completion of the first full UN program budget cycle under the terms of the budget reforms established in General Assembly resolution 41/213 in 1986. Successful implementation of consensus budget reforms was achieved also in the other major UN specialized agencies (WHO, ILO, UNIDO, ICAO and WMO) except for the FAO for which a program budget for 1990-1991 was approved over the opposition of the United States and other major donors.

President Reagan's FY 1990 budget request, issued in January 1989, provided for essentially full funding of U.S. assessed contributions in 1989 and for the first payments in a 6-year plan to eliminate U.S. arrearages to the United Nations and other international organizations. President Bush reaffirmed this request for essentially full funding and arrearage payments in his own FY 1990 budget request.

Primarily reflecting overriding concerns with the Federal deficit, rather than substantive policy objections regarding international organizations, FY 1990 appropriations by Congress were delayed and below the level requested. Because of the reduced levels of funding available, and the fact that the State Department authorization bill was not yet enacted, Presidential determinations specified in the revised Kassebaum-Solomon Amendment (see last year's report) were not required for payments made in 1989. Nevertheless, the Administration believed that such determinations would have been justified for all organizations except the FAO, and Congressional consultations were conducted before 1989 payments were made.

Two additional matters for 1989 in the area of UN budget, administration and institutional management should be highlighted. As explained below, the General Assembly approved by consensus assessments for funding new UN peacekeeping

forces in Namibia and Angola (UNTAG and UNAVEM) early in the year and for UN observer forces in Central America (ONUCA) late in the year. The other matter of major importance was consensus approval by the General Assembly for a pay increase for professional staff members of the UN common system. This decision was of major importance for the UN system as a whole. The United States and other major donors played a significant role in achieving modifications of the original proposal in order to make it acceptable.

The work of the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) is related to the work of all other main UN committees. It deals with organization-wide administrative problems, such as conference scheduling personnel issues and the coordination of activities among various UN organizations. Before the General Assembly votes on any resolution having financial implications, the Fifth Committee must provide information on how the resolution, if adopted, will affect the UN budget. In its most important role, the Fifth Committee makes recommendations to the General Assembly on the regular program budget and on assessed peacekeeping budgets.

Several special UN bodies, some consisting of experts serving in their personal capacities and some of an intergovernmental nature, assist in this work. In financial matters, the best known of the expert committees are the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and the Committee on Contributions. The ACABQ examines the Secretary General's proposals and reports to the General Assembly on the UN budgets and UN accounts, on the administrative budgets of the UN specialized agencies and on other administrative, financial and budgetary matters referred to it. The Committee on Contributions advises the General Assembly on all questions relating to the apportionment of UN expenses among UN members. Other expert financial bodies are the Board of Auditors, the Investment Committee (which advises on the management of the Pension Fund) and the UN Joint Staff Pension Board.

The International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), composed of experts in the personnel field, makes recommendations to the General Assembly for the regulation and coordination of conditions of service within the United Nations, the specialized agencies and other international organizations that participate in the UN common system of salaries and allowances. The Committee on Conferences is an intergovernmental, administrative body, which seeks to develop a workable calendar of UN meetings and advises the Assembly on the most efficient use of conference resources and on current and future requirements.

A senior executive committee, an intergovernmental body, and an expert group have responsibilities ranging broadly across the work of the whole UN system of organizations. The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) composed of the UN Secretary General and the executive heads of the

specialized agencies, the IAEA and other major bodies and programs meets regularly to supervise the implementation of the agreements between the United Nations and the specialized agencies and to coordinate the activities of the various organizations. The Committee for Program and Coordination (CPC), an intergovernmental body, serves as the main subsidiary organ of both ECOSOC and the General Assembly for planning, programming and coordination. In accord with resolution 41/213, as explained below, the CPC has assumed an additional key role in implementation of the new consensusbased budget process. The Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), a group of experts who serve full time, is empowered to investigate and evaluate any matter bearing on the efficiency of services and the proper use of funds.

Each of these bodies is concerned with some aspect of making the system work better. The highlights of their activities during 1989 are recounted in the sections that follow.

UN REFORM

On December 20 the Fifth Committee approved by consensus a draft resolution on the implementation of UN reforms adopted in 1986 under General Assembly resolution 41/213. The Fifth Committee draft resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on December 21, also by consensus, as resolution 44/200.

The issue of further staff reductions to meet the 15 percent target recommended in the report of the Group of 18 dominated informal consultations with developing countries generally opposing the efforts of developed countries to insert language concerning staff reductions. The developing country delegations argued that implementation of recommendation number 15 in the Group of 18 report was limited to a 3-year period ending in 1989. They believed they had tacit support from the Secretary General who, in proposing staff reductions amounting to 12 percent in the 1990-1991 UN program budget, had indicated that further cuts were not possible at this time. Developed country delegations, led by the United States, France, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, insisted that the time frame implied in the Group of 18 report did not prevent member states from deciding to continue the staff reduction exercise.

In the end, agreement was reached on language which allows for consideration at the 45th meeting of the General Assembly of proposals the Secretary General may put forward for further reductions in Secretariat staff. Also agreed on by the Fifth Committee was a proposal advanced by the Delegate from the Soviet Union, which was supported in part by the Delegation from the United States, to strengthen the role of the Secretary General in the Administrative Committee on Coordination as well as a proposal calling for a review of the organizational arrangements for the ACC's Secretariat.