text: ofthebUdget. Otherdelegations thought thateventhe0.4percentratewastoohigh,especially inviewofthefactthat,aswaspointed outinparagraph 35oftheintroduction, non-recurrent itemswereexcluded fromthecalculation ofthegrowthrateandanumberofsections werepresented onlyatamaintenance level;oncetherevised estimates forthosesections werecompleted, thegrowthratecouldwellbehigher. Anumberofdelegations, however, questioned thecontinued ability oftheUnitedNations tofulfilitsmandate, whichshouldreflect theaspirationsofallMemberStates,ifbiennium afterbiennium therewashardlyanyrealgrowthintheresources attheOrganization's disposal. Several delegations notedthatatatimewhentherewasgeneral concern aboutaretreat frommUltilateralism, theproposed programme budgetmightbeconstrued asanother indication ofsucharetreat onaprogrammatic level. Afurther concern wasexpressed by'somedelegations thattheuncertainty abouttheavailability ofextrabudgetary fundsmightultimately leadtoanoverall negative growthofthetotalresourcesavailable totheOrganization inthecomingbiennium. Several delegations wereoftheviewthat,whenever extrabudgetary fundsdidnotbecomeavailable, theSecretary-General shouldutilize regular budgetary funds. 24.Inthelightoftheabove,several delegations stressed thenecessity ofmakingthemosteffective utilization possible oftheavailable resources. Inthiscontext, theCommittee expressed itsconcern aboutthewidespread useofconsultants evident throughout thebudgetdocument andthefactthat,intherequirements forconsultants, abreakdown bywork-month wasnotconsistentlyprovided throughout theproposed programme budget, aboutthereclassification ofpostsproposed bytheSecretary-General inanumberofbudgetsections, andaboutthedisproportionate growthofadministrative costsrelative tothegrowthinsubstantive programme areas. Inthisconnection, several delegations indicatedtheirconcern abouttheapplication oftheprinciple ofequitable geographicaldistribution inthehiringofconsultants. Several otherdelegations, whil~agreeing thatthiswasalegitimate concern, ex~essed theviewthatdiscussion oftheprinciple ofequitable geographical distribution wasnotwithinthepurview of theCommittee. 25.TheCommittee notedthatsomeoftheresources allocated tomeetings ofintergovernmental bodie~reporting totheSecondCommittee oftheGeneral Assemblymightsubsequently beredeployed intheeventthatsuchbodiesweretoadoptabiennial cycl~ofmeetings inpursuance oftheprovisions ofGeneral Assemblyresolution 39/217of18December 1984. 26.Several delegations acknowledged thatthesetting ofpriorities, asrequiredbytherelevant resolutions oftheGeneral Assembly, wasadifficult exercise.Somedelegations expressed theviewthattheproblems ofthedeveloping countriesingeneral, andespecially thoseofAfrica, shouldhavebeenaccorded higherpriority. Otherdelegations inquired whypriorities hadnotbeendesignated inallsections oftheproposed programme budget. Concerning termination ofprogrammeelements, somedelegations questioned whether theSecretariat haddoneitsutmostinthatregard, especially inviewofthefactthatfewerprogramme elements wereproposed fortermination thanhadbeenthecaseinthe1984-1985 biennium. Otherdelegations, however, wereoftheopinion thattherewasnoreasonfortheSecretariat toapologize forthereduced numberofterminations. 27.Several delegations expressed theirobjection tothepractice followed duringthebiennium 1984-1985 ofeliminating activities mandated bytheGeneral Assemblywithout priorrecourse tothatbody.Theywereoftheviewthatsinceactivitiesweremandated bythatbody,theirelimination shouldalsobethusmandated. They -7-t J, lr36.Th ofstat givenb thatth 37.In beapr forext wassug35.On discuss working out,dr bienni 38.Th WorldF ofthe queried Organiz thethr another wasful 40.Re agresd inabu notonl appropr' 42.So member flackof vacancy -8-1.IntroductionSection 1.Overall policy-making, direction andco-ordination28.Whilemanydelegations commented favourably ontheimproved methodology ofthe programme budgetdocument, theyalsostressed thattherewasroomforimprovement. Theyparticularly emphasized theneedforpropermonitoring ofprogramme performance andtheimportant function oftheCentral Monitoring Unitinthat regard. 32.Atits34thmeeting, on20May,theCOmmittee considered section 1ofthe proposed programme budgetforthebiennium 1986-1987. Fortheconclusions and recommendations oftheCOmmittee, seeparagraphs 587-593 below.30.Inresponding tothecomments made,theAssistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning andCo-ordination statedthattheconcept ofmaximum restraint, asapplied totheproposed programme budgetfor1986-1987, hadcombined twobroad elements: aprogrammatic justification forallresource requests andexploration ofallpossibilities forinternal economies. Thosetwoelements impliedthatthere hadbeennopreconceived, centrally established "target" growthrate,thatprimary consideration hadbeengiventothetranslation oflegislative mandates into concrete outputs, andthatallwaysandmeanshadbeenexplored todeliver those outputs inacost-effective wayconsistent withgoodmanagerial practice~ wi~hout
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the budget of an international organization, specifically the United Nations, and the concerns and recommendations of various delegations regarding the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1986-1987. The text touches on issues such as resource allocation, budgetary growth, and the prioritization of programme elements. It also mentions the need for effective utilization of available resources, the use of consultants, and the application of the principle of equitable geographical distribution.