Bhattarai elected as chair of UNGA administrative and budgetary committee

KATHMANDU, June 16: Nepal's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Durga Prasad Bhattarai, has been elected as the chairman of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee for the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

According to a press statement issued Tuesday by Nepal's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, Ambassador Bhattarai was unanimously elected as the chairman of the Committee, also known as the Fifth Committee. Ambassador Bhattarai will serve in this capacity from the beginning of the UNGA-70 on 15 September 2015 to its closure in September 2016.One of six main committees, the Fifth Committee is responsible for administration and budgetary matters of the United Nations. Based on its reports, the General Assembly approves the budget of the organization. The Committee also recommends to the UNGA financial and budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies.

According to the statement, the Committee in the 70th session will also carry out the triennial review of the scales of assessments to be apportioned to the member states for their contribution to the 2016-2018 budgets of the United Nations.

Ambassador Bhattarai said it was a distinct honor for Nepal and himself, to contribute to the work of the United Nations as the chair of such an important Committee during the 70th year of the United Nations. He had served as the chair of the Fourth Committee at the 69th session of the UN. Ambassador Bhattarai thanked all member states for their trust in him, and thanked the members of the Asia-Pacific Group for unanimously nominating him for the post.

Bhattarai acknowledged the enormity of the Committee's tasks in the coming session, and expressed confidence in continuing understanding and support from all sides. "This election provides yet another opportunity for Nepal to contribute directly to the work of the UN. In addition to the overall representation of Nepal at the UN System and various treaty bodies in New York, the Permanent Mission represents Nepal as an elected member of the Asia-Pacific Group of countries at ECOSOC, the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board (Vice-President), the Peace building Commission, and the UNICEF Executive Board," reads the statement

The UN General Assembly also elected Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark as President for its 70th session.

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