By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 24 2006 (IPS)

The Group of 77 – with 132 members the largest single coalition of developing nations – has rejected a move to enhance the administrative powers of the United Nations secretary-general, including his ability to make financial and budgetary commitments without the approval of the General Assembly.

As part of a radical restructuring of the UN, Secretary-General Kofi Annan last month proposed new powers, complaining that his ability ”to shift money between programmes and reallocate posts without member states approval was weaker today than before 1974, when the need for such flexibility was far less.”

But the G77, along with China, says it is not willing to concede these powers – currently in the exclusive hands of the 191-member General Assembly and its budgetary and administrative committee – to the UN chief.

The United States and the European Union, supporters of most of Annan’s proposals, are opposing a draft resolution sponsored by the G77 – with input from countries such as Russia and Norway – which calls on Annan to provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in the restructuring plan.

The resolution also challenges some of Annan’s proposals, including his desire to shift some of his administrative powers to his deputy.

A vote on the proposed resolution – which was expected to be divisive and originally scheduled for Monday – has been postponed until later this week. If it is put to a vote, even U.S. Ambassador John Bolston has publicly conceded the Western nations would lose.

Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, chair of the G77, told delegates Monday that the issue is not about conditions and measures necessary for the secretary-general to carry his managerial responsibilities effectively.

”We all support the secretary-general in his Charter-defined role as chief administrative officer of the United Nations,” he said. ”However, we do not understand or accept that in order for the secretary-general to carry out his duties, this should be accompanied by the denial of the right of all member states to pronounce on the administration of the United Nations, including on its budgetary decisions.”

Some G77 members have already complained that the proposed radical changes in the UN reform process, as envisaged by Annan, have been driven primarily by one country: the United States.

Since the United States is the largest single contributor, accounting for 22 percent of the UN’s regular budget, Washington has insisted it should be able to dictate much of the reform agenda of the world body.

”The Group of 77 and China strongly believes that the right of every member state to have an equal say in the decision-making of the Organisation must be upheld,” Kumalo told delegates.

”This right is not dependent on the financial contributions of member states to the budget of the Organisation,” he argued.

To suggest that the General Assembly, the UN’s highest policy-making body, can either stay quiet, or even postpone pronouncing itself on the governance proposals is to avoid the responsibility that is enshrined in the UN Charter, he declared.

Furthermore, the G77 leader said, avoiding living up to the responsibility to decide on this fundamental matter can only guarantee that a cloud of doubt about the organisation’s future will remain.

In a 43-page report titled “Investing in the United Nations”, released last month, Annan spelled out details of his reform plan for the world body.

Among the ”challenges” he listed was ”an inflexible budget implementation process that limits the ability of the United Nations to allocate funds strategically for operational needs.”

He also said that the current financial rules and regulations involved ”cumbersome practices” that need to be eliminated. Asked whether his reform agenda was in danger of being rejected because of the split, Annan told reporters Monday: ”Well, I hope member states realise that we are at a critical stage”.

”They have serious proposals on the table and I would urge them to put aside their differences and focus on the interests of the Organisation and come to an agreement on how to move forward,” said the UN chief.

Asked about the disagreement between the United States and the G77 developing nations, he said: ” I think they should engage each other. I think the countries must sit down and talk to each other and, in the spirit of compromise and give-and-take, find a solution, and I think that’s the way to go.”

Kumalo said there was a misconception that the G77 was trying to derail Annan’s reform proposals.

”There should be no doubt that the Group of 77 and China strongly supports ongoing efforts to reform the United Nations. We are committed to a United Nations that is more efficient, effective and accountable to member states as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,” he said Monday.

But UN reform, he said, should be ”a collective agenda and should serve the interest of all member states,” not a handful of countries who think they can influence the agenda because of their financial contributions to the world body.

”Any attempt to exclude members of the United Nations from contributing decisions to the strengthening and operation of this organisation contradicts the spirit and the letter of the Charter,” he added.

In his reform package, Annan also proposed relinquishing some of his administrative duties to the new Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown.

”The role of the deputy secretary-general should be redefined by the secretary-general so as to delegate to him or her formal authority and accountability for the management and overall direction of the functions of the (UN) secretariat,” according to a proposal in Annan’s report.

In another blow to Annan, the G77 refused to accept the abdication of some of his powers to his deputy. In a draft resolution, the G77 says the functions of the deputy were defined by a General Assembly resolution about eight years ago.

Those functions were established in accordance with that resolution, and therefore, ”should not diminish the role or responsibilities of the secretary-general as the chief administrative officer of the organisation, including in management policies and overall operational matters.”

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